Ezekiel 20:5–26 (NKJV)
Summary:
- story of their rebellions in the wilderness
20:5. “Say to them, `Thus says the Lord God: “On the day when I chose Israel and lifted My hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I lifted My hand in an oath to them, saying, `I am the Lord your God.’
20:6. “On that day I lifted My hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands.
20:7. “Then I said to them, `Each of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’
20:8. “But they rebelled against Me and would not obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, `I will pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’
20:9. “But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
20:10. “Therefore I made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.
20:11. “And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, `which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’
20:12. “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.
20:13. “Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they despised My judgments, which, if a man does, he shall live by them; and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them.
20:14. “But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out.
20:15. “So I also lifted My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands,
20:16. “because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.
20:17. “Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
20:18. “But I said to their children in the wilderness, `Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
20:19. `I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them;
20:20. `hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’
20:21. “Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, `which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness.
20:22. “Nevertheless I withdrew My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out.
20:23. “Also I lifted My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries,
20:24. “because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.
20:25. “Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live;
20:26. “and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they might know that I am the Lord.” ‘
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Commentary
Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedly speaks of the promises He has in store for His people. He made covenant promises tracing all the way back to Jacob, assuring Israel that He would deliver them from Egypt and lead them into a land flowing with milk and honey. God’s expectation was simple and clear: live as He intended, practice morality, and honor Him exclusively. His people were called to be set apart from the world, worshipping the true God rather than earthly things.
To choose a life of deliberate disobedience is to cut ourselves off from God, opening the door to misery and oppression by worldly influences. In Ezekiel 20, God highlights sins that directly offend Him. The Israelites continually turned to idols-carved objects of wood, stone, or metal that people imbued with divine importance.
While we may not bow down to physical statues today, modern idols still fill our lives. We often place our trust, comfort, and ultimate security in material objects and technology. Consider how easy it is to panic when a computer crashes: “All my documents, photos, and addresses are gone! My whole life was in there!” Material objects are not inherently good or evil; what matters is how we treat them and whether we allow created things to take the place of the Creator.
The plagues in Egypt served a dual purpose: they were a wake-up call to draw Israel away from Egyptian idolatry, and they demonstrated God’s supreme power to surrounding nations. Yet even after witnessing deliverance, the Israelites continued to struggle. God sustained them in the wilderness for the glory of His name, giving them His Law and establishing the Sabbath as an ongoing sign of sanctification.
When the older generation stubbornly clung to idolatry, they died in the wilderness. It was their children-a generation willing to learn obedience-who finally entered the Promised Land. We can apply this principle to our own spiritual lives: it is time to recognize old, sinful habits as “dead wood.” By letting those past practices die off, we can cultivate new, dedicated habits that honor God, knowing He desires our true growth and spiritual prosperity.
