Ezekiel 20

1-32 Israel’s Continuing Rebellion

• The 7th year, 5th month, 10th day, elders of Israel came to Ezekiel to consult the LORD. (This refers to the 7th year of Jehoiachin’s (AKA Jeconiah in 1 Chronicles 3:16) captivity in Babylon (See Ezekiel 1:2, 8:1)
• God is incredulous that they would consult with him after ignoring him for so long.
• Ezekiel is to remind them of the rebellion of their fathers
  • I promised to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land of milk and honey and told them not to defile themselves with the idols of Egypt, but they would not listen.
  • Though I was angry, for my name’s sake I led them out and brought them into the wilderness, gave them my statutes and my sabbaths, but again they rebelled.
  • In the wilderness I wanted to destroy them, but for my name’s sake I didn’t make an end of them.
  • I told them in the wilderness to follow my statutes, to know that I am the LORD, but they rebelled against me.
  • I still did not destroy them, for my name’s sake, but I swore to scatter them among the nations. I gave them laws which they could not keep and defiled them through their gifts, in their offering up their firstborn.
  • When I brought them into the land I promised, they went up to the hills to offer their sacrifices to idols, defiling themselves.
• And I should be consulted by you? As I live, I will not be consulted by you.

What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, “Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.”

33-44 God Will Restore Israel

• As I live, God says, I will once again be king over my people. I will
• bring you out from where you have been scattered
• bring you into the wilderness and enter into judgment with you as I did before
• bring you within the bond of the covenant
• purge out the rebels among you
• bring them out of the land where they are aliens, but they shall not enter Israel
• Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
• As for the house of Israel:
• Go serve your idols, but you’ll no longer profane my name
• Because on my holy mountain, everyone will serve me, and I will accept them, requiring contributions and gifts.
• I will manifest my name, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
• You will remember how you polluted yourselves, and you shall loathe your ways.
• And you shall know that I am the LORD.

45-49 A Prophecy against the Negeb

• God tells Ezekiel to set his face toward the south and prophesy against the Negeb:
• I will kindle a fire and will devour all your green trees and all your dry trees, and all faces from south to north will be scorched by it.
• All flesh shall see that I kindled it, and it shall not be quenched.
• Ezekiel replies, “Ah, LORD God, They are saying of me, ‘Is he not a maker of allegories?’”