Ezekiel 39:12-16: a reflection

12“‘“The house of Israel will be burying them for seven months, that they may cleanse the land. 13Yes, all the people of the land will bury them; and they will become famous in the day that I will be glorified,” says the Lord GOD. 14“‘“They will set apart men of continual employment who will pass through the land. Those who pass through will go with those who bury those who remain on the surface of the land, to cleanse it. After the end of seven months they will search. 15Those who search through the land will pass through; and when anyone sees a man’s bone, then he will set up a sign by it, until the undertakers have buried it in the valley of Hamon Gog. 16Hamonah will also be the name of a city. Thus they will cleanse the land.”’

In the aftermath of a great judgment on the forces of evil, the prophet describes a long and careful work: the burying of the dead, the cleansing of the land, going on for seven months, with men appointed to search through the land and mark every remaining trace until all is cleansed. The picture is one of thorough cleansing: not a hasty covering-over, but a patient, complete work of purifying the land of every defilement left by evil, until it is wholly clean. God's cleansing of his world from evil is pictured as thorough and complete, leaving nothing uncleansed.

Notice the thoroughness of the cleansing described. It was not a quick or partial work; it went on for months, with men appointed to search the whole land, to mark and remove every remaining trace of defilement, until the land was wholly clean. The picture is of a complete purging, not a covering-over that leaves defilement beneath. God's dealing with evil is not a superficial tidying but a thorough cleansing, searching out and removing every trace, until his world is wholly clean. He does not leave the work half done; he cleanses completely, purging every defilement.

That is worth taking to heart, for God's final cleansing of his world from evil will be thorough and complete, and he works thoroughly in us as well. We can long for evil to be fully dealt with, and grow weary of its lingering traces; but the picture here is of God's thorough cleansing, searching out and removing every trace of defilement until all is clean. God will one day cleanse his world of evil completely, leaving nothing uncleansed; and he works to cleanse us thoroughly too, not superficially. Take hope that God's dealing with evil, in the world and in us, is thorough and complete, not a superficial covering-over. Trust that God will one day cleanse his world of evil thoroughly and completely, and that he works to cleanse you thoroughly too, as the land was cleansed of every trace of defilement until it was wholly clean; for God does not leave the work of cleansing half done, but purges every trace, and will make his world, and his people, wholly clean.

Lord, in the aftermath of a great judgment on the forces of evil, the prophet describes a long and careful work: the burying of the dead, the cleansing of the land, going on for seven months, with men appointed to search through the land and mark every remaining trace until all is cleansed. The picture is one of thorough cleansing: not a hasty covering-over, but a patient, complete work of purifying the land of every defilement left by evil, until it is wholly clean. Show me the thoroughness of the cleansing described. It was not a quick or partial work; it went on for months, with men appointed to search the whole land, to mark and remove every remaining trace of defilement. The picture is of a complete purging, not a covering-over that leaves defilement beneath. Your dealing with evil is not a superficial tidying but a thorough cleansing, until your world is wholly clean. You do not leave the work half done. Take that to my heart, for your final cleansing of your world from evil will be thorough and complete, and you work thoroughly in me as well. I can long for evil to be fully dealt with, and grow weary of its lingering traces; but the picture here is of your thorough cleansing. You will one day cleanse your world of evil completely; and you work to cleanse me thoroughly too, not superficially. Help me take hope that your dealing with evil, in the world and in me, is thorough and complete, Lord. Help me trust that you will one day cleanse your world of evil thoroughly, and that you work to cleanse me thoroughly too, until I am wholly clean.