God who Concerns for His Holy Name

[Ezekiel 36:16-31]

The Israelites profaned God’s holy name (v.21).  They did so by worshiping idols (v.18) in their own land (v.17).  Therefore, God punished them.  And the punishment was for the Babylonians to attach and to destroy the Israel.  But God was gracious and merciful to the Israelites that God let some of them to live and be captivated by the Babylonians.  And when those remnants were in Babylonia, the Babylonians also profaned God’s holy name.  They said “These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land” (v.20).  In other words, the Babylonians profaned God’s holy name by saying ‘These Jews were captured by us and their God couldn’t do anything about it’ (Dr. Park).  But since God had concern for His holy name (v.21) He promised to the Israelites through prophet Ezekiel that He would show the holiness of His great name which had been profaned among the nations (v.23). 

How did God fulfill that promise?  I want to think about in 5 ways:

First, God fulfilled His promise of showing the holiness of His great name by bringing the Israelites back from Babylonia to their home land.  Please read Ezekiel 36:24 - “'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.”  Before the Israelites were disciplined by God and some were captivated in Babylonia, they used to live in the land of Canaan.  But since now they were captivated by the Babylonians, God promised to the Israelites that He would bringing them back to their own land – the land of Canaan.  By doing so, God wanted to show the holiness of His great name not only to the Israelites but also to the Babylonians.  The Babylonians would be humbled and would see the God of Israel is living and powerful to save His own people from their own hands.  And as the Israelites experienced God’s deliverance, they would know that their God is true covenant God who kept His promise, unlike the idols which they used to worship.

                Second, God fulfilled His promise of showing the holiness of His great name by cleansing the Israelites from all their impurities and all their idols.  Please read Ezekiel 36:25 - “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.”  Not only that God promised to save the Israelites from the Babylonians for His holy name’s sake (v.24) He also promised them to save them from all their uncleanness (v.29).  What a grace of God!  He did not only want to free the Israelites from the Babylonians but also He wanted to free them from their sins.  Why did God want to free the Israelites who profaned His holy name from their sins?  It was because so that He could show the holiness of His great name.

                Third, God fulfilled His promise of showing the holiness of His great name by giving the Israelites a new heart and a new spirit.  Please read Ezekiel 36:26 - “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.”  You see, God wanted to change the inner being of the Israelites because God did not want them to sins against God again.  That’s why God promised to remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh (v.26).  Without inner transformation, outer changes are meaningless and useless.  And God knows that we cannot do anything about our inner transformation.  He knows that we are powerless and helpless.  That’s why He wants to transform our inner being so that we may stop coming sins against Him.  And He does so because He concerns about His holy name.

Fourth, God fulfilled His promise of showing the holiness of His great name by putting His Spirit in us.  Please read Ezekiel 36:27 - “And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”  Not only God promised to bring inner transformation to the Israelites by giving them the new heart (v.26), He also promised them to move them to follow His decrees by putting His Spirit in them (v.27).  What a encouraging hope this is.  Although we know that we have to obey His commandments, we cannot because of our heart of stone (v.26).  That’s why we keep committing sins against God.  And we know that we suppose to repent our sins and turn to God.  But we are unable to do so.  And God knows our inability.  That’s why He already put His Spirit in us so that we may be able to obey His commands.

Lastly, God fulfilled His promise of showing the holiness of His great name by blessing them abundantly.  Please read Ezekiel 36:29-30 - “I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you.  I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.”  God promised to make the land of Israel plentiful and would not bring famine upon them so that they will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations.  The purpose was to show the holiness of His great name to all the nations, including Israel.

As I conclude, we the Christians are profaning God’s holy name.  We do so by disobeying His commandments.  Therefore, God is punishing us.  God is using His rod to discipline the church.  As a result, we are in bondage of sins.  And this world is mocking us and mocking God.  They are profaning God’s holy name as well.  But God who concerns for His holy name promises us that He will show the holiness of His great name.  As He saves us from this world and from sins, He will show the holiness of His great name.  Moreover, He will transform us both inwardly and outwardly.  He will bless us abundantly too.  By doing so, God will show the holiness of His great name.

As I bear God’s holy name “Christian” and “saint”,

James Kim