John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 20:32-33

"and that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, in that ye say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone. As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, will I be king over you:" — Ezekiel 20:32-33 (ASV)

Now God reveals what was in the minds of those elders who, along with the rest of the captives, came to the Prophet to inquire. It was a feeling of despair, since they thought nothing would be more useful to them than to revolt completely from God and to conform themselves to the customs and rituals of the Gentiles. For they found themselves especially hated by the pagan nations because they worshipped a unique God.

Therefore, since the law set them apart from all the rest of the world, they fostered the perverse intention of abandoning God’s worship and joining the Gentiles, so that they might escape that hatred and envy. For they hoped that those who had previously been hostile would then show themselves favorable.

Now God not only announces that He would not permit it, but He also declares with an oath, what you are thinking of shall not come to pass, since I will draw you back with a strong hand, and with an extended arm, and poured out wrath.

The meaning is this: although those miserable captives desired to throw off God’s yoke and to mix with the pagan nations, God would still honor His covenant and not allow them to be snatched away from Him. This is like a master who brings back his runaway slave, or like a prince who, though he could destroy the treacherous and rebellious, only chastises them so that they groan under harsh slavery. This is the full meaning.

But this passage deserves attention, because even today the same thought makes many anxious. For the profession of sincere piety distresses them, and so they yield to their desire for comfort, appeasing both themselves and others by conforming to the rest of the world and thereby avoiding humanity's hatred due to their religion.

Still others desire to escape from God in any way possible, because they perceive Him as hostile towards them, for the condition of the Church appears to them much worse than that of the world in general. And truly, just as God takes special care of the Church, so He also chastises its faults more severely.

We see then how He spares unbelievers and foreigners, as if He overlooks their crimes; meanwhile, His hand is always ready to chastise all who profess to be among the pious. But some would desire to say farewell to God, if they had the choice.

This is why I said we must pay attention to this passage. The Israelites thought that nothing would be better for them than to join the Gentiles and become like them in every respect. They imagined that in this way they would find relief, because God was more lenient towards the Gentiles than He had been towards them, and also because they perceived themselves as exposed to many dangers and troubles, harassed by attacks, and subject to daily threats.

Hence this perverse deliberation which is here rebuked: What arises in your mind, He says, shall not come to pass, because you say we shall be as the nations and the families of the earth. But we must also consider their aim, because the people’s folly was so great that they thought they would be free from God’s chastisements if they completely rejected all religion.

God therefore denies that He would permit it. Now a clearer explanation follows: As I live, He says, if I will not rule over you with a strong hand and a stretched-out arm; The meaning is this: when they had removed all other refuges, He would still be an avenger of His rights and His dominion, so as to compel them to return to Him, as we have said, and thus violently bring back the fugitives.

We now see the great foolishness of the people in thinking that the only remedy for their troubles was to turn away from true piety. Let us then be careful not to harden ourselves when God chastises us, nor desire to withdraw from His power and dominion.

Meanwhile, God shows that He will rule, but in a different way. We know with what compassion He treated His people and what patience He exercised towards them, even when they so often provoked His wrath.

He now announces that He would be the Lord, but with a strong hand and a stretched-out arm, meaning He would forget His former mercy and subject them to harsh bondage. This is like a master who, seeing that he cannot obtain voluntary obedience from his slaves, compels them to the galleys or other laborious work until they are half dead.

God declares that such will be the condemnation He will use against them, since they never benefited from either His mercy or pardon.