Ezekiel 47:13-23 describes God's promise of a new inheritance for the twelve tribes of Israel, including equitable land distribution among them, despite historical challenges. This vision includes provisions for foreigners residing among the Israelites, emphasizing compassion and inclusion, as all people are offered new beginnings and hope in God's plan. The passage reflects on themes of God's faithfulness, the significance of community, and the inclusivity of the faith for all believers.

1. Ezekiel 47:13–23
Our Lesson for the Week

2. Introduction
We have all seen families squabble over estates

3. Introduction
Yet, unearned assets are a part of our faith.
Jesus told His disciples:
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out
demons. You received without payment; give without
payment.
Matthew 10:8

4. Introduction
Remember:
The people of Israel and Judah had forfeited any right
they had to their inheritance due to their national
idolatry.

5. Introduction
Remember:
In Ezekiel’s previous vision, God’s glory had departed
the temple and the nation.
(Ezekiel 8-11)

6. Introduction
Remember:
Yet now Ezekiel’s vision is of a new temple and city for
the people of God.
But things were not to be as they once were because
foreigners now inhabited the land.

7. Introduction
God spells out His promise for their unmerited
inheritance but with a stipulation.
This is where our text begins:

8. Ezekiel 47:13
This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “These are the
boundaries of the land that you will divide among the
twelve tribes of Israel as their inheritance, with two
portions for Joseph.

9. Ezekiel 47:13
By this time in Israel’s history a regathering of the 12
tribes seems impossible but God has promised that a
“remnant” will return (Isaiah 10:20–22) and that he
will indeed regather his people.
(Jeremiah 23:3; Ezekiel 34:11–16)

10. Ezekiel 47:13
The land is to be distributed among the twelve tribes
of Israel, with the particular notice that a double
portion is to be given to Joseph.
This reflects the fact that Joseph had two sons,
Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 48:1–22), whose
descendants formed two tribes of those names.

11. Pause2Talk
Allowing someone back into our lives who has
betrayed us and caused us harm is difficult. What
obligations are we under as Christians to do so?
For instance, what do you say to an abused wife
considering taking her husband back?

12. Ezekiel 47:14
“You are to divide it equally among them. Because I
swore with uplifted hand to give it to your ancestors,
this land will become your inheritance.

13. Ezekiel 47:14
This text confronts Israel with a surprise: each tribe is
to receive an equal share of land.
Such an idea was unrealistic in the beginning because
of the differing sizes of the tribes and their needs
(Numbers 32:1–5; Joshua 14–19).

14. Ezekiel 47:14
The land was apportioned originally by lot (Numbers
26:55, 56; 33:54; Joshua 14:2).
Not so here.

15. Ezekiel 47:14
Even today, an uplifted hand is the gesture
accompanying an oath (Deuteronomy 32:40).
God is said to have made such an oath, promising this
land to the patriarchs (Exodus 6:8 with Genesis 12:7;
13:14–17; 15:7–20).

16. Ezekiel 47:14
The people who have lost everything are promised a
new inheritance (Ezekiel 45).
They will experience a new temple (40:1–43:11), a
new law (43:12), a new land (today’s text), along with
a new city (48:30–35).

17. Ezekiel 47:15–20
15, 16
“This is to be the boundary of the land:
“On the north side it will run from the Mediterranean
Sea by the Hethlon road past Lebo Hamath to Zedad,
Berothah and Sibraim (which lies on the border
between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer
Hattikon, which is on the border of Hauran.

18. Ezekiel 47:15–20
The vision describes Israel’s borders beginning with
the northern side in a complex description across
three verses. The descriptions will then move
clockwise—east, south, and west.
These descriptions are patterned after Numbers 34:1–
12.

19. Ezekiel 47:15–20
The Hebrew word for boundary (also translated
“border” in Ezekiel 47:16, next) can also mean
“territory” (as in 48:2–8). Thus the difficulty of
determining the exact location of the boundary is
increased.

20. Ezekiel 47:15–20
The Old Testament has been described as “a book of
boundaries.”
Many boundaries addressed are physical (example:
Psalm 104:9) but others are spiritual in nature
(examples: Leviticus 10:10; Ezekiel 44:23).

21. Ezekiel 47:15–20
The problem was that people had an evil tendency to
try to move (or remove) both kinds of boundaries
(examples: Job 24:2; Ezekiel 22:26).

22. Ezekiel 47:15–20
Mark 7:18-19
He said to them, ‘Then do you also fail to understand?
Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from
outside cannot defile, since it enters, not the heart but
the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?’ (Thus he
declared all foods clean.)

23. Ezekiel 47:15–20
But God also has established for eternity a boundary
that is not only immovable but uncrossable (Luke
16:26; Revelation 21:27; 22:14, 15).

24. Ezekiel 47:15–20
Luke 16:26
Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has
been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from
here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from
there to us.”

25. Ezekiel 47:15–20
Since there are no natural boundaries (river names,
etc.) for the northern description, place names are
used, and many are difficult to determine but extend
into present day Lebanon and Syria.

26. Pause2Talk
When it comes to our faith and His message, what are
some boundaries that we cannot allow the world to
move?
How should we guard those differences when it comes
to other churches?

27. Ezekiel 47:15–20
17
“The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan,
along the northern border of Damascus, with the
border of Hamath to the north. This will be the
northern boundary.

28. Ezekiel 47:15–20
As vague as this description of the northern border is
to us, we should note that this border is much farther
north than the land actually controlled by the
Israelites in history—“from Dan to Beersheba” (2
Samuel 3:10).

29. Ezekiel 47:15–20
God did promise to Abraham land “from the Wadi of
Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates” (Genesis
15:18).
Israel came close to controlling this territory only
twice: once under David and Solomon (see 2 Samuel
8:1–12; 1 Kings 8:65; 1 Chronicles 13:5; 2 Chronicles
7:8) and once under Jeroboam II (see 2 Kings 14:25).

30. Ezekiel 47:15–20
In describing this idealized northern area as he does,
Ezekiel is leaving room for the 12 tribes to receive
roughly equal strips of land down to the southern
border.

31. Ezekiel 47:15–20
18
“On the east side the boundary will run between
Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between
Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Dead Sea and as
far as Tamar. This will be the eastern boundary.

32. Ezekiel 47:15–20
The river then becomes, along with the Dead Sea, the
majority of the eastern border. The eastern border
terminates at Tamar (also known as “Tadmor” in 1
Kings 9:18), located near the southern extremity of the
Dead Sea.

33. Ezekiel 47:15–20
This description cuts out the Transjordan tribal
settlements of Numbers 34:1–12.
The Transjordan was not part of the original promise
of land; the two and a half tribes that originally settled
there are described in Ezekiel’s vision as located
elsewhere (see Ezekiel 48:4, 6, 27).

34. Ezekiel 47:15–20
19
“On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the
waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of
Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the
southern boundary

35. Ezekiel 47:15–20
The southern boundary moves southwest through the
ancient site of Meribah Kadesh (Numbers 20:13, 14,
24; 27:14). It then follows the Wadi of Egypt (Numbers
34:5 and Joshua 15:4) to the Mediterranean Sea.
The river noted (today known as Wadi el-Arish) serves
as a natural boundary between Egypt and Canaan
which encompasses the Gaza Strip.

36. Ezekiel 47:15–20
20
“On the west side, the Mediterranean Sea will be the
boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath. This will
be the western boundary.

37. Ezekiel 47:15–20
The Mediterranean Sea clearly marks the entire
western boundary from Egypt (v. 19) all the way to the
northern border.

38. Ezekiel 47:21–23
21
“You are to distribute this land among yourselves
according to the tribes of Israel.

39. Ezekiel 47:21–23
The book goes on to assign equal strips of land, with
seven tribes north of the strip reserved for the holy
city and sanctuary (48:1–7) and five tribes south of it
(48:23–29).

40. Ezekiel 47:21–23
The tribal arrangements seem to place the more
favored tribes, the ones descending from Jacob’s wives
Leah and Rachel, closest to the sanctuary; the less
favored tribes, descending from Jacob’s concubines
Bilhah and Zilpah, are farther away (Genesis 35:23–
26).

41. Pause2Talk
We tend to treat others based on how similar they are
to us and our positions.
Which is more important, similarity or positions?

42. Ezekiel 47:21–23
22
“You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and
for the foreigners residing among you and who have
children. You are to consider them as native-born
Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an
inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

43. Ezekiel 47:21–23
We come to a key point of this lesson: inheritance …
for the foreigners residing among the Israelites. These
foreigners are the resident aliens living in their midst.

44. Ezekiel 47:21–23
Historically, such a person is listed alongside “the
fatherless and the widow” in Ezekiel 22:7 and “the
poor and needy” in 22:29—people vulnerable to
abuse and oppression.

45. Ezekiel 47:21–23
Israel is to protect such people because the Israelites
know what it is like to be foreigners in another land
(see Leviticus 19:33, 34; Deuteronomy 10:19; 26:5;
Isaiah 52:4; Psalm 105:23).

46. Ezekiel 47:21–23
If we are correct in seeing Ezekiel 40–48 as being a
divine vision set in apocalyptic style, then we must see
it fulfilled in Christ.
As Ezekiel saw a wholly new temple with God’s
glorious presence returned, so Jesus is that “new
temple” (John 2:18–22) and Christians make up a
“new temple” on earth (Ephesians 2:19–22).

47. Ezekiel 47:21–23
The living water that flows from the temple in Ezekiel
47:1–12 is understood as fulfilled in the new covenant
era, when people of every ethnic group can call on the
Lord for forgiveness of sin and the gift of the Holy
Spirit (Acts 2:38).

48. Pause2Talk
How do we determine when to fellowship and not
fellowship with others believers or congregations?

49. Ezekiel 47:21–23
A major problem today is that of undocumented
immigrants, also referred to as illegal aliens.
A major problem today is that of undocumented immigrants,
also referred to as illegal aliens. One organization reports that
there may be between 25 and 30 million illegal aliens
throughout the world.
One organization reports that there may be between
25 and 30 million illegal aliens throughout the world.

50. Ezekiel 47:21–23
23
“In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to
give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign
Lord.

51. Ezekiel 47:21–23
Such a foreigner is not to be oppressed or exploited in
any way for any reason.
The injunction to grant foreigners their inheritance
within the tribes where they are living is pure
compassion.

52. Ezekiel 47:21–23
The apostle Paul in his day spends much time and
effort to bring Jews and Gentiles together into one
family.
He argues that faith or faithfulness is the mark of the
new people of God; because of that, Abraham is the
father of all who believe (see Romans 4:11, 16).

53. Ezekiel 47:21–23
How can any of us elevate ourselves above another in
light of the fact that “all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God” (3:23)?
Therefore we are to “accept one another, then, just as
Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God”
(15:7).

54. Pause2Talk
When we see others as ‘foreigners’, we tend to treat
them differently. What are some ways that we treat
our neighbors as foreigners?

55. Conclusion
In Exodus 32, God spared Israel from destruction and
God would forever be known as “the compassionate
and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love
and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and
forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (34:6, 7).

56. Conclusion
Jonah was told to proclaim judgment against the
Ninevites, who were considered the greatest of
sinners in his day.
Not only did God allow new beginnings for his own
people, he also offered new beginnings for the Gentile
pagans, the “foreigners.”

57. Conclusion
King David, a man after God’s own heart, sinned
greatly by committing adultery and murder. But he
confessed his sin and he did indeed experience a new
beginning.
He would write, “Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
With this accomplished, David wanted to share his
new beginning (see Psalm 51:13).

58. Conclusion
Jeremiah’s prophecies are mostly judgmental in
nature. But the prophet noted God’s offer of a radical
new beginning: a new covenant whereby everyone
could know the Lord intimately and know that their
sins have been forgiven (Jeremiah 31:31–34).

59. Lessons
Realize that the people of Israel will always play a
special role in the eternal plan of God. (13-14)

60. Lessons
Recognize that God may sometimes give us things and
then take them away temporarily or permanently as
He wills. (15-20)

61. Lessons
Understand that God’s promises may or may not be
fulfilled in our lifetimes. (15-20)

62. Lessons
Accept that it is God’s right as Creator to do with this
world and us as He wills. (22)

63. Lessons
Affirm that while God has a promise with Israel, His
higher concern is for all people. (23)