201 Now in the seventh year , in the fifth month, on the tenth 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 saying , 3 "Son of man , speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD , "Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live ," declares the Lord GOD , " I will not be inquired of by you."' 4 "Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man ? Make them know the abominations of their fathers ;
5 and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD , "On the day when I chose Israel and swore e to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt , when I swore e to them, saying , I am the Lord your God , 6 on that day I swore e to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey , which is the glory of all lands . 7 "I said to them, ' Cast away , each of you, the detestable things of his eyes , 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; they did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes , nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt . Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt . 9 "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 by bringing them out of the land of Egypt .
10 "So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness . 11 "I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances , by which , if a man observes them, he will live . 12 "Also I gave them My sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13 "But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness . They did not walk in My statutes and they rejected My ordinances , by which , if a man observes them, he will live ; and My sabbaths they greatly profaned . Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness , to annihilate them. 14 "But I acted for the sake of My name , that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations , before whose sight I had brought them out. 15 "Also I swore e to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey , which is the glory of all lands , 16 because they rejected My ordinances , and as for My statutes , they did not walk in them; they even profaned My sabbaths , for their heart continually went after their idols . 17 "Yet My eye spared them rather than destroying them, and I did not cause their annihilation in the wilderness . 18 "I said to their children in the wilderness , ' Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols . 19 ' I am the Lord your God ; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and observe them. 20 ' Sanctify My sabbaths ; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God .' 21 "But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes , nor were they careful to observe My ordinances , by which , if a man observes them, he will live ; they profaned My sabbaths . So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness . 22 "But I withdrew 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. 23 "Also I swore e to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands , 24 because they had not observed My ordinances , but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My sabbaths , and their eyes were on the idols of their fathers . 25 "I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live ; 26 and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts , in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate , in order that they might know that I am the Lord ."'
27 "Therefore , son of man , speak to the house of Israel and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD , "Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me by acting treacherously against Me. 28 "When I had brought them into the land which I swore e to give to them, then they saw every high hill and every leafy tree , and they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering . There also they made their soothing aroma and there they poured out their drink offerings . 29 "Then I said to them, 'What is the high place to which you go ?' So its name is called Bamah to this day ."' 30 "Therefore , say to the house of Israel , 'Thus says the Lord GOD , "Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and play the harlot after their detestable things ? 31 "When you offer your gifts , when you cause your sons to pass through the fire , you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day . And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel ? As I live ," declares the Lord GOD , "I will not be inquired of by you. 32 "What comes into your mind will not come about, when you say : 'We will be like the nations , like the tribes of the lands , serving wood and stone .'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 20:1-32
Commentary on Ezekiel 20:1-9
(Read Ezekiel 20:1-9)
Those hearts are wretchedly hardened which ask God leave to go on in sin, and that even when suffering for it; see verse 32. God is justly angry with those who are resolved to go on still in their trespasses. Cause the people to know the evil deeds of their fathers, that they may see how righteous it was with God to cut them off.
Commentary on Ezekiel 20:10-26
(Read Ezekiel 20:10-26)
The history of Israel in the wilderness is referred to in the new Testament as well as in the Old, for warning. God did great things for them. He gave them the law, and revived the ancient keeping of the sabbath day. Sabbaths are privileges; they are signs of our being his people. If we do the duty of the day, we shall find, to our comfort, it is the Lord that makes us holy, that is, truly happy, here; and prepares us to be happy, that is, perfectly holy, hereafter. The Israelites rebelled, and were left to the judgments they brought upon themselves. God sometimes makes sin to be its own punishment, yet he is not the Author of sin: there needs no more to make men miserable, than to give them up to their own evil desires and passions.
Commentary on Ezekiel 20:27-32
(Read Ezekiel 20:27-32)
The Jews persisted in rebellion after they settled in the land of Canaan. And these elders seem to have thought of uniting with the heathen. We make nothing by our profession if it be but a profession. There is nothing got by sinful compliances; and the carnal projects of hypocrites will stand them in no stead.