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Rebellious Israel Purged
20:1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the
fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the
elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat before
me.
20:2 Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,
20:3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say
unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire
of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired
of by you.
20:4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge
them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
20:5 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day
when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed
of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in
the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them,
saying, I am the LORD your God;
20:6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to
bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had
espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the
glory of all lands:
20:7 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the
abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the
idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
20:8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken
unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations
of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt:
then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to
accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of
Egypt.
20:9 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not
be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in
whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them
forth out of the land of Egypt.
20:10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land
of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
20:11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my
judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign
between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD
that sanctify them.
20:13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the
wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they
despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live
in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said,
I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to
consume them.
20:14 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not
be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought
them out.
20:15 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the
wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which
I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the
glory of all lands;
20:16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in
my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went
after their idols.
20:17 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying
them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
20:18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness,
Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe
their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
20:19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep
my judgments, and do them;
20:20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign
between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your
God.
20:21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me:
they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to
do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they
polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury
upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the
wilderness.
20:22 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my
name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of
the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
20:23 I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the
wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and
disperse them through the countries;
20:24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had
despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and
their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
20:25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not
good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
20:26 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they
caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb,
that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might
know that I am the LORD.
20:27 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of
Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in
this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have
committed a trespass against me.
20:28 For when I had brought them into the land, for the
which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they
saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they
offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the
provocation of their offering: there also they made their
sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.
20:29 Then I said unto them, What is the high place
whereunto ye go? And the name whereof is called Bamah unto
this day.
Rebellious Israel
Renewed
20:30 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith
the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your
fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?
20:31 For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons
to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all
your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of
by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I
will not be enquired of by you.
20:32 And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at
all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families
of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
20:33 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty
hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured
out, will I rule over you:
20:34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will
gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered,
with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with
fury poured out.
20:35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the
people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
20:36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness
of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the
Lord GOD.
20:37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I
will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
20:38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and
them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out
of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter
into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the
LORD.
20:39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord
GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter
also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy
name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
20:40 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the
height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the
house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there
will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings,
and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy
things.
20:41 I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I
bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the
countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be
sanctified in you before the heathen.
20:42 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall
bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the
which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.
20:43 And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your
doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe
yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have
committed.
20:44 And ye shall know that I am the LORD when I have
wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your
wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye
house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
Prophecy Against the
South
20:45 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
20:46 Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop
thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest
of the south field;
20:47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of
the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a
fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee,
and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched,
and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned
therein.
20:48 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled
it: it shall not be quenched.
20:49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not
speak parables? |
Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
