Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries…Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers. Ezekiel 12:15; 20:42
The phrase above occurs seventy-seven times in the Bible: nine in Exodus, one in Deuteronomy, two in 1 Kings, one in Isaiah, and one in Joel. The other sixty-three are in Ezekiel. Every instance connects what the Lord’s deeds, whether blessings or punishments to the recipients coming to know that God is the Lord.
With this in mind, we see that one of the primary aims of Ezekiel is to show Israel, Judah, the nations around them, and all who believe the Bible to be God’s word that God is the Lord. This understanding is crucial as it forms the foundation of our worldview which ultimately generates our character. Grasping this principle also helps us to push back on the outlandish claims of atheists and agnostics who call God’s character into question over His handling of the wicked, particularly in events such as the exodus from Egypt, the cleansing of Canaan, and the captivities of Israel and Judah to Assyria and Babylon respectively. In short, this is part of the big picture view that helps us grasp God’s overarching purpose in carrying out those hard punishments. It was more than punitive justice, it was also crucial to the ushering in of the Messiah to make atonement for sin, without which every accountable human being stands eternally condemned (Romans 6:23).
From the outset, we see this principle borne out and God’s good name vindicated in these passages. In Exodus 5:22-6:8, Moses asked the Lord why He sent him to Egypt because Pharaoh had since made things worse on the children of Israel. God responded that He is the Lord, and He would rescue them “…with an outstretched arm and with great judgments…Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” (6:6-7). In verse 8, He anchored this promise to His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Exodus 7:5 shows these events were also to enlighten the Egyptians that they may know that God is the Lord. In Joshua 2:8-13, we see the extent of His wisdom in these events as Rahab, a pagan woman in a godless city, comes to saving faith in the Lord of heaven because of what God had done in the exodus. Though these events were terribly painful, they led to the saving of people who otherwise may never have given the Lord a second thought, while also giving the ones who suffered the same opportunity.
In Ezekiel’s day, Judah had been taken captive by Babylon, and they were living a terrible nightmare. How could God turn His back on His covenant people? Throughout the text, Ezekiel reminds them of their sinful ways, not just to rub their noses in it, but to show them that they were suffering these calamities that they “…shall know that I am the Lord” (6:7, 10, 13; 7:4, 9, 27; 11:10, 12; 12:15, 16, 20; 13:9,14, 21, 23; 14:8; 15:7; 20:12, 20, 26, 38; 22:16; 23:49; 24:24, 27; 34:27). In the same vein, He assured them that He would both punish their wicked neighbors and bring His people back to the land as He that they “shall know that I am the Lord” (16:62; 20:38, 42-44; 35:4, 9, 12, 15; 36:11, 23, 38; 37:6, 13; 38:23; 39:6, 7, 22, 28).
Had they not lost sight of the fact that He is the Lord, they never would have given themselves to the godless practices that brought them into captivity. Eventually, every soul will know and confess this truth (Romans 14:10-11; Philippians 2:9-11). Those who do so in this life will spend eternity with Him, but those who refuse will suffer eternal punishment away from Him (Romans 2:5-11; 2 Corinthians 5:9-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-9). So, may we welcome whatever temporal difficulties He deems necessary that we may know that He is the Lord and so secure our eternity (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18).