Ezekiel 36-37
H - "Thus says Lord Yahweh: 'Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone and will gather them from all around and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned and will cleanse them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh who sets apart Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” - Ezekiel 37:21–28
A - While in exile in Babylon, Ezekiel prophesies that one day all the people of Israel will return to their own land, the land God originally gave them when he brought them out of Egypt. God will cleanse them and give them a new heart of obedience. A great shepherd-king, David, will rule over them forever. This could be David himself, resurrected, or Jesus, the ultimate Son of David. The surrounding nations will finally understand that God has set apart Israel from the nations for himself. God's dwelling place will be in the midst of Israel forever. This "forever" probably refers to both the Millennial kingdom and the new heavens and earth to follow.
R - Father, you supernaturally created Israel from one couple, Abraham and Sarah. This was just after the nations' huge failure at the Tower of Babel. You have always had a special plan for the nation of Israel. It is through Israel that Messiah Jesus has come. Salvation for the nations comes through Israel. Help the nations and their leaders to understand this. Thank you that, in the future, a great shepherd-king will rule a united Israel in her own land. I pray for Israelis and other Jews scattered around the word, that they will believe in the true Messiah, Jesus. I also pray against anti-Semitism from among the leaders of the world. We look forward to the day when David will rule over Israel in peace. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6) to be permanently established by Jesus himself.
- Jeff Coleman