Then came the word of the LORD to Ezekiel among the captives in Babylonia by the river Chebar, while Jeremiah prophesied in Jerusalem, as part of the warnings of correction and reproof given before the destruction of Jerusalem. It begins the recounting of the steps that led Israel into trouble and dispersion, that idolatry joined with Sabbath desecration brought exile, and that when Israel went into idolatry before the Babylonian captivity it gave very little regard to the Sabbath. It shows that God's proving of Israel concerning the Sabbath, begun with the fall of manna, continued through the whole forty-year wilderness period, during which the people to a very alarming extent continued to violate the Sabbath, making a calf and rejoicing in the works of their own hands until He gave them up to worship the host of heaven, the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of Remphan. It opens a word that reveals the importance of the Sabbath as a sign that Israel might know the One who sanctified them, that their God was Creator and Redeemer, given not as a precept imposed on account of unrighteousness and not making the Sabbath Jewish only, late in origin, or a memorial of the flight out of Egypt, but because Israel was the only people that acknowledged the Creator while the nations worshiped false gods. The Father most solemnly enjoined the Sabbath in the prophets, proving He never lightly esteemed it from its sanctification in Paradise, so that Jesus in healing on the Sabbath only followed what had ever been the Father's pleasure to do, and the unfaithfulness it records was recalled by Nehemiah and remains a warning, for the apostasy, persecution of the faithful, and captivity it describes repeats itself as a parallel to the Dark Ages persecution by the apostate church in the Christian era.
Prophetic Setting and History
Ezekiel's prophetic work among Israel's captives began around 595 B.C. and continued until about 574 B.C. The verse belongs to the first twenty chapters describing his ministry as God's mouthpiece among the captives in Babylonia by the river Chebar, while Jeremiah prophesied in Jerusalem. It begins a word of the LORD belonging to the prophetic warnings uttered before the destruction of Jerusalem, occupied with correction, denunciation and reproof, teaching that sin must be forgiven or it will be consumed.
It introduces the prophet's account of the steps that led Israel into exile, in which idolatry joined with Sabbath desecration brought the people into trouble and dispersion. It begins the word of the Lord recounting how Israel in the wilderness made a calf and offered sacrifice to the idol and rejoiced in the works of their own hands, and because they refused to worship God He turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven and figures made to represent the heavenly bodies, including the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of Remphan. It shows that God's work of proving Israel concerning the Sabbath, begun with the fall of manna, continued during the whole forty-year wilderness period, and that during all that time the Hebrew people to a very alarming extent continued to violate the Sabbath of the Lord.
Sabbath Meaning and Warning
Ezekiel 20:2 introduces a chapter that reveals the importance of the Sabbath and presents God as both Sanctifier and Redeemer. It opens a word from the Lord showing why the Sabbath was made a sign to Israel, that they might know the One who sanctified them, that their God was the Creator, not as a precept imposed on account of unrighteousness. It introduces the word of the LORD that holds up the Sabbath as a sign between God and Israel, which does not make the Sabbath Jewish only, late in origin, or a memorial of the flight out of Egypt. The Sabbath was a sign between God and Israel because Israel was the only people on earth that acknowledged the Creator while the nations around worshiped false gods, so God fittingly gave His own people the day that confesses faith in the Maker of heaven and earth and in His six-day work followed by rest on the seventh day. The verse shows that the Father most solemnly enjoined observance of the Sabbath in the prophets, proving He never lightly esteemed the Sabbath from the time it was sanctified in Paradise. That prophetic command joins the law in establishing the Sabbath's authority, so Jesus in healing on the Sabbath was only following what had ever been the pleasure of the Father to do, not overthrowing the Sabbath.
The verse opens a word from the Lord showing that when Israel went into idolatry before the Babylonian captivity it gave very little regard to the Sabbath. The chapter the verse opens is cited as an example of Israel's past unfaithfulness, which Nehemiah recalled when warning the people that profaning the Sabbath had brought God's judgment upon their ancestors. The chapter the verse opens shows the Dark Ages of the Jewish church, when apostasy in idolatry prevailed, the faithful were persecuted, and judgment followed in the captivity of the Jews. That history repeats itself as a warning and parallel to the Dark Ages persecution by the apostate church in the Christian era.
The verse opens the account of God's dealings with Israel, and that account establishes faith in the truth and strengthens those who read and study it in worship from Genesis to Ezekiel.
Then came the word of the LORD to Ezekiel among the captives in Babylonia by the river Chebar, while Jeremiah prophesied in Jerusalem, as part of the warnings of correction and reproof given before the destruction of Jerusalem. It begins the recounting of the steps that led Israel into trouble and dispersion, that idolatry joined with Sabbath desecration brought exile, and that when Israel went into idolatry before the Babylonian captivity it gave very little regard to the Sabbath. It shows that God's proving of Israel concerning the Sabbath, begun with the fall of manna, continued through the whole forty-year wilderness period, during which the people to a very alarming extent continued to violate the Sabbath, making a calf and rejoicing in the works of their own hands until He gave them up to worship the host of heaven, the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of Remphan. It opens a word that reveals the importance of the Sabbath as a sign that Israel might know the One who sanctified them, that their God was Creator and Redeemer, given not as a precept imposed on account of unrighteousness and not making the Sabbath Jewish only, late in origin, or a memorial of the flight out of Egypt, but because Israel was the only people that acknowledged the Creator while the nations worshiped false gods. The Father most solemnly enjoined the Sabbath in the prophets, proving He never lightly esteemed it from its sanctification in Paradise, so that Jesus in healing on the Sabbath only followed what had ever been the Father's pleasure to do, and the unfaithfulness it records was recalled by Nehemiah and remains a warning, for the apostasy, persecution of the faithful, and captivity it describes repeats itself as a parallel to the Dark Ages persecution by the apostate church in the Christian era.
Prophetic Setting and History
Ezekiel's prophetic work among Israel's captives began around 595 B.C. and continued until about 574 B.C. The verse belongs to the first twenty chapters describing his ministry as God's mouthpiece among the captives in Babylonia by the river Chebar, while Jeremiah prophesied in Jerusalem. It begins a word of the LORD belonging to the prophetic warnings uttered before the destruction of Jerusalem, occupied with correction, denunciation and reproof, teaching that sin must be forgiven or it will be consumed.
It introduces the prophet's account of the steps that led Israel into exile, in which idolatry joined with Sabbath desecration brought the people into trouble and dispersion. It begins the word of the Lord recounting how Israel in the wilderness made a calf and offered sacrifice to the idol and rejoiced in the works of their own hands, and because they refused to worship God He turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven and figures made to represent the heavenly bodies, including the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of Remphan. It shows that God's work of proving Israel concerning the Sabbath, begun with the fall of manna, continued during the whole forty-year wilderness period, and that during all that time the Hebrew people to a very alarming extent continued to violate the Sabbath of the Lord.
Sabbath Meaning and Warning
Ezekiel 20:2 introduces a chapter that reveals the importance of the Sabbath and presents God as both Sanctifier and Redeemer. It opens a word from the Lord showing why the Sabbath was made a sign to Israel, that they might know the One who sanctified them, that their God was the Creator, not as a precept imposed on account of unrighteousness. It introduces the word of the LORD that holds up the Sabbath as a sign between God and Israel, which does not make the Sabbath Jewish only, late in origin, or a memorial of the flight out of Egypt. The Sabbath was a sign between God and Israel because Israel was the only people on earth that acknowledged the Creator while the nations around worshiped false gods, so God fittingly gave His own people the day that confesses faith in the Maker of heaven and earth and in His six-day work followed by rest on the seventh day. The verse shows that the Father most solemnly enjoined observance of the Sabbath in the prophets, proving He never lightly esteemed the Sabbath from the time it was sanctified in Paradise. That prophetic command joins the law in establishing the Sabbath's authority, so Jesus in healing on the Sabbath was only following what had ever been the pleasure of the Father to do, not overthrowing the Sabbath.
The verse opens a word from the Lord showing that when Israel went into idolatry before the Babylonian captivity it gave very little regard to the Sabbath. The chapter the verse opens is cited as an example of Israel's past unfaithfulness, which Nehemiah recalled when warning the people that profaning the Sabbath had brought God's judgment upon their ancestors. The chapter the verse opens shows the Dark Ages of the Jewish church, when apostasy in idolatry prevailed, the faithful were persecuted, and judgment followed in the captivity of the Jews. That history repeats itself as a warning and parallel to the Dark Ages persecution by the apostate church in the Christian era.
The verse opens the account of God's dealings with Israel, and that account establishes faith in the truth and strengthens those who read and study it in worship from Genesis to Ezekiel.