“His reputation’s on the line”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Saturday, May 18, 2024

Ezekiel 36: 22-27 (Forward, p. 20) CEV p. 877

It may seem to be absolutely odd, given that God is almighty and eternal, that He would be concerned about His name, that is, His reputation. And yet, constantly in the earlier verses—verses 20-23—God is concerned—and upset--that the people of Israel have managed to profane His holy name among the nations. They have done through their idolatry, their bloodshed, and their uncleanness.

Now God has determined that He will restore the sanctity of His name and suggests that He will do so in a surprising way. He will do it through those self-same people that hitherto have profaned it. He will display His holiness through such people as had never been known for holiness prior to that, and He will do this in such a way as to cause the entire world to sit up and take notice.

So, how might that be? God lists four things that He will accomplish in them:

-He will sprinkle clean water upon them to cleanse them of their

uncleanness and idolatry.

-He will give them a new heart and put a new spirit within them.

-He will remove from them their heart of stone and replace it with a

heart of flesh.

-He will give them His own spirit so that they can follow His statutes

and observe His ordinances.

What God is promising is nothing less than a total transformation of their heart and soul, their entire lives, starting at its very core. And it will not be anything that they do or achieve on their own. It will be entirely a work of God.

So, then, why is God so concerned about this, about His name and His reputation, especially as they are portrayed by us, His people? It is not because of some sort of vain glory—as might motivate us mortals. No, it is

because God is judged based on how His people behave. If we behave badly, then God is seen in a lesser, more negative light, and is less likely to be trusted, relied upon, and obeyed. And so, a great deal is at stake, which all comes down to us: are we, you and I, willing to let God the Holy Spirit do this work of renewal and revival in us? After all, God’s reputation is at stake here, and whether people will take Him seriously or not.

Forward notes: “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you” (verse 25).

“When I prepare families for the baptism of a child, I often downplay the theological focus on cleansing of sin, which is not hard because there are so many other aspects of baptism. I prefer to focus on the joining in Christ’s death and resurrection. Yet this verse from Ezekiel has distinctly baptismal resonances as the prophet speaks for God.

“As God declares to the people of Israel, God will cleanse the people as well as give them a new spirit and heart. There is a spirit of renewal in this passage, of being able to start over afresh. In baptizing a baby, there is not much need for the infant to start afresh. But as part of the congregation renewing our baptismal covenant, we are reminded that we can always begin again with God’s help.”

Moving Forward: “Do you need a fresh start? Turn to God in prayer.”