Eze 20:1-8 | KingComments | STEP | Unlike the picture of the foundling child in Ezekiel 16 and the parable of Oholah and Oholibah in Ezekiel 23, here, in Ezekiel 20, we have a description of Israel’s past with its ongoing rebellion against God in actual historical terms without the aid of pictures and parables. The chapter describes the main events of the past, beginning with slavery in Egypt and the exodus from it. Then the description moves through the experiences of the wilderness to life in Canaan ending with the scattering among the nations. The final period of Israel’s history – the scattering among the nations – is presented as a return to life in the wilderness, that is, the return to the period that preceded the settlement in the land of Canaan ( ). That God finally blesses the people anyway is not because of their faithfulness, for there is none, but because of His own Name ( ). A recurring theme is the rebellion of the people against God during the various periods of their existence. This rebellion manifests itself in disobedience and unfaithfulness ( ). The periods are successively: 1. the Egyptian slavery ( ), 2. the wilderness journey ( ) and 3. the dwelling in the promised land ( ). “In the seventh year”, that is, the seventh year after King Jehoiachin was taken away to Babylon ( ), the year 591 BC, “certain of the elders of Israel” come again to Ezekiel to consult the LORD ( ; cf. ). They had been with him before and heard from him the word of the LORD. What did they do with that word? They now sit down before Ezekiel again to hear from him the word of the LORD. Their desire to consult the LORD does not come from a heart that wants to devote itself undividedly to Him. They do not want to give up the idols. It may be that they want to know how Jerusalem will fare. Now that so many months have passed after the ominous message of Ezekiel 8-11, they are given hope that the announced destruction will not occur after all. Also, three years have passed since Hananiah’s prophecy ( ). Hananiah prophesied that the exiles from Babylon would return to Jerusalem with King Jehoiachin within two years, that is, no later than the sixth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile. The LORD knows their motives and speaks to Ezekiel about it ( ). Ezekiel has to show the LORD’s amazement to the elders by repeating the question, indicating that He is indignant that they dare to come and consult Him ( ). It is as if the LORD is saying to them that He is amazed at this audacity. His answer is clear: He will not have Himself consulted by them. In the following verses He explains why not.

‏ Ezekiel 20:1-8

Introduction

Unlike the picture of the foundling child in Ezekiel 16 and the parable of Oholah and Oholibah in Ezekiel 23, here, in Ezekiel 20, we have a description of Israel’s past with its ongoing rebellion against God in actual historical terms without the aid of pictures and parables. The chapter describes the main events of the past, beginning with slavery in Egypt and the exodus from it. Then the description moves through the experiences of the wilderness to life in Canaan ending with the scattering among the nations.

The final period of Israel’s history – the scattering among the nations – is presented as a return to life in the wilderness, that is, the return to the period that preceded the settlement in the land of Canaan (Eze 20:35). That God finally blesses the people anyway is not because of their faithfulness, for there is none, but because of His own Name (Eze 20:44).

A recurring theme is the rebellion of the people against God during the various periods of their existence. This rebellion manifests itself in disobedience and unfaithfulness (Eze 20:8 ; 13 ; 21 ; 27). The periods are successively:

1. the Egyptian slavery (Eze 20:5-9),

2. the wilderness journey (Eze 20:10-26) and

3. the dwelling in the promised land (Eze 20:27-29).

The Elders Come to Consult the LORD

“In the seventh year”, that is, the seventh year after King Jehoiachin was taken away to Babylon (Eze 1:2), the year 591 BC, “certain of the elders of Israel” come again to Ezekiel to consult the LORD (Eze 20:1; cf. Eze 8:1 ; Eze 14:1-3). They had been with him before and heard from him the word of the LORD. What did they do with that word? They now sit down before Ezekiel again to hear from him the word of the LORD. Their desire to consult the LORD does not come from a heart that wants to devote itself undividedly to Him. They do not want to give up the idols.

It may be that they want to know how Jerusalem will fare. Now that so many months have passed after the ominous message of Ezekiel 8-11, they are given hope that the announced destruction will not occur after all. Also, three years have passed since Hananiah’s prophecy (Jer 28:1-3). Hananiah prophesied that the exiles from Babylon would return to Jerusalem with King Jehoiachin within two years, that is, no later than the sixth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile.

The LORD knows their motives and speaks to Ezekiel about it (Eze 20:2). Ezekiel has to show the LORD’s amazement to the elders by repeating the question, indicating that He is indignant that they dare to come and consult Him (Eze 20:3). It is as if the LORD is saying to them that He is amazed at this audacity. His answer is clear: He will not have Himself consulted by them. In the following verses He explains why not.

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.