Every year when I read through the Bible and come to the book of Ezekiel, I’m always fascinated at how many times the phrase (or some very similar form of the phrase) comes up – “Then You Will Know That I Am The Lord”. I always found myself using my highlighter pen & highlighting those phrases as I came across them. For some reason, this year I got really curious about how many times that phrase appears – and I know it will vary depending on the translation; but, I read out of the NIV translation & for example, out of 14 verses on just one page, it appeared 5 times. (Ezekiel 6:10-14 & 7:1-9) I have to confess, I was too lazy to go through & count all the times I highlighted the phrase in my own Bible – but, my curiosity got the better of me & I decided to do some research. (My nerdy side decided to jump out!)
One source * says it appears 50 times.
Another source ** says that there are 19 times that the stand alone phrase “I Am The Lord” appears, but that there are 73 other times that phrase includes the reason that they will know that He is “The Lord”.
***Yet another source says it appears 59 times.
****This source says approximately 70 times.
*****This is my favorite source that I found because of other areas he covers from Ezekiel in addition to that particular phrase. But, he says that the phrase appears 72 times.
“…the Lord used it most often in the context of judgment, whether against Israel’s leaders (Ezekiel 11:10), the nation as a whole (Ezekiel 12:20) or its enemies (Ezekiel 25-35).” “But beginning in Ezekiel 36…the Lord began using the phrase in a different way. He said the restoration of Israel in the latter days would be the way He would show both Israel and the nations of our day that He is the Lord.” * When He started using the phrase in a “different way”, it was attached to His mercy & love.
“God tells us over and over that he is the LORD (YHWH), and he tells us when we will know that he is the Lord. This revelation of God’s character is a constant theme in Ezekiel, whether this revelation comes through judgment or mercy.” **
“This phrase is often spoken by God Himself, reinforcing His position as the sovereign ruler over all creation and the ultimate authority to whom mankind should submit.” “The repetition of this expression is not merely for emphasis but also serves as a reminder to the people of Israel that their disobedience and rebellion against God have consequences. It is a call for them to recognize and acknowledge God’s supremacy and authority over their lives.” It sometimes “emphasizes that their destruction is a direct result of their rejection of God’s authority.” ***
“It becomes very obvious that the Lord God considers it of utmost importance to Himself that I, you, and the nations of the world KNOW THAT HE IS THE LORD.” ****
“Of the 72 occurrences of the phrase, 46 of them are about judgment and wrath.” “But that leaves 26 of them that are not about wrath and judgment, but about blessing and mercy!…” This is my personal favorite part of this author’s explanation: “…beloved, listen: God’s primary purpose for blessing as well as hardship in your own life is not to favor you or discipline you. At best, those are secondary concerns.” “God’s primary concern will always be His glory. That all nations on earth would know that He is the Lord.” *****
This last source also says this: “As you study the Bible, it’s always a good idea to look for patterns such as thematic elements, significant numbers, or repeated words and phrases. These patterns help us understand the meaning, theme, and big ideas of the book. And the more often you read the Bible, the more patterns will emerge.
With that in mind, would you like to take a guess as to what the most common phrases are in Ezekiel? As best as I can tell, here are the top three: #3: ‘The Word of the Lord came to me’ (49 times); #2: ‘Then they will know that I am the Lord’ (72 times); #1: ‘Son of man’ (93 times).”
(So if those kinds of facts interest you, you might want to click on that last link & read the full article.)
I guess what I get out of all these explanations is that without a doubt we need to recognize that He is the Lord – obviously! If we stray too far & resist His call to return there are natural consequences that can be expected. But, there are always His blessings, His love & His mercy there waiting for us when we determine it’s time to draw near to Him again – THEN YOU WILL KNOW HE IS THE LORD!
Written by Karran Martin – September 7, 2024
[Most bold emphasis is mine]
*https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/then-you-will-know-that-i-am-the-lord/
**https://olddeadguys.com/2016/10/27/209/
****https://dozierdon.blogspot.com/2014/01/know-that-i-am-lord.html
Karran's Korner 
Love this, Karran!
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Thank you so much.
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