Ezekiel 20 — Read & Listen Online

Our Father Refused to Be Consulted

Chapter 20.

In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of our Father, and they sat down before me.

Then the word of our Father came to me:

Mortal, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them: This is what the Sovereign Father says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Father.

Will you judge them? Will you judge them, mortal? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors, and say to them: This is what the Sovereign Father says: On the day I chose Israel, I lifted my hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, 'I am your Father.' On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. And I said to them, 'Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am your Father.'

But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; none of them got rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and exhaust my anger on them in the midst of Egypt. But for the sake of my name, I acted so that it would not be profaned before the nations among whom they lived, before whom I had revealed myself by bringing them out of Egypt.

Rebellion in the Wilderness

So I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. I gave them my decrees and made my laws known to them—whoever obeys them will live. I also gave them my sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I am their Father, who makes them holy.

Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness. But for the sake of my name I acted, so that it would not be profaned before the nations who had seen me bring them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands— because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols. Yet I had pity on them and did not put an end to them in the wilderness. I said to their children in the wilderness, 'Do not follow the statutes of your parents or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. I am your Father; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Keep my sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am your Father.'

But the children rebelled against me. They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they desecrated my sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and exhaust my anger on them in the wilderness. But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I acted, so that it would not be profaned before the nations who had seen me bring them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries, because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their parents' idols. So I gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; ¹ I let them be defiled by their own gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—so that I might fill them with horror, that they might know that I am their Father.

Rebellion in the Promised Land

Therefore, mortal, speak to the people of Israel and say to them: This is what the Sovereign Father says: In this also your ancestors blasphemed me by being unfaithful to me: When I brought them into the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense, and poured out their drink offerings. Then I said to them: What is this high place you keep going to? (It is called Bamah to this day.) ²

Therefore say to the people of Israel: This is what the Sovereign Father says: Will you defile yourselves the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images? When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, people of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Father, I will not let you inquire of me.

You say, 'We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.' But what you have in mind will never happen.

The Father Will Purge and Restore

As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Father, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you. As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Father. I will count you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. ³ I will purge out from among you those who revolt and rebel against me. Though I bring them out of the land where they live, they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am your Father.

As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Father says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and your idols. For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Father, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and the choicest of your gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices. I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and through you I will show myself holy in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am your Father, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors. There you will remember your conduct and all the deeds by which you defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. You will know that I am your Father, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt deeds, people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Father.

Fire Against the South

The word of our Father came to me: Mortal, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest of the southland. Say to the southern forest: Hear the word of our Father. This is what the Sovereign Father says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it. Everyone will see that I, your Father, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.

Then I said, "Ah, Sovereign Father! They are saying of me, 'Isn't he just speaking in parables?'"

❤️ FHB? Review Now