Ezekiel 20, For the Sake of My Name

Ezekiel has a new prophecy in the seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin. It is probably about 591 BC. Mackie covers this chapter in session 14 of the Bible Project class on Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 20:1-3, Elders come with questions

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

"Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them,  `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign LORD.'   

The elders of Israel (that are exiled in Babylon) come to Ezekiel with questions. At this time, YHWH's response is that He is done answering the elders. He will not allow them to inquire of Him (or of Ezekiel) for His patience has run out.

Alexander suggests that the elders' appearance is a result of news from the west, of Egypt regaining some power against the Assyrian Empire. Around this time, Psamtik II gained some victories in southern Egypt and there may have been hope that his armies would push Assyria out of Palestine.

Ezekiel 20:4-7, Detestable practices

"Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their fathers and say to them: `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of the house of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, "I am the LORD your God."   

On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. And I said to them, "Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

The people of Judah, including the leaders, have persisted in ignoring God and instead worshiping various idols. When God brought them out of Egypt they were told to leave their idols behind.

Ezekiel 20:8-12, Idols of Egypt follow

"`But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt. But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations they lived among and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites by bringing them out of Egypt.   

Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the desert. I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they  would know that I the LORD made them holy.   

The idolatry of Egypt followed the Israelites into the desert. To worship idols while following YHWH would profane the name of YHWH and would not be allowed. (In Exodus 20:3-7, the Israelites are told to worship YHWH only. The Third Commandment, often described as a prohibition against "profaning" God's name, is tightly linked to the commandments before it.)

Ezekiel 20:13-16, Rebellion in the desert

"`Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws--although the man who obeys them will live by them--and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the desert. But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the desert that I would not bring them into the land I had given them--a land flowing with milk and honey, most beautiful of all lands--because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees  and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols.   

The people of Israel ignored the Sabbath worship of YHWH. He could have destroyed them (see the argument with Moses in Exodus 32:7-14) but, for the sake of His name, He did not. (For the second time in this chapter we see that the actions of the Israelites, particularly their idolatry, profaned the name of YHWH.)

Exodus does not mention that the Israelites left Egypt carrying Egyptian idols. But this is hinted at in Exodus 32:1-6, when they quickly get Aaron to make a golden calf.

Ezekiel 20:17-20, Pity

Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the desert. I said to their children in the desert, "Do not follow the statutes of your fathers or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God."  

Instead of destroying the Israelites at Mount Sinai, YHWH says that He took pity on them and said (again) that they were not to defile themselves by worshiping idols.

Ezekiel 20:21-26, Children persist in the sins of the fathers

"`But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws--although the man who obeys them will live by them--and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the desert.

 

But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the desert that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them  through the countries, because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes [lusted] after their fathers' idols. I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by; I let them become defiled through their gifts--the sacrifice of every firstborn--that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the LORD.'   

The judgments described in verses 14-20 are repeated. Destroying the Israelites in the desert would -- as Moses argued -- have profaned God's name in that He had saved that group previously from the Egyptians. The horror of the plagues of Egypt and God's power over all Egyptian magic should have bound the Israelites closely to Him.

Repeatedly, in verses 11, 13 and now 21, God says, "The person who obeys the law will live by it." This echoes Leviticus 18:5, emphasizing that living under the Covenant Law is healthy, it encourages long life. In the New Testament, Paul repeats this idea in Romans 10:5 and Galatians 3:12.

Ezekiel 20:27-29, On every high hill

"Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 

`This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In this also your fathers blasphemed me by forsaking me: When I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that provoked me to anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.   

Then I said to them: What is this high place you go to?'" (It is called Bamah to this day.)   

Bamah seems to simply be a Hebrew word for an altar built on a hill.

Despite all that God had done, the Israelites were quick to continue the Canaanite practice of worshiping gods on altars set at the top of nearby hills. Duguid says that this speech identifies three generations of Israelites who committed idolatry: those living in Egypt at the time of the Exodus, those living in the desert during the Exodus and those entering Canaan at the time of Joshua. In a moment a fourth generation will be accused of the same thing.

Ezekiel 20:30-35, Like the other nations?

"Therefore say to the house of Israel: 

`This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did and lust after their vile images? When you offer your gifts--the sacrifice of your sons in the fire--you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign  LORD, I will not let you inquire of me.   

"`You say, "We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone." But what you have in mind will never happen. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will rule over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered--with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you into the desert of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you.

The fourth generation accused of idolatry is the generation of Ezekiel's day. The people (once led by soe of these elders) say that they want to be like the other nations. But this is a nation that was set aside, by the Mosaic Covenant, for God alone.

The phrase "mighty hand and outstretched arm" comes from the Exodus (Deuteronomy 26:8.) 

Ezekiel 20:36-38, Into the bond of the covenant

As I judged your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.  

YHWH, who carried the Israelites into the desert, continues to watch over them and continues to expect them to obey the covenant. He is their shepherd and expects them, like sheep coming into pasture, to pass under his rod and be part of his domain.

Now in Babylon, the elders seek to return to Israel. But, like their ancestors in the desert, they will not enter Israel until they submit to His covenant.

Ezekiel 20:39 OK, go serve those idols!

"`As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 

Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols.

In exasperation God says, "Ok, go serve your idols, if you want!"  But that action always leads to regret. The true Creator God will have final say and eventually Israel will turn from their idolatry.

Ezekiel 20:40-44, A holy mountain

For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD, there in the land the entire house of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices. I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will show myself holy among 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 I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your fathers. There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done.   

You will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign  LORD.'"   

A day will come when the people of Israel worship God.  There will be a different "mountain" on which to worship. There God's name will be glorified, not profaned. (That "mountain" may be the area around the temple, see Ezekiel 43:12.)

The chapter divisions of medieval Hebrew text have chapter 20 of Ezekiel ending here and begin chapter 21 with the text that follows below.  Duguid and Alexander agree that the rest of this chapter is a new passage that continues naturally into chapter 21.

Ezekiel 20:45-48, Speak to the southland

The word of the LORD came to me:   

"Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest of the southland. Say to the southern forest: `Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it. Everyone will see that I the LORD have kindled it; it will not be quenched.'"   

The forests to the south will be judged and destroyed. These southern forests represent Judah, the southern kingdom.

Ezekiel 20:49, Just parables

Then I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! They are saying of me, `Isn't he just telling parables?'"

Ezekiel complains that the elders are accusing him of just making up parables. They are not taking him seriously. We will look at the response to that complaint in the next chapter.

Some Random Thoughts

The Third Commandment of the Ten Commandments is often watered down in American Protestant church culture, turned into a prohibition against saying words like "damn." But the commandment is much stronger and deeper than merely prohibiting certain words.

In Exodus 20:3-7, the Israelites are told to worship YHWH only. The Third Commandment, often described as a prohibition against "profaning" God's name, is tightly linked to the commandments before it. This concern shows up repeatedly in Ezekiel 20.  In verses 9, 14, 22, 39, 44 we see that the actions of Israel are indeed profaning the name of God and that He acts to prevent this profanity. One profanes the name of God not by saying certain words, but by identifying with God and then acting contrary to that identification.