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Understand the Context

Today’s passage in Ezekiel 20 happens 2 years after his initial call by God in chapter 1 (Eze 1:2) and about 11 months after Chapter 8 which we studied 2 weeks ago (Eze 8:1).

Last week in Chapter 11 we heard both doom and a promise of restoration.

Ezekiel’s prophetic message continued through symbolic acts (Eze 12:1-16), condemnation of false prophets (13:1-16), describing Jerusalem as a prostitute (Eze 16:1-34), parables of the city’s fickleness (Eze 17:1-24), then lamenting over the capture and exile of Israel’s rulers (Eze 19:1-14).

In chapter 14 some elders came to meet with Ezekiel, but he condemned their idolatrous ways (Eze 14:1-11).

[LifeWay Adults (2021).

Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022.

LifeWay Press.]

The great German scholar Gerhard von Rad found the heart of Old Testament theology in the remembrance and recitation of Heilsgeschichte: the sacred history of God’s saving acts on Israel’s behalf.

It is not hard to find such recitations peppered throughout the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Deut.

26:3–10; Ps. 105).

In Ezekiel 20:1–44, however, we find a very different sort of recitation.

Here, the story of Israel’s past is not a holy history of salvation but an unholy history of rebellion: in a word, Unheilsgeschichte.

Chapter 20 is inspired by another visit from Israel’s elders where Ezekiel recaps Israel’s idolatry, describing a history of almost constant rebellion.

His summary focuses on the people’s responsibility for their sin and omits reference to prominent figures like Moses or to non-Israelite enticements to sin.

It also emphasizes events outside the promised land, a historical situation that would have new significance for the exiles’ current situation.

[Faithlife Study Bible]

Explore the Text

“In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the 10th day” (August 14, 591 BC) [The Lexham Bible Dictionary 2016].

This is less than 5 years until Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem the third and final time.

Some of these elders may have been the ones to receive a rather scathing rebuke back in chapter 14.

The fact that they had come to consult Ezekiel shows that the elders had not entirely abandoned their worship of God in favor of other gods.

Yet the pressure was there.

[McGregor, L. John.

“Ezekiel.”

New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition.

Ed.

D. A. Carson et al. 4th ed.

Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994.

728.

Print.]

Like many processes there are correct methods and incorrect ones.

“Inquiring of God” adds to it an appropriate heart attitude for the process.

This means we can approach God in with the correct “program” or ritual and still be incorrectly coming before Him.

The prophets often used the word darash as they called on the people to make an about-face in living and instead “seek ye the Lord while he may be found …” (Isa.

55:6).[Vine,

W. E., Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr.

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words 1996 : 221.

Print.}

When the same word is used in the negative context it often refers to a practice of divination like when Saul “inquires of” the witch of Endor regarding and upcoming battle (1Sam 28:6-7).

Jesus was hypocritically questioned at times in an attempt to strip Him of his authority or deface Him before the people by the Jewish leaders in His day (Matt 22:16-18).

All the methods of inquiring of God that where acceptable first require the one asking of God to be in a correct heart or communion with God.

Any other approach of God with questions would be inappropriate and subjugating His authority and implying that God was required to submit to man’s questioning.

Job was chastised for this attitude (Job 40:6-8).

Clearly, God’s “I will not be inquired of by you” or in the NLT “I will tell you nothing” does not mean he will refuse to speak to them.

The entire segment is packed with Yahweh’s speaking to his people.

Instead, he apparently means that he will not speak at their whim.

He will not respond to persons who are already agnostic about the validity of Ezekiel’s message (20:49).

Instead, God will speak through Ezekiel whatever he, Yahweh, judges appropriate for them to hear.

[Thompson, David L. “Ezekiel.”

Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Ezekiel & Daniel.

Ed.

Philip W. Comfort.

Vol. 9. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2010.

132.

Print.]

Even though they were not going to hear from God what they wanted, God still knew the question that they had come before Ezekiel to present.

He reveals that to them toward the end of the chapter.

Ezekiel 20:31–32 (ESV)

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.

“What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.’

But before God would reveal His knowledge of their hearts, He had a few more things to say through His prophets about the pattern of sin in their lives.

God’s invitation for Ezekiel to judge the people highlights the Lord’s desire that Ezekiel render His divine verdict to them.

The abominations of their fathers broadly depicted the people’s many abominations, including idolatry and immorality.

Ezekiel would confront the elders with the record of their sin and the sin of prior generations.

[LifeWay Adults (2021).

Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022.

LifeWay Press.]

The phrase is repeated for emphasis both in its assurance of happening and the speed at which it was to transpire.

Similar to Jesus pronouncing the “woes” upon the leaders of Israel in His day, God is directing Ezekiel to point out all the sins that men have done in the pattern of their fathers.

They thought they were “righteous” and deserved to be heard by God but in Eze 14:14;20 the prophet reminds them that even if their fathers were as righteous at the made them to be in their own minds it would not save them from God’s judgement for “even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter.

They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness.”

Although we still need to show people how they are missing the mark and that their parent’s “goodness” does not help them, we gratefully have Christ’s love in us and His message to temper the brashness of the truth as proclaimed through Ezekiel.

God still confronts unrepentant sinners with the truth of their sin.

However, unrepentant sinners cannot receive God’s grace as long as they attempt to justify their own attitudes and actions.

The gospel has the power to bring spiritually dead people back to life, but they need to recognize they have a spiritual problem.

[LifeWay Adults (2021).

Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide - ESV - Winter 2022.

LifeWay Press.]

God promised or “swore” or more literally “raised my hand in oath” (Gen 14:22) to do 3 things; make Himself known, to be their God, to bring them out of Egypt.

All of these He fulfilled and were beneficial to the house of Jacob.

Later in our passage today God expands these things and also swears again but in the negative.

Although verse 5 is related to the promise received through Moses (Ex 6:7) and there is a linear progression to the actions in the verse God is not limited by such constraints.

I believe His “choosing” happened long before the children of Israel were down in Egypt.

The first place to easily see this choosing or calling out from the nations was with Jacob’s grandfather Abram.

Later these same words of making a great nation and blessing are used again with Isaac and his son Jacob who was later renamed by God as Israel.

Once commentary I read said:

Ezekiel was speaking of God’s selection of Israel as a nation.

When God made His covenant with Abraham, the patriarch did not even have an heir as the next recipient of the covenant.

When the family of Joseph went into Egypt, they were only a small clan of nomadic herdsmen (cf.

Gen. 46:1–27, 31–34).[Dyer,

Charles H. “Ezekiel.”

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

Ed.

J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck.

Vol. 1. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

1264.

Print.]

Although this is true, the wording implies that God was not aware of the nation that was to become “His people”.

God knew and chose us “before the foundation of the world” (Eph 1:4) so there is no limitation for God if Abram did not have an heir at the time of His “choosing” of Israel.