He's Lord Even in Our Rebellion

Ezekiel 20 shows us a familiar frame in Israel's history. When things went poorly for the people, the leaders often looked to the man who delivered the word to them in a way they didn't previously want to hear. Now its the elder's turn with Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 20:1–3 (ESV) In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD, Is it to inquire of me that you come? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.

The Lord will speak to them but not in the way they want to hear yet again. They will hear from this chapter the many ways in which they acted like their fathers in the wilderness and forsook the Lord. 

Ezekiel 20:4 (ESV) Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Let them know the abominations of their fathers...

The Lord had saved their fathers from bondage and told them to flee the idolatry of the nations. Some of that idolatry they had picked up in the land of Egypt. Always remember, the Lord did not save Israel because they deserved it. The Lord saved Israel because He promised it. 

Ezekiel 20:7–8 (ESV) And I said to them, ‘Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.’ 8 But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. “Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

Why wasn't Israel destroyed when they fornicated in the wilderness and disobeyed on a regular basis under the leadership of Moses? The Lord reminds the elders of Ezekiel's day here.

Ezekiel 20:9 (ESV) But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

He repeats that qualifying statement again in verse 14:

Ezekiel 20:14 (ESV) But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out.

And again in verse 22 after more long years of wilderness rebellion:

Ezekiel 20:22 (ESV) But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out.

And the Lord reminds the elders that the rebellion of their generations had led them here into exile, with the Lord present but their lives detached from the land of promise. Sin has consequences, but God is still there. 

The Lord asks if this generation will learn to act differently:

Ezekiel 20:30 (ESV) “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things?

The Lord knows the answer. They would because they are human and bent on rebellion, just as we all are. So, the Lord makes a stunning statement in verse 33. Note the NLT:

Ezekiel 20:33–35 (NLT) As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will rule over you with an iron fist in great anger and with awesome power. 34 And in anger I will reach out with my strong hand and powerful arm, and I will bring you back from the lands where you are scattered. 35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face.

God will use their exile to purge and purify them.

Ezekiel 20:37–38 (NLT) I will examine you carefully and hold you to the terms of the covenant. 38 I will purge you of all those who rebel and revolt against me. I will bring them out of the countries where they are in exile, but they will never enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

The next verse promises that even their rebellion cannot stop the work of God for them. 

Ezekiel 20:39 (NLT) “As for you, O people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go right ahead and worship your idols, but sooner or later you will obey me and will stop bringing shame on my holy name by worshiping idols.

The Lord will use their rebellion to bring them back to Himself. How often does the Lord allow us to taste the bitterness of sin so that we might run to Him, who is sweet and pure? He waits patiently through our dark spiritual wanderings, leading us to hate the flesh and this world's impurities. He doesn't give up, He makes us His own even if the process is painful. 

Ezekiel 20:43–44 (NLT) You will look back on all the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate yourselves because of the evil you have done. 44 You will know that I am the LORD, O people of Israel, when I have honored my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!”

The end game is clear: they will hate sin and know the Lord. Those two realities are the process of sanctification played out over our lives. Sin's ambition is to devour the knowledge of God in us, but God desires to devour the love of sin in our hearts. 

Let it be so, oh Lord!