Ezekiel 11:19, 20 - God Will Give Us A New Heart And Spirit So We Can Live In Harmony With Him.
Ezekiel 11:19, 20 - God Will Give Us A New Heart And Spirit So
We Can Live In Harmony With Him.
CONTENT; What's in the verse; Translations; Paraphrases; Word
Study:
Ezekiel 11:19, 20 (NIV) I 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 (NLT) And I will give them singleness of heart
and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their hearts of
stone and give them tender hearts instead, so they will obey my laws
and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be
their God.
Ezekiel 11:19, 20 (AMP) And I will give them one heart [a new
heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the
stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of their flesh, and will give
them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their
God], That they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do
them. And they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
Ezekiel 11:19, 20 (CWR) I will give the remnant of my people an
undivided heart and put a unity of spirit within them. I will take out
their stubborn hearts of stone and give them hearts of compassion and
obedience. Then they will be careful to keep my commandments and obey my
laws. They will be my people and I will be their God.
Ezekiel 11:19, 20 (TLB) I will give you one heart and a new
spirit; I will take from you your hearts of stone and give you tender
hearts of love for God, so that you can obey my laws and be my people,
and I will be your God.
One heart or Undivided heart ... new spirit: Inner spiritual and
moral transformation that results in single-minded commitment to the
Lord and to his will. [NIV SB]
Stony heart. The experience of the changed heart is descriptive
of the experience of the new birth, more fully revealed in the NT,
though by no means applicable only to the Christian Era. God's means of
salvation have been the same in all ages, but there has been a gradual
unfolding of the divine purpose; not that God holds men in ignorance to
their disadvantage, but their unwillingness to accept the revelations
from heaven often places a limitation on what God is able to reveal.
[SDA Bible Commentary]
CONTEXT; What's around the verse; Topic, Overview:
Promise of Restoration; A New Heart and a New Spirit (11:1-25)
Ezekiel saw a vision of idolatry in the Jerusalem temple itself
(8:1-18). In the vision he witnessed the death of the idolaters (9:1-11)
and the gradual withdrawal of God's glory from the temple (10:1-22).
The people inhabiting Jerusalem would be punished (11:1-15), yet in
the future the exiles' hearts would be changed, and they would be
restored to their land (vv. 16-25). [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
The promise of a new heart and a new spirit described by Ezekiel
were part of what Jeremiah called the new covenant. [New Bible
Companion]
CROSS REFERENCES; What's in verses elsewhere.
Deut. 30:6 (KJV) And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine
heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all
thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
Jeremiah 24:7 (KJV) And I will give them an heart to know me,
that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their
God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
Jeremiah 31:33 (KJV) But this shall be the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I
will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts;
and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jeremiah 32:39-40 (KJV) And I will give them one heart, and one
way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of
their children after them: [40] And I will make an everlasting
covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good;
but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart
from me.
Ezekiel 18:31 (KJV) Cast away from you all your transgressions,
whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit:
for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Ezekiel 36:26-27 (KJV) A new heart also will I give you, and a
new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. [27]
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my
statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Hebrews 8:10 (KJV) For this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put
my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will
be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Hebrews 10:16 (KJV) This is the covenant that I will make with
them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their
hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From The Head To The Heart:
Ezekiel's prophecies are harsh indictments against Judah, but
sandwiched between the many rebukes are passages of marvelous hope. This
promise of a new spirit is one of them, and its message is repeated in
chapter 36. It's a promise not just that God will bring the Israelites
back to their own land but that he will correct the fundamental
problem that led them into judgment. God promises to fix their hearts.
That's an amazing promise. Many propose political, economic,
military, social or religious remedies for our world's problems. But God
promises something more fundamental, more at the heart of the problems of
the human race. He promises to change what's in our core. The
radical truth of the gospel is that the human heart can change from the
inside out. It can be reborn, reconstructed, rewired for the Spirit of
God himself. It can be made whole. [NIV Once A Day Bible]
God promised the exiles in Babylonia that he would continue
to be with them even though they were not in Jerusalem. This was a
major concern to the Jews because they believed that God was present
primarily in the Temple that was in Jerusalem. But God assured them that
he would continue to be their God regardless of where they were. In
the midst of Ezekiel's burning message of judgment stands this cool
oasis - God's promise to restore the faithful few to their homeland.
God's arms were open to receive those who would repent of their sins.
The hearts of God's people were divided, but God promised
them a new "singleness of heart." Their stony, stubborn hearts would
be radically transplanted with tender, responsive hearts (see
Jeremiah 32:39; Ezekiel 18:31; 36:26). This new life for us can only be
the work of the Holy Spirit. It is God's work, but we must turn from
our sins and obey God. Obedience will help us to grow more sensitive
to the Spirit's guidance. When we do, we will find ourselves with
new motives, new guidelines, and new purpose (Galatians 5:16-18).
[One Year NLT SB]
"Undivided heart" indicates a unanimous singleness of purpose.
No longer will God's people seek many gods; they will be content
with God. The hard, deaf, immovable heart of stone will be radically
transplanted with a tender, receptive, and responsive heart of flesh (see
Jeremiah 32:39; Ezekiel 18:31; 36:26). This new life can only be the work
of the Holy Spirit. It is God's work, but we must recognize and
turn from our sin. When we do, God will give us new motives, new
guidelines, and new purpose. Have you received your new heart? [Life
Application SB]
If our hearts are not changed, following God's rules will be
unpleasant and difficult. We will rebel against being told how to live. The
Holy Spirit, however, gives us new desires, helping us 'want' to obey
God (see Philip. 2:12, 13). With new hearts, we find that serving
God is our greatest joy. [Life Application SB]
Moses made a life-changing decision on that day he renounced his
old life and identified with God's family. His environment changed;
his circle of friends changed; his life-style changed; his
opportunities changed; and his future changed - forever. Not many of us
realized that, at the time of our conversion, all of these same things
changed for us, too. Or did they? What difference has accepting Christ
really made in your life? Can you list any sacrifices that resulted?
Have you suffered at all, in any area? Have relationships changed
since that time? If nothing has changed in your life, then it is
likely that what you experienced was not a conversion experience.
Think about it. [In His Time Walk With Wisdom re Heb.11:24, 25]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20050722-0854.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20050725-1103.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/1997/19971116-0000.html
LIVE BIBLE PROPHECY SERIES - REVELATION TODAY:
http://revelationtodaylive.com/live [live streaming +/-
downloading]
