John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 20:39

"As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Go ye, serve every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me; but my holy name shall ye no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols." — Ezekiel 20:39 (ASV)

Now again God expressly testifies that he rejects the Israelites because they corrupted the pure worship of the law with their mixtures. For we said that they were deceived by a futile notion when they thought God was pleased with their obedience, while they worshipped him only half-heartedly. When they accumulated fabrications, they thought this diligence would be pleasing to God, because they claimed to acknowledge the true God as their redeemer.

Here again he announces that he rejects all partial worship, since he wished to have their entire affections and to admit no rival. Now, he says, O house of Israel, thus says Jehovah, Go each of you and serve your idols, just as if he would expel them from his family.

And yet we see that they were always under his dominion; and thus some kind of inconsistency arises when God rejects them from his rule, and yet retains them as his own. But the liberty which is now granted is to show them that it is futile to worship God partially.

This passage is particularly remarkable, since even now many are deceived. They rely on their own inventions and think that they best fulfill their duty towards God when they partially obey his commandments, and then accumulate a great heap of superstitions, partly received from their fathers and partly fabricated by themselves.

Again, scarcely one in a hundred will be found who does not think it better to worship God partially than to devote themselves entirely to idols. This indeed is true as far as humanity is concerned, for the impiety is more foul and detestable when people openly reject God, separate themselves from him, and devote themselves to idols, than if they partly worshipped God and partly idols.

But in the meantime, we see that God declares that he cannot tolerate this profanation. We must diligently note the reason that is added.

For when gross and palpable impiety is practiced, God’s name is not so profaned as when clever people reconcile the pure worship of God with superstitions.

For this reason, that monstrous Indecision was in God’s sight worse than the papacy. And why is this so?

For although the papists profane God’s name, their folly is now so exposed that it openly appears they are idolaters. That invention, however, mixed darkness with light and infected pure doctrine with its leaven.

Therefore, God here exclaims that he could not endure this deception when people claim to worship him while defiling themselves with superstitions. This is because sacrilege is added to impiety, and both are the result of hypocrisy. The rest tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, since you have once redeemed us by the death of your only-begotten Son, that we may not interrupt the course of your favor by our ingratitude. May we so proceed in obedience to your Gospel that we may be brought at length to the perfection of that grace which has commenced within us, and may proceed more and more every day in true piety, until at length we are gathered into your heavenly kingdom and enjoy the inheritance promised and obtained for us by the same Christ our Lord. — Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

We yesterday saw the reason why God prefers that people should be entirely devoted to their superstitions rather than mingle them with the semblance of true piety, since this is merely a profanation of his holy name.

He wishes to be kept separate from all idols. Hence, it is not surprising that he loosens the reins for the Israelites, so that they should cast themselves entirely on their idolatries.

And he repeats again what he had said: that his name was profaned by gifts and idols, since the unbelievers pretended to worship him, but at the same time transferred his glory to idols.

Hence, he does not allow himself to be trifled with in this way. So, wherever offerings and idols occur together, we should notice that all mixtures by which the pure simplicity of lawful worship is corrupted are condemned.