Ezekiel 20:5 Study Bible: and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "In the day when I chose Israel, and swore to the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, 'I am the LORD your God';

◄ Ezekiel 20:5 ►

and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. With an uplifted hand I said to them, 'I am the LORD your God.'

Study Bible

On the day I chose Israel
This phrase marks a significant moment in biblical history, where God’s sovereign choice of Israel as His people is emphasized. The Hebrew root for "chose" is "בָּחַר" (bachar), which conveys a deliberate and purposeful selection. This choice is not based on Israel's merit but on God's grace and covenantal love. Historically, this refers to the time when God called Abraham and later confirmed His covenant with Isaac and Jacob, setting apart their descendants as His chosen nation. This divine election underscores the theme of God's faithfulness and the special relationship He initiated with Israel.

I swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob
Here, the act of swearing an oath highlights the seriousness and unbreakable nature of God's promises. The Hebrew word "נָשָׂא" (nasa) for "swore" indicates a solemn vow, often accompanied by a physical gesture, such as raising the hand. This covenantal promise to the "descendants of the house of Jacob" reaffirms the Abrahamic covenant, which was passed down through Isaac and Jacob, ensuring that God's promises would be fulfilled through their lineage. This phrase reminds believers of the reliability of God's word and His unwavering commitment to His people.

and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt
This part of the verse refers to God's self-revelation to the Israelites during their bondage in Egypt. The Hebrew root "יָדַע" (yada) for "made known" implies an intimate and experiential knowledge. In Egypt, God revealed Himself through mighty acts and miracles, such as the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea, demonstrating His power and desire to deliver His people. This revelation was not just about liberation but also about establishing a relationship with Israel as their God. It serves as a reminder of God's ability to intervene in human history and His desire to be known by His people.

I said to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.’
This declaration is a profound assertion of God's identity and His exclusive relationship with Israel. The phrase "I am the LORD" uses the divine name "Yahweh," which is derived from the Hebrew root "הָיָה" (hayah), meaning "to be." This name signifies God's eternal existence and unchanging nature. By stating "your God," the Lord emphasizes His personal and covenantal relationship with Israel, distinguishing Himself from the false gods of the surrounding nations. This statement is foundational for understanding the identity of God as the one true God who desires a personal relationship with His people, calling them to exclusive worship and obedience.

Persons / Places / Events

1. The Lord GOD (Yahweh)
The sovereign God who chose Israel and made a covenant with them.

2. Israel
The chosen people of God, descendants of the house of Jacob, whom God delivered from Egypt.

3. House of Jacob
Refers to the descendants of Jacob, also known as Israel, emphasizing their patriarchal lineage.

4. Egypt
The land where the Israelites were enslaved and from which God delivered them.

5. The Day of Choosing
The specific time when God chose Israel as His people and revealed Himself to them.

Teaching Points

God's Sovereign Choice
God chose Israel not because of their merit but because of His sovereign will and purpose. This reminds us of the grace inherent in God's calling.

Covenant Faithfulness
God's covenant with Israel is a testament to His faithfulness. As believers, we are called to trust in God's promises, knowing He is faithful to fulfill them.

Identity in God
The declaration "I am the LORD your God" establishes Israel's identity in relation to God. Similarly, our identity as Christians is rooted in our relationship with Christ.

Deliverance and Redemption
Just as God delivered Israel from Egypt, He delivers us from sin through Jesus Christ. This calls us to live in the freedom and new life He provides.

Revelation of God
God made Himself known to Israel, and He continues to reveal Himself to us through His Word and Spirit. We are encouraged to seek a deeper understanding of His nature and will.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does understanding God's choice of Israel enhance our appreciation of His grace in choosing us as believers?

2. In what ways can we see God's faithfulness in our own lives, similar to His covenant faithfulness to Israel?

3. How does our identity in Christ influence the way we live and interact with the world around us?

4. What are some "Egypts" in our lives from which God has delivered us, and how can we live in the freedom He provides?

5. How can we actively seek to know God more deeply, and what practices can help us grow in our relationship with Him?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Exodus 6
This chapter details God's promise to deliver Israel from Egypt, highlighting His covenant and the revelation of His name, Yahweh, to Moses.

Deuteronomy 7
This passage emphasizes God's choice of Israel as His treasured possession, not because of their size or strength, but because of His love and faithfulness to His covenant.

Psalm 105
This psalm recounts God's faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham and His deliverance of Israel from Egypt, celebrating His mighty works and promises.

Sermons

Unacceptable Prayer	J.D. Davies	Ezekiel 20:1-32
God, and Israel in Egypt	W. Jones	Ezekiel 20:5-9
The Memory of the Great Deliverance	J.R. Thomson	Ezekiel 20:5-9

People

Ezekiel, Israelites, Jacob, Teman

Places

Babylon, Bamah, Egypt, Negeb

Topics

Chose, Descendants, Egypt, Family, Fixing, Hast, Jacob, Lift, Lifted, Making, Myself, Oath, Revealed, Saying, Says, Seed, Sware, Swore, Thus, Uplifted

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Ezekiel 20:5

     1403   God, revelation
     1443   revelation, OT
     6183   ignorance, of God
     7141   people of God, OT
     8135   knowing God, nature of
     8650   hands, lifting up

Ezekiel 20:1-44

7348 defilement

Ezekiel 20:5-6

6640 election, privileges
7021 church, OT anticipations

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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