A new beginning

“It is not surprising in Ezekiel to find this abundance of priestly vocabulary to describe the new day of Israel’s restoration, but it is important to notice that it is Yahweh’s own initiative that secures this restoration, with little if any reference to the involvement of sacrificial rites. Yahweh here is depicted as a priestly figure who provides the ritual cleansing necessary for Israel to begin anew.”—A Severe Mercy, pages 288