Ezekiel 37:24-28: a reflection

24“‘“My servant David will be king over them. They all will have one shepherd. They will also walk in my ordinances and observe my statutes, and do them. 25They will dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived. They will dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, forever. David my servant will be their prince forever. 26Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will place them, multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forever more. 27My tent also will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28The nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forever more.”’”

God gives a rich promise of the future he will bring his people: one shepherd over them, an everlasting covenant of peace, and his own dwelling among them as their God. My servant David will be king over them, God promises; they all will have one shepherd. I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. My tent also will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. God promises a coming day of one shepherd, lasting peace, and his own presence dwelling among his people; a promise fulfilled in Christ, the good shepherd, who brings the covenant of peace and God's presence to dwell among us. This shows God's promise to dwell among his people, with one shepherd and everlasting peace. God promises to dwell among his people as their God. One shepherd, everlasting peace, and God's own presence are promised. God's dwelling among his people is fulfilled in Christ. God will be our God, and we will be his people, with him among us.

Notice the richness of what God promises: one shepherd, an everlasting covenant of peace, and his own dwelling presence. God promises a day when his people will have one shepherd over them, David his servant, when he will make an everlasting covenant of peace with them, and when his own sanctuary and dwelling will be among them, so that he will be their God and they his people, with him dwelling in their midst. This is a promise of the deepest good: not merely blessings, but God himself, present and dwelling among his people, shepherding them in peace forever. And it is fulfilled, and being fulfilled, in Christ. Christ is the one shepherd, the good shepherd who gathers God's people into one flock; through him God has made the covenant of peace, reconciling us to himself; and in him God has come to dwell among us, and by his Spirit dwells in his people, so that God is our God and we are his people. What God promised here, of one shepherd, everlasting peace, and his dwelling presence, is ours in Christ, and will be fully ours in the life to come, when God will dwell with his people forever. This is our hope and comfort: God himself, dwelling among us, our God, with us his people. God's deepest promise is himself, dwelling among his people. In Christ we have the one shepherd and the covenant of peace. God dwells among his people now by his Spirit, and fully in the life to come. Our hope is God himself, with us as our God.

That is worth resting in, for God's promise is himself, dwelling among his people, with one shepherd and everlasting peace, fulfilled in Christ and to be fully ours in the life to come. We can long for God's presence, for peace, for a shepherd to lead us; and God promises all of this, his own dwelling among his people, one shepherd, an everlasting covenant of peace, fulfilled in Christ. God will be our God, with us. When you long for God's presence and peace, remember his promise to dwell among his people, fulfilled in Christ and fully ours to come. Rest in the truth that God's promise is himself, dwelling among his people, with one shepherd over them and an everlasting covenant of peace, as God promised a coming day when his people would have one shepherd, his servant David, when he would make an everlasting covenant of peace with them, and when his own dwelling would be among them, so that he would be their God and they his people; for this is a promise of the deepest good, not merely blessings but God himself present and dwelling among his people, shepherding them in peace forever, and it is fulfilled and being fulfilled in Christ, the one shepherd who gathers God's people into one flock, through whom God has made the covenant of peace, reconciling us to himself, and in whom God has come to dwell among us and by his Spirit dwells in his people, so that God is our God and we are his people, and what God promised of one shepherd, everlasting peace, and his dwelling presence is ours in Christ and will be fully ours in the life to come when God will dwell with his people forever, which is our hope and comfort, God himself dwelling among us as our God.

Lord, you give a rich promise of the future you will bring your people: one shepherd over them, an everlasting covenant of peace, and your own dwelling among them as their God. My servant David will be king over them, you promise; they all will have one shepherd. I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. My tent also will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. You promise a coming day of one shepherd, lasting peace, and your own presence dwelling among your people; a promise fulfilled in Christ, the good shepherd, who brings the covenant of peace and your presence to dwell among us. Show me the richness of what you promise: one shepherd, an everlasting covenant of peace, and your own dwelling presence. This is a promise of the deepest good: not merely blessings, but you yourself, present and dwelling among your people, shepherding them in peace forever. And it is fulfilled, and being fulfilled, in Christ. Christ is the one shepherd who gathers your people into one flock; through him you have made the covenant of peace, reconciling us to yourself; and in him you have come to dwell among us, and by your Spirit dwell in your people, so that you are our God and we are your people. What you promised here is ours in Christ, and will be fully ours in the life to come, when you will dwell with your people forever. This is my hope and comfort: you yourself, dwelling among us, our God, with us your people. Take that to my heart, for your promise is yourself, dwelling among your people, with one shepherd and everlasting peace, fulfilled in Christ. When I long for your presence and peace, help me remember your promise to dwell among your people, Lord, fulfilled in Christ and fully ours to come, so that you are our God, with us, our one shepherd, in an everlasting covenant of peace.