Eze 20:17 | KingComments | STEP | Despite their idolatry in Egypt, God redeemed His people ( ). He has led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. There, at Sinai, He gives them His law ( ). If they keep His law, they will live ( ). Among the provisions of the law, the sabbath holds a special place ( ). The sabbath is the day of rest and God gives this day of rest as a special sign between Him and His people. Through the sabbath, Israel is set apart from all the nations in a special way. The sabbath is the sign that the LORD sanctifies them, that is, He thereby sets them apart from the other nations to be His people ( ). The exiles cannot keep many laws in Babylon because they have no temple there. Laws they can keep, for example, are the food laws – Daniel did so ( ) – and the sabbath. However, the people show themselves unworthy of this special sign of their relationship with God and do not keep the sabbath ( ). After their disobedience in Egypt, their stay in the wilderness is also marked by disobedience. They scorn and violate the statutes and ordinances that the LORD has given for life. The book of Exodus and the book of Numbers provide many examples of this. The sabbaths, of which the LORD says again “My sabbaths” ( ), are profaned by them. This profanation is so great and gross that the LORD says He will pour out His wrath upon them and annihilate them. The LORD must act for the sake of His Name ( ). His Name has been profaned by the people’s rebellion against Him. He cannot let their disobedience go unpunished. After all, He led Israel out of Egypt before the eyes of the nations to be His people. But they are not behaving as His people. Therefore, He must discipline them and put them to death, so that they will not come into the pleasant land, the glorious land, that He has given them ( ). They have profaned Him, on the one hand, by rejecting His ordinances and profaning His sabbaths and, on the other hand, by attaching with their hearts to their stink gods ( ). Despite their continual deviation from Him, He spares them so that He does not totally destroy them in the wilderness ( ). As punishment for their deviation, the entire first generation of those He led out of Egypt must fall in the wilderness. However, He spares their children in order to fulfill to them His promises. Will they be better than their fathers who all perished?

‏ Ezekiel 20:17

Israel’s Idolatry in the Wilderness

Despite their idolatry in Egypt, God redeemed His people (Eze 20:10). He has led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. There, at Sinai, He gives them His law (Eze 20:11). If they keep His law, they will live (Lev 18:5). Among the provisions of the law, the sabbath holds a special place (Eze 20:12). The sabbath is the day of rest and God gives this day of rest as a special sign between Him and His people.

Through the sabbath, Israel is set apart from all the nations in a special way. The sabbath is the sign that the LORD sanctifies them, that is, He thereby sets them apart from the other nations to be His people (Exo 31:13-16). The exiles cannot keep many laws in Babylon because they have no temple there. Laws they can keep, for example, are the food laws – Daniel did so (Dan 1:8) – and the sabbath.

However, the people show themselves unworthy of this special sign of their relationship with God and do not keep the sabbath (Eze 20:13). After their disobedience in Egypt, their stay in the wilderness is also marked by disobedience. They scorn and violate the statutes and ordinances that the LORD has given for life. The book of Exodus and the book of Numbers provide many examples of this. The sabbaths, of which the LORD says again “My sabbaths” (Eze 20:12), are profaned by them. This profanation is so great and gross that the LORD says He will pour out His wrath upon them and annihilate them.

The LORD must act for the sake of His Name (Eze 20:14). His Name has been profaned by the people’s rebellion against Him. He cannot let their disobedience go unpunished. After all, He led Israel out of Egypt before the eyes of the nations to be His people. But they are not behaving as His people. Therefore, He must discipline them and put them to death, so that they will not come into the pleasant land, the glorious land, that He has given them (Eze 20:15).

They have profaned Him, on the one hand, by rejecting His ordinances and profaning His sabbaths and, on the other hand, by attaching with their hearts to their stink gods (Eze 20:16). Despite their continual deviation from Him, He spares them so that He does not totally destroy them in the wilderness (Eze 20:17). As punishment for their deviation, the entire first generation of those He led out of Egypt must fall in the wilderness. However, He spares their children in order to fulfill to them His promises. Will they be better than their fathers who all perished?