Ezekiel 36 &
Isaiah 40
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Remember the following
three truth’s from our beloved Scriptures!
“Ye shall NOT ADD
TO THE WORD which I command you, neither shall ye
diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (the LORD your Elohim) which
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is My Memorial to ALL Generations.” Shemot
- Exodus 3:15. (JPS).
“I am יְהוָה, that is My Name; and My
glory will I not give to another”. Yeshayahu – Isaiah 42:8. (JPS).
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A story of a
massive spiritual renewal..
With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
“Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey the entire Torah My servant Moshe has given you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Torah depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Amen!
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Looking at the parallels between יְחֶזְקֵאל - Ezekiel, Chap 36 and יְשַׁעְיָהוּ - Isaiah Chap 40-55 (JPS-1917).
Let us now
look at the key verse of Ezekiel Chapter 36, vv 26. (JPS-1917).
“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 a heart of flesh”.
The core of
Ezekiel chapter 36, is for the Israelites to “return to the land”,
combined with “spiritual renewal”, and ‘sanctification of אֱלֹהִים (God’s) Name’. This finds multiple echoes in Isaiah chapters 40-55.
Below is a
thematic comparison using key verses from the (JPS-1917) translation,
highlighting how both prophets unfold a unified vision of ‘restoration’,
‘cleansing’, and ‘universal recognition’ of יְהוָה (the LORD) - בָּרוּךְ
שֵׁם
קָדוֹשׁוֹ - Baruch Shem Kadosho - Blessed be
His Holy Name!
Ezekiel
Chap 36:24 ...
“For I will take you from among the nations,
and gather you out of all the lands, and will bring you into your own land.”
Isaiah parallels with Chap 43:5-6 ...
“Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth”.
Isaiah Chap
40:1-2 ...
“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your אֱלֹהִים (God). Speak ye comfortably to
Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her
iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received from יְהוָה (the LORD’s) hand double for all her sins”.
Isaiah Chap 51:3 ...
“For יְהוָה shall comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden…”
Ezekiel Chap 36:25-27 ...
“I will
sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; ... I will give you a new
heart, and put a new spirit within you…”
Whereas Isaiah parallels with Chap 44:3-5 ...
“For I will pour water upon the thirsty land, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy offspring ... They shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses”.
Isaiah Chap
55:1 & 3 ...
“Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters … Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live ...”
Ezekiel Chap 36:23 ...
“And I will sanctify My great Name, which was profaned among the nations…”
Isaiah
parallels with Chap 48:10-11 ...
“Behold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction… For mine own sake, for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted?”
Isaiah Chap
49:3-6 ...
“Thou art my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified;… I will also give thee for a light unto the nations …”
Ezekiel Chap 36:32
...
“And ye shall know that I am יְהוָה (the LORD) …”
Isaiah parallels with Chap 52:10 ...
“יְהוָה
hath bared His Holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of
the earth shall see the salvation of our אֱלֹהִים (God)”.
Isaiah Chap 49:6 ...
“I will also give thee for a light to the nations, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth”.
While Ezekiel
focuses on land and heart, Isaiah 40-55 opens with an emphatic call to ‘comfort’
and moves into the promise of “doing a new thing”.
Isaiah Chap
40:1-2 = (comfort)
links to Ezekiel’s promise of pardon and restoration!
Isaiah Chap
43:19 ...
“Behold, I
will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?”
|
Theme: |
Ezekiel 36 (JPS): |
Isaiah 40–55 (JPS): |
|
Return to
the Land |
“I will take
you… bring you into your own land.” (36:24). |
“I will
bring your seed… gather you.” (43:5–6). |
|
Spiritual
Cleansing & New Heart |
“I will
sprinkle clean water… give you a new heart.” (36:25–27).. |
“I will pour
water… pour My spirit upon thy seed.” (44:3–5). |
|
Sanctification
of God’s Name |
“I will
sanctify My great Name.” (36:23). |
“For Mine
own sake… will I do it.” (48:11). |
|
Universal
Recognition |
“Ye shall
know that I am יְהוָה (the LORD)”. (36:32). |
“All the ends
of the earth shall see the salvation…” (52:10). |
|
Comfort
& “New Thing” |
Implicit in
promises of renewal |
“Comfort ye… new thing” (40:1–2; 43:19). |
Are you hungry
and desire more from His blessed word from this study?
The truth is that
each chapter cluster in Isaiah 40–55 I have covered above expands on Ezekiel’s
core assurances, ‘land’, ‘life’, ‘spirit’, and ‘divine
renown’, while framing Israel’s destiny within a global horizon!
Introduction Two:
We will
commence with יְחֶזְקֵאל
- Ezekiel 36:26. (JPS-1917 version).
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you”.
This promise
sits beside יְשַׁעְיָהוּ - Isaiah’s statement in chapters 40 and 55:
like a highway prepared for אֱלֹהִים (God’s) return and an open invitation to all who thirst. It is, or will
be shown that these two prophets address an exiled, and a bruised people;
together they show how אֱלֹהִים
restores inwardly and reopens the world outwardly. Their sermon unfolds in
three theological moves of אֱלֹהִים (God’s) honour and initiative, interior renewal, and the public
invitation.
אֱלֹהִים (God’s) honour and initiative - Ezekiel 36:22–24. (JPS-1917).
אֱלֹהִים
declares that the forthcoming restoration is not primarily “for your sakes”
but for the sake of His Holy Name, which had been profaned among the nations. אֱלֹהִים
will vindicate that name and gather Israel back into the land.
אֱלֹהִים (God’s) action begins with His reputation. The exile damaged not only His
people and land, but it also wounded the way the nation’s perceived יְהוָה (the LORD’s) power and faithfulness.
Restoration is therefore a divine act of vindication.
This is not a
hard utilitarian calculation, it is a theological claim, For
אֱלֹהִים
refuses to let falsehood about divine power and faithfulness stand
unchallenged. The promise to gather and sanctify is both restorative and
revelatory, the nations will see and know.
Our ministry
should be all about repair (feeding the poor, visiting the ill, advocacy)
these are not merely social programs; they participate in אֱלֹהִים (God’s) work of sanctifying אֱלֹהִים (God’s) sacred Name before the world. When we serve, we act as living
testimony to His beloved Character!
Interior renewal
(Ezekiel 36:25–27):
אֱלֹהִים
promises cleansing, “I will sprinkle clean water on you”, and a
transformation of desire: the stony heart removed, a heart of flesh given, and אֱלֹהִים Spirit placed within so that the people will walk in אֱלֹהִים (God’s) statutes!
Ezekiel moves
from external deliverance to inner reconstitution. The “sprinkling”
language echoes a genuine purity yet carries moral force: cleansing precedes
faithful living.
The “new
heart” is decisive! Obedience, in Ezekiel’s imagination, becomes possible
because אֱלֹהִים
changes human appetites and affections. This is not a coercive replacement of
will but a gracious reorientation of desire.
The promise
ties spirit and law: אֱלֹהִים (God’s) spirit enables genuine adherence to His ways. External law
without interior transformation is insufficient; interior gift produces
embodied obedience.
In our
pastoral care we should aim at formation, not only behaviour modification.
Discipline without spiritual formation risks producing compliance without
transformation. Offer practices that invite interior change: ‘confession’,
guided meditation on covenant texts, small-group reflection, and consistent
teaching that links heart and habit.
If we are
involved in our Hebrew faith, there should be a design to assist your community
that enact “sprinkling” and a renewal, returning them to faith: a
seasonal moment of confession and blessing, where people name what they need אֱלֹהִים
to change within them.
Public
invitation and open way (Isaiah 40:1–5; 55:1–3)
Text summary - Isaiah answers
exile’s sorrow with consolation and cosmic preparation:
“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people ... Prepare the way of יְהוָה (the LORD); make straight in the desert a highway for our אֱלֹהִים”.
Somewhat
later, Isaiah invites the thirsty to come to waters and to partake freely: an
open, public summons.
Exposition:
Isaiah’s
imagery is rather expansive. אֱלֹהִים
does not only repair the inner circle; אֱלֹהִים
prepares highways and opens an irresistible invitation to “all who thirst.”
Restoration, for Isaiah, becomes public proclamation and universal hospitality!
The “highway”
metaphor implies order, safety, and accessibility: “return” is structured so
that the exiles can come home without any obstacle. The open invitation of
Isaiah 55 reframes covenant benefits as gifts available to those who accept,
including surprising outsiders.
Pastoral application:
Build
“highways” in your community: remove entry barriers for newcomers, create clear
pathways for seekers to meet אֱלֹהִים possibly there is a need for short classes, restoring open worship,
practical orientation to a “congregational life.
Hebrews of
faith should practice public hospitality embedded in mission: treat invitations
as theological acts. When we invite others to “come to the waters,” we enact Isaiah’s vision,
proclaiming abundant grace without price and welcoming those who thirst.
These texts offered
have a twofold pattern: אֱלֹהִים
initiates renewal and then invites human cooperation. Ezekiel centres the
inward gift and אֱלֹהִים (God’s) vindication; Isaiah enlarges the horizon into public, invitational
restoration. Restoration is both a gift as well as a task: אֱלֹהִים
gives a new heart; the community practices hospitality and builds ways for the lost
to return.
Practical
steps for congregational implementation (three concrete proposals)
Conclusion - Diagnosis
and hope:
Diagnosis:
Hearts of stone show up as forgetfulness, self- sufficiency, and indifference
to neighbours. Isaiah and Ezekiel name both the cause and the remedy: exile
fractures identity; אֱלֹהִים recreates identity.
Hope: אֱלֹהִים (God’s) promise of a new heart and an open highway means no one is
beyond the reach of restoration. We the faithful in יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵינוּ (the LORD our Elohim) role is to steward the gift to tend the inward
work through formation and to build outward pathways so others can come home to
אֱלֹהִים and return to our
original faith as it was during the times of the הֵיכָל – “Hekhal”, the
Temple.
Elohim says in
Love, “A new heart also will I give you”. I pray that the reply will be
as follows and call, “Ho, every one that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters” in order for those who have somehow left parts of
their faith may be restored and return to please אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He!
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In Conclusion, a Question to Deepen the Conversation:
Which part of this Tanach study or possibly a particular line or
statement within it has touched you the most? And how do you feel
about spending more time studying our beloved Tanakh? I pray that you are doing
well as a faithful Hebrew, and אֱלֹהִים - Elohim willing you are upholding as many as
possible of our blessed Mitzvoth’s?
I am well aware that the modern world sadly contains too many
deviations as well as problems that seem to get in the way of
our Hebrew lifestyle. Yet worse than that, these days there are far too many
enticements, which can so easily throw many off track,
and I know that has happened far too much. Thus, if there are struggles
that are taking place in your life, be it at this or at any time, I am well
aware that sadly it can often have a terrible and a cruel effect upon your
life?
Dear reader, please remember this, pray for peace and solitude in
your life, and then work on keeping as calm as possible and learn to improve
your life, for אֱלֹהִים, בָּרוּךְ
אֱלֹהִים - Bless Elohim, He is
always there and ready to help and guide you!
This site was originally set up for those who needed to return to our
blessed and wonderful faith, thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at
least three times a day, and always seek אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance!
Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following via a
number of our prophets...
“Return unto Me,
and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. MEC).
And Remember ...
Enjoy your Sabbath Rest, Shabbat
Shalom!
אֲנִי יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי
לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי
שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ
אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי
וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה
(the LORD your God); walk in My statutes,
and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall
be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - YaHVaH Elohim”. Yechezkel
- Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).
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שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom aleichem - Peace be
with you!
Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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