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NOVEMBER 22
before God because of his own good works: 1) James already stressed that salvation is a gracious
gift (1:17,18); 2) in the middle of this disputed passage (v. 23), James quoted Genesis 15:6, which
forcefully claims that God credited righteousness to Abraham solely on the basis of his faith (Rom.
1:17; 3:24; 4:1–25); and 3) the work that James said justified Abraham was his offering up of Isaac
(Gen. 22:9,12), an event that occurred many years after he first exercised faith and was declared
righteous before God (Gen. 12:1–7; 15:6). Instead, Abraham’s offering of Isaac demonstrated the
genuineness of his faith and the reality of his justification before God.James is emphasizing the vin-
dication before others of a man’s claim to salvation.James’s teaching perfectly complements Paul’s
writings; salvation is determined by faith alone (Eph. 2:8,9) and demonstrated by faithfulness to
obey God’s will alone (Eph. 2:10).
“And by works faith was made perfect” (v. 22).This refers to bringing something to its end or
to its fullness. Just as a fruit tree has not arrived at its goal until it bears fruit, faith has not reached
its end until it demonstrates itself in a righteous life.

Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I
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November 22 have heard all your blasphemies which you
have spoken against the mountains of Israel,
saying, ‘They are desolate; they are given to
us to consume.’ Thus with your mouth you
13
Ezekiel 35:1–36:38
have boasted against Me and multiplied your
Moreover the word of the LORD came words against Me; I have heard them.”
35 to me, saying, “Son of man, set your 14 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “The whole earth
2
15
face against Mount Seir and prophesy against will rejoice when I make you desolate. As you
it, and say to it, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: rejoiced because the inheritance of the house
3
of Israel was desolate, so I will do to you; you
“Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against shall be desolate, O Mount Seir, as well as all of
you; Edom—all of it! Then they shall know that I
I will stretch out My hand against you, am the LORD.” ’
And make you most desolate;
I shall lay your cities waste, 36 mountains of Israel, and say, ‘O moun-
4 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the
And you shall be desolate. tains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD!
Then you shall know that I am the 2 Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because the enemy
LORD.
has said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have
3
5 become our possession,’ ” ’ therefore proph-
“Because you have had an ancient hatred,
and have shed the blood of the children of Is- esy, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Be-
rael by the power of the sword at the time of cause they made you desolate and swallowed
their calamity, when their iniquity came to an
end, therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD,
6
“I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall
pursue you; since you have not hated blood, 36:1 This chapter presents the prerequisite
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therefore blood shall pursue you. Thus I will regeneration which Israel must experience
make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off before they can nationally enter into the
from it the one who leaves and the one who promised blessings. This chapter must be
returns. And I will fill its mountains with the understood to speak of a literal Israel, a literal
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slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all land,and a literal regeneration,leading to a lit-
your ravines those who are slain by the sword eral kingdom under Messiah.prophesy to the
shall fall. I will make you perpetually desolate, mountains. vv. 1,4,6,8. Ezekiel addresses
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and your cities shall be uninhabited; then you Israel’s mountains as symbolic of the whole
nation. He promises: 1) to give these moun-
shall know that I am the LORD.
“Because you have said, ‘These two cause fruit to grow on them (v.8); 3) to rebuild
10 tains again to dispersed Israel (v. 12); 2) to
nations and these two countries shall be mine, cities and to multiply people there (v. 10); and
and we will possess them,’ although the LORD 4) to bless in a greater way than in the past (v.
was there, therefore, as I live,” says the Lord 11).This promise can only be fulfilled in future
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GOD, “I will do according to your anger and millennial blessing to Israel that she has not
according to the envy which you showed in yet experienced,because it includes the salva-
your hatred against them; and I will make tion of the New Covenant (vv.25–27,29,31,33).
Myself known among them when I judge you.
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