EZEKIEL 20 NOTES=for MVF CHERYL=and Bobby Boy

 

 

                                                            

 

 

 

 

EZELIEL 20 NOTES=For MVF Cheryl=and Bobby Boy

6-14-2025

 

LINES 1-4

ELDERS of Israel=Visit Ezekiel

To INQUIRE=of the Lord

 

-It takes PLACE=2 years AFTER=The prophecies of Ezekiel

Ie.   Ezekiel  1-3

 

-ONE year after prophecies of Ezekiel=In 8-1

 

THE ELDERS of Israel=Came to Ezekiel the prophet

Ie.   To INQUIRE about the Lord

 

-GOD’S INITIAL RESPONSE

Ie.   I will NOT be questioned by you

 

-God THROUGH Ezekiel=Tells Israel=About their abominations

And denounces them

 

LINES 5-7

GOD’S OATH to Israel

 

-God RESTATES his Covenant to Israel=Made through

The COVENANT=with Abraham=Isaac=and Jacob

In Genesis 12:1-3

 

God repeats the PROMISE=taking them out of Egypt=to Canaan

THE GLORY=of their lands

 

-God NOT only gave them an oath=BUT also a COMMAND

Ie.    DO NOTHING=with the gods of Egypt

 

LINES 8-9

GOD’S MERCY to Israel=and their early DISOBEDIENCE to him=

WHILE still in Egypt

 

TO PRESERVE HIS  REPUTATION=among the Gentiles

And FULFILL his promise=To bring them=OUT of Egypt

 

LINES 10-17

GOD’S MERCY=to disobedient Israel=In the wilderness

 

Despite their sins=God set them free from SLAVERY=in Egypt

ON the road to=THE PROMISED LAND=Canaan

 

God=Not only=Brough them out of Egypt=but He took them to

Mount Sinai=and gave them SABBATHS and signs

 

Yet Israel=STILL REBELLED=against God=In the wilderness

Ie.   DEFILED God’s Sabbaths

 

God said he would JUDGE Israel=in the wilderness=but God HELD BACK=

To preserve his REPUTATION=with the Gentiles

 

Israel DESERVED God’s judgment=in the wilderness=but God

Still BROUGHT them to the PROMISED LAND

 

LINES 18-20

GOD’S APPEAL=to Israel’s next generation=In the wilderness

God spoke MERCIFULLY=to the next generation=and told them

NOT to repeat their parent’s mistakes

 

God gave the NEXT GENERATION=the opportunity=to WALK in his ways

 

LINES 21-24

GOD’S FURTHER MERCY=to Israel=in the wilderness

 

-The GENERATION=raised in the wilderness=did NOT OBEY

God’s statutes=They FOLLOWED the laws=of the other nations

 

-God JUDGED=the Israel generation=That came out of the wilderness

-Yet God still SPARED THEM=Because of the Gentiles

 

God FULFILLED his oath=and SCATTERED the people among

The nations

 

LINES 25-26

IN HIS JUDGMENT=God allows Israel to suffer

The CONSEQUENCES of their sins

 

Israel Was UNCLEAN in their rituals

Ie.   Including child sacrifice=Their great sins

EVENTUALLY brough them to JUDGMENT

 

LINES 27-28

GOD’S MERCY to disobedient  Israel

 

-EVEN though they=were UNFAITHFUL=God brought them to

THE PROMISED LAND

 

HILLS AND TREES=Ungrateful=followed the pagan nations

SACRIFICES of all kinds=Including aromas and drink offerings

 

LINES 29-32

GOD REFUSED=to speak to Israel=For they would NOT LISTEN

 

-ISRAEL=used the TOPS=of the hills and mountains=for IDOL WORSHIP

High places=Bamah

 

=Ezekiel=ASKED the elders=Are you DEFINING yourselves

Like your Fathers?

 

The ELDERS=sought GOD’S WORDS through Ezekiel

But God felt=He owed Israel=NO SPECIAL REVELATION=for they

WERE a disobedient people

 

-GOD forcefully Rebuked the ELDERS=for their unspoken

And HIDDEN SINS=ie.       SERVING wood and Stone=Like other countries

Instead of God

 

LINES 33-36

GOD’S STRONG PROMISE OF RESTORATION

 

Despite their ways=God had NOT FORSAKEN THEM

-He would JUDGE them=ON his own terms

 

-GOD scattered the people=but he would RESTORE THEM

In the same way

 

-God would PLEAD=with Israel=FACE TO FACE=In the wilderness

Ie.   But RESTORE THEM TOO

 

LINES 37-38

GOD PROMISES CORRECTION AND COVENANT

 

This TIME IN EXILE=was necessary

 

-But the covenant=with Israel=would REMAIN=and be RESTORED

 

-God promised=that NOT all the exiles=would return

Ie.=PURGING=God would REVEAL himself yet again

 

LINE 39

GOD REVEALS HIMSELF=In restoration and in Mercy

 

-CHOOSE YAHWEH=or the idols

 

HISTORY of Israel=and of sin=God issues them a CHALLENGE

 

Serve IDOLS if you want=But become Babylonians like them=

God did NOT want a divided heart=from Israel=

ISRAEL=challenged to be HOT or cold=but not lukewarm

 

LINES 40-41

Gathered again to prophecy=WORSHIP GOD

-People of Israel=would once AGAIN SERVE God

Ie.    Temple rebuilt under Ezra and Zerubbabel =God would reign again

 

-God would bring them BACK=from WHERE he scattered them

Ie.    A purging sacrifice

AN EXAMPLE=to the Gentiles

 

LINES 42-44

GOD REVEALED=In his RESTORATION=and in his MERCY

 

-Go would BRING them back again to ISRAEL

Ie.    A REVELATION to God and to the world

 

And again IN 1948=and Israel’s RETURN to their land

GOD promised this LAND =to Abraham and his descendants

 

-A RESTORED ISRAEL=would no longer sin

The MERCY of Yahweh=to Israel=would be a REVELATION to Yahweh’s existence

And his CHARACTER

 

LINES 45-48

JUDGMENT Like a forest fire=

Judgment on the forest of the SOUTH

Ie.    SON OF MAN=set your FACE=toward the SOUTH

 

Judah=South of Babylon=and where Ezekiel and the people were

Ie   A FOREST of people=Ready to be burned like trees

 

The BABYLONIAN army would come=against Judea and Jerusalem

The army would DESTROY all people=the good and the bad=Even the righteous

 

A POWERFUL and complete judgment=The world would TAKE NOTICE

 

LINE 49

THE PROPHET’S COMPLAINT

Ezekiel PRESSURED the ELDERS=that they were HARD TO UNDERSTAND

It was a PARADOX

 

The people would be JUDGED=for their Willful UNDERSTANDING=yet

PRETENDING to misunderstand

 

Rpw=for  MVF CHERYL=and Bobby Boy

Written 6-12-2025=TYPED 6-14-2025