Daily Bible Verse - 1/15/2008 - Ezekiel 36:26-27

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

"Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

Ezekiel 36:26-27

Commentary
This is the clearest statement of the N.T. concept of conversion to be found anywhere in the O.T. In the N.T. a new heart is the result of conversion (Matt. 5:8; 22:37; Rom. 10:10; 2 Cor. 4:6; Eph. 6:6; 1 Pet. 3:15). Receiving the "spirit" is also fulfilled in Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18, 23; 16:7-15) and the ultimate fulfillment at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). One day all of this shall also be true for repentant Israel.

Believer's Study Bible. 1997, c1995. C1991 Criswell Center for Biblical Studies. (electronic ed.) (Eze 36:25). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Did you know?
The prospect of God placing His own Spirit within His people to help them walk in His ways (Ezek. 36:26-27) was an exciting new development. The Holy Spirit inspired Old Testament believers to pursue holiness, and from time to time He came upon certain leaders in a way that gave them extraordinary power. But He was not a permanent resident in God's people as He is today. So Ezekiel's vision of an indwelling Spirit must have filled his listeners with anticipation.

Word in life study Bible . 1997, c1996 (electronic ed.) (Eze 38:2). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.