John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 20:41

"As a sweet savor will I accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations." — Ezekiel 20:41 (ASV)

He continues the same sentiment, namely, that the people's worship would be acceptable when those who had formerly been deceived by their superstitions had renounced them and followed the law only. He uses the word “savor” according to the customary legal form, not because incense was pleasing to God, but because external ceremonies were not a futile discipline for the people when they retained the truth.

For surely, incense by itself is of no consequence, but God wished in a palpable manner to testify that he did not reject the sacrifices which he had commanded. Therefore, by these forms of speech, the Holy Spirit signifies that God was truly appeased when people approach him with sincere faith and repentance, desire to be reconciled, suppliantly pray for pardon through genuine confession of sin, and look up to Christ. This is the savor which Moses everywhere teaches was sweet to God.

But as the incense of the law was always sweet, so all others were offensive, as we have already seen. The Prophet, therefore, adds nothing new here but confirms his former teaching: that God delights in the pure and sincere worship of the faithful when they do nothing except what is according to his law.

Afterwards, he says, I will lead you out from the people, and will collect you from the lands through which you have been dispersed. He repeats the same words that were formerly used, but with a different meaning and purpose. For while he redeems both the hypocrites and his elect, the offered liberty does not benefit the hypocrites.

This is because, wherever they might dwell, their station was in the wilderness. Even in the heart of the land of Canaan they were exiles, their life was wandering, and they had no enjoyment of the promised inheritance, but wandered in the desert and through distant regions.

For although they lived in the midst of a crowd, yet their condition was such that God had deservedly threatened them with remaining in the wilderness of the Gentiles even until death. But now, when he speaks of the elect and the faithful, he makes a distinction between them and the hypocrites.

For a question might otherwise arise, since all were apparently alike: What was the significance of the promise that some should be exiles and others return to their inheritance? For Daniel never returned to his country, and there is no doubt that other pious worshipers of God were at the same time held back. But we know how sinful a multitude returned to Judea when the edict of Cyrus permitted them.

For afterwards, all were attentive to their own private business: the temple was neglected, God was defrauded of his first-fruits and offerings, they married strange wives, and mingled polygamy with their sacrifices (Haggai 1:4). We have already seen how sharply and severely the last three prophets inveigh against them. Since many returned to the land of Canaan in their unchanged state, though they would have been better off remaining in Chaldea, for this reason the Prophet directs his discourse to the elect. He says that they would not only be brought back but, when restored (as if by stealth), their worship would be pleasing to God in the land.

When, therefore, I shall have brought you forth, I shall be sanctified in you before the eyes of the Gentiles. God was in some sense sanctified in the wicked, because they became an illustrious specimen of his power when the Chaldeans were slain, and his temple was erected a second time.

But here the Prophet, as I have said, separates the elect from the reprobate, since God was sanctified in them in a special way when a new Church emerged again, in which piety, true religion, and holiness of life flourished. When, therefore, such a spectacle was offered to the eyes of the Gentiles, then God asserted his glory among his faithful ones. Lastly, these passages are to be read together: that he will be propitious to them, and will be pleased with their first-fruits and offerings, and he will be sanctified in the eyes of the Gentiles: as it is said in Psalm 114:2: When Israel went out of Egypt, Israel was God’s power, and Judea his sanctification, or sanctity.