I think I’m going to attempt to start a pattern of writing a meditational/devotional reflection to publish on Sundays. Here is Issue #1.

I’ve been reading lately in Ezekiel for my devotions. The end of this week, I’ve come to chapters 36 and 37, which contain some crazy-cool stuff.

Ezekiel 36 (and then 37 as a description of specific aspects of the promises in 36) is such a beautiful description of how God acts for the glory and honor of His name, regardless of our continual wickedness against Him.

Chapter 36 opens with God speaking to Israel about how they have been scoffed and mocked by the surrounding nations. Because of this, and because of the resulting shame to His name because the chosen people of God are being mocked, He will restore them. Never does He say that He will restore them because they’re righteous, or because they repent, or because they’re cool. He will restore them because He has chosen them. In fact, they profaned His name, and are profaning His name as they go. As a part of His restoration, He will cleanse them from all their wickedness and idols (v. 25). He will re-establish them in their land. Then, as a result, they will lament their evil deeds and repent (v. 31).

In v. 32, God is very explicit about His intent:

"I am not doing this for your sake," declares the Lord God, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!" (Ezek 36:32 NASB)

The text then proceeds to describe how God will restore His people and their land. Chapter 37 continues with parables of God’s restoration of His people from an appartently dry and dead condition, and His rejoining of Israel and Judah into one nation under His chosen king, David (or, more particularly, the son of David, Jesus Christ).

From passages like this, it is continually apparent that God primarily operates for His glory. That He is passionately consumed with the honor of His name among men. When we look at Christ’s High Priestly Prayer in John 17, we also see this — He prays that the Father would glorify the Son (through the cross). His primary concern is for the glory of the Father, and His own proper glory as the Son of the Most High and the purchase price of our redemption.

O, the wondrous glory and honor of our Redemer and Master, of our Father in Heaven! May it never be that we should claim any credit for our redemption, any ownership of our salvation. Any merit that we think God noticed that He should choose us. The Scriptures are clear: we are nothing, with nothing to offer God; He chooses to redeem us anyway, and this results in our repentance and loathing of our sins. All praise, all glory, all majesty and honor be to God our Father and to His son, Jesus Christ.