WEEKLY SUNDAY
SCHOOL LESSON
An international
Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday November 23, 2014
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readers worldwide
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A
NEW BEGINNING
(GOD
provides an inheritance for all of HIS people)
(Ezekiel
47:13-23)
In Ezekiel 47, verses 13-23, we see
laid out by GOD, the instructions for the boundaries of the land of Canaan, of
which the twelve tribes of Israel, (which now included two shares for the tribe
of Joseph, one for each of his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh), would share in.
“These are the boundaries
of the land: The northern border will run from the Mediterranean toward
Hethlon, then on through Lebo-hamath to Zedad; then it will run to Berothah and Sibraim, which are
on the border between Damascus and Hamath, and finally to Hazer-hatticon, on
the border of Hauran. So the northern border will run from the
Mediterranean to Hazar-enan, on the border between Hamath to the north and
Damascus to the south.
The eastern border starts at a point between Hauran
and Damascus and runs south along the Jordan River between Israel and Gilead,
past the Dead Sea and as far south as Tamar. This will be the eastern border. The southern border will go west from Tamar to the waters of Meribah
at Kadesh and then follow the course of the Brook of Egypt to the
Mediterranean. This will be the southern border. On the
west side, the Mediterranean itself will be your border from the southern
border to the point where the northern border begins, opposite Lebo-hamath”. (NLT)
The Israelites were to divide
the land within these boundaries among the tribes as an inheritance for themselves
and the Gentiles who had joined them, and were raising their families among
them, under the rules of the GOD of Israel. Those who were once foreigners
would be treated just like native-born Israelites, and would be given land
within the specified territory with whatever tribe they resided among in the
family of Israel, after their return from Babylon (Vs.21-23).
The land as it was, had been
divided among the tribes of Israel by Joshua (Joshua chapters 13-21) but had
never really been under the exclusive control of its people. Some of the
tribes, because of their disobedience and unfaithfulness to GOD, never
conquered the specified lands of their inheritance. And even though David and
Solomon seized a bit more of those lands during their respective reigns, the
Israelites continued rebellion against GOD led to their losing, first, northern
Israel to Assyria in 722 B.C., and then later, the remainder of the nation of
Israel to Babylon in 586 B.C.
Here in Ezekiel 47 GOD tells
his prophet, in no uncertain terms, that the land was still all under HIS control,
and now HE was ready to return it back to HIS people, and, to the Gentiles who
dwelled among them. It would be considered a new beginning, not because they
deserved it, but rather, because GOD remained faithful to HIS promise to
Abraham and David, and HE also wanted to restore honor to HIS OWN name, which
had been damaged considerably by HIS chosen people, while they were having an
adulterous love affair with the world.
After witnessing the
restoration power of the living waters flowing from the temple (Ezekiel
47:1-12), Ezekiel could now see and understand clearly, the new message from
GOD regarding a new and wonderful future for all people whose hearts were with
HIM. And just as GOD had new plans for the people of Israel on the other side
of their Babylonian captivity experience, so GOD has plans for all HIS people
in this day, on the other side of our earthy experience in this life. HE has
plans for the better, if we choose to obey and put our trust in HIM, and for
the worse, if we don’t.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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