HEART TRANSFORMATION (2)

“Then I will give them ONE HEART, and I will put a new SPIRIT within them…” – Ezekiel 11:19a

God’s Mercy towards His people inspires HEART TRANFORMATION: “Then I will give them ONE HEART, and I will put a NEW SPIRIT within them, and take away the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgements and do them; and that they shall be My people, and I will be their God” (Eze.11:19-20). This is similar to Ezekiel 36: 26-27 which we noted primarily referred to Israel, but has secondary application to the New Birth in Christ.

Having pronounced judgement on Jerusalem, the tone of Ezekiel’s prophecies which had been dark and sombre, suddenly changed. God promised to care for and sustain His people even in exile, assuring them that though He had “cast them far off” He had not forsaken them (vv.14-16). For the period of their absence from their land and the earthly temple, He would be their Sanctuary (v.16). The term “little sanctuary” does not mean ‘small’, but ‘of short season’ or ‘for a little while.’ Furthermore, God promised to gather and assemble His people from their places of exile, destroy their devotion to idols, restore them to the land, and renew them spiritually (vv.17-21). Their time of exile was conceived to be a cleansing season from their devotion to idols!

Thereafter, God began to speak in terms associated with His greater work of restoration in the new covenant as also prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer.31: 31-34). Here in Ezekiel 11: 19-20, we see several features of the new covenant:

Israel gathered together again with singleness of heart – a devoted heart: “Then I will give them ONE HEART.”

Spiritual transformation: “a new spirit within…and give them a heart of flesh.”

The law written on the heart: “that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgements and do them.”

Special relationship with God: “they shall be My people, and I will be their God.”

Throughout the Bible, God reveals His plan of redemption through a series of covenants: The Abrahamic Covenant (Gen.12: 1-3); Mosaic Covenant which gave Israel the law, the sacrifices, and the choice of blessing or curse (Exo.19); and Davidic Covenant that promised an everlasting dynasty and Promised Messiah (2Sam.17). God’s plan of redemption through the covenants is completed and perfected in the New Covenant. The heart of stone is a heart hardened against God and the things of God; and set in its ways of sin without an intention to change. But God is able to transform such hearts. He would no longer write His laws on tables of stone, but upon the fleshly tablets of human hearts. Now, God seeks a loving rather than legal relationship with man.

Our Father-God is no longer interested in binding us to some legal contract written on stone. He desires that we serve Him with a heart that is motivated by our love for Him. He does not want to bind us with chains that force obedience, but wants our love for Him to exceed our love for anything else, and our service to rise spontaneously from a heart of love. The heart of flesh is accompanied by a new spirit which enables us to walk in God’s statutes and keep His ordinances; not by force, but by desire.

Living in a broken world with so much injustice all around us can make us become bitter and hardened. It’s so easy to be wounded and betrayed, even by those we love, who also may be victims of this sin-scarred world. But God has promised to replace hearts of stone with hearts that are tender toward Him and others. Our Loving Father is able to transform and soften our hearts to become gentle and tender; and to put a new spirit within us so that we can truly be His people.