Reconciling Discipline of Grace

Ezekiel 39:21-29

21 "I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them. 22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward. 23 The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them."'

25 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name— 26 after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid. 27 When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, 28 then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. 29 And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,' says the Lord GOD."

Israel was restored by God’s reconciling discipline of His great unmerited grace of His goodness and love for His people whom He had called and chosen.  This same truth of God’s character continues in the grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord who saves us from the just consequences of our own sins of idolatry and immortality against Him.  Some may say we do not worship sticks and stones but we do idolize and covet (Colossians 3:5) countless other created works of our own hands more than we honor and glorify our Creator and we commit all sorts of immoral thoughts and actions (Ephesians 5:3-4) which God still hates because it corrupts His creation which was made good by His hand.  He then placed His glory on earth so all might see Him and worship with honor and praise and therefore had to discipline His wandering people with judgment on their sins of idolatry and immortality which contradicted their purpose.  This correction was demonstrated to all unbelieving nations surrounding the place and people where the LORD had entered into and taught His own who He is as their LORD who always exists and is ever holy in righteousness.  The Gentiles would observe and realize how sin brings punishment to correct in the grace of discipline for those God chooses as His own and would see what price unfaithfulness brings for reconciliation.  They would see how sin hides God’s face from them (Isaiah 59:2), but that there was hope that God would forgive and not hide from them anymore (Ezekiel 39:29).  This is the essence of the same gospel message we hear fully in Christ with grace to forgive His chosen ones and bring them salvation from His wrath on their sin in reconciliation (Romans 5:11, 2 Corinthians 5:19) with Himself by His own work for us.  He no longer hides His face from we who are in this grace, but changes us day by day to be more like Him in the holiness and righteousness of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).  Just as the LORD brought back the captives of Jacob and showed His mercy on them to preserve His holy name in an act of divine jealously after they suffered in shame and unfaithfulness, after He pulled them out of the world where the enemy ruled over them, He showed His holiness to them and all those looking on.  This is the same for we who are rescued and redeemed by Christ’s suffering and death, for we who also have escaped the bondage of sin and were brought in to His kingdom.  We are free indeed (John 8:36, 2 Corinthians 3:17)!  This is why we can stand firm in Him and this everlasting grace at peace with God (Galatians 5:1) and not seek any other redemption out of fear of losing what we cannot because of His promises and work which covers all sin forever (Hebrews 7:27, 10:10).  He has poured out His Spirit on all His people (not just Israel) to mark us as His own forever with His divine seal (Ephesians 1:13-14) and now He is no longer is hidden from us!  This is all possible only by God’s reconciling grace to Israel and for all God’s chosen people who are His children through repentance and faith.