The Vindication of God's Name Text: Ezekiel 39:25-29
Introduction: The Great Reversal
We live in an age that has a peculiar allergy to happy endings, at least when it comes to the grand story of history. Our modern eschatologies are often grim, pinched, and fearful. They see the Church as a beleaguered remnant, huddled in a bunker, waiting for an airlift to rescue them from a world that has gone completely to the dogs. But this is a theology of retreat, not a theology of victory. It is a profound misreading of the power of the gospel and the promises of God.
The prophet Ezekiel, speaking to a people who had every reason for despair, whose national life was a valley of dry bones, paints a very different picture. He speaks of a great reversal. He speaks of a God who does not abandon His people to their shame but acts decisively to restore their fortunes, not because they are so worthy, but because His own name is at stake. History is not a random series of unfortunate events. History is the story of God vindicating His own holy name.
This passage in Ezekiel 39 is a glorious crescendo. After laying out the utter destruction of Gog and his hordes, a picture of the world's futile rebellion against the Lord and His Anointed, God turns His attention to His own people. He declares His intention to act, to gather, to cleanse, and to pour out His Spirit. This is not just a promise for ethnic Israel after the Babylonian exile. That was the down payment, the shadow. This is a prophecy that finds its ultimate fulfillment in the New Covenant, in the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ, and in the triumphant march of the gospel through history.
We must understand this: God's reputation is tied to the fortunes of His people. When the church is compromised, worldly, and ashamed of the gospel, the name of God is profaned among the nations. The world looks on and says, "See? Their God is weak. Their faith is irrelevant." But when God acts to restore His people, to make them holy and secure, the world is forced to sit up and take notice. They are forced to know that Yahweh is God. This passage is a roadmap for that restoration, and it is the story that we are living in right now.
The Text
Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “Now I will return the fortunes of Jacob and have compassion on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name. So they will forget their dishonor and all their unfaithfulness which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them tremble. When I return them from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall prove Myself holy through them in the sight of the many nations. Then they will know that I am Yahweh their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then collected them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer. And I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares Lord Yahweh.
(Ezekiel 39:25-29 LSB)
God's Motive: Jealousy for His Name (v. 25)
We begin with God's declaration of intent, and more importantly, His motivation.
"Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, 'Now I will return the fortunes of Jacob and have compassion on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name.'" (Ezekiel 39:25)
Notice the word "Therefore." This action is a direct consequence of the preceding judgment on Gog. God has just demonstrated His power over the nations; now He will demonstrate His faithfulness to His people. The restoration begins with a sovereign decision: "Now I will." This is not a response to Israel's repentance. This is God initiating. Salvation is always God's initiative.
He promises to "return the fortunes of Jacob" and have "compassion on the whole house of Israel." This is comprehensive. It's not just for Judah in Babylon. The "whole house of Israel" points forward to the great reunification that happens in Christ, where the division between Judah and Israel is healed, and believing Gentiles are grafted into this one new man, the true Israel of God (Eph. 2:14-16). This is the Church, the international people of God.
But the engine driving this entire operation is the last clause: "and I will be jealous for My holy name." This is the bedrock of our confidence. God's ultimate commitment is to His own glory. Human jealousy is often a petty, sinful thing, rooted in insecurity. God's jealousy is a holy, righteous, and protective zeal for that which is supremely worthy of honor: His own name. When Israel was in exile, His name was profaned. The nations looked at defeated Israel and concluded that Yahweh was a failed tribal deity. God's restoration of His people is, therefore, an act of cosmic self-vindication. He saves us not primarily for our sake, but for His. And this is our greatest security. His reputation is on the line.
The Fruit of Restoration: Security and Forgetting (v. 26)
Next, Ezekiel describes the internal and external state of this restored people.
"So they will forget their dishonor and all their unfaithfulness which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them tremble." (Ezekiel 39:26)
The first fruit is a kind of holy amnesia. "They will forget their dishonor." This is not a suppression of memory but the healing of it. The shame of their sin and the disgrace of their exile will be washed away by the tide of God's grace. This is what justification does. God removes our transgressions as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), and in Christ, we are no longer defined by our past failures. We are a new creation.
This healing is connected to a profound security. They will "live securely on their own land with no one to make them tremble." In the Old Covenant, this was a promise of geopolitical peace in Canaan. In the New Covenant, this "land" is the Kingdom of Christ. We, the church, are seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). Our ultimate security is not in physical borders or military strength, but in our position in Christ. The gates of Hell cannot prevail against His church. This is a promise of the gospel's victory. As the kingdom advances, it brings true security, true shalom, to the nations. The gospel is the only foundation for a society where none are made to tremble.
God's Method: Gathering and Sanctification (v. 27-28)
God then explains how this restoration will make His holiness known to the world.
"When I return them from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall prove Myself holy through them in the sight of the many nations. Then they will know that I am Yahweh their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then collected them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer." (Ezekiel 39:27-28)
God's holiness is demonstrated in two seemingly contradictory actions: scattering and gathering. First, the nations will see that God was the one who "made them go into exile." Their punishment was not a sign of God's weakness, but of His justice. He is a holy God who judges the sins of His own people. He is not a tribal mascot who winks at iniquity. This establishes His righteousness.
Second, the nations will see that He is the one who "collected them again." His restoration is not a sign of fickle sentimentality, but of His covenant faithfulness. He is a gracious God who keeps His promises. By both judging and saving, God reveals the full spectrum of His character. The cross of Christ is the ultimate expression of this. At the cross, God's perfect justice against sin and His unfathomable mercy toward sinners met and were perfectly satisfied. The world looked on and saw God prove Himself holy.
And this gathering is total: "I will leave none of them there any longer." This points beyond the partial return from Babylon. This points to the great ingathering of the elect through the gospel. From every tribe, tongue, and nation, God is gathering His people into one body. Not one of His chosen will be left behind in the exile of sin and death. This is the doctrine of effectual calling and the perseverance of the saints, written in the language of national restoration.
The Power of Restoration: The Outpoured Spirit (v. 29)
Finally, we come to the engine of this new reality, the power that makes it all possible.
"And I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares Lord Yahweh." (Ezekiel 39:29)
To have God "hide His face" is the great curse of the Old Covenant, the essence of exile and judgment. To have Him turn His face toward you is the essence of blessing (Num. 6:25-26). God promises a permanent end to the hiding. The relationship will be restored to one of constant, unmediated fellowship. What makes this possible?
The reason is given: "for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel." This is the promise of the New Covenant. This is Pentecost. The prophet Joel spoke of it (Joel 2:28-29), and Peter, on the day of Pentecost, stood up and declared, "This is that" (Acts 2:16). The coming of the Holy Spirit in power was not just an emotional experience for a handful of disciples. It was the fulfillment of this great promise. It was God equipping His new "whole house of Israel," the Church, for its mission.
The Spirit is not sprinkled or dripped; He is "poured out." This speaks of abundance, of a deluge of grace. It is this outpouring that regenerates dead hearts, that writes the law on them, that empowers believers for witness, and that knits us together into one body. It is the Spirit who makes the security of verse 26 a reality. It is the Spirit who applies the forgiveness of verse 26 to our hearts. It is the Spirit who empowers the gathering of verse 27. The entire program of restoration hinges on this divine effusion.
Conclusion: Living in the Vindication
So what does this mean for us? It means we are not waiting for the story to begin. We are in it. The great restoration Ezekiel prophesied was inaugurated at the first coming of Christ and the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost. The history of the Church is the history of God gathering His people and proving Himself holy in their sight.
Our task is not to cower in fear of a triumphant paganism. Our task is to live as a restored and secure people. When we live in repentance and faith, forgetting the dishonor of our past sins because they are nailed to Christ's cross, we vindicate God's name. When we live securely, without trembling before the threats of a hostile culture, confident in the victory of our King, we vindicate God's name. When we engage in the great gathering, proclaiming the gospel to the nations, we vindicate God's name.
The world is watching. They see the church, and they are making judgments about our God. When they see a fearful, compromised, divided church, they conclude that our God is not worthy of worship. But when they see a joyful, confident, obedient, and loving people, they are forced to ask a different question. They are forced to consider that maybe, just maybe, Yahweh is God.
God is jealous for His holy name. He has poured out His Spirit. He is returning the fortunes of His people. He will not hide His face. This is the promise, and this is our reality. Let us therefore live like it, for the glory of His name and the good of the nations.