Year 2, Week 21, Day 4 Bible Reading Observations

Year 2, Week 21, Day 4

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Ezekiel 39.

Today’s reading continues the final major section of the Book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel 33-48 can be divided into two segments: Ezekiel 33-39 is composed of prophecies about the judgment upon but also the future restoration of Judah, while Ezekiel 40-48 is composed of Ezekiel’s vision about the new temple and new land. Ezekiel 39 which is connected to Ezekiel 38, describes the threat of opposition that will emerge against the LORD’s people: “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal” (Ezekiel 39:1-2). Ezekiel 38 and 39 each emphasize a different aspect of Gog’s attack on the Mountain of Israel. Ezekiel 38 sees the Lord raising up Gog and his terrifying hordes from all four points of the compass and bringing them against his own people: “Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know it? You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. You will come up against my people Israel” (Ezekiel 38:14-16a). As described at the end of Ezekiel 37, Israel who are at this point living at peace and obediently in their own land. But then they are attacked by Gog. Ezekiel 39 focuses on the LORD’s final disposal of Gog and his forces: “Then I will strike your bow from your left hand, and will make your arrows drop out of your right hand. You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 39:3-5).

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading is the description of Gog’s final and full destruction: “On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers, east of the sea. It will block the travelers, for there Gog and all his multitude will be buried. It will be called the Valley of Hamon-gog. For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land” (Ezekiel 39:11-12). Not only had the LORD decisively defeated His people’s enemies, the land is filled with newly slain corpses. The corpses of the slain become a source of defilement to the land that cannot be allowed to remain. The corpses of the fallen army must be collected and properly buried. The large number of the slain is so large that it takes seven months to complete the burial and the size of the burial grounds cover an entire valley. In the previous day’s reading, a valley of dry bones are revived into a mighty army: “The Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones…So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:1a,10). Today’s reading describes the mighty army of Gog, which is terminated into a pile of corpses and buried in another valley. The LORD did both acts.

The mighty acts of the LORD to revive His people and to ruin His people’s enemies each displayed the LORD’s glory among the nations: “All the people of the land will bury them, and it will bring them renown on the day that I show my glory, declares the Lord GOD…And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them” (Ezekiel 39:13,21). The LORD glory would also be displayed before His people: “The house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God, from that day forward…Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name. They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies’ lands, and through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations” (Ezekiel 39:22,25-27).

When the events of Ezekiel 38-39 unfolds is hard to specify. We are told: “After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them. You will advance, coming on like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you” (Ezekiel 39:8-9). “After many days,” and “In the latter years,” leaves a lot unspecified. Ezekiel conveys that it would be sometime in the future. Perhaps it is still to come—or perhaps something like it is will occur again: “And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:7-10).

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe