Ezekiel 11 – You either have a heart of stone or a heart of flesh; it’s one or the other. 2019

Ezek 11:18
"When they come there, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it.

Ezek 11:19
"And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,

Ezek 11:20
that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

This is a declaration of the New Covenant. He will give them one heart and it will be for His Torah. He says that He will remove the heart of stone out of their flesh. This is a reference to their hardened hearts of flint that refused to allow them to follow His Torah.

Zech 7:12 “And they made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.

Removing "the heart of stone" is saying that He will remove their stubbornness against Him and His ways.

Neh. 9:29 And admonished them in order to turn them back to Thy law. Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Thy commandments but sinned against Thine ordinances, By which if a man observes them he shall live. And they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen.
He will give them a heart of flesh. A heart of flesh is one that can be circumcised to His Torah.

Deut 30:6 “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live.

Jer 32:37-40 “Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath, and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. 38“And they shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good, and for the good of their children after them. 40“And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.

Removing the stubborn heart of stone and giving Israel a heart of flesh that they may follow His Torah is His New Covenant.

Jer 31:31-34 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. 33“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34“And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Ezek 36:25-27 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26“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. 27“And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances

This was prophesied in Torah.

Deut 30:6-8 “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live. 7“And the LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8“And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today.

The New Covenant as stated in Jeremiah is quoted by the writer of Hebrews.

Hebrews 8:8-13

Jerusalem was still occupied. Zedekiah was still on the throne and the wicked rulers of Jerusalem were still in power. The city was not yet destroyed.

Zedekiah and the other rulers were in total rebellion. They were in rebellion against Elohim and they were in rebellion against Nebuchudnezzar. Elohim would use Nebuchudnezzar to judge Israel.

River Valley Torah Assembly
http://rvtorah.com/