Ezekiel 36:23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
Life is busy, and so much is going on every day that it is easy to forget that the most important person is God. It is easy to have conflict, good times, or a variety of circumstances in your life and just totally forget that God is and Who God is, yet we find over and again in the book of Ezekiel that God doesn’t want you to forget that He is and Who He is.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” That is to say, we recognize that God is and we recognize Who God is.
In Ezekiel 35-36, you find judgment and restoration. You find judgment on the descendants of Esau, Edom, and you find the restoration of the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people Israel. In both human conflict and in blessings that God can give, God is very much in earnest that these people, and all people, not forget that He is and Who He is.
Over and again in this book, you find the phrase “and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.” God is the Lord. He is in charge, and He is good. In Esau’s case, God said, “You have boasted against me.” In Israel’s case, over and again, God said, “I am the LORD.” In verse 21 He says, “But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.” In other words, Israel, God’s people, had treated God’s name as common, as something to be trodden upon when they went to Babylon, and when they were conquered and dispersed.
Verse 22 says, “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the LORD GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye hath profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.” He is saying, “I am singular. I am separate. I am sanctified. I am holy, and you have treated me as common.” Verse 23 says, “And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”
The bottom line is that God would have you to remember that He is and Who He is. What does that do for us specifically? Let me give you two settings. First, there is conflict with others, and second, there are blessings that you may enjoy.
Think about being in conflict with others. You have this conflict between two brothers, two nations, Edom and Jacob. When you are in conflict with other people, it is good to remember that you are not alone. How you respond to people who have done wrong by you should be based on the righteousness of God. The Bible says, “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” So, when you are in conflict with other people, remember that God is and Who He is. He is the righteous Judge of the universe. You can rely on Him and appeal to Him. You can do what is right, and trust God to do right by your enemy.
Secondly, what about when you are in blessing? Like Israel, perhaps you have come out of judgment into a place of blessing. Remember that this isn’t for your sake, and it is not because you are a great person. It is because God is a gracious God. As most of this book does, Ezekiel 36 deals with the future, a future yet to come in some cases. Remember that your blessings and your burdens are in the context of a God Who is and a God Who is good.