Ezekiel 11:18-25: a reflection

18“‘They will come there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. 19I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh, 20that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 21But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,’ says the Lord GOD.” 22Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 23The LORD’s glory went up from the middle of the city, and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city. 24The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the captives. So the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25Then I spoke to the captives all the things that the LORD had shown me.

In the midst of judgment, God gives a promise of inner transformation: I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances. God promises to do something the people could not do for themselves: to replace their hard, stony heart with a soft, responsive heart of flesh, so that they could truly obey and belong to him. The transformation of the heart is God's own work, his gift.

Notice what God promises to do: to change the heart itself, from stone to flesh. The problem was not merely outward behavior but the heart, hard as stone, unresponsive to God. And God's remedy was not merely to command better behavior, but to give a new heart, to take away the stony heart and give a heart of flesh, soft and responsive. He would do this himself; the new heart was his gift, not the people's achievement. The transformation they could not accomplish, God promised to work within them.

That promise of a new heart is a great grace, for our own hearts can be hard, and we cannot soften them ourselves. We can find our hearts hard toward God, unresponsive, resistant, like stone; and no effort of ours can make a hard heart soft. But God promises to give a new heart, to take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh; the transformation we cannot work, he can. When you find your heart hard toward God, unresponsive and resistant, do not despair as though it were all up to your own effort to soften it; ask God to do what he has promised, to give you a new heart, soft and responsive to him. The softening of a hard heart is God's own work; ask him for it, rather than trying to manufacture it yourself. Pray for the new heart God promises, the heart of flesh in place of stone, trusting the God who softens hard hearts to work in you the transformation you cannot work yourself, as he promised to take away the stony heart and give a heart of flesh.

Lord, in the midst of judgment, you give a promise of inner transformation: I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes. You promise to do something the people could not do for themselves: to replace their hard, stony heart with a soft, responsive heart of flesh. The transformation of the heart is your own work, your gift. Show me what you promise to do: to change the heart itself, from stone to flesh. The problem was not merely outward behavior but the heart, hard as stone. And your remedy was not merely to command better behavior, but to give a new heart. You would do this yourself; the new heart was your gift, not the people's achievement. That promise is a great grace, for my own heart can be hard, and I cannot soften it myself. I can find my heart hard toward you, unresponsive, resistant, like stone; and no effort of mine can make a hard heart soft. But you promise to give a new heart. When I find my heart hard toward you, keep me from despairing as though it were all up to my own effort to soften it; help me ask you to do what you have promised, to give me a new heart, soft and responsive to you. The softening of a hard heart is your own work; help me ask you for it, Lord, rather than trying to manufacture it myself. Give me the heart of flesh in place of stone.