[:en]SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 11
“You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will drive you out of the city and hand you over to foreigner and inflict punishment on you. You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 11: 8-10)
“And you will know that I am the Lord, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.” (Ezekiel 11:12)
“Therefore say: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will giv eyou back the land of Israel again” (Ezekiel 11:17)
“zi will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 11:19-20)
JUDGMENT ON ISRAEL’S LEADERS (VS. 1-15)
Ezekiel saw 25 men and among them Joaazaniah and Pelatiah, who were the leaders of the people (v. 1). They plotted evil and gave wicked advices in the city. They had killed many people in the city. Therefore, God will bring sword against them and drive them out of the city. They will face judgment at the border of Israel because they did not follow His decrees and laws but conformed to the standards of the nations around them (v. 12). While Ezekiel was prophesying, Pelatiah died.
PROMISED RETURN OF ISRAEL (vs. 16-24)
The Spirit of God lifted Ezekiel and brought him to the exiles of Babylon with a vision that had this promise: I will regather, renew and return a remnant of Israel. I will give them an undivided heart and a new spirit. Their heart of stone will be changed to heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and keep my laws. They will be my people and I be will their God” (vs. 18-20)
God’s purpose of creating man is for His glory. If the glory of God is upon us, we need not fear the judgment of God.[:]