God stops His people’s intent to be “like the nations,” warning them that their plan to serve idols will not succeed.
“And that which comes into your mind will not come about, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the tribes of the lands, serving wood and stone.’” (v.32) The prophet Ezekiel delivered this message to the Jewish exiles in Babylon around 597 BC, during a time when they yearned to blend into surrounding cultures rather than remain distinct under God’s covenant. In their hearts, as Ezekiel reveals, they desired to worship foreign gods instead of remaining faithful to the LORD. This refusal to obey His commands and the urge to adopt worldly ways echoed Israel’s longstanding struggle with idolatry—God had previously threatened to destroy them for their unfaithfulness (Ezekiel 20:15-17). But that which comes into your mind, says the LORD through Ezekiel, will not come about, emphasizing that He would not allow His chosen people to fully merge with pagan nations.
By declaring We will be like the nations, the Israelites expressed a resolve to abandon their role as a holy people set apart for God (Exodus 19:4-6). This attitude reflected the same idolatrous tendencies repeatedly exposed in their history, as they clung to wood and stone—false gods that led them astray, brought judgment, and continually sparked the LORD’s jealousy (Amos 5:21 commentary notes Israel’s consistent idolatry, referencing Ezekiel 20:7-26). Ezekiel, living among the deported community in Babylon, warned them that God would thwart any pursuit of conformity with gentile nations. Though His people might turn their hearts to false worship, God’s plan was to preserve them and bring them back to Himself, refusing to give them over to permanent assimilation or destruction.
This passage reminds readers that God’s children remain under His sovereign hand and calls them to unwavering devotion despite temptation to live like the world around them.
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Ezekiel 20:32 meaning
“And that which comes into your mind will not come about, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the tribes of the lands, serving wood and stone.’” (v.32) The prophet Ezekiel delivered this message to the Jewish exiles in Babylon around 597 BC, during a time when they yearned to blend into surrounding cultures rather than remain distinct under God’s covenant. In their hearts, as Ezekiel reveals, they desired to worship foreign gods instead of remaining faithful to the LORD. This refusal to obey His commands and the urge to adopt worldly ways echoed Israel’s longstanding struggle with idolatry—God had previously threatened to destroy them for their unfaithfulness (Ezekiel 20:15-17). But that which comes into your mind, says the LORD through Ezekiel, will not come about, emphasizing that He would not allow His chosen people to fully merge with pagan nations.
By declaring We will be like the nations, the Israelites expressed a resolve to abandon their role as a holy people set apart for God (Exodus 19:4-6). This attitude reflected the same idolatrous tendencies repeatedly exposed in their history, as they clung to wood and stone—false gods that led them astray, brought judgment, and continually sparked the LORD’s jealousy (Amos 5:21 commentary notes Israel’s consistent idolatry, referencing Ezekiel 20:7-26). Ezekiel, living among the deported community in Babylon, warned them that God would thwart any pursuit of conformity with gentile nations. Though His people might turn their hearts to false worship, God’s plan was to preserve them and bring them back to Himself, refusing to give them over to permanent assimilation or destruction.
This passage reminds readers that God’s children remain under His sovereign hand and calls them to unwavering devotion despite temptation to live like the world around them.