以西結書37:15-23

37:15 耶和華的話又臨到我說：

37:16 「人子啊，你要取一根木杖，在其上寫『為猶大和他的同伴以色列人』；又取一根木杖，在其上寫『為約瑟，就是為以法蓮，又為他的同伴以色列全家』。

37:17 你要使這兩根木杖接連為一，在你手中成為一根。

37:18 你本國的子民問你說：『這是甚麼意思？你不指示我們麼？』

37:19 你就對他們說：主耶和華如此說：『我要將約瑟和他同伴以色列支派的杖，就是那在以法蓮手中的，與猶大的杖一同接連為一，在我手中成為一根。』

37:20 你所寫的那兩根杖要在他們眼前拿在手中，

37:21 要對他們說，主耶和華如此說：我要將以色列人從他們所到的各國收取，又從四圍聚集他們，引導他們歸回本地。

37:22 我要使他們在那地，在以色列山上成為一國，有一王作他們眾民的王。他們不再為二國，決不再分為二國；

37:23 也不再因偶像和可憎的物，並一切的罪過玷污自己。我卻要救他們出離一切的住處，就是他們犯罪的地方；我要潔淨他們，如此，他們要作我的子民，我要作他們的上帝。

15 The word of the Lord came to me:16 "Son of man, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him. ' 17 And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. 18 And when your people say to you, 'Will you not tell us what you mean by these? ' 19 say to them, Thus says the Lord God:Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. 20 When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, 21 then say to them, Thus says the Lord God:Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. 22 And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. 23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

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    上帝藉由先知根木杖接連為一根，來向以色列啟示：在將來的日子要使以色列在合而為一，並且要一同歸回故土，被上帝所潔淨，離開偶像成為上帝真正的子民！

    先知在這裡宣告：「我要潔淨他們」！表示得潔淨是上帝的作為，人無法靠己的行為的潔淨，成為聖潔！只有從上帝來的作為，人才可以成為聖潔！而上帝使人聖潔是透過耶穌基督在十字架上的作為，而我們的潔淨的憑據，就是上帝將聖靈賜給我們。

    也因此，我們不是憑著知識或是儀式而得潔淨，我們得潔淨完全是因為我們肯接受耶穌基督的救恩，使耶穌基督成為我們的救主和生命的主，這是上帝為我們預備唯一的救法！我們不要嘗試用服事、遺傳和學習信仰知識，來取代耶穌基督的作為和我們的任信。更不是受洗和領聖餐才算得救，一切都因上帝的作為，人只是配合上帝！