EZEKIEL LESSON 21


     We will begin this lesson in Ezekiel 20:1 "And it came to pass in
the seventh year, in the fifth [month], the tenth [day] of the month,
[that] certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD,
and sat before me."

     We can see from this, that Ezekiel's prophecy has gone several
years now. The elders have come to inquire of him, how soon the siege
on Judah and Jerusalem would be over, and when they could go back to
their homeland? It appears, this is about the time that many of the
false prophets are saying the siege and captivity is to be over very
soon.  This is exactly what they want to hear from Ezekiel.

     Ezekiel 20:2 "Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,"

     It appears from this, that God promptly answered Ezekiel, when
the elders inquired of Him.

     Ezekiel 20:3 "Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and
say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to inquire of me?
[As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you."

     It appears, that God is angered with these elders. He does not
even like them inquiring of Him. They had, probably, been listening to
all the prophets, false and true. They had not been eager in the past
to take instruction from God on their conduct. He will not help them
figure out the time, or the seasons. They had been a stiff-necked
people. God refuses to tell them the time, or season.

     Ezekiel 20:4 "Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge
[them]? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:"

     Son of man is speaking of Ezekiel. God tells Ezekiel to judge
them. God wants Ezekiel to remember their sins, and their father's
sins that had gotten them in this place. Their sins's had caused the
captivity. God will not answer their inquiry. "The effectual, fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much". God answers the request of
those who are righteous, not those who have committed so many
abominations.

     Ezekiel 20:5  "And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the
day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the
house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt,
when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I [am] the LORD your
God;"

     God reminds them of the bondage in Egypt of about 400 years. He
had finally heard their prayers, and brought them out of bondage with
the 10 plagues on Egypt. This is the moment that Israel had become a
nation. God took the 12 sons of Jacob, and made the nation Israel from
them and their families.

     Ezekiel 20:6 "In the day [that] I lifted up mine hand unto them,
to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied
for them, flowing with milk and honey, which [is] the glory of all
lands:"

     God reminds them, here, that the promised land was a land of milk
and honey. It was a very desirable land. They did nothing to earn it.
God gave it to them and their families.

     Ezekiel 20:7 "Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the
abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of
Egypt: I [am] the LORD your God."

     God had promised them, during their wilderness wanderings, if
they would worship Him alone and keep His commandments, the promised
land would be theirs forever. They were not to be like the other
countries of the earth, worshipping false gods. They were to be a
separate people, who worshipped only the One True God. They were to be
an example for the rest of the world. They had been warned from the
beginning, that to worship idols would bring a curse upon them.

     Ezekiel 20:8 "But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken
unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their
eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will
pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the
midst of the land of Egypt."

     The idols of Egypt, here, could be speaking of the type of idols
the Egyptians worshipped. We do know, they built a golden calf while
Moses was on the mountain receiving the 10 commandments. This is the
very thing they had been doing just prior to this capture by the
Babylonians. They were making idols of silver and gold, which were
abominations in the sight of God. Sometimes, Egypt speaks of the
world, instead of the literal nation of Egypt. It matters not, where
this was. They disobeyed God. Perhaps during the 400 years of
captivity, they had taken up the Egyptian false gods. We do know, that
the 10 plagues showed the world that false gods of all kinds have no
power in the face of Almighty God. God defamed them all.

     Ezekiel 20:9 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not
be polluted before the heathen, among whom they [were], in whose sight
I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land
of Egypt.

     As much as for the Israelites sake, God brought them out of Egypt
for the world to know He is God. All of the nations around were amazed
at the 10 plagues. Even the Egyptian's believed that Almighty God was
God, after the plagues. They knew their idols had no power against
God.  Many nations knew of the Red Sea parting, and the death of the
Egyptians in the Red Sea.

     Ezekiel 20:10  "Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the
land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness."

     The wilderness wanderings should have taken just a very short
time. It was extended, because God was trying to prepare His people.
During their wanderings, He gave them His law. Their lack of faith had
to be dealt with, before He could allow them to take over the promised
land. He taught them of His special care of them, when He rained Manna
from heaven for them to eat. The wilderness wanderings were necessary
to get the ways of Egypt out of them.

     Ezekiel 20:11 "And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my
judgments, which [if] a man do, he shall even live in them."

     This is speaking, not only of the ten commandments, but of the
over 600 ordinances that would help them live productive lives. They
did not have to have civil laws. They were covered in the ordinances
God had given them while they were in the wilderness.

     Ezekiel 20:12 "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a
sign between me and them, that they might know that I [am] the LORD
that sanctify them."

     The Sabbath was a special sign for them from God. This was a
witness to them, and the rest of the world, of their special
relationship with God. "Sanctify" means to set them aside for God's
purpose.

     Ezekiel 20:13 "But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the
wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my
judgments, which [if] a man do, he shall even live in them; and my
sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury
upon them in the wilderness, to consume them."

     They were a rebellious house. They polluted the Sabbath, but
this, probably, includes other sins like the making of the golden
calf. They did not like the ordinances. They thought of the sacrifices
as obligation, and did not do them for love of God, but because of
obligation. Their hearts were far from God. They went through the
motion of worship, but did not really love and reverence God.

     Ezekiel 20:14 "But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should
not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them
out."

     When Moses begged for their lives on the mountain, one of the
reasons he gave God for not destroying them, was that the heathen
would see it. God saved them for Him a family, but He, also, saved
them as a sign to the heathen.

     Ezekiel 20:15 "Yet also I lifted up my hand unto 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;"

     God delayed their entering the promised land, because of their
unfaithfulness.
     Ezekiel 20:16 "Because they despised my judgments, and walked not
in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after
their idols."

     Outwardly, they had given up their idols, but in their hearts
they were far away from God. At every little problem that arose, they
would express desire to be back in Egypt. The Sabbath was partially
made for them to have a day of rest, but they did not see that. They
thought of God as a taskmaster.

     Ezekiel 20:17 "Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying
them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness."

     God did let them wander, until the disobedient died off and gave
the promised land to their children. He kept them alive in their
children.

     Ezekiel 20:18 "But I said unto their children in the wilderness,
Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their
judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:"

     God started with this group, because they did not have the
memories of Egypt. They learned the ways of God in the wilderness, and
lived by His ordinances.

     Ezekiel 20:19 "I [am] the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and
keep my judgments, and do them;"

     The best reason of all for keeping the statutes and judgements,
is right here. He is the LORD your God.

     Ezekiel 20:20 "And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign
between me and you, that ye may know that I [am] the LORD your God."

     We must remember, that these statements are being made to the
elders that sat before Ezekiel. These elders, and in fact, all of
Israel, had not kept the sabbaths, or hallowed them. This is why they
are in captivity. We remember from the book of Jeremiah, that they
went through the motions of worshipping God, but God was not in their
hearts. Their offerings and sacrifices were not acceptable to Him,
because they were only a formality. The Sabbath was a sign that set
them aside as the people of God's law. Christians observing the First
day of the week, instead of the seventh, shows the new covenant of
grace.  We are practicing firstfruits when we worship on Sunday.

     Ezekiel 20:21 "Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me:
they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them,
which [if] a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my
sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to
accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness."

     It seems, that each generation of these Israelites rebel against
God, and follow after the idols of Egypt. Some of this happens,
because they intermarry with the world. They pick up the ways of the
world from these marriages. From this, we see, also, that their
fathers had worshipped false gods in front of them, and they had
picked up the false gods of their fathers.

     Ezekiel 20:22 "Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for
my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the
heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth."

     God will not destroy them, because they are an example to the
heathen. In this particular instance, God saves them for the benefit
of the heathen who is looking on.

     Ezekiel 20:23 "I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the
wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse
them through the countries;"

     One of the punishments God does, is to disperse them from time to
time, as He did these into Babylon and the countries around them.

     Ezekiel 20:24 "Because they had not executed my judgments, but
had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes
were after their fathers' idols."

     The sins, from the beginning, were the same as they were in
Ezekiel's time. They were a rebellious house from the beginning. They
did not have respect for God, or His Sabbaths. The worst thing of all
was their worship of idols. The very first Commandment forbids the
worship of false gods.

     Ezekiel 20:25 "Wherefore I gave them also statutes [that were]
not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;"

     Ezekiel believed the law of God to be holy and just, as it really
was. Perhaps this is saying, because of their idolatry, they could not
live under God's law. They had broken covenant with God, when they
went to false gods. The penalty for this is death.

     Ezekiel 20:26 "And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that
they caused to pass through [the fire] all that openeth the womb, that
I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I
[am] the LORD."

     They caused their children to walk through the fire to the false
god Molech. When they were involved in this evil worship, any
sacrifice, or offering, they made would have been unacceptable to God.
Any sacrifice, or offering, they made would not have been from their
hearts and therefore would have been unacceptable to God.

     We will continue this in the next lesson.





                         Ezekiel 21 Questions


1.  When was this prophecy given?
2.  Who had inquired of God in front of Ezekiel?
3.  What were they wanting to know?
4.  Who did God promptly answer?
5.  What does God call Ezekiel in verse 3?
6.  Why is God angry with the elders?
7.  Who is to judge the elders?
8.  What is Ezekiel to remember in his judgement?
9.  The effectual fervent prayer of a __________ man availeth much.
10. How far back does this Word of God go?
11. How had God brought them out of Egypt?
12. What kind of land was the promised land?
13. How were they to be different from the rest of the world?
14. The worship of idols brings a ________.
15. What terrible false god did they make, while Moses was on the
    mountain receiving the 10 commandments?
16. What was the purpose of the 10 plagues on Egypt?
17. Even the _________ believed Almighty God is God,  after the ten
    plagues.
18. What were many nations aware of on their journey to the promised
    land?
19. Why did God extend the time of the wilderness wanderings.
20. What one miracle, in the wilderness, should have shown them of His
    special care for them?
21. What, besides the 10 commandments, are covered in the statutes and
    judgements of verse 11?
22. What was the Sabbath a witness of, to the rest of the world.
23. They thought of the sacrifices as an ___________, and did not do
    them for love of God.
24. What was one of the reasons Moses gave to God for not destroying
    them?
25. Why had God delayed their entering the promised land?
26. What did God tell their children in the wilderness?
27. What is the best reason for keeping God's ordinances?
28. Why had God refused to accept their offerings and sacrifices, that
    we read of in Jeremiah?
29. Why did God not destroy them in the wilderness?
30. What was the worst sin they committed?
31. What is the penalty for breaking covenant with God?
32. What had they caused their children to do in the worship of the
    false god Molech?