ezekiel 37 and 38

Read Ezekiel 37 and 38 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Eze 37:1-9a {s} The vision of the valley of dry bones: YHVH caused them to stand up and put on flesh
Eze 37:9b-14 {p} The dry bones the whole house of Israel: breath (the Spirit) entered them, and they lived
Eze 37:15-28 {p} The two sticks – two houses – made one in their land, under one king, David
Eze 38:1-9 {s} Prophecy against Gog of Magog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal
Eze 38:10-13 {s} Gog’s evil plan: to go up against the land
Eze 38:14-16 {s} YHVH to bring Gog against His land in the end of days
Eze 38:17 {s} The prophecy of Gog from of old
Eze 38:18-23 {s} The wrath of YHVH against Gog and his host

Eze 37 forms a chiastic structure with part of Eze 34, with the structure from yesterday in the center of it (with a little adjusting):

1a) Eze 34:20-29, I will save My flock/ David their shepherd/ My covenant of peace;

1) Eze 34:20-22, I will save My flock, who have been made a prey/ they shall be a prey no longer;

1a) Eze 34:20, Thus says YHVH: I Myself will judge between the fat + lean sheep;
1b) Eze 34:21, Because you have pushed + butted the weak with your horns/scattered them abroad;
central axis) Eze 34:22a, Therefore I will save My flock;
2b) Eze 34:22b, And they shall no longer be a prey;
2a) Eze 34:22c, I will judge between sheep and sheep;

2) Eze 34:23-24, I will establish one shepherd who will feed them—My servant David;
3) Eze 34:25-29, Restoration of My flock, their covenant of peace regathered to their land;

1b) Eze 34:30-31 {p} They shall know that YHVH their God is with them/ the house of Israel the flock of His pasture;

1c) Eze 35:1-36:21 {s+s+p+s+p+p} Israel’s abominations/ YHVH’s fury poured out;

central axis) Eze 36:22a, “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake;”’”

2c) Eze 36:22b-36:36 {s+s} Israel’s restoration/ YHVH’s Spirit poured out;

2b) Eze 36:37-38 {p} I will increase the men of Israel like a flock, then they shall know that I am YHVH;

2a) Eze 37:1-28 {s+p+p} I will raise up the whole house of Israel/ David their king/ My covenant of peace;

1) Eze 37:1-14 {p} The hope of the whole house of Israel: resurrection life, His Spirit within;

1a) Eze 37:1-3, Vision of the valley of dry bones: O Lord God, only You know if they can live;

1b.1) Eze 37:4-9a, Ezekiel prophesied to the bones/ the dry bones put on flesh;
1b.2) Eze 37:9b-10, Ezekiel prophesied to the breath/ breath came into them + they lived;

central axis) Eze 37:11, “Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, “Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!”’”

2b.1) Eze 37:12-13, Prophesy to Israel: I will open your graves + bring you into the land;
2b.2) Eze 37:14a, I will put My Spirit in you + you shall live/ I will place you in your land;

2a) Eze 37:14b {p} Israel shall also know that YHVH has spoken + performed it;

2) Eze 37:15-25, One king over the restored children of Israel (Judah + Joseph) who is My servant David;

1a) Eze 37:15-23b, One king/ no longer defiled by transgressions/ delivered from their former dwelling places;

1) Eze 37:15-22, The object lesson of two sticks, Judah + Joseph becoming one/ one king/ no longer two nations;
2) Eze 37:23a, They shall not be defiled anymore with idols + detestable things + transgressions;
3) Eze 37:23b, I will deliver them from their dwelling places of transgressions + cleanse them;

central axis) Eze 37:23c, Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God;

2a) Eze 37:24-25, David My servant their king/ observe My statutes/ dwelling in their land forever;

1) Eze 37:24a, David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd;
2) Eze 37:24b, They shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them;
3) Eze 37:25, They shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob forever/ My servant David their prince forever;

3) Eze 37:26-28 {p} I will make an everlasting covenant of peace with them/ My sanctuary in their midst.

The structure is amazing. In chapter 34, YHVH says He will save His flock; in chapter 37, Ezekiel has a vision of that salvation. Life from death, flesh from dry bones – a heart of flesh for a heart of stone – and His Spirit providing new life. Then His people, whose Shepherd and King is His servant David, Israel’s Messiah of the line of David – Messiah Yeshua – will walk in newness of life, which looks like walking in His statutes and judgments, to observe and keep them. This is the Law of Moses – The Law of Walking in Love – which contains YHVH’s statutes and judgments.

Beloved, if man has told you that obedience to the Law has passed away, please hear what the everlasting Word of God has to say! The word of the false shepherds will not prevail, but the word of Israel’s True Shepherd will be unto everlasting!

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Mat 7:21-23