Ezekiel told the people that they had blasphemed God. Today, we typically understand blasphemy as speaking evil of or slandering God.
However, the Hebrew concept has a broader meaning. In Hebrew, blasphemy includes showing disdain, disrespect, or contempt for God, not only through words but also through actions that reject His authority or treat Him with dishonor.
Here are three statements about blasphemy that fill out its meaning.
(1) We blaspheme God when we reject or refuse to accept His authority in our lives.
(2) Similar to our modern understanding, blasphemy in the Hebrew sense involves speaking against God in a way that violates His holiness. When we insult or disrespect His very nature, we are committing blasphemy against God.
(3) Humans blaspheme God when they directly challenge His holiness and authority, instead of living with reverence and respect for Him.
The following verses describe how the Israelites blasphemed God by acting treacherously against Him when they entered the Promised Land.
Therefore, mortal, speak to the house of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: In this again your ancestors blasphemed me by dealing treacherously with me.
For when I had brought them into the land that I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their pleasing odors, and there they poured out their drink offerings.
I said to them, “What is the high place to which you go? So it is called Bamah to this day.” (Ezekiel 20.27-29).
The nations surrounding Israel believed that their world was governed by various gods and that humans existed primarily to serve these deities. Serving the gods involved bringing offerings, including meals, to shrines and idols.
Instead of avoiding contact with the idols of the Canaanites, the Israelites served them just as their neighbors did. Rather than bearing witness to the one true God, they adopted the cultural practices of their neighbors and integrated these into their daily lives.
Not a Vending Machine
God is not a vending machine where we insert the right coins, pull the lever, and receive what we want. Nor can He be manipulated through any form of magic. God is absolutely sovereign in His dealings with creation.
The elders of Israel came to Ezekiel, seeking a word from God (Ezekiel 20:1). At the conclusion of this history lesson, God declares that their treacherous and blasphemous behavior has closed the door on their ability to consult Him about the future.
Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your ancestors and go astray after their detestable things?
When you offer your gifts and make your children pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be consulted by you (Ezekiel 20.30-31).
Knowing and Doing God’s Will
God is neither an impersonal vending machine nor an ineffective deity represented by an idol. He is not at humanity’s disposal. Instead, God is personal and deeply desires a meaningful relationship with each of us.
God values a genuine relationship with us more than simply giving us what we want.
When we approach Him with humility and a sincere desire to know and fulfill His will, He grants us understanding.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1.7)
The fools in Proverbs 1 believe they know it all and seek only to get what they want from God.
In contrast, a wise person approaches God humbly, saying, “Lord, I don’t know, but I trust that You know what is best for my life. I submit my will to Yours. Please guide me and give me the strength to accomplish what You reveal for me to do.”
God is the same today as He was in Ezekiel’s time. If we act like fools, attempting to manipulate Him, we will face His judgment.
But if we live in the fear of the Lord, coming to Him humbly and seeking His guidance with a heart to obey, we will receive His blessing.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 