John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 11:18

"And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence." — Ezekiel 11:18 (ASV)

Here he adds something more important—that when the Israelites had returned to their country, they would be sincere worshippers of God, and not only offer sacrifices in the temple but also purge the land of all its pollutions. Here also the Prophet admonishes them how great and detestable the impiety of the ten tribes was, because they had contaminated the land with idols.

He does not here allude to the idols of the Gentiles, but rather reproves the Israelites because they had contaminated the land, which had been dedicated to God, with their defilements. Therefore, the Prophet exhorted his countrymen to repentance when he shows that they were not cast out of the land before it was polluted, and consequently, that they were justly punished for their sacrilege.

This is one point. Afterwards, we must remark that we then truly and purely enjoy God’s blessings when we direct their use to the end that is here set before us: namely, pure and proper worship. We frequently encounter this teaching—that we have been redeemed by God so that we may celebrate his glory; that the Church was planted so that in it he may be glorified, and we may make known his attributes.

Therefore, let us learn that God’s benefits then result in our safety and are testimonies of his paternal favor when they move us to worship him. Thirdly, we must remark that we do not rightly discharge our duty towards God unless we purge his worship from all stain and defilement.

Many worship God in such a way that they corrupt with vicious mixtures whatever obedience they seem to render. Even to this day, those who consider themselves very wise are shamefully divided between God and the devil, as if they could satisfy God with half their allegiance. Therefore, let us learn from this passage that God abhors such deceivers; for when he says that the Israelites after their return should be devoted to piety, he indicates it by this mark—that they shall take away all their abominations, and all their idols from the land.