They thought the worst was over. Yes, the Babylonians had captured the city of Jerusalem, and carried off about 3,000 of the Jews into exile. But the walls of the city were still strong, and the Temple was still standing. Zedekiah, son of Josiah was still sitting on the throne of David. So it was only natural that the people remaining in the city thought it was time to get back to business as usual (Ezekiel 11:3).

The only problem was that “business as usual” included all the idolatry and perversion that had gotten God’s people into such trouble in the first place (Ezekiel 9:9). In fact, in their pride, the people of Jerusalem began to look down on those, like Ezekiel, who had been carried off into exile (Ezekiel 11:15). None of the suffering and privation they had gone through had really changed the people of Jerusalem. They hadn’t really learned their lesson, and they hadn’t repented of their sin.

In contrast, God told Ezekiel that it was only those who had been carried off into exile, those whose suffering would last for 70 years who would see a real change in their lives. They were the ones who would turn away from all their idols, because they would have a new heart and a new spirit. They were the ones who would really be changed for the better, joyfully following God’s perfect law of love for Him and for others (Ezekiel 11:18-20).

But those who remained in Jerusalem? Those who tried to get back to business as usual as soon as possible? Ezekiel saw a vision of God’s glory leaving the Temple (Ezekiel 10:19), and abandoning the city (Ezekiel 11:23). And God would eventually give the city over to the Babylonians, who would destroy it.

So, what about us? We’ve all had problems come into our lives. We’ve been through sorrow and grief, losing things and people that are important to us. But when the storms of life are past, do we just want things to get back to “normal” as soon as we can? Are we content to let our spiritual growth stagnate, to remain as distant from God as we currently are?

Or will we allow our sufferings to draw us closer to the Lord and closer to one another? In the midst of our pain and sorrow, do we really want the Lord give us a new heart and a new spirit, so that we might walk more consistently by faith? For that’s really the only way to be God’s people, and to have Him be our God (Ezekiel 11:19-20.

Ezekiel 11:14-23 (NASB)

14 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
15 “Son of man, your brothers, your relatives, your fellow exiles, and the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far from the LORD; this land has been given us as a possession.’
16 “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Though I had removed them far away among the nations, and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone.”‘
17 “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “I shall gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I shall give you the land of Israel.”‘
18 “When they come there, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it.
19 “And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.
21 “But as for those whose hearts go after their detestable things and abominations, I shall bring their conduct down on their heads,” declares the Lord God.
22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them.
23 And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood over the mountain which is east of the city.