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When called upon to separate themselves from their own idols and those of Egypt, they refused. The anger of the Lord was kindled against them to such a degree that He was ready to punish them while they were still in Egypt. Eze. 20:8 However, because of His nameís sake, He did not follow through with the feelings of His heart but continued to bless them by delivering them from Egypt and taking them into the wilderness. Eze. 20:9-10
In the wilderness He instructed them in the way that He would have them go by giving them the Law, a code of life whereby they would be blessed of the Lord. They continued with a spirit of rebellion until once again it was in the mind of the Lord to destroy them. Again He refrained from following through on the thoughts of His heart. For His great nameís sake and in compassion He spared them by not making a complete end of them. Here He made the decision not to allow the generation of those who came up, out to Egypt to enter into the land of promise. Therefore, they wandered in the wilderness and only their children were led into the land preserved for them by the Lord. Eze. 20:11-17
The second generation, the children raised in the wilderness, knowing and seeing all that had taken place, instead of understanding the cause of all the problems of their parents, followed in the same pattern of rebellion. Through their actions they brought upon themselves the judgments of the Lord. The will of the Lord was to have a people who would worship Him and in so doing would reap the benefits of life, both natural and spiritual. Their trespasses and refusal to do the will of the Lord were acts of self corruption and destruction. Eze. 20:18-26
In spite of all the things which were done against the will of the Lord, He brought them into the land of promise. They immediately polluted the land with their heathenish offerings and worship. When the Lord inquired of them concerning the high place used for sacrifices and offerings they called it Bamah. Eze. 20:27-29 The Lord offered them gifts, a way of life orchestrated by the Lord. One with the fullness of blessing resting upon them, but that stubborn spirit prevailed. It is not that they were not a religious people, for the testimony of the Lord is consistently against their offerings offered to other gods and their false worship of the same. Because of their persistence in disregarding the ways of the Lord, He felt no responsibility, nor compulsion, to take time to respond to their seeking after Him, at this time. Eze. 20:30-31.