The "therefore" of this passage is that a) even though God has scattered them among the countries, He has been a sanctuary for them in their countries while they are gone and b) He will gather them back and give them the land. The key is what happens when they return to that land. They will remove the vile images and idols and God will give them an "undivided" heart and a new spirit. He will remove the heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh and then they can follow Him and carefully keep His law. There is a warning for those who still cling to their hearts of stone, that God will bring down on their head, what they have done.
With that, the vision ends as spectacularly as it started with the Spirit lifting Ezekiel back to exiles. There the vision "went up from him" and he told the exiles everything that the Lord had shown him.
Man! I am really digging this book! What a man Ezekiel must have been to have seen the glory of God and be reinforced in his mission. Alas, to much is given - much is expected. I am sure that the best is yet to come.
Prayers for another day with this stiff lower back and my scheduling this foot thing to get it taken care of. I would love to walk a golf course painfree!
Praise for today - that He leads with mercy and grace and I hope that I can do the same.
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