33 "As I live ," declares the Lord GOD , "surely e with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be king over you. 34 "I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered , with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out; 35 and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples , and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face . 36 "As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt , so I will enter into judgment with you," declares the Lord GOD . 37 "I will make you pass under the rod , and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant ; 38 and I will purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn , but they will not enter the land of Israel . Thus you will know that I am the Lord . 39 "As for you, O house of Israel ," thus says the Lord GOD , " Go , serve everyone his idols ; but later you will surely e listen to Me, and My holy name you will profane no longer with your gifts and with your idols . 40 "For on My holy mountain , on the high mountain of Israel ," declares the Lord GOD , "there the whole house of Israel , all of them, will serve Me in the land ; there I will accept them and there I will seek your contributions and the choicest of your gifts , with all your holy things . 41 "As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered ; and I will prove Myself holy among you in the sight of the nations . 42 "And you will know that I am the Lord , when I bring you into the land of Israel , into the land which I swore e to give to your forefathers . 43 "There you will remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil things that you have done . 44 "Then you will know that I am the Lord when I have dealt with you for My name's sake , not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds , O house of Israel ," declares the Lord GOD .' "
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 20:33-44
Commentary on Ezekiel 20:33-44
(Read Ezekiel 20:33-44)
The wicked Israelites, notwithstanding they follow the sinful ways of other nations, shall not mingle with them in their prosperity, but shall be separated from them for destruction. There is no shaking off God's dominion; and those who will not yield to the power of his grace, shall sink under the power of his wrath. But not one of God's jewels shall be lost in the lumber of this world. He will bring the jews to the land of Israel again; and will give them true repentance. They will be overcome with his kindness: the more we know of God's holiness, the more we see the hateful nature of sin. Those who remain unaffected amidst means of grace, and would live without Christ, like the world around them, may be sure it is the way to destruction.