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.
2 Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,
"3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, 'Thus says the Lord God; Are ye come to inquire of Me? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.'"
God is not interested in listening to these hypocrites.
4 "Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:"
“Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were.” New Living Translation (©2007)
God was telling Ezekiel TO judge these men.
The righteous are to judge the sinners and make calls for them to repent. It’s our modern “there is no right or wrong” religion that tells us not to judge, not Christianity. (There are way too many scriptures on this subject to put here. Go to http://www.judge.homeschoolwwh.com for a complete article on judging.)
It is the most hateful thing in the world to ignore someone living in sin and not try to get them to turn to God.
5 "And say unto them, 'Thus says 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;"
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:
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.'
Before God even brought Israel out of Egypt, he told them to live righteously, but they ignored Him.
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 Israelites were worshiping the false gods the Egyptians worshiped.
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."
He thought to punish them right then, but decided it would be better to not do so in front of the heathens. That wouldn’t accomplish anything but to drive the Egyptians away from God.
10 "Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
11 "And I gave them My statutes, and showed them My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
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."
God brought Israel out of Egypt in such a way that it was obvious to the heathen who had done it. He then gave Israel explicit instructions of what He expected in the way of righteousness.He provided a way for them to not be slaves to work (The Sabbath), but to have time to build family and friends and their relationship with Him.
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.'
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."
Again, God really wanted to spank them but because that would do more harm than good to the heathens, He refrained.
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;
16 "Because they despised My judgments, and walked not in My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols."
He did, however, make them wander in the wilderness for forty years until all the adults were dead.
17 "Nevertheless Mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
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:
19 "'I am the Lord your God; walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them;
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.'"
God appealed to the now-grown children.
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.'"
I see a pattern here…
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.
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;
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."
Like father like son.
25 "Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;"
God began to allow unjust laws to be passed; ones that would not lead to righteousness, but to oppression.
26 "And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that opened the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord."
Though God claimed all first born as His own, He provided for human firstborns to be redeemed with an offering. He never approved of human sacrifice- EVER! Yet Israel adopted this practice- sacrificing babies- from the inhabitants of the land.
27 "Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, 'Thus says the Lord God; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me, in that they have committed a trespass against Me.'"
28 "For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up Mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savor, and poured out there their drink offerings."
Israel chose to worship nature instead of nature’s God.
29 "Then I said unto them, 'What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name whereof is called Bamah unto this day.'"
Bamah means high place.
God had commanded one tabernacle to be built and sacrifices to be offered at that one site. Israel followed the practice of the heathens of the land and set up a place of sacrifice on every pretty hill. They built steps up to the alters (something expressly forbidden by God), and ended it all by sacrificing to pagan gods.
30 "Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? And commit ye whoredom after their abominations?'"
Even now, in Ezekiel’s time (some 1000 years later), after all the times God has punished them, Israel still hasn’t figured it out. They are still serving false gods.
31 "'For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.'"
Remember, this particular vision began when the elders of Israel came to talk to Ezekiel and get a word from God. God is saying, “Look, you’ve done nothing but disobey and ignore Me for the last 1000 years. And now you expect favors? I don’t think so.”
32 "'And that which comes into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, "We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone."'"
Israel had always wanted to be like all the nations around them. God is saying that will never happen.
33 "'As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:'"
God is boss and is going to prove it.
34 "'And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.'"
The book of Jeremiah tells us that at this time those left in Jerusalem are planning on hiding from Babylon in Egypt. Many Jews, in fact, hid in many of the neighboring nations. It won’t do any good, however. God knows where they are and will make sure those nations are conquered too. The Jews will be punished no matter what. You can’t hide from God.
35 "'And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.'"
Not the physical desert wilderness, like they traveled through from Egypt; The wilderness of the people. All the Israelites would be scattered among the many nationalities who didn’t worship God. They would be alone in the crowd. In their daily struggles to survive this way, God will get their attention.
36 "'Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, says the Lord God.'"
Their ancestors passed through the physical wilderness and had to rely on God for their water and food. Now Israel will again have to rely on God for their lives, though it will be in the midst of the biggest metropolises in the world.
37 "'And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
38 "'And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against Me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.'"
In this way God will purify them. Those who won’t serve Him will melt into the surrounding people and no longer be part of Israel. Only those who will truly love Him will be preserved as His people. And they will be purified spiritually.
39 "'As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God; Go ye, serve ye everyone his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto Me: but pollute ye My holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.'"
"Quit pretending you are serving Me. Just go all out in serving your fake gods."
40 "'For in Mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve Me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.'"
God said the day would come when Israel will truly serve Him in Jerusalem. In fact, when Israel returned from Babylon, they did leave behind idol worship. From that time on they served God alone. Well, God and their own selves. But no more blatant idol worship.
41 "'I will accept you with your sweet savor, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.'"
God caused Israel to return to the land He originally gave them and there they worshiped Him. This became a witness to the heathens that God is real.
42 "'And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up Mine hand to give it to your fathers.
43 "'And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.'"
Israel did have a true repentance while in captivity. Many really did begin serving God with their whole hearts.
44 "'And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I have wrought with you for My name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, says the Lord God.'"
God is Merciful and forgives all our wickedness if we just truly ask.
45 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
46 "Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;"
Jerusalem was south-west from Ezekiel’s location.
“Drop thy word like rain drops from the sky, sometimes gently, sometimes violently.”
The forest would be the highly populated cities with the people as non-fruit bearing trees.
Judah actually had physical trees at this time (the Romans cut them down in AD70), but God is speaking to the humans.
47 "And say to the forest of the south, 'Hear the word of the Lord; Thus says 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 flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.'"
The greatest danger to any forest is fire. God is going to send the equivalent into the land in the form of the Babylonian army.
48 "'And all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.'"
There will be no question that this is the Lord’s doing.
49 Then said I, "Ah Lord God! They say of me, 'Doth he not speak parables?'"
The leaders who are at Ezekiel’s house listening to his prophecies are saying he is speaking symbolically. They refuse to accept that he is saying God really will physically destroy Judah and Jerusalem. They refuse to repent or tell their people to repent.