Eze 20:5 | KingComments | STEP | The LORD commands Ezekiel to hold a court hearing. He is to judge the elders of Israel ( ; cf. ). Ezekiel here is a picture of the Lord Jesus Who has been given judgment by the Father ( ). The indictment runs until ; from the verdict follows. Ezekiel is to present the elders with their own history, a history of apostasy and of willful sin and thus of a taunting of the LORD. Ezekiel must first point out the great mercy of the LORD that He chose Israel during the time of their slavery in the land of Egypt ( ). In Egypt, Israel became a people, which it was not before that time. God made Himself known to the people through Moses as the LORD ( ). Twice it is mentioned in this verse that He has sworn on behalf of the people. He has sworn to them that He will lead them out of Egypt and bring them “into a land” that He “had selected for them” ( ). When the LORD selects a land, it must be the most beautiful land. He therefore calls it “the glory of all the lands”. In other places God speaks of “the pleasant land” and “the beautiful land” ( ; ; ; ; ; ). The sight of that “glorious land” should be enough to cast away “the detestable things”, “the stink gods of Egypt” ( ). Surely you are happy to surrender worthless things for something that would dwarf those worthless things and be able to make the worthless ones forget, aren’t you? Unfortunately, that is not how it went for Israel ( ). Disobedient as they are, they do not listen to God. They don’t take notice of all the good He does for them. They do not throw away the abominations and stink gods, but continue to look up to them in the expectation that they will help them (cf. ). In response, God does have to pour out His wrath on them. He does so in Egypt, where they are already unfaithful to Him ( ; ; ). Pharaoh has aggravated the affliction under which they are suffering. But the LORD has not completely given them up to judgment ( ). He acts for the sake of His Name when He leads His people out of Egypt. If He had already exterminated Israel in Egypt, the nations would have mocked Him for not being able to deliver them. He has chosen them to be His people, He has attached His Name to that people, and He has therefore spared them.

‏ Ezekiel 20:5

Israel’s Idolatry in Egypt

The LORD commands Ezekiel to hold a court hearing. He is to judge the elders of Israel (Eze 20:4; cf. Eze 22:2 ; Eze 23:36). Ezekiel here is a picture of the Lord Jesus Who has been given judgment by the Father (Jn 5:22).

The indictment runs until Eze 20:29; from Eze 20:30 the verdict follows. Ezekiel is to present the elders with their own history, a history of apostasy and of willful sin and thus of a taunting of the LORD. Ezekiel must first point out the great mercy of the LORD that He chose Israel during the time of their slavery in the land of Egypt (Eze 20:5). In Egypt, Israel became a people, which it was not before that time.

God made Himself known to the people through Moses as the LORD (Exo 6:5-6). Twice it is mentioned in this verse that He has sworn on behalf of the people. He has sworn to them that He will lead them out of Egypt and bring them “into a land” that He “had selected for them” (Eze 20:6). When the LORD selects a land, it must be the most beautiful land. He therefore calls it “the glory of all the lands”. In other places God speaks of “the pleasant land” and “the beautiful land” (Deu 8:7-10; Psa 106:24; Jer 3:19 ; Jer 12:10; Eze 20:15; Dan 8:9 ; Dan 11:16 ; 41 ; 45; Zec 7:14).

The sight of that “glorious land” should be enough to cast away “the detestable things”, “the stink gods of Egypt” (Eze 20:7). Surely you are happy to surrender worthless things for something that would dwarf those worthless things and be able to make the worthless ones forget, aren’t you? Unfortunately, that is not how it went for Israel (Eze 20:8). Disobedient as they are, they do not listen to God. They don’t take notice of all the good He does for them. They do not throw away the abominations and stink gods, but continue to look up to them in the expectation that they will help them (cf. Psa 25:15).

In response, God does have to pour out His wrath on them. He does so in Egypt, where they are already unfaithful to Him (Eze 23:3; Jos 24:14; Lev 17:7). Pharaoh has aggravated the affliction under which they are suffering. But the LORD has not completely given them up to judgment (Eze 20:9). He acts for the sake of His Name when He leads His people out of Egypt. If He had already exterminated Israel in Egypt, the nations would have mocked Him for not being able to deliver them. He has chosen them to be His people, He has attached His Name to that people, and He has therefore spared them.