their lot, the more did the past appear to him as a lamentable conflict
between divine justice and Jewish iniquity. At the time of their sojourn
in Egypt, Jahveh had taken the house of Jacob under His protection,
and in consideration of His help had merely demanded of them that they
should be faithful to Him. "Cast ye away every man the abominations of
his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the
Lord your God." The children of Israel, however, had never observed this
easy condition, and this was the root of their ills; even before
they were liberated from the yoke of Pharaoh, they had betrayed their
Protector, and He had thought to punish them: "But I wrought for My
name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations,
among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them....
So I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them
into the wilderness. And I gave them My statutes, and showed them My
judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them. Moreover also I
gave them My sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them... but the house
of Israel rebelled against Me." As they had acted in Egypt, so they
acted at the foot of Sinai, and again Jahveh could not bring Himself to
destroy them; He confined Himself to decreeing that none of those who
had offended Him should enter the Promised Land, and He extended His
goodness to their children. But these again showed themselves no
wiser than their fathers; scarcely had they taken possession of the
inheritance which had fallen to them, "a land flowing with milk and
honey... the glory of all lands," than when they beheld "every high hill
and every thick tree... they offered there their sacrifices, and there
they presented the provocation of their offering, there also they made
their sweet savour, and they poured out there their drink offerings."
Not contented with profaning their altars by impious ceremonies and
offerings, they further bowed the knee to idols, thinking in their
hearts, "We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries,
to serve wood and stone." "As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a
mighty hand and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will
I be King over you."*

1 Ezek. xx.

However just the punishment, Bzekiel did not believe that it would last
for ever. The righteousness of God would not permit future generations
to be held responsible for ever f