Divine Reform Measures

Sermon on Ezekiel 36:24-32

[Pastor YookCing has requested for her MP3 not to be uploaded on the website. Should you need a copy of it, you may send a mail to Pastor SiowHwee for it]

Every organization, society and community needs to reform itself continually. Every individual too. After doing things for a prolonged period, it is needful to step back and evaluate whether our practices are still relevant and meaningful. Are our personal and communal goals, values and motivations still consistent and committed to God’s will? Do they reflect that a just and merciful God dwells in our midst? There is a particular type of ‘reform’ that on God can do – the transformation of a person’s inner being.

In today’s passage, God makes an announcement to the Israelites that he will take drastic reform measures to renew them. Measures guaranteed to be more effective than what any earthly administration can come up with.

I will go through three questions related to the allocated passage.
Why is God doing this drastic thing?
What exactly will he do?
How does it affect my daily interactions and lifestyle?

(1) Why is God doing this?
The first thing we notice is that God speaks! He is not secretive. Though His ways may be mysterious and difficult to comprehend, they are never hidden, but open for all to see and draw their own conclusions. A common pitfall is the tendency to generalize a unique personal experience of God and impose it on others. I make that mistake too. What is effective and successful for my situation and generation, I assume will apply for someone else, in some other contexts and scenarios. This is not necessarily so. God deals with each of us, each era, each church community differently, in accordance to what he deems best.
Israel has this problem. Having experienced God’s frequent protection and deliverance, they have come to look upon God as some sentimental daddy whose primary role is to cater to their needs. So their defeat and exile posed a faith crisis – because God has not saved them from their enemies this time! Was God powerless? He betrayed them? God answers them: none of the above. The time is now ripe and he will powerfully intervene to reverse their current miserable state.

For God’s sake, not our sake. God does not mince his words. In case we are deluded into thinking that God must always act to accommodate our needs, he bluntly points out everything he will do is according to his agenda, not theirs.

V22 Not for your sake, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.
What God is going to do for Israel has nothing to do with scoring popularity points or gaining the people’s favor. God is primarily motivated to act because his reputation is at stake.

Take some time to think over the implications for this. As recipients of divine grace, we often have the illusion that we – our desires and agendas – should be the center of the universe. Everything must revolve around our immediate needs. But God’s primary concern is that all may see his glory and know him as sovereign.

Like it or not, we live in a predominantly self-serving world. When we make choices and decisions, I wonder how many of us seriously base our motivation on – will this glorify God? Decisions that honor God may mean a more difficult path for selves or our loved ones. It may mean a rethinking over our deep desires and motivations, which affect our intercessions. Don’t misunderstand me. God cares about our pain, our broken marriages, failing exams, financial difficulties etc. But he cares much more about what happens to us in eternity, which has bearing on what kind of persons we are or become, as we maneuver life on earth.
My friend’s dog recently fell seriously ill and became crippled overnight. It became a platform for some theological discussions as her children struggled to process the situation. One boy prays, “Please heal him, O God.” Another prays, “If not full recovery, please have mercy on him and let him die. Spare him from prolonged pain and suffering.” The third one prays, “Whatever the outcome, enable us as care-givers to journey with him together in a manner that demonstrates your love and beauty. When sacrifices have to be made, help each and all to bear it with courage and patience, not to complain or doubt your love for us.” Indeed, amid each crisis, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the clutches of the evil one.

That all may know what kind of God he is. During Israel’s time, the ancient people regarded gods as some kind of patron landlords. The gods will defend the territories they live in. I hope we do not hold such a naïve worldview and simplistic perspective of God. It does not allow us to readily see beyond the obvious and discern the true cause behind what takes place in the world. The causes of some human plights are our own doing, for which we must bear consequences rather than blame God. Other events may signal judgment from God that we need to pay attention and repent accordingly.

As Israel’s neighbors observed what was happening, they would inevitably come to the conclusion that Israel’s God Yahweh is powerless to save them! It won’t occur to them that Israel’s God has purposefully caused this because he was executing judgment on his people, as they had failed to keep their covenant with him.

Herein lies the tension. When God’s people behave wickedly and immorally, God’s name is defiled and disgraced. On the other hand, when God disciplines Israel, deliver them to the hand of enemies and banished them into exile, when their land in ruins, this also dishonors God in the eyes of the pagan nations. Thus God must respond in such a way that people will know him and his true character.

When God’s dramatic acts are fully completed – after judgment and after restoration – then all who were involved will realize that he is indeed in control and sovereign.
V23 And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
V38 Then they [the people of God] will know that I am the Lord

(2) What exactly will God do?
In order to restore his reputation in the eyes of nations, God says he will restore Israel. Verses 24-30 describe the list of things he will do:

Re-gather the people back from the nations from where they have been scattered
Reform and transform his people inside out
Cause their desolate land to become fertile again such that there will be no more famine and hunger in their mist.

The Shans. To put things in current perspective. Let me share with you the plight of a people group that my colleagues work with. This is one of the most neglected minority people that initially lived within Burma. Persecuted, many Shans escaped to the borders of Northern Thailand, where they live as refugees in very deprived conditions. As illegal immigrants, they have little rights and live with the injustices leveled upon them. Often exploited for cheap and dangerous labor. Ask any Shan and he will tell you that his dream is to return to Shan State one day, to enjoy peace and freedom, and to lead fruitful meaningful lives.

Imagine if the Shans receive news that God himself, no less, will personally be responsible for bringing them back to their homeland and cause them to flourish again. What tremendous joy and hope that would bring! As Christ workers would testify, even though circumstances do not change overnight, there is renewed dignity for those who have received the Gospel and new perspective of their true state as valuable beloved people of God. The assured future restores hope and strength to face the daily grinds.

The Heart of Restoration. The ancient way of writing differs somewhat from our modern-day point form. Rather than putting the prioritized item on the top of the list, ancient writers used a chiastic structure where the emphasized component centers in the middle. When you read this portion again, you can discern what the emphasis is.

V24 Re-gathering of the people
V25-28 Transforming the people
Cleanse and purify
New heart and spirit bestowed (vv26-27)
Covenant renewed: you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Vv29-30 Blessings for the people

God’s cleansing (v25) symbolizes His forgiveness of the people’s wayward ways. However, repeated cleaning / forgiveness alone will not resolve the problem of sin. We are reminded of Jesus’ words years later, that what makes a person ‘unclean’ is not external acts (e.g. not washing one’s hands, dirty food).  Rather “what proceeds from the heart” will signify whether this person is defiled or sanctified (Matthew 15:18). The inner person must be transformed entirely from inside out.

When you further analyze the chiastic structure, it centers on the radical divine act of vv26-27. There is a critical problem that God must eradicate. Israel, like all of us, is prone to sin and rebellion. They are stiff-necked; they readily forget their mistakes and will repeat these.

To ensure that his people will not continue down the spiral of destruction, God declares that he will remake them anew. There will be radical surgery and organ transplant.
V26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Heart of stone vs heart of flesh. The heart represents the center of a person’s will, emotion and thought. An ossified heart is hardened and inflexible due to obstinacy and willfulness. I’m sure we all have our share of friends who are resistant to constructive feedback and change. A heart of stone is like a fossil – it loses potential to grow. There is no life in it; it is cold and insensitive. In contrast, a ‘heart of flesh’ is responsive, teachable and moldable. It represents someone with capacity to submit to God and evolve into the beauty of Christ.  ‘New spirit’ suggests that God himself will empower the individuals to do his will. They will be able to rise above their propensity for disobedience.

You choose what kind of person you desire to become. I hear objections. Some people wonder whether this is so desirable after all. They ask, hey what happens to free will and choice? Friends, you choose – whether you want become a fossil that won’t change anymore, or to replace it with a pulsating fleshy heart with unlimited possibilities for good. You choose – whether to be infused by the Holy Spirit of God, or filled with alternative desires and pursuits. Consequences will be poles apart. You exercise the choice to your destiny.

David’s choice. In the Old Testament, there was a very powerful man – King David – who could have anything he asked for. One thing was envied – he enjoyed an intense and fulfilling personal relationship with God. In a moment of indulgence, he sinned against God and that relationship was jeopardized. More than anything, David grieved over this severance of relationship he once shared with God. The alienation is more unbearable than any penalty or death itself.

As David repented, he pleaded with God to make him into a new being – one who will whole-heartedly walk in righteousness again. Let me read his inner thoughts:
Ps 51:2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Ps 51:10-13 Create in me a pure heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.

To create is an act that belongs to God alone. David, who could have everything he wanted on earth, would rather have God remake him into new man, than to have freedom to indulge in any of his pursuits. He knows that all earthly accomplishments and pleasures without God could not bring lasting and true fulfillment.
In today’s passage, the sheer grace of God is more pronounced because God declares that he will act before Israel was even capable of knowing her own need. I am beginning to appreciate that judgment alone is never complete to reveal to a person his deepest need for God. In the name of righteous justice, it is easy to criticize, condemn and complain. But that alone does not always lead to regeneration, healing and reconciliation. The act of judgment and grace is a truer manifestation of the holy God we proclaim and worship, who holds the tension justice and mercy together.

(3) How does this impact my daily experience and lifestyle?

A continuing journey to live as God’s people. God’s name and reputation is not restored just through the people getting back to their land and prospering in it. It hinges on how they subsequently continue to live in the land of blessing. The next two verses envision Israel’s response:
V31-32 Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for you iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.
After the people return to their land, God again renews his covenant with them.
Vv28 “You shall be my people and I will be your God.”
In view of all that has happened before their eyes, the people of God still face the decision of how they intend to respond. This remains a daily choice for God’s people – to live as God’s people redeemed by grace. You and me too.

This morning God continues to challenge and invite you. In fact, today is Pentecost Sunday. Living in this era of human history, we realize that God’s promise has been fulfilled in ways beyond any scope of imagination. Over two thousand years ago, 50 days after Christ’s death and resurrection, followers of Christ experienced the dramatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Along with the Spirit’s indwelling, all barriers to approach God are broken down. Followers of Christ will be infused with a new spirituality for an intimate personal relationship with the Holy God; empowered with power from to lead lives that glorify Him.

Life Exchange transaction. In closing, I’d like to present a transaction for your consideration: Would you hand over your life to the Carpenter, so that he could fill you and mould you for his glory?
There are no half-measures. Either you surrender your life fully in exchange for Jesus’, or you do not. There is no such thing as giving a certain percentage. Weigh your costs and make your decision.

Let us pray. Our Father in heaven. We are weak but you are strong. Help us to embrace your will, obey your call, receive your power, and reflect your peace. In the name of Jesus. Amen.