Ezekiel 20:24 Study Bible: because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.

◄ Ezekiel 20:24 ►

For they did not practice My ordinances, but they rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, fixing their eyes on the idols of their fathers.

Study Bible

because they had not obeyed My ordinances
The phrase "because they had not obeyed My ordinances" highlights the Israelites' failure to adhere to God's decrees. The Hebrew word for "ordinances" is "מִשְׁפָּטַי" (mishpatay), which refers to judgments or laws that are meant to guide moral and ethical behavior. Historically, these ordinances were given to the Israelites as part of the covenant relationship with God, emphasizing justice and righteousness. The failure to obey these ordinances signifies a breach of this covenant, reflecting a deeper spiritual rebellion against God's authority.

but had rejected My statutes
"but had rejected My statutes" underscores a deliberate refusal to accept God's laws. The Hebrew term for "statutes" is "חֻקּוֹתַי" (chuqqotay), which often refers to decrees or prescribed tasks that may not always be understood by human reasoning but are to be followed out of obedience to God. This rejection indicates a willful disobedience and a turning away from the divine path set by God, which was meant to set Israel apart as a holy nation.

and profaned My Sabbaths
The phrase "and profaned My Sabbaths" points to the desecration of the Sabbath, a sacred day of rest and worship. The Hebrew root "חָלַל" (chalal) for "profaned" means to defile or pollute. The Sabbath was a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, a day to remember God's creation and deliverance. By profaning the Sabbath, the Israelites not only disrespected a holy day but also disregarded their unique identity as God's chosen people, showing a lack of reverence for His provision and sanctity.

and their eyes were set on the idols of their fathers
Finally, "and their eyes were set on the idols of their fathers" reveals the persistent idolatry that plagued Israel. The Hebrew word "עֵינֵיהֶם" (einehem) for "their eyes" suggests a focus or longing, indicating that the Israelites were drawn to the false gods worshiped by previous generations. This idolatry was a direct violation of the first commandment and represented a spiritual adultery, as they turned their devotion away from the one true God to lifeless idols. Historically, this pattern of idolatry led to moral decay and ultimately to the judgment and exile of the nation. This phrase serves as a warning against the dangers of allowing cultural or familial traditions to supersede the worship and commandments of God.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Ezekiel
A prophet during the Babylonian exile, tasked with delivering God's messages to the Israelites.

2. Israelites
The people of Israel, who were in exile due to their disobedience and idolatry.

3. Babylonian Exile
The period when the Israelites were taken captive by Babylon as a consequence of their rebellion against God.

4. Idols of their fathers
Refers to the false gods and idols that the ancestors of the Israelites worshipped, leading them away from the true God.

5. Sabbaths
The holy days set apart by God for rest and worship, which the Israelites had profaned by not observing them properly.

Teaching Points

Obedience to God's Laws
The Israelites' failure to obey God's laws serves as a warning to us today. We must strive to understand and follow God's commandments in our daily lives.

The Danger of Idolatry
Idolatry is not just the worship of physical idols but can also be anything that takes precedence over God in our lives. We must examine our hearts to ensure that God remains our primary focus.

The Importance of the Sabbath
Observing a day of rest and worship is crucial for spiritual renewal and maintaining a strong relationship with God. We should prioritize setting aside time for God amidst our busy schedules.

Generational Influence
The "idols of their fathers" remind us of the impact of generational sins and the importance of breaking cycles of disobedience in our families.

Repentance and Restoration
Despite the Israelites' failures, God's desire is always for repentance and restoration. We should seek God's forgiveness and strive to return to His ways when we fall short.

Bible Study Questions

1. How can we ensure that we are obeying God's laws in our daily lives, and what steps can we take to better understand His commandments?

2. What are some modern-day "idols" that might distract us from our relationship with God, and how can we guard against them?

3. In what ways can we observe a Sabbath rest in today's fast-paced world, and why is it important for our spiritual health?

4. How can we break free from negative generational patterns and set a new course for our families in alignment with God's will?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's forgiveness and restoration. How can this experience encourage you to seek repentance when you fall short?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Exodus 20:8-11
This passage outlines the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy, which the Israelites failed to observe, as mentioned in Ezekiel 20:24.

Deuteronomy 5:7-9
These verses warn against idolatry, a sin that the Israelites repeatedly fell into, as highlighted in Ezekiel 20:24.

Jeremiah 7:23-24
Jeremiah also speaks of the Israelites' disobedience and their tendency to follow their own stubborn hearts rather than God's commands.

Psalm 106:35-39
This psalm recounts the Israelites' mingling with other nations and adopting their idolatrous practices, similar to the accusations in Ezekiel 20:24.

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

Decrees, Desecrated, Despised, Executed, Fathers, Idols, Images, Judgments, Laws, Lusted, Observed, Orders, Ordinances, Performed, Polluted, Profaned, Rejected, Respect, Rules, Sabbaths, Statutes

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Ezekiel 20:24

6231 rejection of God

Ezekiel 20:1-44

7520 dispersion, the

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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