So Solomon is presented to the people as the next king. Further David acknowledges that all the planing he has done is of God.

V.8 As Moses looked out from Pisgah upon the promised Kingdom, so also the faith of David ranged forward to a wonderful fulfillment which he hoped for in his son. He emphasized this by actually quoting to Solomon the words of Moses' charge to Joshua (1Chron 22:12-13) As Moses called heaven and earth to bear witness to his last exhortation (Deut 30:19) so also David as we read in V.2 of this chapter.

V. 19  Is another example of Yahweh's communicating His will to be written down.  In this case, the blueprint for the temple could be consulted throughout its construction.  Clearly, David's imagination was not involved, neither was anything left to chance nor misunderstanding. That is true, of course, of all of God's Word as He unfolds His blueprint for humankind (2Pet 1:19).

It is well to regularly examine ourselves to determine whether we are genuine in our service to Yahweh, given the words of David to Solomon, which apply to us also: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts (v.9).

28:6  So now David explains the short term fulfillment of the promise of 1Chron 17:13  by telling Israel that God had told him that Solomon was the chosen son who would reign after David and be His son. Of course this does not mean that the promise also speaks of Jesus. But Solomon clearly is being presented as the short term fulfillment.

28:11  In giving Solomon the ‘pattern’ to the temple he is handing over responsibility to Solomon to continue the work he has started. Are we equally willing to pass on the work to others or do we feel that we should hold on to jobs because we think we are the best people to do the work?

28:11 In giving Solomon the ‘pattern’ we are reminded that the tabernacle was also made according to a pattern – Exo 25:40

V.9 Solomon was told that if he sought Yahweh, He would be found.  Conversely, if Solomon forsook Yahweh, He would forsake him.  This principle runs throughout  scripture and applies to us today (2Chron 15:2; Isa 55:6; James 4:8).

V.3 Jesus, who is the real temple of God, and the one who will inherit David’s throne, is the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6). It would be incompatible, therefore, for a man of war and blood to build the temple representing the Prince of Peace.

V.6 Solomon, whose name means peaceful, would not see war during his reign. He was acceptable for building the temple.

V.18 Chariot does not refer to a wheeled vehicle.  It relates to the seat (throne) which is between the cherubim - the place where Yahweh meets His people.

V.12 The restoration of Israel occurred after the Babylonian captivity. But, in recent years, the nation of Israel was re-born from the Diaspora.  However, in the ultimate sense, the nation will only be right in the sight of Yahweh when it becomes a theocracy.  That will occur when the Lord Jesus becomes its king (vs. 24-28).

If the prophecies in Eze 37-39 are in chronological order, and there really is a logical sequence running through these 3 chapters, then could it be that Jesus returns towards the end of Ez 37? It is possible. Obviously Eze 37:24, when it speaks of David, is referring to Jesus. I am quite aware that the traditional view in our Brotherhood has been that the battles of Zech 14 and Eze38 are the same. BUT, what if there are 2 battles?  Jesus returns at the end of Ez 37 at the time of the nations fighting against Jerusalem (Zech 14:2-4). Later, when the Kingdom is settled down in Israel, the northern army come down, and actually fight against King Jesus in Jerusalem. This really would be “an evil thoughtâ€� (Eze 38:10-12).
It also follows that if Jesus is King, Israel will be without walls, bars and gates, and will be dwelling safely.  (Eze 38:8,11)     Then, with Jesus at the helm, the enemies are smitten, and the dead will take 7 months to bury (Eze 39:12).   I don’t know if this is right – but it’s an idea.  In reality, we shall have to wait and see.

37  The vision of the valley of dry bones should be seen against the background of the glimmer of hope presented in 36:8

37:10 The spirit of life entering into the bones and them standing on their feet echoes Ezekiel’s own experience as seen in Eze 2:2

37:18 And so the people, on being told the vision that Ezekiel saw, would ask for an explanation. This is rather like the enacted parables which Ezekiel performed which would elicit from his observers questions.

V.14 There was a gathering of Jews to the Holy Land to form the modern State of Israel in 1948.  After the latter-day events that will be explained in Ezekiel Chapter 38, there will be a further gathering of Jews.  Jews living in other countries will be brought to Israel to participate in the kingdom that Jesus will set up when He returns to earth.

37:12 In saying ‘I will open your graves’ we learn that what Ezekiel is speaking of is not the return from Babylon. Those who returned to Babylon had not died and been buried. Here the prophet is looking to the time when the nations will be spiritually reborn.

Have we got the emphasis wrong?

We are used to seeing this chapter interpreted in terms of the Jews returning to the land in recent history. And admitedly, 1948 was an amazing year. Israel was reborn as a nation for the first time in almost 2 millenia. But this chapter isn't primarily dealing with that. Just notice the emphasis throughout the chapter:

If we look at v9, we see the breath of life came "from the 4 winds", that is all Israelites throughout the earth. In v11 we read "the whole house of Israel" meaning all 12 tribes, even though the 10 tribes are lost we don't know where (for example, we call Isrealis "Jews". This is because they are from the southern kingdom of Judah). In v16 the two halves of Israel are mentioned. In v17 and again in v19 they come together as one. Then v21 "surely I will take the children of Israel (the children of Jacob, who had his name changed to Israel, were 12 tribes)... gather them from every side" and finally v22 "I will make them one nation in the land".

So what's the emphasis throughout the chapter? All Israel. From everywhere. One people. One land. And in v22-28 one King and one place to worship. Now bear in mind that throughout the Bible account of Israel the nation had only had one king and one place to worship during the reign of David and Solomon. That's a tiny, tiny proportion of their history. Soon after that the nation was split in two and worship was divided North to South, Judah and Samaria, never again to be united.

Hopefully you can see now why I said that this chapter isn't about the return of the Jews. There's a much bigger issue at stake. Of far greater importance to God, and hence to Jesus and his followers, is that the nation be returned to unity under one King. That's Jews and Samarians. This has been the purpose of God ever since Jereboam set up the calves in Samaria, and the reason Jesus "needed to go through Samaria" (John 4:4) to show that Samaritans must come together with their Jewish brethren. Unity is the message of this chapter, not a Jewish only return.

37:9 We now learn that the ‘bones’ in the valley were not just bones from dead people. The people had actually been killed. This matches Rev 11:7,8 which uses other language from this chapter in Ezekiel

2:16 My father's house Genesis 28:21
In using this phrase Jesus is continuing the theme of Jacob's ladder from Genesis 28.

3:24 The mention hat John had not yet been cast into prison is the only historical information we have about John's ministry. We do not know when he stopped. His words were truly fulfilled 'He must increase I must decrease' (3:30)

2:16 My father's house Genesis 28:21
In using this phrase Jesus is continuing the theme of Jacob's ladder from Genesis 28.

3:24 The mention hat John had not yet been cast into prison is the only historical information we have about John's ministry. We do not know when he stopped. His words were truly fulfilled 'He must increase I must decrease' (3:30)

In 2v11 we read it was for the purpose of manifesting his glory, so that his disciples believed in him. In 1v14 we read that the glory of Jesus was in fact the glory of the Father. Jesus was showing the glory of God in human form, human action, and human character. So how did turning the water into wine manifest that glory?

Jesus was raised out of the waters of baptism to visibly receive the spirit. This signified that he was the firstborn of those who would be born of "water and the spirit" (3v5, 1v13). This was the new creation, created by the working of the word of God upon a man (1v1,14). This creation was a new thing, of God, rather than of the flesh (1v13). In the wine was symbolised the natural, normal, earthly life, or in other words "the flesh" and its thinking. However good man made this, it would run out (cp. Luke 15v14, 16v9). The new wine, however, was much better than the old, but it was made of water and the spirit, rather than the natural way. Demonstrated here in symbol, was the way that the Glory of God could be manifested in man. This could never come about through natural means, but only by means that God would make available (Matt 19v26).

2:3-17 The combining in John's record of the miracle of turning the water into wine and the way that Jesus behaved at Jerusalem - casting out the money changers - at passover time is to show that the Jews were unable to provide the wine for passover because they were corrupt.

3:27 When John answered 'that a man could 'receive nothing except it be given him from heaven'' we have  a thematic link with Jesus'' conversation with Nicodemus --see comment for April 11th 2004.

2:13-17 The cleansing of the temple grounds is the first cleansing, which occurred near the beginning of the Lord's ministry. The second cleansing comes near the end of the Lord's ministry (Matt 21:12,13). 

These two cleansings relate to the cleansing of a house from leprosy under the Law (Lev 14:33-57).  Then, the priest inspected the leprous house and commanded that it be cleansed by removing the affected stones, scraping clean the rest of the house, and re-plastering.  The priest would come a second time to inspect the house, and if leprosy had appeared again, then the whole house had to be destroyed. 

The Lord Jesus inspected His Father's house and found leprosy (spiritual rot).  After cleansing it, He came back a second time and found it still leprous.  The house had to be destroyed, which occurred in 70 AD. 

2:1-10 - Perhaps the inferior wine that ran out reflected the inadequacy of the sacrifices under the law which preceeded the good wine sacrifice of Christ which is available for all believers who seek and submit to Christ. The third day may indicate the resurrection after being in the tomb. The water into wine may have symbolized the word made flesh (John 1:14) and that Christ fulfilled the law and the prophets and/or washed/buried the power of sin using the 6 jars (6 is the number of man and perhaps indicates the inadequacy of the ceremonial law) with his poured out blood. In a symbolic sense perhaps Christ is the bridegroom and believers are the bride of Christ (John 3:29). This third day may also be considered the seventh day beginning with John 1:27,29 as the first two days and thus suggests a future seventh millennial day marriage/rest when the lamb returns to be united with his bride.

2:25 We need to appreciate that Jesus ‘knew what was in man’ because he fully knew himself. Appreciating honestly what we are like will enable us to understand others better.

3:30 ‘decrease’ is the same Greek as ‘little lower’ in Heb 2:7,9 John’s status after Jesus’ baptism did not alter. He was always ‘a little lower’ than Jesus.

2:25 We need to appreciate that Jesus ‘knew what was in man’ because he fully knew himself. Appreciating honestly what we are like will enable us to understand others better.

3:30 ‘decrease’ is the same Greek as ‘little lower’ in Heb 2:7,9 John’s status after Jesus’ baptism did not alter. He was always ‘a little lower’ than Jesus.

3:14 In quoting the example of Num 21:8 doubtless Jesus was speaking of the brazen serpent in the wilderness in a way which Nicodemus had never considered.

2:18 On this occasion and at the end of his ministry –Matt 21:23 - Jesus was challenged for casting out the money changers.

2:3,4 Nobody had yet seen Jesus perform a miracle.  And yet, Mary seemed to understand that He was able to do just that. 

Her indirect request for Jesus to produce wine was presumptuous.  Jesus' retort showed that Mary was out of her depth in understanding Jesus' mission or His relationship with His father. 

Jesus did, subsequently, produce wine for the wedding, thus displaying the first public miracle, by showing the power that His Father had given Him.  However, it was important for Him to make clear to His mother that He was not to be used as a talisman, to be employed at the whim of any individual. 

The lesson is for us also.  The Lord will employ His power on our behalf at His discretion, and always in keeping with the will of His Father.  We are encouraged to ask the Lord for help, but there we must leave it, trusting that the Lord will help according to His wisdom and mercy.  The answers to our requests may not be as we envisioned, but they will be the right answers for those operating in faith.

2:17 The way in which Psa 69:9 is used here teaches us that being zealous for God requires action. We also learn that Psalm 69 is speaking of the work of Jesus so we would benefit from going back and reading the Psalm with Jesus’ ministry in mind, looking for other things that speak of him

2:17 See Psa 59:10.

2:19,21 This confirms Jesus as being the true temple of God. That is the reason David, the man of war and blood, could not build the temple (see note for 1 Chronicles 28).

2:22 Perhaps the scripture being mentioned here is Psa 16:10.

3:5 Jesus endorses baptism as an essential element for salvation.

3:13 Jesus did not physically come from heaven as Trinitarians suppose. Jesus was born a man, by the intervention of the Holy Spirit, which came from heaven (Luke 1:35).  The Son of man which is in heaven (KJV) is eliminated in modern versions.

3:14,15 See Num 21:9.

3:17 Jesus did not come to condemn the world. However, he did not pray for the world either (John 17:9). The world likes to proclaim that Jesus' appearance brought…on earth peace, good will toward men.  More will be said in my supplemental Christmas in the December notes.

3:29 The friend of the bridegroom is the one responsible for making sure all arrangements have been made for the marriage.  Once the marriage has taken place, the duties of the friend are done. He slips quietly into the background while the bridegroom takes over.

3:19 The condemnation of Jesus – that men loved darkness – was a sever condemnation of Nicodemus and the Pharisees as he chose night time to seek Jesus out.