◄ Ezekiel 20:13 ►
Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances--though the man who does these things will live by them--and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.
Study Bible
Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness
The phrase "house of Israel" refers to the collective people of Israel, God's chosen nation. In Hebrew, "house" (בֵּית, bayit) often signifies a family or lineage, emphasizing the communal identity of Israel. The "wilderness" (מִדְבָּר, midbar) is not just a physical location but a significant period in Israel's history, representing a time of testing and reliance on God. The rebellion here is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, highlighting Israel's struggle with faithfulness despite God's continuous provision and guidance.

They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances
"Statutes" (חֻקִּים, chuqqim) and "ordinances" (מִשְׁפָּטִים, mishpatim) refer to the laws and decrees given by God to Israel. These were not arbitrary rules but divine instructions meant to guide Israel in righteousness and holiness. The rejection of these laws signifies a deeper spiritual rebellion, a turning away from the covenant relationship established at Sinai. Historically, this disobedience led to severe consequences, as the statutes were designed to set Israel apart as a holy nation.

which, if a man keeps, he will live by them
This phrase underscores the life-giving nature of God's laws. The Hebrew word for "live" (חָיָה, chayah) implies not just physical survival but a flourishing, abundant life. The statutes were intended to bring blessing and prosperity, reflecting God's desire for His people to thrive under His care. This echoes the covenantal promise that obedience leads to life, a theme reiterated throughout Scripture.

And they utterly profaned My Sabbaths
The Sabbath (שַׁבָּת, shabbat) was a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, a day set apart for rest and worship. To "profane" (חָלַל, chalal) means to treat something sacred with irreverence or disrespect. By disregarding the Sabbath, Israel not only broke a commandment but also dishonored the relationship with God, showing a lack of trust in His provision and sovereignty. The Sabbath was a gift, a reminder of God's creation and redemption, and its profanation was a serious breach of faith.

So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them in the wilderness, to consume them
God's "wrath" (חֵמָה, chemah) is not capricious anger but a righteous response to sin and rebellion. The decision to "consume" (כָּלָה, kalah) reflects the severity of Israel's disobedience and the holiness of God. The wilderness, a place of both testing and revelation, becomes the setting for divine judgment. Yet, even in judgment, there is a redemptive purpose, as God's discipline aims to bring His people back to repentance and restoration. This verse serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of turning away from God's commands and the importance of faithfulness in the covenant relationship.

Persons / Places / Events
1. House of Israel
Refers to the collective people of Israel, God's chosen nation, who were delivered from Egypt and wandered in the wilderness.

2. Wilderness
The desert region where the Israelites wandered for 40 years after their exodus from Egypt, a place of testing and revelation of their faithfulness.

3. God's Statutes and Ordinances
The laws and commands given by God to the Israelites, intended to guide them in righteous living and maintain their covenant relationship with Him.

4. Sabbaths
The holy days of rest instituted by God as a sign of His covenant with Israel, meant to be a time of rest and worship.

5. God's Wrath
The righteous anger of God in response to the rebellion and disobedience of His people, demonstrating His justice and holiness.
Teaching Points
The Seriousness of Rebellion
Rebellion against God is not a trivial matter. It leads to separation from Him and invites His righteous judgment.

The Life-Giving Nature of God's Laws
God's statutes and ordinances are designed to bring life and blessing. Obedience is not merely a duty but a pathway to abundant life.

The Importance of the Sabbath
The Sabbath is a gift from God, a time to rest and refocus on Him. It is a reminder of our dependence on God and His provision.

God's Patience and Justice
While God is patient and longsuffering, He is also just. Persistent disobedience will ultimately lead to His discipline.

Learning from the Past
The history of Israel serves as a warning and a lesson for us today. We are called to learn from their mistakes and walk faithfully with God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the rebellion of the Israelites in the wilderness reflect our own tendencies to stray from God's commands?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we are not merely hearers of God's statutes but doers who live by them?

3. How can observing a Sabbath rest in our own lives help us to refocus on God and His purposes for us?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to avoid the pitfalls of rebellion and disobedience in our spiritual journey?

5. How does understanding God's response to Israel's rebellion help us appreciate His grace and mercy in our lives today?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 16 and 31
These chapters provide background on the giving of the Sabbath and its significance as a covenant sign between God and Israel.

Numbers 14
Describes the rebellion of the Israelites in the wilderness and God's response, highlighting the consequences of disobedience.

Deuteronomy 30
Emphasizes the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience, reinforcing the life-giving nature of God's laws.

Hebrews 3-4
Discusses the spiritual rest that believers enter through faith in Christ, drawing a parallel to the Sabbath rest and the Israelites' failure to enter God's rest due to unbelief.
Sermons
Unacceptable PrayerJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 20:1-32
The Memory of the Wilderness of SinaiJ.R. Thomson Ezekiel 20:10-17
God, and Israel in the WildernessW. Jones Ezekiel 20:10-26
People
Ezekiel, Israelites, Jacob, Teman
Places
Babylon, Bamah, Egypt, Negeb
Topics
Although, Annihilate, Consume, Controlled, Decrees, Desecrated, Desert, Despised, Destroy, Didn't, Follow, Full, Fury, Greatly, Guided, Judgments, Laws, Loose, Obeys, Observance, Observes, Orders, Ordinances, Passion, Polluted, Pour, Profaned, Rebel, Rebelled, Rejected, Resolved, Respect, Rules, Sabbaths, Statutes, Utterly, Walk, Walked, Waste, Wilderness, Wrath
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 20:13

     6223   rebellion, of Israel
     6231   rejection of God
     7429   Sabbath, in OT
     8703   antinomianism

Ezekiel 20:1-44

     7348   defilement

Ezekiel 20:13-44

     8807   profanity

Library
Ten Reasons Demonstrating the Commandment of the Sabbath to be Moral.
1. Because all the reasons of this commandment are moral and perpetual; and God has bound us to the obedience of this commandment with more forcible reasons than to any of the rest--First, because he foresaw that irreligious men would either more carelessly neglect, or more boldly break this commandment than any other; secondly, because that in the practice of this commandment the keeping of all the other consists; which makes God so often complain that all his worship is neglected or overthrown, …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Manner of Covenanting.
Previous to an examination of the manner of engaging in the exercise of Covenanting, the consideration of God's procedure towards his people while performing the service seems to claim regard. Of the manner in which the great Supreme as God acts, as well as of Himself, our knowledge is limited. Yet though even of the effects on creatures of His doings we know little, we have reason to rejoice that, in His word He has informed us, and in His providence illustrated by that word, he has given us to …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Tithing
There are few subjects on which the Lord's own people are more astray than on the subject of giving. They profess to take the Bible as their own rule of faith and practice, and yet in the matter of Christian finance, the vast majority have utterly ignored its plain teachings and have tried every substitute the carnal mind could devise; therefore it is no wonder that the majority of Christian enterprises in the world today are handicapped and crippled through the lack of funds. Is our giving to be …
Arthur W. Pink—Tithing

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Covenanting Sanctioned by the Divine Example.
God's procedure when imitable forms a peculiar argument for duty. That is made known for many reasons; among which must stand this,--that it may be observed and followed as an example. That, being perfect, is a safe and necessary pattern to follow. The law of God proclaims what he wills men as well as angels to do. The purposes of God show what he has resolved to have accomplished. The constitutions of his moral subjects intimate that he has provided that his will shall be voluntarily accomplished …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

A Sermon on Isaiah xxvi. By John Knox.
[In the Prospectus of our Publication it was stated, that one discourse, at least, would be given in each number. A strict adherence to this arrangement, however, it is found, would exclude from our pages some of the most talented discourses of our early Divines; and it is therefore deemed expedient to depart from it as occasion may require. The following Sermon will occupy two numbers, and we hope, that from its intrinsic value, its historical interest, and the illustrious name of its author, it …
John Knox—The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

The Covenant of Works
Q-12: I proceed to the next question, WHAT SPECIAL ACT OF PROVIDENCE DID GOD EXERCISE TOWARDS MAN IN THE ESTATE WHEREIN HE WAS CREATED? A: When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him upon condition of perfect obedience, forbidding him to eat of the tree of knowledge upon pain of death. For this, consult with Gen 2:16, 17: And the Lord commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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