Ezekiel 36: 1Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD: 11And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
This prophecy concerns God’s people Israel and their restoration in the future. Ezekiel was a captive under Babylon; the Lord used him to help the people remember their God was still on the throne. These same promises are for believers of all ages. It’s a significant truth that poses a question to us. Can it presently be better than it was when we were first saved? Then it was almost perfect. Now we’re downtrodden and battle hardened. A lot of water has gone under the bridge. God said now can be as good, no better, than at the first. He said it will be if we’re willing to let God work. He will do better than at the beginnings.
Notice how odd this prophecy is. Other prophets had prophesied in strange ways too. He used various analogies to get the truth across. The people had been in captivity for many years. God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the mountains of Israel not the people. What good would that do? God was sending a message and giving a promise. Even though times were different as a nation, the geography of the land remained the same. The few not taken captive were a remnant here and there. The people were down and defeated. They had lost their land by their own fault. They left serving the Lord as they should. The altars of Baal took over. Babylon was in their hearts long before the captivity. If we let enough of this world into our life, we’ll be taken captive by it. Ezekiel saw the destroyed cities. Jerusalem was in ruins. BUT the Sea of Galilee was still there. The Jordan River was still there. The mountains were still there. The valleys, streams and brooks were still the same. The change had been in the people.
God stays the same yesterday, today and forever. The Bible stays the same. It’s still sharper than a two-edged sword. This altar is still the same altar. What changes is our attitude toward them. The people in Ezekiel’s day had given up. That’s how sin is. Are you there? How could Israel get back to the glory days under the reigns of David and Solomon? God said not only would he restore Israel but that he’d make it better.
We see a spiritual decline now, but we don’t have to be part of it. It can be better now in spite of the dangerous times. The land of God remained the same in that day. If we come back to the perimeters of God and pitch our tent afresh, it can be like it was AND better. God is still God. Jesus is still Savior. The cross still holds the hope of salvation. The old path is still there; it’s not grown over. The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David. Jesus told the church at Ephesus that it had left its first love and needed to return to its first works. Jesus said he would multiply them and their cities. These are lean times globally. The world will never be like it was. It will wax worse and worse as we near the end. That doesn’t mean you and I have to get worse. Everything pertaining to godliness can grow better and better.
When we were first saved we enjoyed that free forgiveness so much. We felt the change so sharply and vividly. We’re older now. Does it feel different than the old days? God said he’d make it like it was. He forgives as much now as he did then. Realize what you have. There is still victory over the devil. The strength and power of the Lord is still the same. The Lord is not weaker. This is still the house of God. This is still the word of God. It’s what we want to make it. If you have lost appreciation for it, don’t blame anyone else but yourself. Trust the Lord like you used to.
God is still blessing. He’s still good to us. That land was still God’s. This place is still his. He said he’d make it better. Can we have it better spiritually? Yes! God said he’d do it. As we grow, our knowledge becomes fuller. His love becomes more real. Prayer is more useful and successful. We need to be more of what God wants. Everyday can be as fresh as that first day we were saved when we follow the Lord.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 