The granite mountains of the Sinai wilderness at first light: a long empty track winding between bare red and gray peaks, a few acacia trees, no one on it.

The sword drawn

Ezekiel 20

Why hasn’t God given up on you?

49 verses≈ 12 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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Where we are

1–3Visions of gloryBy the Kebar, about 593 BC: the throne, the scroll, the watchman
4–7Signs of the siegeA brick, a ration, a razor: the end has come
8–11The glory departsAbout 592 BC: the temple’s abominations, the mark, the glory goes east
12–15False hopesExile acted out, false prophets, a useless vine
16–19Parables and lamentsAn unfaithful bride, two eagles, the one who sins
20–24The sword drawnRebellion retold; the siege begins, about 588 BCChapter 20
25–32The nations judgedAmmon to Egypt: the LORD is Judge of all the earth
33–36A new heartThe city falls; the Good Shepherd; cleansed and made new
37–39Dry bones liveOne people raised up, and Gog of Magog defeated
40–48The LORD is thereAbout 573 BC: the new temple, the river, the land

Israel’s Rebellion in Egypt

Ezekiel

Ezekiel

In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down before me.

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God

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Have you come to inquire of Me? As surely as I live, I will not be consulted by you, declares the Lord GOD.

God

Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Confront them with the abominations of their fathers and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. With an uplifted hand I said to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.’

God

Spring morning in the Judean hills: green terraces and flowering almond trees, goats grazing below, wild bees at a honeycomb in a rock cleft in the foreground.

On that day I swore to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands.

God

And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’

God

But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

God

But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they were living, in whose sight I had revealed Myself to Israel by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

Question

Quick question

Look again at what happened in Egypt.

Why did the LORD hold back His wrath in Egypt (20:9)?

Israel’s Rebellion in the Wilderness

God

So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the wilderness. And I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances—for the man who does these things will live by them.

God

God

I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

God

Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.

God

But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

God

Moreover, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands— because they kept rejecting My ordinances, refusing to walk in My statutes, and profaning My Sabbaths; for their hearts continually went after their idols.

God

In the wilderness I said to their children: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Keep My Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’

God

But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes or carefully observe My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the wilderness.

God

But I withheld My hand and acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

God

However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands. For they did not practice My ordinances, but they rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, fixing their eyes on the idols of their fathers.

God

I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live. And I pronounced them unclean through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn in the fire—so that I might devastate them, in order that they would know that I am the LORD.

The same story four times

Whiteboard

Every scene ends the same way: rebellion, then mercy for His name’s sake.

Israel’s Rebellion in the Land

God

Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: In this way also your fathers blasphemed Me by their unfaithfulness against Me.

God

Late afternoon on a bare hilltop: under a spreading green oak, a rough standing stone and a small stone altar with a thread of incense smoke, clay jars and a lamp at its foot, a small carved wooden figure on a ledge; no people.

When I brought them into the land that I swore to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, presented offerings that provoked Me, sent up their fragrant incense, and poured out their drink offerings.

God

So I asked them: ‘What is this high place to which you go?’ (And to this day it is called Bamah.)

God

Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did, prostituting yourselves with their abominations? When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you!

God

When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.

Judgment and Restoration

God

As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will rule over you. With a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, where I will enter into judgment with you face to face.

God

Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD.

God

Evening at the narrow entrance of a stone sheepfold in the hills: a plain wooden rod laid across the top of the gap, sheep passing under it one by one into the fold.

I will make you pass under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

God

And I will purge you of those who rebel and transgress against Me. I will bring them out of the land in which they dwell, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

God

And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.

God

First light on a high mountain summit seen from the east: a plain square altar of rough fieldstones on the top with smoke rising straight up into a still sky, terraced olive groves below.

For on My holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land. There I will accept them and will require your offerings and choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices.

God

When I bring you from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered, I will accept you as a pleasing aroma. And I will show My holiness through you in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I swore to give your fathers.

God

There you will remember your ways and all the deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evils you have done.

God

Then you will know, O house of Israel, that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for the sake of My name and not according to your wicked ways and corrupt acts, declares the Lord GOD.”

Ezekiel 20:44

Pray

Lord GOD, You have not dealt with me according to my ways. For the sake of Your name, keep me, gather me, and make my life a pleasing aroma to You. Amen.

A Prophecy against the South

God

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against it, and prophesy against the forest of the Negev.

God

Dusk on scrub-forested hills in the south of Judah: a wide line of fire moving through green terebinths and dry thorn alike, dark smoke rolling north across the sky.

Say to the forest of the Negev: Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to ignite in you a fire, and it will devour all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and by it every face from south to north will be scorched.

God

Then all people will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.”

Ezekiel

Dusk on the bank of the Kebar canal: a man in a white linen tunic and brown mantle sits alone on the mud bank, seen from behind and small, the still canal and palms beyond.

Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’”

0:07

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

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Ezekiel 20

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A verse to carry with you

Then you will know, O house of Israel, that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for the sake of My name and not according to your wicked ways and corrupt acts, declares the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 20:44

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