◄ Ezekiel 20:3 ►
"Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Have you come to inquire of Me? As surely as I live, I will not be consulted by you, declares the Lord GOD.
Study Bible
Son of man
This phrase is a frequent designation for Ezekiel, emphasizing his humanity and role as a representative of the people. In Hebrew, "ben adam" underscores the prophet's connection to mankind, highlighting the contrast between human frailty and divine authority. It serves as a reminder of the humility required in the prophetic office and the responsibility to convey God's message faithfully.

speak to the elders of Israel
The elders were leaders and representatives of the people, often involved in decision-making and spiritual guidance. Historically, they held significant influence within the community. By addressing the elders, God is directly engaging with those responsible for leading the nation, emphasizing the seriousness of the message and the accountability of leadership in guiding the people according to God's will.

and tell them
This directive underscores the role of the prophet as a mouthpiece for God. The Hebrew verb "amar" (to say or tell) indicates the transmission of a divine message. It highlights the importance of obedience in delivering God's word accurately and without alteration, reflecting the prophet's duty to communicate divine truth to the people.

This is what the Lord GOD says
The phrase establishes the authority and origin of the message. "Lord GOD" translates the Hebrew "Adonai Yahweh," combining the sovereign title "Adonai" with the personal name "Yahweh." This dual designation emphasizes both God's supreme authority and His covenant relationship with Israel. It assures the listeners that the message is not of human origin but from the Creator and Sustainer of the covenant.

Have you come to inquire of Me?
This rhetorical question challenges the sincerity and motives of the elders. The Hebrew verb "darash" (to inquire or seek) suggests a seeking of guidance or revelation. Historically, Israel often sought God's counsel, but their actions frequently contradicted their inquiries. This question exposes the disconnect between their outward religious actions and their inward rebellion, calling them to genuine repentance and alignment with God's will.

As surely as I live
This oath formula underscores the certainty and seriousness of God's declaration. It is a solemn affirmation of God's eternal existence and the truth of His words. In Hebrew culture, oaths were binding and sacred, and invoking God's life as a guarantee emphasizes the unchanging nature of His promises and judgments.

declares the Lord GOD
Reiterating the divine source of the message, this phrase reinforces the authority and reliability of the prophecy. The repetition of "Lord GOD" (Adonai Yahweh) serves to remind the audience of God's sovereignty and covenant faithfulness, assuring them that His words are both just and true.

I will not let you inquire of Me
This statement is a divine refusal, highlighting the consequences of persistent disobedience and insincerity. It reflects a moment of judgment where God withholds His guidance due to the people's unfaithfulness. This serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of genuine repentance and the danger of taking God's grace for granted. It calls the people to reflect on their relationship with God and the sincerity of their worship and obedience.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile, tasked with delivering God's messages to the Israelites.

2. Elders of Israel
Leaders and representatives of the Israelite community who approached Ezekiel to seek guidance from God.

3. The Lord GOD (Yahweh)
The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who speaks through Ezekiel.

4. Babylonian Exile
The period when the Israelites were exiled from their homeland and living in Babylon, a time of judgment and reflection.

5. Inquiring of God
The act of seeking divine guidance or answers, which the elders attempted to do through Ezekiel.
Teaching Points
Sincerity in Seeking God
God desires genuine hearts when we seek Him. The elders' insincere inquiry serves as a warning against superficial religious practices.

Consequences of Disobedience
The refusal of God to answer the elders highlights the consequences of persistent disobedience and rebellion against Him.

God's Sovereignty and Holiness
God's response underscores His sovereignty and the seriousness of approaching Him with reverence and sincerity.

Repentance and Restoration
True repentance is necessary for restoration. The elders needed to turn from their ways to receive guidance from God.

The Role of a Prophet
Ezekiel's role as a mediator between God and the people emphasizes the importance of faithful messengers in conveying God's truth.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does the response of God to the elders in Ezekiel 20:3 teach us about the importance of sincerity in our relationship with Him?

2. How can we ensure that our inquiries and prayers to God are genuine and not merely ritualistic?

3. In what ways does the context of the Babylonian exile influence the message delivered by Ezekiel in this passage?

4. How does the theme of disobedience and its consequences in Ezekiel 20:3 relate to other biblical accounts, such as Saul's account in 1 Samuel 28?

5. Reflect on a time when you sought guidance from God. How did your approach and heart attitude affect the outcome of your inquiry?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Jeremiah 29
This chapter also addresses the exiles in Babylon, emphasizing God's plans for them and the importance of seeking Him with a sincere heart.

Isaiah 1
Highlights the theme of God rejecting insincere worship and calls for genuine repentance and obedience.

1 Samuel 28
Saul's attempt to inquire of God and the consequences of his disobedience, illustrating the importance of a right relationship with God.

James 1
Discusses the importance of asking God for wisdom with faith and sincerity, contrasting with the insincere inquiry of the elders.
Sermons
A Rejected ApplicationJ.R. Thomson Ezekiel 20:1-4
Cherished Sin Disqualifies for PrayerEzekiel 20:1-4
On Inquiring of the LordW. Jones Ezekiel 20:1-4
The Elders Before EzekielBp. Harvey Goodwin.Ezekiel 20:1-4
Unacceptable PrayerJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 20:1-32
People
Ezekiel, Israelites, Jacob, Teman
Places
Babylon, Bamah, Egypt, Negeb
Topics
Affirmation, Declares, Directions, Elders, Enquire, Enquired, Hast, Inquire, Inquired, Responsible, Says, Seek, Sought, Sovereign, Speak, Surely, Thus
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 20:1-3

     7719   elders, as leaders

Ezekiel 20:1-44

     7348   defilement

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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