Ezekiel 20:19 Study Bible: I am the LORD your God: walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them;

◄ Ezekiel 20:19 ►

I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them.

I am the LORD your God
This phrase is a powerful declaration of identity and authority. The Hebrew word for "LORD" is "YHWH," often vocalized as Yahweh, which is the personal name of God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14. It signifies God's eternal, self-existent nature. The phrase "your God" emphasizes a personal relationship and covenant with the people of Israel. Historically, this declaration is a reminder of the covenant established at Sinai, where God chose Israel as His people. It underscores His sovereignty and the exclusive worship due to Him alone, rejecting idolatry and affirming His role as the one true God.

Walk in My statutes
The term "walk" in Hebrew is "halak," which implies a way of life or conduct. It suggests an ongoing, active engagement with God's laws. "Statutes" refers to decrees or ordinances given by God. In the ancient Near Eastern context, statutes were binding legal requirements. For Israel, these were not just legalistic rules but guidelines for living in a way that reflects God's holiness and justice. Walking in God's statutes is an expression of obedience and faithfulness, a call to live distinctively as God's people in a world filled with pagan practices.

and keep My ordinances
The word "keep" in Hebrew is "shamar," meaning to guard, observe, or give heed. It conveys a sense of vigilance and careful attention. "Ordinances" are specific laws or judgments, often related to justice and social order. In the biblical context, keeping God's ordinances was crucial for maintaining the covenant relationship and ensuring communal harmony. It reflects a commitment to uphold God's standards in every aspect of life, recognizing His wisdom and authority in establishing these laws.

and practice them
The phrase "practice them" emphasizes the application of God's statutes and ordinances in daily life. The Hebrew root "asah" means to do, make, or accomplish. It indicates that God's laws are not merely to be acknowledged intellectually but to be actively implemented. This practice is a demonstration of faith in action, showing that true belief in God is evidenced by obedience. Historically, this was a call for Israel to be a light to the nations, showcasing the righteousness and justice of God's ways through their conduct.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Ezekiel
A prophet during the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel was called by God to deliver messages of judgment and hope to the Israelites.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who were often rebellious and disobedient, leading to their exile.

3. Babylonian Exile
A period when the Israelites were taken captive by Babylon, serving as a backdrop for Ezekiel's prophecies.

4. God (Yahweh)
The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who desires obedience and relationship with His people.

5. Statutes and Ordinances
The laws and commands given by God to guide the moral and spiritual conduct of His people.

Teaching Points

Understanding God's Authority
Recognize that God identifies Himself as "the LORD your God," establishing His authority and right to command obedience.

The Call to Obedience
Emphasize the importance of walking in God's statutes and keeping His ordinances as a demonstration of faith and commitment.

Practical Application of Faith
Encourage believers to actively practice God's commands in daily life, not just acknowledge them intellectually.

The Blessing of Obedience
Highlight the spiritual and practical benefits of living according to God's laws, leading to a fulfilling and blessed life.

Reflecting God's Character
Understand that obedience to God's commands reflects His holiness and righteousness in our lives.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does recognizing God as "the LORD your God" influence your daily decisions and actions?

2. In what ways can you actively "walk in" God's statutes in your current life situation?

3. Reflect on a time when practicing God's ordinances brought about a positive change in your life. What did you learn from that experience?

4. How do the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament reinforce the call to obedience found in Ezekiel 20:19?

5. What practical steps can you take to ensure that you are not just a hearer of God's word, but a doer as well?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Deuteronomy 5:33
This verse emphasizes walking in God's ways for a prosperous life, echoing the call to obedience found in Ezekiel 20:19.

Psalm 119:1-3
Highlights the blessings of walking in God's law, similar to the call in Ezekiel to follow God's statutes.

John 14:15
Jesus speaks about the connection between love and obedience, which aligns with the call to keep God's ordinances.

Romans 2:13
Paul discusses the importance of being doers of the law, not just hearers, which complements the practice aspect in Ezekiel 20:19.

James 1:22-25
Encourages believers to be doers of the word, reinforcing the message of practicing God's commands.

Sermons

Unacceptable Prayer	J.D. Davies	Ezekiel 20:1-32
God, and Israel in the Wilderness	W. Jones	Ezekiel 20:10-26
The Memory of the Wilderness of the Wanderings	J.R. Thomson	Ezekiel 20:18-26

People

Ezekiel, Israelites, Jacob, Teman

Places

Babylon, Bamah, Egypt, Negeb

Topics

Careful, Decrees, Guided, Judgments, Laws, Observe, Orders, Ordinances, Rules, Statutes, Walk

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Ezekiel 20:1-44

5029 knowledge, of God
8402 claims

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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