Welcome to this chapter. It’s a very hard to read one. God tells them to understand what they’ve done. Horrible things. Please join me as I try to glean the lesson from this. First, let’s pray:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the chance to study even when it’s oh so hard to read. Thank You for whatever the lesson is You are going to write with this one. Lead me, Lord. Amen.
Please read Ezekiel 20:1-8a
God’s Dealings with Israel Rehearsed
1In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month [after the beginning of the exile in Babylon], certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord and sat down before me. 2Then came the word of the Lord to me, saying, 3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you.”’ 4Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then make them know [accurately] and understand fully the repulsive acts of their fathers; 5and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “On the day when I chose Israel and lifted up My hand and swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God, 6on that day I swore to them to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, [plentiful and] [a]flowing with milk and honey, [a land] which is an ornament and a glory to all lands. 7Then I said to them, ‘Let every man throw away the detestable things on which he feasts his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.’ 8But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not throw away the detestable things on which they feasted their eyes, nor did they [b]give up the idols of Egypt.
God is Holy. How can He be inquired of by such repulsive and detestable people? Praise Jesus who forgives us all our sins if we but believe in Him and is always available to speak to.
Holy Response – Wrath
Please read Ezekiel 20:8b-12
“Then I decided to pour out My wrath on them and finish My anger against them in the land of Egypt. 9But I acted for My Name’s sake, that it would not be profaned in the sight of the [pagan] nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10So I made them leave the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11I gave them My statutes and explained My ordinances to them, which, if a man keeps, he will live. 12Also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord who sanctifies them (separates and sets them apart).
For His Name’s sake he would not pour out His wrath on them while they were still in Egypt. Because He didn’t want to give the Egyptians any reason to profane His Name.
Then after getting them out, gives them what they’d have to do to be saved and live in ordinances and statutes. Which are laws and decrees or directions. And the Sabbath too, as a sign that they might know for certain He is the Lord who separates and sets them apart.
Praise be to our God and Father for His gracious love. And praise be to Jesus who gives us the victory. Praise be the Holy Spirit who is our ever present help and comfort and God with us.
Rebellion, not Obedience
Please read Ezekiel 20:13
13 But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes and they despised and rejected My ordinances, which, if a man keeps, he will live; and they greatly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I decided to pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to annihilate them.
Understand that your walk matters a great deal. Look at all they would not do. Don’t be like them.
Please read Ezekiel 20:14-17
14 But I acted for My Name’s sake, that it would not be profaned in the sight of the [pagan] nations in whose sight I had brought them out [of slavery]. 15I also swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, [a land of plenty] [c]flowing with milk and honey, which is the ornament and glory of all lands, 16because they rejected My ordinances, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My Sabbaths, for their heart continually went after their [worthless] idols. 17 Yet My eye [looked on them with compassion and] spared them instead of destroying them, and I did not annihilate them in the wilderness.
Again He refrained so His Name would not be profaned among the nations within sight of them as they were in the wilderness.
His compassions are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. If we would but believe and trust and adhere to Christ Jesus.
Another Chance – Understand
Please read Ezekiel 20:18-20
18“But I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers nor observe their ordinances nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and observe them. 20Sanctify My Sabbaths and keep them holy; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord your God.’
Another chance. Oh Lord. You are so faithful. So kind. So gracious. Every day is another chance to walk His way.
Understand Him
Please read Ezekiel 20:21-26
21Yet the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, which, if a man keeps, he will live; they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I decided to pour out My wrath on them and finish My anger against them in the wilderness. 22Yet I withdrew My hand and acted for My Name’s sake, that it would not be profaned in the sight of the [pagan] nations in whose sight I had brought them out [of slavery]. 23Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the [Gentile] nations and disperse them among the countries, 24because they had not observed My ordinances, but had [dishonored and] rejected My statutes and had profaned My Sabbaths, and set their eyes on the [man-made] idols of their fathers. 25[Therefore] I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live; 26and I pronounced them unclean because of their offerings [to their idols], in that they made all their firstborn pass through the fire [as pagan sacrifices], so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord.”’
He will always act for His Name’s sake. Yet look, He told them what He would do. And they didn’t repent.
Holy Anger
Please read Ezekiel 20:27-29
27“Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Again in this your fathers have blasphemed Me, in that they acted faithlessly and treacherously against Me. 28For when I had brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, they saw every high hill and every dark and leafy tree [as a place for idol worship], and there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented their offering that provoked My anger; there also they made their sweet-smelling aroma and there poured out their drink offerings. 29Then I said to them, ‘What is the high place to which you go?’ So the name of it is called Bamah (High Place) to this day.”’
Forgiveness and Mercy are available if we repent. If we don’t act like this. Do not blaspheme Him. Do not act faithlessly and treacherously against Him. High Place has always since this evoked idol worship and dealing treacherously, wickedly and totally unfaithfully toward God.
Praise Jesus who came to offer us forgiveness and new life and righteousness. He came to offer himself in exchange for us so we would be made righteous. Trust Him. Count on Him.
Please read Ezekiel 20:30-32
30Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Will you [exiles] defile yourselves in the same manner as your fathers? And will you prostitute yourselves before their loathsome and heinous things? 31When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be asked by you [for an oracle], O house of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will not be inquired of by you. 32What comes into your mind will never happen, when you say, ‘We will be like the [pagan] nations, like the tribes of the [Gentile] countries, serving [idols made of] wood and stone.’
Each descendant gets the option to choose Life or Death. That’s the choice. Life is Him. Death is without Him. Our Holy God won’t even answer their questions because they are so wicked and unrepentant. Yet He does tell them what will or won’t happen. In this case, what they ‘dream’ of will not happen. I won’t let it happen. His people are meant to be set apart.
Please read Ezekiel 20:33
God Will Restore Israel to Her Land
33“As I live,” says the Lord God, “most certainly with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be King over you.
King, our God is the King. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Blessed be His Name. His Name is King Jesus. God Almighty.
Please read Ezekiel 20:34-38
34I will bring you out from the peoples and will gather you from the countries in which you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out; 35and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you and contend with you face to face. 36As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment and contend with you,” says the Lord God. 37“I will make you pass under the rod [as the shepherd does with his sheep when he counts them, and I will count you as Mine and constrain you] and bring you into the bond of the covenant [to which you are permanently bound]. 38And I will separate from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they temporarily live, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord.
All to know, He is the Lord. “I will count you as Mine.” The Lord disciplines those He loves. And calls us to be Holy as He is Holy.
Understand – Restoration
Please read Ezekiel 20:39-41
39“As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God, “Go, let everyone serve his idols; but later you shall most certainly listen to Me, and you shall no longer profane My holy name with your gifts and with your idols. 40For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel (Zion),” says the Lord God, “there the whole house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me. There I will [graciously] accept them, and there I will seek (require) your offerings and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy and sacred things. 41I will accept you [graciously] as a pleasant and soothing aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands in which you have been scattered; and I will prove Myself holy and manifest My holiness among you in the sight of the nations.
He is Holy. He will make His holiness visible to us.
Please read Ezekiel 20:42-44
42And you will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the land which I swore to give to your fathers. 43There you will remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all your evil deeds which you have done. 44And you will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord when I have dealt with you for My Name’s sake, not in accordance with your evil ways nor with your corrupt conduct, O house of Israel,” says the Lord God.’”
Look at that, He dealt with them for His Name’s sake, not in accordance with their evil ways and corrupt conduct. Our God is the same then, now, and forever. Trust Him.
Please read Ezekiel 20:45-49
45Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 46“Son of man, set your face toward Teman, and speak out against the south and prophesy against the forest land of the Negev (the South), 47and say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will devour every one of your green trees, as well as every one of your dry trees. The blazing flame will not be quenched and the whole surface from the south to the north will be burned by it. 48All flesh will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched.” 49Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not [just] speaking in parables and making allegories?’”
A blazing flame. I wonder if this is the Holy fire of the Spirit inside us, or a flame that will destroy. I expect God’s response in the next chapter. You should as well.
Good for you for finishing this study this week. It is a very long one. My prayer is you found something here to learn. Always the goal is growing our faith.
Footnotes
[a] Ezekiel 20:6 – Into a land that I had selected for them, [plentiful and] flowing with milk and honey, [a land] which is an ornament and a glory to all lands. – This phrase referred to the abundant fertility of the land of Canaan. Milk (typically that of goats and sheep) was associated with abundance; “honey” referred mainly to syrups made from dates or grapes and was the epitome of sweetness. Bees’ honey was very rare and was considered the choicest of foods.
[b] Ezekiel 20:8 – nor did they ]give up the idols of Egypt – Lit forsake.
[c] Ezekiel 20:15 See note v 6.