Day 39: The Cost of the Vision: From Ezekiel’s Promise to Lazarus’ Tomb
March 28
by Michael Lovett
Readings:
Reflection:
The Ezekiel passage today speaks of a beautiful new reunion and a wonderful future status quo. This prophecy of Ezekiel comes at the lowest point in the history of Israel. God demonstrates his love and character as he speaks to Israel through Ezekiel to a people who feel their cultural and spiritual heritage is gone. They are in deep despair. Listen to the promises of God to an exiled people that have never consistently followed God:
I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.
There will be one king [Jesus] over all of them, and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.
They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them.
They will be my people, and I will be their God.
“ ‘My servant David [Jesus, born in the line of David] will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd.
They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.
They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived.
They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever.
I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. [eternal life]
I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. [a hint of the Holy Spirit, perhaps?]
My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Then the nations will know that I, the LORD, make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.’ ”
The last promise is truly impressive. It is a promise that God's covenant and work will make an impression on those who surround God's people. These promises of return, generational flourishing, forgiveness, cleansing, and impact are remarkably compelling. God is clear in his desire to be with his people and to gather them.
In John 11, we see Jesus' last miracle in public ministry (I didn't put this together until I wrote this devotional). John. 11:56 captures it: Therefore, Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead, he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
This makes the miracle and Jesus' emotions all the more precious: Jesus is about a week away from laying down his life, not only for his friends, but also for his critics and enemies, for anyone who would believe in him. He knows his time is coming. He is going to die to make Ezekiel's prediction come true. And this beautiful vision, this new reality, is going to cost dearly and hurt like nothing else. I'd encourage you to re-read John 11 with this in mind.
Lazarus' resurrection is a huge mic drop. He was resurrected in front of many Jews, gathered to mourn. It was undeniable. Lazarus was dead for days. He was dead and buried, and then he walked out of the tomb. Everyone saw it. There was nothing left to do but chatter about it and prepare for Passover. Both the plot to kill Jesus and the desire of the common folks to make him king were gaining momentum.
Song:
You Came, by Jonathan David Helser. This song is on a beautiful album. I also enjoyed searching up all kinds of songs about Lazarus being raised from the dead; I'd encourage you to spend an hour searching up and enjoying various songs about it.
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