Analysis of Ezekiel 20

1. On that day, Ezekiel was confronted by the men of Israel. 

2. And the LORD Spoke to Ezekiel. 

3. He asks those who come to him why do they enquire of the LORD? 

4. He then asks Ezekiel whether he will judge them. 

5. In the day which the LORD lifted Israel and called to them, saying, "I am your God."

 6. In the day He lifted his hand to them, to bring them from Egypt into a Land Flowing with Milk and Honey. 

7. The LORD told them to cast away all of their abominations. For us, those would be our tablets and cell phones, and computers and televisions, or strange wives and children, or whatever else causes us to stumble. 

8. But Israel rebelled, and would not listen to God, by throwing away their abominations. So the LORD said He would pour out His fury upon them, in the midst of Egypt. 

9. He made known to them their sin, and the LORD wrought their calamity. 

10. He brought them into the wilderness, where the generation would perish.

 11. The LORD gave them His statutes and His judgments (The Ten Commandments). 

12. He gave them the Sabbath (Jesus Christ) as a sign between Him and us, that we should know that He is the LORD. 

13. But the house of Israel rebelled, and would not walk in the LORD's statutes. They despised His judgments WHICH IF A MAN DO, HE SHALL EVEN LIVE BY THEM. This phrase recurs throughout the entirety of the chapter, therefore let a Christian be warned not to do them, but rather to follow the statutes given by the Apostles and Jesus. 

14. The LORD wrought it for His name's sake, so He would not be polluted before the Heathen. 

15. He lifted His hand to them in the Wilderness, and swore they would not enter into Zion, God's rest. 

16. Because they despised the LORD's judgments. This is why, and they would not walk in His statutes, and polluted their rest in Christ Jesus. Their hearts went after their idols.

17. But the LORD spared us, and did not make an end to Israel in the Wildernesses. 

18. They were not to walk in the statutes of their fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile themselves with their idols (A clear indication that the Law had changed---what was the statute, and the judgments of the fathers of Israel, but the Mosaic Covenant? They are at this point broken in their covenant with God, therefore, perished in His wrath. Therefore, the idols of Israel become the ordinances of Moses, and also the sacrificial offering of their children to Sin.  

19. The LORD said "I am the LORD Your God, Walk in my Statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them." The words of Jesus, the Law prophesied in Jeremiah, the New Lump of Clay. 

20. We Hallow the Sabbath by keeping faith in Christ, and that shall be a sign between we and the LORD to know that He is our God. 

21. But even in this, the children rebelled against the LORD. They walked not in Christ's statutes, to abstain from the Old Covenant, and they did not keep the judgments of Christ, but they polluted the Sabbath. And the LORD said He would pour out His fury upon them. 

22. But, the LORD had mercy on His children for His name's sake alone. 

23. He then scattered the nation of Israel to all the nations, due to their lack of faith. 

24. Because they rejected his statutes, and had polluted their faith in Jesus, and their eyes were on their father's idols (the Mosaic Covenant; and the Altars of Sin); 

25. the LORD gave them over to the statutes which were not good. He gave them over to Law and not grace. They should not live by those laws, but the LORD gave them over to it. He gave His people over to the curse. 

26. And He polluted our gifts, because we caused our children to pass through the fire, and the LORD sought to make us desolate. 

27. Therefore, Ezekiel is telling Israel that their fathers have blasphemed and committed trespass against God. 

28. Because when He gave us rest, and the land which He had promised to us, we saw every high hill, and all the trees, and offered our sacrifices there; by doing the things of the Mosaic Covenant, by Sacrificing on the Altar of Sin, we had provoked God to anger. 

29. The LORD asked "What is the high place where you go? And what is the name called Bamah which is here unto this day?" Bamah means high place, let the reader understand, that by worshipping God through the ordinance of Moses' law, we are offering a sacrifice that is unpleasing to the LORD. He desired Mercy, and not Sacrifice. 

30. The LORD asks if we are polluted after the manner of our fathers? Do we worship their idols, and sacrifice to their calves? Do we trust in their ordinances, which the LORD decreed are not good? 

31. When our sons are offered through the fire, when we offer our gifts---our Sons are the sacrifices we offer to God in obedience to Legalism, let the reader now understand---should the LORD be enquired of us? If we offer a lamb, or offer a goat, it is like we broke a Dog's neck. The Mosaic Covenant is not pleasing to the LORD, for Israel broke it.

 32. Our hopes shall not come to pass, because we had rejected the LORD's rest. We will be as the heathen, who serve wood and stone---the wood pulp of pages and ink---

33. Surely the LORD shall stretch out a mighty hand, and pour forth fury upon us, for disobeying the Sabbaths' rest. 

34. And we will be scattered among the heathen, and God's mighty hand and stretched out arm shall pure fury upon us. 

35. And the LORD shall bring us into the wilderness, and there the LORD will plead with us, face to face. 

36. Just like the LORD pled with us at Sinai, so shall He plead with us at Mount Zion. 

37. And he will cause us to pass under the rod, and will bring us under the bond of the Covenant. 

38. And He will purge from among us the rebels that transgress in this way, and will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the Land of Israel. REPENT OF LEGALISM BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE! 

39. AS for the house of Israel, serve every one his idols, if he will not hearken unto the LORD, and blaspheme him by dishonoring His rest. He who offers an ox, is like he who murders a man.  

40. Serve the LORD, and He will accept your Firstfruits, and your oblations, and your Almsgiving, and your Praise. 

41. And if you repent of the Law, and honor the Sabbath's rest, it will be like a sweet savor, and he will bring you out from the people, and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and he will be sanctified among the Heathen. 

42. And I shall know that the LORD is God, when He brings me into the land of Israel, into the country for which he lifted His hand to give my fathers. 

43. There we'll remember our ways and our doings, and what we have defiled ourselves with, and we will loath ourselves for the evils we have committed.

44. And we shall know that He is the LORD when He has wrought with us for His name's sake, not according to our wicked ways (For we have obtained mercy through Grace, and not Judgment by the Ordinance of Sinai). He will not do with us, according to our wicked ways, nor our corrupt doings, o we house of Israel. 

45. Moreover the LORD spoke unto us, saying, 

46. "Set my face toward the south, and drop my word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field: 

47 "To the Forrest of the South "Hear the Word of the LORD "Thus Saith the LORD God, Behold I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree; the flaming flames shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein. 

48. "All flesh will see that the LORD had kindled it, and it shall not be quenched." 

49. And Ezekiel said they said of he "Ah, Lord, they ask me if I speak in parables?" Yet Jesus spoke in Parables. Those who are the trees of the forest of the south, are those who yoke themselves to the Old Covenant in this age of Grace.





48 And all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.

49 Then said I, Ah Lord God! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?