Ezekiel 37:16

Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: TAKE THEE ONE STICK - alluding to , the tribal rod. The union of the two rods was a prophecy in action of the brotherly union which is to re-unite the ten tribes and Judah. As their severance under Jeroboam was fraught with the greatest evil to the covenant-people, so the first result of both being joined by the spirit of life to God is, they become joined to one another under the one covenant-King, Messiah-David. AND WRITE UPON IT, FOR JUDAH, AND FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HIS COMPANIONS - i:e., Judah, and, besides Benjamin and Levi, those who had joined themselv...

15-28 This emblem was to show the people, that the Lord would unite Judah and Israel. Christ is the true David, Israel's King of old; and those whom he makes willing in the day of his power, he makes to walk in his judgments, and to keep his statutes. Events yet to come will further explain this prophecy. Nothing has more hindered the success of the gospel than divisions. Let us study to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; let us seek for Divine grace to keep us from detestable things; and let us pray that all nations may be obedient and happy subjects of the Son of David, that the Lord may be our God, and we may be his people for evermore....

Verse Ezekiel 37:16. _SON OF MAN, TAKE THEE ONE STICK_] The _two sticks_ mentioned in this symbolical transaction represented, as the text declares, the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah, which vere formed in the days of Rehoboam, and continued distinct till the time of the captivity. The kingdom of _Judah_ was composed of the tribes of _Judah_ and _Benjamin_, with the _Levites_; all the rest went off in the schism with Jeroboam, and formed the kingdom of Israel. Though some out of those tribes did rejoin themselves to Judah, yet no _whole tribe_ ever returned to that kingdom. Common sufferings in their captivity became the means of reviving a kinder feeling; and to encourage this, God promises that he will reunite them, and restore them to their own land; and that there shall no more be any divisions or feuds among them. To represent this in such a way a...

A prophecy of the reunion of Israel and Judah, the incorporation of Israel under one Ruler, the kingdom of Messiah upon earth and in heaven. Ezekiel 37:16 ONE STICK - So in the marginal reference the names of the tribes had been written on rods or sticks. FOR JUDAH ... - To the house of David had remained faithful, not only Judah, but also Benjamin, Levi, and part of Simeon, and individual members of various tribes 2 Chronicles 11:12. Compare the marginal references. JOSEPH ... EPHRAIM - Compare Psalms 78:67;...

EXPOSITION This chapter embraces, in its earlier section (Ezekiel 37:1), the concluding portion of the "word of God" begun at Ezekiel 36:16; in its later section (Ezekiel 36:15), an additional "word," to which the former naturally leads. The earlier, under the figure of a resurrection of dry bones, beheld by the prophet in vision, describes the political and religious reawakening of Israel; in the later is depicted, by means of a symbolic action, the reunion of its two branches. The first divides itself into two parts—the vision (Ezekiel 36:1) and its interpretation ...

MOREOVER, THOU SON OF MAN, TAKE THEE ONE STICK,.... Or "wood" a; a stick of wood; or table, as the Targum; a board or plank. The Septuagint version renders it a "rod"; and so the Arabic; an emblem of a kingdom or government, as this was: AND WRITE UPON IT; the following words: FOR JUDAH, AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HIS COMPANIONS; for the tribe of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, which adhered together, and as many of the other tribes which joined them; the godly and religious of the rest of the tribes, who could not give into the idolatry of Jeroboam: THEN TAKE ANOTHER STICK; like the former: AND WRITE UPON IT; these words: FOR JOSEPH, THE STICK OF EPHRAIM, AND FOR ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL HIS COMPANIONS; for the tribe of Ephraim, and the other nine tribes, which together made up one kingdom. It should be observed, that in the times of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, there was a

Ezekiel 37:1. _The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD,_ God's servants learn nothing until they have an experience similar to that of Ezekiel. They must be led by the Spirit of the Lord, and they must have their eyes and mouths opened by him, and then they can both see the vision, and tell the vision to others. Ezekiel 37:1. _And set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,_ Like a huge grave, or charnel-house, or battle-field where the slain had not been buried. No servant of God would go without being sent to such a place, yet it was needful that Ezekiel should be there in order that he might understand and speak the message of God....

CHAPTER S 37-48 The Future Blessings of Israel, the Nation Regathered, Their Enemies Overthrown, the Millennial Temple, and the Division of the Land _ 1. The vision of the dry bones and Judah and Israel reunited (Ezekiel 37:1) _ 2. Gog and Magog and their destruction (Ezekiel 38:1; Ezekiel 39:1) 3. The millennial temple, its worship, and the division of the land (Ezekiel 40:1; Ezekiel 41:1; Ezekiel 42:1;...

STICK. Hebrew "wood": put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Cause), App-6, for anything made of it. CHILDREN. sons, COMPANIONS: i.e. Benjamin and Levi. Hebrew text reads "companion" (singular); but margin, with some codices and one early printed edition, reads "companions" (plural) JOSEPH. Who held the primogeniture of the other tribes (1 Chronicles 6:1), forfeited by Reuben; and was represented by Ephraim, the head of the ten tribes. Compare 1 Kings 11:26; Isaiah 11:13.Jeremiah 31:6; Hosea 5:3;...

Prophecy of the reunion of the restored Israel into one kingdom, ruled by one king, even David (1) Ezekiel 37:15. Symbol of the union of Judah and Israel into one kingdom, with its explanation. (2) Ezekiel 37:24. There shall be one king over the new nation, even David. (3) Ezekiel 37:26. Jehovah's covenant with the people shall be everlasting, and his presence will sanctify them....