I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh

Ezekiel 36:16-38

 And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’ I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone. Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 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 Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. 

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Once again I will yield to Israel’s plea and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep, as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed festivals. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Why?

The Lord has declared his salvation plan, God shows the holiness of the great name, gives them a new heart, and puts a new spirit in them. God will remove from them the heart of sone and give them a new heart of flesh.

God's people will be numerous as sheep, as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed festivals.

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神告訴以色列人，神要恢復神的榮耀及神自己的名，也祝福自己的百姓。

v16-21:神的名和榮耀最重要。v17:污穢，神要煉淨人，寧可背負被外邦人羞愧。神的審判是為了公義，分別百姓是彰顯神的公義。神的百姓受苦後悔改，外邦人譏笑以色列的神，所以神也審判、懲罰外邦人。這些都是顯出神的公義，顯出神的名的榮耀。耶和華是全地的主。

v25 必用清水灑在他們身上。潔淨他們。刑罰、管教本身也是恩典，要百姓重生。改變人生命的本質。石心代表鋼硬沒有感覺，肉心代表心有感覺，聖靈的內住結果。原來背逆的百姓變成順從神的典章律例，這是最大的神蹟。

v37:他們必為這事向我求問，我要給他們成就。他們會來求告

我必使樹木多結果子，田地多出土產，好叫你們不再因饑荒受外邦人的譏誚： 豐收：大地也同蒙恩惠。

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How?

How great is my Lord! His plan and word never fail, after judgment, there is the love and mercy of the Lord that comes upon us. For God's love endures forever!