Daily Devotions
Ezekiel
"Multiplied disobedience"
Text: Ezekiel 5:7
THE INIQUITIES OF ISRAEL
The LORD listed the many sins of Israel. In all the prophetic books, God would raise the problem of Israel’s iniquity through His servants, the prophets. Ezekiel was just another oracle of the LORD.
“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
‘Because you have multiplied disobedience
more than the nations that are all around you,
have not walked in My statutes nor kept My judgments,
nor even done according to the judgments
of the nations that are all around you.'”
Ezekiel 5:7
1. The sin of multiplied disobedience.
a) Disobedience
i) This was the sin of the first king of Israel, Saul.
ii) He was rebuked sternly by the prophet-judge, Samuel.
iii) Disobedience was linked to rebellion.
iv) Rebellion was likened to the sin of witchcraft.
v) Stubbornness was likened to iniquity and idolatry (1 Samuel 15:22-23).
b) Multiplied disobedience
i) The sinful state of Israel in subsequent years was far worse than that of king Saul.
ii) Their disobedience was compared to Gentile nations.
iii) Israel’s sins were graver and greater than that of enemy Gentile nations.
2. What Israel had not done.
a) Committing of sins is called “transgressions”.
i) Breaking the Laws of God.
ii) Transgression was done deliberately.
b) Omitting to do what God requires is called “sin”.
i) It had not walked in God’s statutes.
ii) It had not kept God’s judgments.
iii) It had not done what Gentile nations sometimes tried to uphold as their understanding as justice.
iv) Israel was worse than some of the Gentile nations.