John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 20:12

"Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Jehovah that sanctifieth them." — Ezekiel 20:12 (ASV)

Besides the law, God here commends His Sabbaths, which we know to be only a part of His law. Indeed, whoever compares the commandments one by one will at first sight perceive more weight in others than in the fourth. For what is the meaning of that commandment, "You shall not have any strange god"?

"You shall not make any idols?" Afterwards, "Do not take God’s name in vain?" (Exodus 20:3, 4, 7; Deuteronomy 5:7, 8, 11.) I answer that the Prophet takes one precept of the law to better explain what I have previously mentioned: namely, that the law was given to the Israelites to bind them more and more to their benefactor.

For God was unwilling to cast them away after redeeming them, but He testified by His law that He would be the guide of their whole life. Still, the Prophet looked further, meaning that the law consisted not only of the commandments but embraced the whole grace of God, on which the adoption of the nation depended.

For if God had simply commanded either one thing or another, it would not have been easy to perceive and taste His goodness. Why so? Because when He calls upon us to discharge a duty, everyone feels that a greater burden is imposed on him than he can bear.

Even if the promise should entice us by its sweetness—he who does these things shall live in them;—yet when we try, we are deficient because we are destitute of all power. But the Prophet means that something else was intended by the Sabbath, that the Israelites might acknowledge themselves separated by God, so as to experience Him as their Father in all things.

Hence, though the precepts of the law were somewhat distasteful; yet, as the fourth commandment has in it a gratuitous promise, it has a different savor, since the people thus recognizes itself as elected by God for a special nation; and this the Prophet sufficiently expresses by the word sanctifying, for it means that the people were separated from the profane nations to be God’s special inheritance.

If anyone wishes to render "sanctify" by one word, it will be "to separate." But the meaning of separation ought to be explained. How, then, did God separate a certain people from the whole world? Why, by promising to Abraham that He would be a God to his seed (Genesis 22:17).

Then He could not otherwise be their God than by gratuitously loving His elect, by regenerating them by His Spirit, and becoming propitious and easily entreated: and besides, a single people could not be separated from others without a mediator. For separation cannot last unless the people be united to God; and what bond of union is there without a mediator?

Now, therefore, we understand why the Prophet speaks of the Sabbath, since he had previously commended the whole law, of which the Sabbath was a part, namely, because it displayed God’s gratuitous adoption; and at the same time the Israelites might acknowledge that the way of approach to God was open to them, and He was rendered placable; then that they were not adopted in vain, but were sought by God, that He should renew them by His Spirit, and rule the whole course of their life.

It was, then, the greatest ingratitude to break the Sabbath, as will be said later. But this passage teaches that God was not pleased with the people’s quiet or ease when He commanded them to keep the seventh day holy, but He has another intention. From this we gather that that precept was shadowy: for there are some things which please God of themselves and must be performed, but others have a different object.

For to worship one God, to abominate idols, to use God’s name reverently, these things are, as I have said, the simple duties of piety in themselves: so the honor which sons pay to their parents is a duty pleasing to God in itself, like chastity, abstinence, and the like.

But Sabbaths do not please God simply and by themselves. We ought, therefore, to look for another purpose if we wish to understand the reason for this precept. And so Paul says that Sabbaths were shadows of those things of which Christ is the substance (Colossians 2:16, 17.) This, therefore, is one point.

Ezekiel is not the first who says so, though he took it from Moses; for though Moses does not clearly say in so many words that the Sabbath was the symbol of sanctification, yet he afterwards shows this to be its object (Exodus 31:13, 14), and that God commanded the people to rest on the seventh day with this intent.

Moses then himself shows that the command had another object, which Ezekiel interprets for us; but the matter is made much clearer in the Gospel, since in Christ the truth and substance of this precept is set forth, which Paul calls the body.

I have, then, sufficiently explained this object, namely, that the Israelites might know God to be their sanctifier.

But if we desire to understand the matter better, we ought first to lay it down that the Sabbath was the sign of mortification. God, therefore, sanctifies us; because when we remain in our natural state, we are there mixed with others and have nothing different from unbelievers: hence, therefore, it is necessary to begin by dying to ourselves and the world, and by exercising self-denial; and this depends on the grace of God.

But I perceive that I cannot complete the subject today, so I shall put it off till tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, since You have not only deigned to bestow upon us a rule for living rightly, but have so shown Yourself our Father in Christ as to be prepared to engrave Your law in our inward parts: Grant, I pray You, that we may not cast away that inestimable blessing through either ingratitude or sloth; but may we offer up ourselves to You as a sacrifice. And then so pardon us that our infirmities may not hinder us from finding You always propitious whenever we fly to Your mercy in Christ, Your only-begotten Son. — Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

We said in yesterday’s lecture that God’s Church was separated from the profane nations that He might regenerate it by His Spirit: we said also that the Sabbath was a proof of this favor; but now a confirmation of this teaching must be added. This is easily gathered from the institution of the Sabbath, when God is said to have rested from His work on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2; Exodus 20:11 and 31:17; Deuteronomy 5:14).

Now there is no doubt that He wished to bring the faithful to imitate His example: it follows, then, that rest was enjoined upon the ancient people, that they should each rest from their works and so conform themselves to God’s example.

For we are said to rest from our works when we are dead to ourselves; and allow ourselves to be governed by God’s Spirit, when we live in Him, and He in us.

Now, therefore, we see that the grace of regeneration was promised to the ancient people when God consecrated the seventh day; and the Apostle also shows this in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where he treats of the true and lawful use of the Sabbath and refutes the gross supposition with which the Jews were imbued, that God was properly worshipped by an outward rest (Hebrews 4:5). He shows them that it was only an outward symbol and that it contained a spiritual mystery.

It now follows, as I lately touched on it, that the Sabbath was a sacrament, since it was a visible figure of an invisible grace. And this also is expressed with sufficient clearness by the Prophet when he says, the Sabbath was given for a sign.

By this word, therefore, he shows that regeneration was promised to the ancient people; and (if I may use the expression) by a "visible word," since God not only spoke, but wished some symbol or pledge or mark of His promise to be perpetual.

The phrase "between me and you" must be noticed, from which we gather that there is a mutual agreement in the sacraments, by which God binds us to Himself, and we mutually pledge our faith.

And so also their foolishness is refuted who think the sacraments are nothing but marks of outward separation: for if the sacraments concern only the profession of faith, it is inconsistent with the Prophet’s teaching that they are a mutual and reciprocal sign (as I may express it), since God requires faith on the part of His people, and He promises in return what He witnesses and prefigures by an outward sign.