22b … the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you went.

23 I will show the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when I show My holiness in you before their eyes.

36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was destroyed, and I have replanted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.

— Ezekiel 36:22b-23; 36

Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

— 1 Peter 2:12

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

— 1 Peter 5:10

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

Ezekiel 36:36 says, “Then the nations around you that remain will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was destroyed, and I have replanted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.” From reading it, we know Israel’s past and future showcase God’s infinite character. Though dead in sin and dispersed among the nations, God would restore His people through His power. God delivers His people, including us believers, from death-by His Spirit and for His glory. A deliberate focus on God’s greatness properly humbles us before Him.

God receives glory when He saves sinners and when He judges sin. The rebellious Israelites’ exile demonstrated God’s power to carry out His warnings. However, God had more to say when their painful discipline caused the surrounding nations to question His character. Ezekiel’s prophecy foretold a coming day when God would uphold His great name by fulfilling His promises. God’s name and fame stand behind His declarations and actions.