“And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 20:44 ESV).
When Ezekiel delivered this prophecy, many of God’s people were living in exile in Babylon after the second deportation of Judah, while Jerusalem itself had not yet fallen—a judgment soon to come because of their persistent rebellion. In chapter 20, the Lord reminded Israel’s elders of their long history of idolatry, from Egypt to Canaan, showing that their exile was a just consequence of their sin. Yet God promised mercy “for My name’s sake.” Though they deserved destruction, He would preserve a remnant and ultimately restore them. A partial fulfillment came seventy years later when the exiles returned to the land under Cyrus. But the ultimate fulfillment points to Christ, through whom God fully revealed His mercy and righteousness. In Him, God dealt with humanity’s sin not “according to our evil ways,” but according to His gracious purpose.
God’s faithfulness to His name means our salvation rests not on our merit but on His Son’s. Like Israel, we often rebel and wander, yet the Lord acts toward us in grace for His name’s sake. However, truly knowing the Lord is not automatic—neither for the returning exiles nor for us today. It involves a moral and spiritual awakening: remembering our sin, loathing our past deeds, and yielding to God’s transforming work in Christ. Jesus Himself defined eternal life in these terms: “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). To know the Lord, then, is to enter into a saving relationship with Him through faith in Christ. At the cross, we see both God’s justice and His mercy displayed—and there, by faith, we come to truly know the Lord.
PRAYER Dear Father, thank You for dealing with us not according to our sins, but for Your name’s sake through Jesus Christ. Help us to remember where You have brought us from, to hate our sin, and to live each day in thankful obedience to Your mercy. Help us grow in the knowledge of You through Your Son Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.