And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God (Ezekiel 11:19–20, NLT).

The failure of the Old Covenant grounded in the Mosaic Law was not the failure of the Law but the failure of the people of God to obey the Law (Hebrews 8:7–9). The glorious provision of the New Covenant was that God would make it so that His people would obey Him. He would take away their stubborn and rebellious heart and give them a soft and responsive heart.

While we all humbly acknowledge our sinfulness, even that not a day goes by that we do not sin, no one is more painfully aware of this than a Christian struggling with addiction, whether to alcohol, drugs, sex, food, or something else. Even as such a person struggles to break free from the chemical, psychological, or emotional pull of the addiction, he or she also deals with constant guilt and a sense of powerlessness to change.

Addiction is simply an amplification of the condition of every person. We are all slaves to sin: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way" (Isaiah 53:6a). "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one" (Romans 3:10–12). We were all as good as "dead in [our] transgressions and sins" (Ephesians 2:1), for "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

Under the Old Covenant, there would be no hope for us, only condemnation; under the New Covenant, however, "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:23), so that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1), for "the LORD has laid on him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6b). "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus Christ, therefore, has become the gateway into the blessings of the New Covenant for all of us who were slaves of sin.

Therefore, dear friends, let us praise the LORD this morning! What we could not do, He did for us. What we cannot do, He will do for us. The righteousness that we needed, He gave. The righteousness that we seek, He will finally accomplish in us when He brings us into His heavenly kingdom (Matthew 5:6). Even though we are daily reminded of our depravity, let us just as often acknowledge Christ's sufficiency and give God our Father all thanks and praise in Jesus Christ our Lord!

AI-Expanded Reflection

The setting of Ezekiel 11 makes its promise remarkable. In chapters 8–11 Ezekiel is shown, in a vision, the idolatry practiced within the Jerusalem Temple, and then he watches the glory of the Lord depart. It moves to the threshold (10:4), to the east gate (10:19), and finally to the mountain east of the city (11:22–23). At the same moment, the leaders left in Jerusalem were saying that the exiles had gone far from the Lord and that the land now belonged to those who remained (11:15). God answers that He Himself has been “a sanctuary for a little while” to the scattered exiles (11:16). The new heart is promised to the very people Jerusalem had written off, far from the Temple, while God’s glory was leaving it.

Ezekiel repeats and expands the promise in 36:26–27, adding “I will put my Spirit within you.” Jeremiah describes the same new covenant as the law written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:31–34), and Hebrews 8:8–12 quotes Jeremiah at length to show that this covenant has been inaugurated in Christ. The comment’s reading of Hebrews is accurate: God “finds fault with them,” not with the Law (8:8). Paul says the same in Romans 7:12, calling the law holy, righteous, and good. The problem was never the standard but the heart.

The comment’s use of addiction as a mirror for the human condition is spiritually powerful. People who struggle with addiction often understand better than others the experience Paul describes in Romans 7, of wanting to do right and finding another power at work. Their honesty can teach the whole church. Recovery communities have long recognized that the first step toward freedom is admitting powerlessness, which is close to the heart of the gospel’s call to stop trusting in our own righteousness.

It is also important to say that addiction usually has physical and psychological dimensions that call for more than willpower or even prayer alone. Many believers find that freedom comes through Christ’s grace working together with medical treatment, counseling, and supportive communities. Seeking that help is not a lack of faith. It is one of the ordinary means God uses to heal, just as Paul advised Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach (1 Timothy 5:23) and Luke the physician traveled with Paul. Churches serve struggling people well when they offer both the gospel and practical support.

The comment’s closing praise holds together two realities that the new covenant keeps in tension: daily awareness of sin and daily confidence in Christ’s sufficiency. The new heart has been given, and the Spirit dwells in believers, yet the work of transformation continues until it is completed (Philippians 1:6). Ezekiel’s promise that God will cause His people to walk in His statutes means that sanctification is finally His work. That is why the struggling believer can keep getting up after each fall, not in self-reliance, but in hope.

While they were striking and Ezekiel was left alone, he fell on his face and cried, "Ah, Lord God! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel?" (a paraphrase of Ezekiel 9:8).

God gives Ezekiel a vision of His judgment on Jerusalem. He tells one man to put a mark on the foreheads of those who sigh and groan over the city's abominations. Then He tells six executioners to strike down everyone without the mark. As Ezekiel watches, the slaughter seems so sweeping that he feels he alone is left. Fearing that God is destroying the entire remnant of Israel in Jerusalem, he falls on his face in deep distress.

Friends, I think Ezekiel hoped that at least some would be spared — surely even a few. The wrath of God is fearful indeed! Young men and old, young women and married women, and even little children fell under judgment.

Perhaps some two million or more came out of Egypt in the Exodus. The population of Israel had multiplied enormously from the seventy who came into Egypt in Joseph's day. Yet unbelief cut down an entire generation of Israel by the time they entered Canaan forty years later. Once established in the land, their persistent rebellion led to many judgments and finally to exile. By the time of their return, the millions had become only tens of thousands. Apart from the exiles already taken to Babylon, Ezekiel feared there would be no remnant of Israel left in the land.

Friends, this should be a sobering reminder to us not to be too optimistic about many being saved on that Day. Recently a guest speaker at my church gave an entire message about how there will be "many" in heaven. He tried to argue that the few are many. Really? In Noah's day, only eight were saved. Yes, eight is many compared to none or one, but who would argue that eight is anything compared to the multitudes who perished in the Flood? Yes, there will be an uncountable number of people saved at the end, but Israel's descendants were also described as uncountable, and that meant a few million — a small fraction of all who have ever lived. Rather than thinking that the few are many, I believe it is more accurate to say the opposite: the many are few. This is why our Lord Jesus taught that the gate to destruction is wide and many enter it, but the gate to life is narrow, "and those who find it are few" (a paraphrase of Matthew 7:13–14).

Only a few find the way to eternal life. Those saved are a remnant of the remnant. Jesus gave this somewhat cryptic prophecy: "when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8).

I believe the implication is that there will be few who truly believe when the Lord Jesus returns for His own. This suggests that as the end draws near, there will be fewer, not more, true believers.

Friends, as I have shared, my heart is distressed. Even as I write, I feel tears welling up, because although I believe I am truly saved, I also feel I am saved by the skin of my teeth. What does this suggest for my Christian brothers and sisters who are so much more confident than I? They think things are fine. They hardly meditate on His Word. They simply go through the motions of Christianity. Their prayers are all about temporal things. They are so busy and concerned with making this life work well for themselves. Are they saved? Or will they be found to have given only lip service to God?

AI-Expanded Reflection

Ezekiel 9 is terrifying, but it also contains a striking mercy: before judgment falls, God orders His messenger to "put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan" over the city's abominations (9:4). The Hebrew word for "mark" is taw, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which in ancient script was written as a cross-shaped sign. Early Christian writers noticed the resonance with the cross, and Revelation takes up the image when God's servants are "sealed... on their foreheads" before judgment (Revelation 7:3; 9:4). God's judgment is never indiscriminate; He knows and protects those who belong to Him.

The comment's question about how many will be saved is one Jesus Himself was asked: "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" His answer redirected the question: "Strive to enter through the narrow door" (Luke 13:23–24). Scripture holds together the narrowness of the way and the vastness of the redeemed — "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation" (Revelation 7:9). Many believers find in Jesus' answer a gentle rebuke to both complacency and anxiety: the question is not first how many others will be saved, but whether I am entering by faith. For the comment's tender worry about being saved "by the skin of my teeth," Scripture offers firm ground: assurance rests not on the strength of our faith but on the One in whom we trust — "whoever comes to me I will never cast out" (John 6:37).

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, what is this proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days are long and every vision fails’? Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “I will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel.” But tell them, “The days draw near as well as the fulfillment of every vision. For there will no longer be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I the Lord will speak, and whatever word I speak will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it,” declares the Lord God.’” (Ezekiel 12:21–25).

The false visions and flattering divination that the people of Israel heard were prophecies of peace and prosperity. These were the prophecies the people believed, rather than those of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who proclaimed oracles of God's judgment. Generally speaking, most, if not all, of the prophecies from the LORD were prophecies of judgment rather than prosperity. This was fitting with the universally sinful and rebellious condition of the people. In fact, on the few occasions, where God prophesied deliverance, it was either immediate and in response to prayer (e.g. God's response to Hezekiah's prayer for deliverance from the Assyrian king) or else God gave a sign to verify it (e.g. Isaiah's prophecy to King Ahaz of Judah regarding deliverance from Israel and Syria in Isaiah 7 ). Note this observation from Jeremiah:

From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true (Jeremiah 28:8–9).

The false prophet Hananiah prophesied that there would be peace. All the other false prophets and priests agreed with his prophecy. Thus, Jeremiah seemed to be in the minority. But Jeremiah said that all the true prophets that came before them generally prophesied only disaster, so it was not Jeremiah but Hananiah that was in the minority. Hananiah would only be proven true if his prophecy came true. Otherwise, he was a false prophet.

In light of the false prophecies that were being embraced by the people of Judah, God declared that He would not delay bringing about the judgment He prophesied in truth through Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. He would bring this judgment to pass in their day.

Friends, I cannot help but think of those claiming to be prophets today. They are not declaring words of judgment for sin but rather of prosperity. They tell people things they like to hear. They say things like "God will give you a great youth ministry" or "God will build your business" or "God will make you rich," etc. Not only are these inconsistent with the great majority of biblical prophecy, but they often take no responsibility when these things don't transpire as prophesied.

Someone declares that he heard something from the LORD. And then, when it does not happen, he simply says that God must have had something better in store. How is this different from some Jehovah's Witnesses, who predicted Jesus' coming on such and such a day, and when He was not seen, they first changed their time frame and then declared that He did come, only not physically but spiritually. Is this prophecy in truth? Certainly not!

These are the kinds of statements and prophecies coming out of the mouths of ignorant people in some churches today. These are the kinds of things coming out of places like Kansas City and the International House of Prayer (IHOP), and now, even organizations like Youth With A Mission (YWAM). And just like the false prophets of old, when the prophecies don't come true, they just change their prophecy. Unfortunately, in Ezekiel's day, they did not have the luxury to simply change their story, because they all died on account of their false prophecies.

Friends, the only reliable truth is biblical truth. Do not trust in anyone who claims to have heard from the LORD. More likely than not, they do not know what they are talking about and are spouting only what has come from their own imaginations. You do not need such prophecies to please God. With the Bible, you are thoroughly equipped to do every good work that God requires:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

AI-Expanded Reflection

Ezekiel’s hearers had turned the apparent delay of judgment into an argument against judgment itself. Their proverb in Ezekiel 12:22 is more than impatience: it makes the passage of time a reason to dismiss God’s warnings. Ezekiel 12:26–28 exposes a second evasion. Some people apparently accept that the vision is genuine but place its fulfillment so far in the future that it makes no claim on their lives. The two responses lead to the same practical result: nothing needs to change today. The chapter confronts both unbelief and a supposedly believing postponement of obedience.

The setting sharpens the warning. Ezekiel speaks among exiles before Jerusalem’s final collapse. Earlier deportation has not persuaded everyone that the city and its religious institutions are vulnerable. The enacted exile in Ezekiel 12:1–16 and the eating in fear in verses 17–20 make the approaching catastrophe concrete. People who have already seen consequences can still believe that the worst is impossible. The promise of peace is dangerous here because it reassures a community that refuses to face what its injustice and idolatry have become.

Jeremiah 28 provides a disciplined comparison. Jeremiah actually wishes that Hananiah’s announcement of restoration would prove true (Jeremiah 28:6). He does not enjoy predicting disaster or regard pleasant news as automatically false. His objection concerns authorization and fulfillment. Indeed, Jeremiah himself promises restoration in Jeremiah 30–33, and Ezekiel will announce a new heart, restored people, and renewed sanctuary in Ezekiel 36–37. Therefore, the test cannot be reduced to whether a message sounds severe or encouraging. A frightening preacher may mislead just as effectively as a flattering one. God’s revealed character, the message’s consistency with his word, and the truthfulness of specific claims all matter.

The author’s concern about invoking divine authority remains particularly important. “I think this is wise” invites examination; claiming that God has guaranteed a particular outcome can put another person’s conscience under pressure. When the outcome fails, changing the meaning after the event does not answer the original problem. Responsible teaching distinguishes biblical promises from pastoral hopes, impressions, predictions, and ordinary advice. Ezekiel 12–13 condemns a message that attributes to God what he has not said.

Christians disagree about whether congregational prophecy continues, but neither position requires protecting a leader from scrutiny or allowing failed claims to disappear without acknowledgment. Nor does the passage authorize applying Israel’s judicial penalties to modern religious opponents. Correction, truthful documentation, repentance, and protection of those pressured by a claim are appropriate responses. The names in the original belong to the author’s historical assessment and cannot substitute for examining particular statements fairly.

Second Timothy 3:16–17 supplies the constructive ending. Scripture forms people for faithful action through teaching, correction, and training. Its sufficiency directs attention away from the anxiety of finding a special prediction and toward the responsibility of practicing what God has already made clear. The searching question is not merely whether someone else’s forecast failed, but whether I am using delay, excitement, or reassurance to avoid obedience that is already due.

Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple (Ezekiel 9:3).

Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 10:4).

Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.(Ezekiel 10:18–19).

Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. The glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it (Ezekiel 11:22–23).

If you follow the "glory of the LORD" references in today's reading, you will notice that the glory of the LORD, which represents God's Presence, departs from its place in the Temple and then departs from its residence in Jerusalem. Symbolically, it represents God no longer being with His people to bless them in the Land of Promise. As far as we know from Scripture, the glory of the LORD will remain absent from the Temple and city until the time of the end (Revelation 15:8; 21:23). However, in a shrouded form we might say the next time the glory returned was when the boy Jesus remained at the Temple, confounding the religious teachers with his understanding and his answers (Luke 2:46–47).

AI-Expanded Reflection

Ezekiel's account of the glory moving from the temple into departure is deliberately gradual. The threshold, the east gate, and the mountain east of the city mark stages in a vision of judgment. The people have assumed that the temple secures the Lord's protection while filling its surroundings with practices that contradict his holiness. The movement exposes the inadequacy of possessing sacred space without faithfulness to the God whose presence gives that space its significance.

The vision does not mean that God has ceased to be present everywhere or has lost authority over the land. Ezekiel has already encountered the divine glory among the exiles by the Kebar River in chapter 1. God's presence is not confined to Jerusalem, and departure from the sanctuary does not place the exiles beyond his reach. That is both judgment on a false security and a source of unexpected hope for those who believed exile had removed them from every possibility of divine encounter.

The original looks ahead to Revelation for the glory's return, but Ezekiel itself supplies a direct counterpart in 43:1–5. The glory comes from the east and fills the temple in the prophet's later restoration vision. Interpretations differ over how that temple vision is fulfilled, yet its literary relationship to chapters 10–11 should not be skipped. The departure and return belong to the book's own movement from exposed defilement toward renewed holy presence.

Christian connections with Jesus can then be made through passages that explicitly develop the theme. John 1:14 speaks of the Word dwelling among us and of beholding his glory, while John 2:19–21 interprets temple language in relation to Jesus' body. The boy Jesus in the temple may serve as a devotional association, but Luke 2 does not explicitly identify that episode as the return of Ezekiel's departing glory. Distinguishing a suggestive connection from a stated fulfillment allows the canonical theme to remain substantial without overclaiming.

The practical question is what we have treated as a guarantee of God's approval. A building, denomination, family history, or successful ministry can become a substitute for obedience. Ezekiel does not invite contempt for gathered worship; it calls worshipers to recognize that the holy God cannot be domesticated by their institutions. His presence is a gift, not an asset under human management.

The promise of return also prevents the warning from ending in despair. God is able to restore what human defilement has ruined. A faithful response includes repentance, renewed attention to his word, and openness to his work beyond familiar centers of influence. The Lord who can depart in judgment is also the Lord who seeks his people in exile and promises a future shaped by his presence.