Ezekiel 20:1-49
1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat before me.
2 Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,
3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
5 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifteda up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God;
6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:
7 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewedb them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.
13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
14 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
15 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
17 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;
20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.
21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
22 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
23 I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;
24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.
27 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committedc a trespass against me.
28 For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.
29 Then I saidd unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.
30 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?
31 For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
32 And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
33 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:
34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.
37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bonde of the covenant:
38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
40 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruitsf of your oblations, with all your holy things.
41 I will accept you with your sweetg savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.
42 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.
43 And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.
44 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
45 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
46 Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
48 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.
49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?
Ezekiel 20:1. The elders of Israel came to enquire of the Lord, and sat before me. They still respected the divine καρισματα, or holy anointing of the Spirit; but they sought it for a reverse of their calamities, and with their idols in their heart, as stated in Ezekiel 8:1.
Ezekiel 20:12 ; Ezekiel 20:20. I gave them my sabbaths. That holy day, though sanctified from the creation, had been almost lost in Egypt. It was restored by Moses as a sign of the covenant, in the encrease of corn on the year preseding the sabbatic year, and the year preseding the jubilee. And it is thought, from Deuteronomy 5., that the sabbath was anticipated one day on leaving Egypt, the Egyptians having been drowned in the morning watch of the fifteenth day. If otherwise, they must have marched on the sabbathday. In that view our Saviour has restored the sabbath by his resurrection to the very day of rest after the creation. The sabbath is a day of humanity, giving repose to servants, and beasts of labour. By consequence, the poor are not only wicked, but unwise to work on that day. They have always been at what they could do to earn their bread; and if the sabbath should be lost, they would have to work seven days in the week as hard as they now work six. The sabbath is holy, and we are required to worship God, and enjoy angelic delights in his house. It is connected also with covenant blessings, Isaiah 58:13; and is guarded by judgments, as in the seventy years captivity of the jews, for the idolaters had robbed the Lord of seventy sabbatic years. It is therefore blasphemy to say that the sabbath is a jewish ceremony, and not binding on us. Christ taught his followers to pray that their flight from the Roman armies, coming to besiege the rebel city of Jerusalem, might not be in the winter, neither on the sabbathday. By consequence, feasting, and journeys of pleasure are forbidden altogether on that day.
Above all, when the Lord says, I gave them my sabbaths to be a sign, he separated the precept of the sabbath from the ten commandments, and placed it at the head of all the divine code. Exodus 31:13. “See that ye keep my sabbath, because it is a sign between me and you, in all your generations.” It associates with their circumcision, the seal of righteousness by faith, or the faith which Abraham swore to God. Christian sacraments therefore must not be desecrated. Let us hear the most conclusive words of St. Paul, as in the version of the Mons testament, published with the highest sanction of Rome. “Let no man condemn you for eating and drinking, or the observance of festivals, new moons, and of sabbath days, seeing all those things are the shadow of good things to come, of which Christ is the body.” Colossians 2:16.
It follows that the jews, by violating this seal of their covenant, forfeited all its blessings, and lost the promised land. So it shall be with the profane christian; he desecrates this holy day, and forfeits all claims of admission into the rest which remains for the people of God.
Ezekiel 20:25. I gave them also statutes that were not good. This text has many glosses among the critics.
(1) The ceremonial law is said by some, not to be good, because it was but a shadow; because it was expensive, and was not a ritual of choice, but imposed on the nation by a divine sanction.
(2) Not good, may imply not pleasant. This law was a yoke, and circumcision was a bloody ritual.
(3) But the true sense appears to be, that God turned against his people, and bade them in anger worship the hosts of heaven. He delivered them into the hands of their enemies, and ultimately gave them up to their own hearts' lusts, as when he said, Ezekiel 20:30, “Go ye, serve ye every one his idols.”
Ezekiel 20:29. What is the high place whereunto ye go? The name thereof is Bamah. This name, by Professor Cocceius is divided, בא מה Bo mah, he comes; alluding perhaps to the promise in Exodus 20:23. “In all places where I record my name, I will come to thee, and I will bless thee.” Oh, no; you may cry in all the extremity of anguish, as on mount Carmel, oh Baal, hear us; but Baal will not come. “There was no voice, nor any that answered.”
Ezekiel 20:35. I will bring you into the wilderness there will I plead with you face to face. During the slow march of the jews from Babylon which lasted four months, the Lord spake to them by his prophets, and greatly consoled them on their return. Ezra did not ask a guard, because he trusted in the Lord.
Ezekiel 20:37. I will cause you to pass under the rod. The allusion is to a shepherd who counts his flock, and separates those which are for slaughter. Thus the men who revolted at God's paternal rod, should be disposed of by the rod of their enemies.
REFLECTIONS.
We have here a new scene of prophecy opened, which is comprised in this and the three following Chapter s. It opens with a body of the elders coming to Ezekiel to consult him on the aspect of their affairs. Perhaps they wished to know whether Zedekiah should succeed in his revolt; perhaps, whether all Judah should go into captivity, or whether there was any hope of their speedy return. What a scene! Carnal idolaters coming in their sins to ask counsel and comfort of the Holy One of Israel! He justly reproaches them for their own, and for their father's sins. God would give them no answer of peace. So it was when Saul's kingdom drew to a close. The Lord would not answer him either by prophet, by dream, or by Urim. We must therefore leave our sins and our malice, before we presume to pray. We must also seek the Lord while he may be found; for when a wicked man cries on his deathbed, or prays only for temporal good, God may justly shut his ears with high disdain.
Though there was no particular answer, yet Ezekiel preached them a good sermon, and a sermon often repeated in substance in the sacred writings. There is no need therefore to explain it here. But it shows that Ezekiel was mighty and learned in the scriptures, and that at all times we should derive edification from past experience, and from the Lord's dealings with his church.
The sabbathday is here peculiarly enforced, as the religious observance of that day is intimately connected with the morals and the piety of a nation. And this day was not only honoured when God made the world, and when Christ redeemed it, and likewise by the descent of the Holy Ghost on the day of pentecost, but the seventy years of Israel's captivity remarkably corresponded with the seventy sabbatic years, in which they had plowed instead of letting the land rest.
Now, though Ezekiel had no answer for the elders in regard to their obtrusive enquiries, he repeats the general promise of restoration, as Jeremiah had written; and then, as is usual with the prophets, he launches forwards into the times of the Messiah when Israel should be most happily restored, and enjoy the fullest blessings of the covenant; and this hope was heart cure for the church in all her troubles. He uses words, which if confined to the restoration by Cyrus, would not be strictly true; but when Christ was contemplated, the heart filled with joy, and the tongue uttered glorious things of the city of God. The prophets closed all their sermons by leaving the full splendour of the sun smiling on Zion, and in all the glory of the latter day.