Charles Spurgeon Commentary Ezekiel 36

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.

All through Scripture we are told that God has great regard to the honour of His holy name. The Lord thy God is a jealous God.

And this is no small blessing to us, for it has so happened that, when there has been no other reason for mercy, God's regard to His own name has found Him a reason for dealing mercifully with His unbelieving, undeserving people. See how He had scattered His chosen people; He had sent them away into captivity, justly, on account of their sins. But it happened that wherever they went, whether it was into Persia or Babylonia, the people said, "These are Jehovah's people; these are Jehovah's people; and they are gone forth out of His land." What was the consequence of this?

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman, Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

When God comes forth to deal with people according to what they deserve, there will always be times of dire distress. The land of Israel was made into a wilderness; the dwellings of people were burnt by fire, the inhabitants fell by the sword, or they were taken captive, and untold miseries became the lot of God's rebellious people.

And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.

For the heathen did not remember the sin of Israel; they only saw that they had been cast out of their land by their God, so they blamed Jehovah, and not his guilty people. Thus, God's holy name was doubly profaned.

But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.

If the Lord could see no ground of mercy in them, yet, so full of mercy is he, that he would find a reason for exercising pity for his own name's sake. If lovingkindness cannot come to them by any other means, then it shall come for God's name's sake.

But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, where they went. Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the LORD GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the heathen, where you went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which you have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

Here, indeed, is matchless grace that these very people who for their sins were banished from their land, and who in their exile added to their sin by the way in which they blasphemed God—those very people are to be brought back, and the mercy of God is to be so displayed in them that, in the very people who blasphemed God’s name, God will be held in honor.