By Chris Watson
“IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU!” The words rang out from the football coach as practice was ending one early summer evening. His players conditioned tirelessly to start the football season and at the end of another hot practice, the players were tiring, on the verge of giving up. For too long the boys with greater skill were allowed to coast by, but today, these boys, with this coach, weren’t going to be so lucky. “IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU, SON!” the coach said again. As the final minutes of practice waned, the coach pulled in his team to teach them a valuable lesson. It’s not about the name on the back of your jersey, but rather the name on the front. The name on the front of the jersey represents who the member of the team plays for.
In Ezekiel 36, God wants to remind the Israelites that they are in exile because of their conduct and actions. They defiled the holy name of God and as a consequence to their actions they are scattered across the nations. Being scattered throughout the nations, God’s holy name continued to take a hit. God is not going to allow this to happen anymore. However, before He begins to restore Israel back to the land, He has a message for them, IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU! In verse 22 He says, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.” God is doing restorative work to the land and people of Israel. He is doing this so that His name will be glorified. So who’s team are you on? Who do you represent? And what can you do to get out of the way, so that God can make His holy name known among the nations?