Ezekiel 22:12
In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD. In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel belonged to a priestly family and prophesied among the captives of Israel between 595 and 574, beginning and closing his work a little later than Jeremiah. Before his work began God showed him His glory in wonderful visions and impressed His majesty upon him, so that having seen God he did not fear the face of man when sent to sinners among his own people. His message in this verse is part of his awful message of warning and reproof to those sinners among his own people. It belongs to the warnings uttered before the destruction of Jerusalem, in the part of the book occupied with correction, denunciation and reproof. It is both a rebuke of sin and an earnest appeal for God's people to turn back to Him.
The verse belongs to the prophet's account of the sins that led Israel into exile. Idolatry joined with Sabbath desecration brought the people into trouble and dispersion. Jerusalem is condemned here for taking gifts or bribes to shed blood, taking usury and increase, greedily gaining from neighbours by extortion, and forgetting God. Usury and extortion are condemned as sins here, alongside bribes and unjust gain.
In this verse usury means a premium or interest on money lent, not only exorbitant or unlawful interest. Taking interest and increase from those in need is condemned as oppressive gain. The taking of interest is thus linked with extortion and greed. The chapter shows the priests had been carried so far by pagan apostasy that they violated God's law and profaned His Sabbath day. Sun-worship brought Sunday as its worship day in place of the Sabbath of Jehovah, making paganism a complete rival system with its own priests, temples, forms of worship, and worship day. This marks it as the first division of Babylon.
The Sabbath breaking condemned here is one of the sins of Jerusalem. The violation it rebukes is moral failure rather than ceremonial failure. The verse teaches that sin must be forgiven, or it will be consumed. The chapter is God's description of the professed people of God in the last days. It speaks of the same time and people addressed in Isaiah 30:8-11, Ezekiel 13, and Jeremiah 6:9-19.
That people walk in violation of God's precepts and law, given to covetousness and false dealing. They are healed slightly with the cry of peace when there is no peace. They refuse to walk in the old paths and to hearken to God's warning, word, and law. They therefore face evil as the fruit of their thoughts.