Ezekiel’s God in pursuit of recognition: A catalyst for self-transformation

This article explores the recurring refrain ‘Then you shall know that I am the Lord’, which appears over 70 times in the book of Ezekiel, serving as a primary driving force behind God’s actions and intentions throughout history. The article examines how this formula reflects God’s concern about his perception and the level of respect accorded to him, leading to a tendency to revise plans and decisions, and even contradict previous principles. Key examples explored include the retrospective review in Ezek. 20 and God’s confronting entities like Gog of Magog (ch. 39) and the nation of Seir (ch. 35). Ultimately, the recognition formula reveals God’s responsive nature, influenced by others’ perceptions, portraying God as a self-aware entity eager for acknowledgment. This perspective challenges entrenched beliefs about the unchanging nature of the biblical deity, often erroneously associated with the immutable mover of classical philosophy.