For mine holy name's sake (Ezek. 36:22)

In Ezekiel 20 and Psalm 106, the LORD recalls the history of His dealings with the nation of Israel. In so doing, He shows them their abominable sin and idolatry. He reminds them that many times He said He would pour out His fury and wrath upon them. But He did not pour it out. Why? The answer is the reason behind our salvation. He did not destroy them “for His name’s sake,” (Psa. 106:6-8), because of His covenant (Psa. 106:44; Ezek. 20:9, 14, 17, 22, 42-44).

The leaders of Israel came to Ezekiel to inquire of the LORD (Ezek. 20:1-4). But the LORD told Ezekiel to show them their abominations (v4). This is always the first and necessary step. We will despise free grace until we know nothing but grace will save us. It is necessary for God to humble us that He might lift us up (1 Sam. 2:6-7). This is the work of God, His operation to produce faith in Christ in the heart of sinners. Jesus told the Pharisees that opposed Him for healing the man born blind, “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind...Some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth” (John 9:39-41).

If the LORD saves me, if He saves you, He will do it for His name’s sake. The idols to which we hold so dearly are the works of our own hands, the pride of our own will and self. But when the LORD shows us our abominations, we will know that we have no one to plead for us to God but Christ our Savior. Idols need men to save them (Judges 6:31). Idols need men to plead for them. But the LORD saves and pleads for His people (Micah 7:7-9).

If the LORD had destroyed Israel for their sin and unbelief, the heathen could have charged Him with failure, that He was unable to save them, that He did not anticipate what was required, that He could not meet the impossibility of their case. In other words, if God promised to save Israel but then destroyed them, it would have been because, like their idols, He required the help of sinners. But the LORD is the true and living God. He is the alone “just God and a Savior” (Isa. 45:21).

When the LORD saves us, we know that He alone did it. And we will know that He did it for His name’s sake, in spite of our opposition. Our salvation is therefore as certain as God is God, as certain as Christ sits on the throne of glory at His Father’s right hand (Heb. 6:13-20)!

Rick Warta