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Ezekiel 20 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
For a good part of my adult life, I chased after the hopes and dreams of man. I had my eyes set on the material pleasures and the finite comforts of this world. God’s plan was an afterthought. Although I believed, I wasn’t proactive in my cooperation alongside Christ. I walked away from Him and He let me. Many times in Scripture we read about God stepping back and letting the natural consequences of life cave in on His people. This is one of those times.
“As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord GOD, “Go, serve everyone his idols; but later you will surely listen to Me, and My holy name you will profane no longer with your gifts and with your idols.
Ezekiel 20:39 NASB
Go and serve your idols. It’s such a black and white statement. Why does God allow it? Why doesn’t He just stop it with His sovereign hand? The real question is, what kind of love is demanding, controlling, and manipulative?
Another central theme in Scripture is the division between hot and cold. God despises lukewarm. If you want to worship idols, then have at it! Sooner or later you will either destroy yourself or hurt so much that you come back and follow Him. But don’t say that you are worshiping God when you are clearly worshiping false idols. And don’t proclaim that you are following Jesus when you consistently follow yourself.
Look, everyone (including myself) is a sinner. But, there is a difference between cherishing our relationship with Jesus with fear and trembling and consistently going back to the filth of our sins. There is conviction and there is repentance. There is growth and fruit. There is sanctification even among those who stumble in their sin. That is completely different than professing to do something you have no interest in actually following through with. So, the question is, are you a poser? Have you been faking it?
Go serve your idols. Later, you will surely listen to God.