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 ."'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 20:10-26
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.