Rebellious
Israel
In
the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day,
Some
of the Elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord,
And
they sat down in front of me.
2
then the Word of the Lord came to me:
3
'Son of man, speak to the Elders of Israel and say to them,
'THIS
IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:
Have
you come to inquire of Me?
As
surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of Me,
Declares
the Sovereign Lord.'
4
'Will you Judge them?
Will
you Judge them, son of man?
THEN
CONFRONT THEM
WITH
THE DETESTABLE PRACTICES OF THEIR FATHERS
5
And say to them:
THIS
IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:
On
the day I chose Israel, I Swore with uplifted hand
To
the Descendants of the House of Jacob
And
revealed Myself to them in Egypt.
With
uplifted hand I said to them,
'I
AM THE LORD YOUR GOD.'
6
On that day I swore to them
That
I would bring them out of Egypt
Into
a Land that had searched out for them,
A
Land flowing with milk and honey,
THE
MOST BEAUTIFUL OF ALL LANDS.
7
And I said to them,
'EACH
OF YOU, GET RID OF THE VILE IMAGES
YOU
HAVE SET YOU EYES ON,
AND
DO NOT DEFILE YOURSELVES WITH THE IDOLS OF EGYPT.
I
AM THE LORD YOUR GOD.'
8
'But they Rebelled against Me
And
would not listen to Me;
THEY
DID NOT GET RID OF THE VILE IMAGES
THEY
HAD SET THEIR EYES ON,
NOR
DID THEY FORSAKE THE IDOLS OF EGYPT.
SO
I SAID I WOULD POUR OUT MY WRATH ON THEM
AND
SPEND MY ANGER AGAINST THEM IN EGYPT.
9
BUT FOR THE SAKE OF MY NAME
I
did what would keep it from being Profaned in the eyes
Of
the Nations they lived among
And
in whose sight I had revealed Myself to the Israelites
By
bringing them out of Egypt.
10
Therefore I led them out of Egypt
And
brought them into the desert.
11
I gave them My Decrees
And
made known to them My Laws,
FOR
THE MAN WHO OBEYS THEM WILL LIVE BY THEM.
12
ALSO I GAVE THEM MY SABBATHS AS A SIGN BETWEEN US,
SO
THEY WOULD KNOW THAT I THE LORD MADE THEM HOLY.
13
'Yet the people of Israel Rebelled against Me in the desert.
THEY
DID NOT FOLLOW MY DECREES
BUT
REJECTED MY LAWS--
ALTHOUGH
THE MAN WHO OBEYS THEM WILL LIVE BY THEM--
AND
THEY UTTERLY DESECRATED MY SABBATHS.
SO
I SAID I WILL POUR OUT MY WRATH ON THEM
AND
DESTROY THEM IN THE DESERT.
14
BUT FOR THE SAKE OF MY NAME
I
did what would keep it from being Profaned
In
the eyes of the Nations in whose sight
I
had brought them out.
15
Also with Uplifted hand I Swore t them in the desert
that
I would not bring them into the Land
I
had given them--
A
Land flowing with milk and honey,
MOST
BEAUTIFUL OF ALL LANDS--
16
BECAUSE THEY REJECTED MY LAWS
AND
DID NOT FOLLOW MY DECREES
AND
DESECRATED MY SABBATHS.
FOR
THEIR HEARTS WERE DEVOTED TO THEIR IDOLS.
17
Yet I looked on them with Pity
And
did not Destroy them
Or
put an end to them in the desert.
18
I said to their children in the desert,
'DO
NOT FOLLOW THE STATUTES OF YOUR FATHERS
Or
keep their laws or defile yourselves with their Idols.
19
I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD;
FOLLOW
MY DECREES AND BE CAREFUL TO KEEP MY LAWS.
20
KEEP MY SABBATHS HOLY,
THAT
THEY MAY BE A SIGN BETWEEN US.
THEN
YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD.'
21
BUT THE CHILDREN REBELLED AGAINST ME:
They
did not follow My Decrees,
they
were not careful to keep My Laws--
ALTHOUGH
THE MAN WHO OBEY THEM WILL LIVE BY THEM--
AND
THEY DESECRATED MY SABBATHS.
SO
I SAID I WOULD POUR OUT MY WRATH ON THEM
AND
SPEND MY ANGER AGAINST THEM IN THE DESERT.
22
But I withheld My Hand,
AND
FOR THE SAKE OF MY NAME
I
did what would keep it from being Profaned
In
the eyes of the Nations
In
whose sight I had brought them out.
23
Also with Uplifted Hand I Swore to them in the desert
That
I would Disperse them among the Nations
And
Scatter them through the Countries,
23
BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT OBEYED MY LAWS
BUT
HAD REJECTED MY DECREES
AND
DESECRATED MY SABBATHS,
AND
THEIR EYES LUSTED AFTER THEIR FATHERS' IDOLS.
25
I also gave them over to statutes
That
were not good and laws they could not live by;
26
I LET THEM BECOME DEFILED THROUGH THEIR GIFTS--
THE SACRIFICE OF EVERY FIRSTBORN--
THAT
I MIGHT FILL THEM WITH HORROR
SO
THEY WOULD KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.'
27
'Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel
And
say to them,
THIS
IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:
IN
THIS YOUR FATHERS BLASPHEMED ME
BY
FORSAKING ME:
28
When I brought them in to the Land
I
had Sworn to give them
And
they saw any high hill or any leafy tree,
THERE
THEY OFFERED THEIR SACRIFICES,
MAD
OFFERINGS THAT PROVOKED ME TO ANGER,
Presented
their Fragrant Incense
And
poured out their drink Offerings.
29
Then I said to them:
WHAT
IS THIS HIGH PLACE YOU GO TO?'
(It
is called Bamah to this day.)
(Ezekiel
20:1-29)
There
is always a Price for Disobeying the Lord.
America
will learn this the Hard way.
God
gave America a beautiful land
And
the American people have Defiled it.
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