Ezekiel 37 Cont

Verses 14-28

One Nation Under One King

Point one. 

It is here where it is promised that the two kingdoms shall be happily united in brotherly love and mutually serve each other. Ever since the desertion of the ten tribes from the house of David under King Jeroboam these two factions or Kingdoms just never got along. They just continually feuded and clashed. It's thought that even in their captivity they still clashed with one another. But now? No more. There will be a coalition between them (Are you with me here yet Lucy lol?) and the differences that were between them will go away and they will agree to love one another and do to one another every good thing under the sun. This is illustrated by a sign. The prophet was to take two sticks and upon one write, "For Judah" (including Benjamin, those of the children of Israel that were his companions), on the other stick he was to write, "For Joseph", including the rest of the tribes. Ezekiel 37:16 “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ The two sticks were to be handled as to fall into one in his hand. Ezekiel 37:17 "Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand."

The people saw this and they wanted to know what it meant, cause they knew the prophet did not play with sticks for fun like kids often do. People who know the word of God, should ask the meaning of the word which they read and hear. If you don't understand, ask. If your not satisfied with an answer ask somebody else. If you're still not satisfied, go research it yourself until you can wrap it around your head. And, people knowing by which spiritual and divine things are presented to us (the two sticks in this instance) the ministers lips should keep the knowledge and people should ask with their mouth. Malachi 2:7 "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts." It's necessary for adults as well as children to ask, "What do you mean by this? What are you saying?" Exodus 12:26, "And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?" The meaning was that Judah and Israel should become one in the hand of God. Ezekiel 37:19 say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’ Like I said, it might as well be about us too Lucy. They will be one, one nation. Ezekiel 37:22 "I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms." They will always be one from this point forward. They will not have any separate interest, no divided affections, nothing. There will be no mutual jealousies or animosities, no rememberance, no remains of their former discord. Ever. There will be however, a good understanding of each other, a good disposition one to another and a readiness and a willingness to give every good thing and service for each others credit and comfort. We're talking about the two Kingdoms of Israel coming together here but it may just as well be about me and my partner and crime coming together and a whole bunch of other things we'll get into in a bit. These two kingdoms had been two sticks fighting against one another, beating and bruising each other, but now? Now they shall become one, supporting and strengthening each other. (Already happening folks, sorry, this hits home on a personal level y'all). Oh and I love this lol, Vix unita fortior—Force added to force is proportionally more efficient. I saw it in action the other day. Somebody else did as well :-). It is so true. Ecclesiastes 4:12 "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." If there is only two? Why is the metaphor mentioning three? Matthew 18:20: "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Force added to force is proportionally more efficient. Amen. Truth. 

Look now. What a good thing to see these two kingdoms that had long been at odds with each other, and now? Now they are dwelling in unity. What happens because of this? They become acceptable to their God, amiable to their friends, and a formidable force to be reckoned with to their enemies.  Isa. 11:13-14 "Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah’s enemies will be destroyed; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim. They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will subdue Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them." Ephraim and Judah being the two kingdoms were talking about here. Isaiah wrote that probably a hundred years or so before Ezekiel. Cause you know, it's all a bunch of hocus pocus nonsense. People better wake up lol. So what are these two Kingdoms going to be? They shall be one in God's hand, by his power they shall be united (Lucy :-) and being brought by his hand together, his hand will keep them together so that neither will go off on it's own way to ever be separated again. They will be one in his hand for his glory shall be the center of their unity and his grace the cement of it. In him, in a regard to him and in his service and worship they shall unite and so shall become one. Both sides shall agree to put themselves into his hand and so they shall be one. I don't know latin, and this is a long phrase so I'm not going to share it, but the point is, Those who agree in a third agree with each other. See the earlier point about a cord of three strands, where there are two there I am as well etc. Those people who are being brought together are best united that are one in God's hand. Folks? Lucy told me almost six years ago, and I had no idea what she was referencing at the time, but she told me, "The time has come for him to bring his two's together." :-) The union that results with each other that comes from their union in Christ and their communion with God through him. Ephesians 1:9-10, "he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." And, One in us, John 17:21, "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." How many times did I share One Love by Bob Marley with you  again Lucy?

They shall return out of their captivity. Ezekiel 37: 21 "I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms." There's all kinds of captivity to be freed from, not just the kind being talked about here, that being the nation of Israel. Being freed from your captivity brings you into being one with God. Your captivity may be drugs, alcohol, sex, shopping, any kind of addiction, bitterness, anger, jealousy, envy, busyness, cutting, anything that keeps you from being in a closer relationship with God can be seen as a form of captivity, chains that need be removed. 

So what's he do? He takes them from among the heathen, and gathers them up from every side and he brings them together incorporated into one body to their own land. Folks it's happened, I see it in my own life and I know it's continuing to happen in others as well. I have a really close friend, "They shall be one in their separation from the heathen with whom they had mingled themselves" might as well just be talking about him. Matthew 13:49: "So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just." They shall both agree to part from them, (both being the two Kingdoms, them being the heathen), it might as well be me and Lucy, my friend, you, any number of things. They will no longer do things in the way heathens do things, and then they will soon agree to join together in walking according to the rule of God's word. Coming. Soon. Real real soon. lol. Their having been joint-sufferers will contribute to this blessed comprehension, when they begin to come to together and to consider things. What happened this morning for the very first time ever Lucy? :-) You put a bunch of pieces of metal together in a furnace and when they all melt what happens? They all run together right? "All the colors, shall bleed into one, bleed into one",  I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, U2. This blows my mind. It was time for them to strengthen one another when their oppressors were so busy to weaken and ruin them all. 

My partner in crime? She's been sharing this with me off and on for a few weeks now. It's exactly, what's happening. Right this minute. By their being joint-sharers in the favour of God, (and let me tell ya, I've been talking about recompense, people don't have a clue about what the favor of God can bring when one does his bidding.) and the great and common deliverance wrought out for them all? What should it do? It should help to unite them. God's loving them (two kingdoms remember) was a good reason why they should love one another. And this one is just for Lucy: Times of common joy, as well as times of common suffering should be healing loving times. The agony and the ecstasy right sweetheart?:-).

I was going to save it till the end of all the post but I just can't. The two sticks? Obviously they are not just the two Kingdoms of Israel being brought back together. It the two witnesses in Revelation 11 being brought together, it's the Jew and gentile being brought together, especially during the end times, It's Christ and his true church being reunited with each other as well. It's a lot of things. Four different things minimum. An onion doesn't stop being an onion just because you peel off it's layers. The words convey the message they did thousands of years ago, but in today's context, they take on a new meaning. There are layers of meanings to these verses and I assure you the prophet didn't have a clue about most of them as he was writing them. 

2 Peter 1:2, "For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." It's not just two sticks lol  Alrighty,one point down, three to go :-).

Side note, I'm sorry if this got to personal for some but a lot of things just really hit home and sometimes this is just the best way for me to share things with her. It's just a lot easier for me to write large chunks here than try and use the other methods we've chosen to communicate with. Seriously, we haven't spoke in close to six years. Here in a bit? Things will make more sense to a lot of people. Including myself lol. I hope lol. It is getting clearer everyday though :-)

One more note, and I shared this with someone the other day before writing this so they know what I say is true. Doing this commentary has been an ongoing project for a while now. It was on the list lol. I'd been putting it off. It's grueling. It just exhaust me physically, then I get picked up, Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." It just takes me a while to get rolling with it sometimes, because of the focus, time that's needed, etc. Anyway, the other day? I opened up my web browser on my phone. It didn't open to Google. It opened to Matthew Henry's commentary on Ezekiel 37. I hadn't been there in forever. I had been putting it off remember? I didn't have it bookmarked. It just showed up when I open my web browser. I knew what was being said lol. Go get on that lol. You betcha. Not a problem :-). The person I told this to? "It must have been the last thing you were looking at on your phone." Nope. Not by a long shot. It's just not the world I live in anymore. Expecting things like this to happen? That's where I'm more comfortable these days. Never liked this world, never felt like I was that much a part of it. The person I told this to? When I told them I hadn't been on that commentary site on my phone in a good while and that this is how my world functions now? They smiled. They bought in. It's made a huge difference. They know who they are. :-). Thank you.

"It was time for them to strengthen one another when their oppressors were so busy to weaken and ruin them all." Think it's an accident my web browser opened up to Matthews Henry's commentary on Ezekiel 37 that day? I don't, I know better.

Peace