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Learning Worship from Our Amazing God
Ezekiel 20:1-44
Introduction: The greatest challenge of scripture is to know God. We have been talking about “worship,” but worship is impossible without a knowledge of God. Everyone has an opinion about God. Nearly everyone, at least in the Western world, believes they know something about God. But most of the time, even among those who believe in Christ, the knowledge and understanding of God is woefully inaccurate.
The reason for the scriptures is to know God. If we were asked why it is so important to know God, I’m sure everyone of us would say, “We need to know him so we can please him and be saved.” That is certainly true, but that is not all. It is to our benefit that we know him so that we can be amazed by him. To know him is to know someone unlike any other. He is a one and only; there is no other like him.
Teresa and I visited the Biltmore this past week. The Biltmore reflects a man, George Vanderbilt. But mostly we are amazed at what he did, not who he was. Compared to what God has done, George Vanderbilt’s house is nothing. George Vanderbilt was just a man. He died at age 51. We would say today that it was a dumb way to have to die, complications from an appendectomy. But, as the flower of the field, he flourished and died just like every other human.
But knowing God is different from what any man has done. Yes, we are amazed at what God has done. But it is who he is that should be more amazing than anything else. And that is the problem. We tend to know far more about what he has done than who he is. This lesson is about bringing us a step closer to being amazed at who he is than simply knowing about what he has done.
- “Let them know the abominations of their fathers”
- Introduction to the book of Ezekiel and the 591 BC time frame.
- Ezekiel went into captivity in 597, the second Babylon invasion. in the fifth year of his exile, about 593, Ezekiel was called to preach to the exiles.
- The mental condition of the exiles was bleak and far from repentant, even considering the punishment they were enduring. (1) They still did not believe Jerusalem and the nation would fall. (2) They thought that they were the unlucky ones and those left behind were the fortunate. (3) They believed eventually they would return to their home. None of this was true.
- Therefore, Ezekiel was dealing with unrepentant exiles who desired to hear Ezekiel’s message, but maintained stubbornness of heart.
- Though written 2600 years ago, the text is still a present day challenge with strong applications for us.
- First, how easy is it to make a necessary changes in our daily routine? In other words, as with these exiles, how easy is it to change certain aspects of our lives to be in line with true worship – offering our bodies a living sacrifice?
- Second, how easy to be like Israel, an unrepentant people, unwilling to do the hard thing and make necessary changes, but know it is the Lord to whom they need to turn when they are in need.
- Introduction to the book of Ezekiel and the 591 BC time frame.
- Learning Worship from God’s Speech to the Exiles
- “I will not be inquired of by you!” (vs. 3). Therefore, Ezekiel’s charge in this text is to expose the abominations of the nation from the time God called them out of Egypt until the present day in captivity. His intention is to make it clear to them that from one generation to the next, the people followed the sins of their parents and refused to change. Nothing has changed. We can shake our heads at Israel, but we must acknowledge how difficult it is to change a lifestyle we grew up living.
- Verses 5-9 is the beginning of understanding God. The generation in Egypt: what a shock to discover that even in Egypt, when God offered to save them from their bondage and bring them to the best of all lands, they still kept their Egyptian idols, even though the Egyptian gods failed to save Egypt! Even in Egypt, God threatened to pour his wrath out upon them, but for the sake of his holy name, that it would not be profaned, he showed mercy on them. Please consider:
- Is it not baffling that they refused to dump their idols before leaving Egypt? The reason is simple. The idols kept secretly in their tents were “just in case” idols. Just in case God is not all-satisfying. Just in case God doesn’t take care of my needs. Just in case there are pleasures in which I want to indulge and God won’t let me. That was the reason for the calf.
- God was not just interested in Israel, he would have gladly destroyed them, he is interested in the whole world. Israel was to be the conduit through whom the world would be saved, but the failed their purpose.
- The vindication of God’s name is the primary theme of Ephesians. We have been called to live the the praise of his glory. That is what Israel refused to do.
- Verses 10-17 The first generation in the wilderness. Notice the gifts God gave the nation after their deliverance.
- Statutes and rules by which a person can do them and live. How wonderful! Is this how we view God’s statutes and rules?
- Sabbaths that distinguish them from other nations and gods. God gave his people rest. God’s “rest” for them went back to God’s intention in the Garden. God gave them rest so they might commune with him. What a gift! An all expenses paid day with God!
We might not think much about the Sabbaths they profaned since it isn’t our command today. But please think again. What was the purpose of the Sabbath? Spend time with God. It was to stop the pursuit of earthly things and take a day devoted to God every week. That was its purpose. How are we doing with that? Are we who have received the benefit of Christ spending less time with God today than was expected of Israel? Indeed! How appalling it is that there is a growing epidemic of churches, especially after covid, who are cutting down the amount of time of worshiping and studying together. And then we excuse it because we are too tired and too busy. - However, even this generation rejected God’s statutes and Sabbaths, and God again determined to pour out his wrath, but again spared them for his name sake. (Exodus 32, the calf & Moses)
- Verses 18-26 The second generation in the wilderness. Again, we may be surprised to discover that even this generation did not keep God’s rules and profaned his Sabbaths. This is certainly surprising. We would have thought that the generation that entered Canaan had learned from their wayward parents. But what was seemingly true on the outside was different from what God could see in secret. And again, God determined to destroy them, but for the sake of his name among the nations, he showed mercy. There are two principles we should notice in this text:
- God’s emphasis on commanding them to “be careful to obey my rules.” God had commanded that to this generation 18 times in the sermons of Moses in Deuteronomy. But they were not careful, and many today, even among Christians refuse to be careful.
- Verse 25 God said he gave them statutes and rules that were not good and would not give them life, such as, offering child sacrifice. The idea is that from the point of view of the nations, it would appear that Yahweh had given them “not good statutes and rules,” such as child sacrifice. This is the same principle that comes out of the command to us to “adorn the gospel” (Titus 2:10). The world interprets religion from the point of view of how the religious act and live. A Christian’s lifestyle tells the world that this must be what God has taught in his word. God apparently accepts this kind of behavior.
- Notice the repetition of the sequence of events in the first three periods:
- The graciousness of the Lord and the gifts of his statutes & Sabbaths. God always begins with grace, and even his rules are grace.
- The rebellion of Israel
- Yahweh’s anger and determination to pour out his wrath
- Yahweh withholds judgment for the sake of his holy name. Verse 17, “nevertheless, my eye spared them.” Behold the patience of God.
- Verses 27-31 The generation from the conquest of Canaan to the exiled present generation. Nothing had changed in their rebelliousness and therefore God will not be inquired of them. Indeed, how many times do people today live without respect for God and are not careful to obey his rules, and yet think they can walk before his throne and ask his blessings. We cannot take our filthy, unrepentant selves into the presence of the holy God!
- How easy to believe that “we are not like our fathers” when in fact our sins are the same, they have just been “repackaged” to look different. God was still not their passion, their “God.”
- How easy to follow the pattern of our fathers without reexamining the old paths, the original pattern and purpose, and therefore not recognize our sins or improper direction.
- How easy to believe that God is listening to our prayers when we know full well there are hidden sins in our lives.
- Our Amazing God Revealed
- At this point, what would be your prediction for the end of this text? It would be easy to think that God’s next words would be a prediction of their utter destruction. He has been patient long enough and his name has been profaned long enough. It is time to act! But we would be wrong.
- Verse 32 Israel had in their mind that they would be a nation who “changed gods.” They would be like all the other nations and worship “wood and stone.” And God said, “What is in your mind will never happen!” Do you know why it would never happen? Because God made promises to Abraham and David, and those promises were confirmed unconditionally. In other words, God promised regardless of how wicked mankind or Israel became. God would still bless the nations through the offspring of Abraham. He would still create a people who would give honor to his holy name.
- Verses 33-38 pictures how God would fulfill his promises. It would be through a combination of mercy and “wrath poured out.” Certainly, the rebels would not be spared, but he would deliver the rest with a mighty hand. God would cause them to “pass under the rod,” a picture of a shepherd using the rod to count, examine, and sort his sheep. Jesus said in John 10, “My sheep hear my voice.”
- When this happens, “You will know that I am the Lord.” Consider here the “mighty hand” of the Lord in this deliverance. At this point, God is no longer simply talking about the physical nation. This is the deliverance of all the nations, or all mankind. This “mighty hand” refers to the sacrifice of Jesus and the power of his resurrection from the dead. Indeed, when this happens, you will know that I am the Lord! The power of God is amazing. He took a defiled world and created a people to honor him.
- Verses 40-44 Notice the result of God’s mighty deliverance and wrath poured out.
- All the house of Israel will serve him. There will be none in the true Israel who will not serve him.
- His people offer their choicest gifts to him (is that what you do?) and they themselves become acceptable, sacrificial offerings to the Lord.
- “I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations.” God’s concern is not simply for Israel; it is for how the nations will see him. God’s plan was never to simply save Israel. His desire was to make Israel a “kingdom of priests” by which his name would be glorified in the world so that all men could be saved.
- Because of the graciousness of the Lord, we will remember our evil ways and loathe ourselves for all the evil we have done. Is that how you feel? The indication is that this remembrance and loathing of ourselves is ongoing, keeping us thankful and humble. Do you remember your evil ways and loathe yourself for what you have done? If not, you need to learn more about what God has done for you lest you be like the rebels.
- Finally, “You will know that I am the Lord when… I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds…” Now, did you expect that? Our amazing God did not deal with us according to our evil ways or corrupt deeds (of our past). Instead, it was for “his name’s sake.” Do you know what that means? It means he is too good, too wonderful, too precious to give us what we deserved. Instead, he has shown his amazing glory and character by not dealing with us according to our evil ways.
- What is our response? Love him with all your heart. Pursue him. Be careful to obey him.
Conclusion: The Lord gave this sermon to the captives to tell them that he would not be inquired by them because they continued to neglect him and follow the ways of their fathers. How sad would it be to know that the Lord wouldn’t listen to us. We simply must live and worship with the honor due his holy name.
Berry Kercheville