Promise of Restoration

(Ezekiel 8-11)

Ezekiel is in Tel Abib and he is God's man to deliver His message to His people in exile. He has been told to "eat" the scrolls of God's words and tell the people exactly what is contained in them. He is promised protection as he is sure that the people will harm him for his prophecies.
This section of scripture contains a vision given to Ezekiel in which the city of Jerusalem is basically laid waste. It's inhabitants are killed for their unfaithfulness and worship of idols. He is taken to the temple and witnesses the worship of idols in God's home. God is angry and deals with his people harshly. "Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them." (Ezk 8:18) Death will come. Difficulty will come. Leaders will be punished. God tells them that they "have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you." Judgement comes in response to their unfaithfulness.
If that was the end of the story, it would be a sad ending. But God has a plan for restoration, He always has and still has to this day. The exiles will return with changed hearts to live in Israel once again. They will have an "undivided heart" and a "new spirit in them". God will remove from them "hearts of stone" and replace it with "hearts of flesh". They will "keep His laws" and "follow His decrees". He will be "their God" and they will be "His people".
Good news? Good news! Same story, different time. Separated from God, we are "without hope and without God in the world". (Eph 2:22, please read entire verse) Just like those unfaithful Jews, we are destined for destruction and just like them, God has a plan for our restoration. That plan is found only in His son, Jesus. "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Eph 2:23) If our story ended with our being excluded from God's people, that would be a sad ending.
Thankfully, there is a promise of restoration for each of us, but we must repent of our sins, accept the atoning sacrifice of the Christ on our behalf, confess His name publicly and be immersed in water to receive the cleansing found in His blood. When we do that, God takes out our heart of stone and replaces it with one of flesh. When we do that, God puts a new spirit within us. And then we follow His decrees and His laws. Then He is our God and we are His people. (read all of Acts 2 and 22, Romans 6 and Col 2)
Great news? Great news!! If you would like to study this further, I am always available, just send my a comment on my blog and let's talk.