The Heart-Cleanser

Ezekiel 36:22-38

This prophesy of Ezekiel begins with Israel being gathered from the nations and brought back to their own land (v24). This builds on the theme of the scattered flock being gathered by the great Shepherd (see Ezekiel 34 and the God’s Shepherd post).

However, once this gathering has taken place there is to be a total transformation given to the people. They will be sprinkled with clean water and become cleansed from their filthiness and all their idols (v25). More than that, they will be given a new heart and a new spirit in them (v26). But more than that, they will be given God’s own Spirit in them who will cause them to live in a way which honours God (v27). And even more than that, they will be cleansed from their iniquities and they will live in places no longer desolate (v33).

So how can this transformation happen?   The short answer is ‘Through Jesus’!

Cleansing in the Old Testament involved being sprinkled with the blood of animals (see Hebrews 9:19-22). Ezekiel is drawing on this picture of God’s designated way of being cleansed. However, in Jesus, the cleansing now happens because of His blood rather than the blood of animals (see Hebrews 9:11-14). And this Jesus-cleansing goes much deeper and cleanses our consciences. It is because of this deep-cleansing by the blood of Jesus that we have the confidence to enter the holy place (Hebrews 10:19) and we can have full confidence that we have had ‘our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.’

This image of being sprinkled with blood in order to be made clean may seem strange to us but Peter summarises it well at the start of his letter: ‘To those… who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure.’ (1 Peter 1:1,2)

So in chapter 36 Ezekiel didn’t only give us a glimpse of Jesus. He gave us a glimpse of how the Father gathers, the Son cleanses and the Spirit sanctifies.

Further reading:     Hebrews 10:19-25      1 Peter 1:1,2

Worship video:

To think about:
Do you enter the holy place with the confidence that Hebrews 10 describes? If not, ask the Holy Spirit to help you. If you do, think about what it is that gives you that confidence.

Creative response:

Journal page by Bernice

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