God's View
of the
Wilderness Wandering
Headings added
Ezekiel 20:1-24
Why there were no answers from God
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 [while in the captivity of Babylon].
[They wanted to know why they were in captivity,
and when would God rescue them from it?]
Then came the word of the LORD to me, saying, "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus said the Lord GOD; ‘Are you come to inquire of Me? As I live, said the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you’."
"Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge [show] them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers: and say to them,
Jesus had tried during Moses’ time
‘Thus said the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up My hand to the seed of the house of Jacob [in friendly greeting], and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up My hand to them, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God’; in the day that I lifted up My hand to them [in a solemn promise], 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: then said I to them, ‘Cast you away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God’."
"But they rebelled against Me, and would not hearken to Me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt. [So I could not fully protect them.]"
"Then I said, ‘I will [have to] pour out My fury upon them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’ But I wrought [worked hard to save them] for My name's sake [because He is a Saviour], that it should not be polluted [or misunderstood] before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made Myself known to them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt."
"Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness [as I had promised]."
He tried again in the wilderness
"And I gave them My statutes [the laws of His kingdom], and showed them My judgments [daily/hourly advice on how to keep the laws], which if a man do, he shall even live in them."
"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 [and they could "rest" in that knowledge]."
"But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness: they walked not in My statutes, and they despised My judgments [continual advice], which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and My Sabbaths they greatly polluted [while outwardly keeping them]: then I said, ‘I would pour out My fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them’."
"But I wrought [worked hard to save them again] for My name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out."
"Yet also I lifted up My hand [in a solemn promise] to 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; because they despised My judgments, and walked not in My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols [and they rejected My full protection.]"
"Nevertheless My eye spared them from destroying [all of] them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness [for two survived!]."
Jesus tried with the next generation
"But I said to their children in the wilderness [near the end of the forty years], ‘Walk you not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols [don’t do as they did]: I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God’."
He was rejected again
"Notwithstanding the children [also] 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 [also] polluted My Sabbaths. Then I said, I would pour out My fury upon them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness. Nevertheless I withdrew My hand [again], 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."
They would go into exile in Babylon
"I lifted up My hand to them also in the wilderness [and promised them], that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries [mainly into Babylon]; 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. [And so they will have to stay here until the majority change their attitude.]"
All these things happened as a result of their behaviour, not because Jesus wished it, or was punishing them. Without a change of heart, without a great change in their allegiance, Jesus was not able to help them in any great way. They could not "enter in because of THEIR unbelief".
He was "grieved" for them, but helpless when they refused to walk in His way, to enter in His "rest".