That You May Know

I learned recently that one good tool in studying Scripture is to look for repeated terms. I'm a little over half way through the book of Ezekiel, and I have been noticing one of these repetitions. It showed up several time in the chapter I read this morning. The phrase "know that I am the Lord" appears in the book of Ezekiel 72 times. It seems that one of the main themes of Ezekiel is God making Himself known to people, specifically His people.

Thus says the Lord GOD: "Clap your hands and stamp your foot and say, Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. He who is far off shall die of pestilence, and he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who is left and is preserved shall die of famine. Thus I will spend my fury upon them. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, wherever they offered pleasing aroma to all their idols. And I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land desolate and waste, in all their dwelling places, from the wilderness to Riblah. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
Ezekiel 6:11-14

Here Ezekiel is commanded to pronounce God's just judgement against faithless, idolatrous Israel. So that they may know that God is God, and He is faithful to fulfill His promise of wrath against sin.

You bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, declares the LORD. "For thus says the Lord GOD: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you. I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord GOD."
Ezekiel 16:58-63

We have the grammar of grace in effect here. And we see that God's atonement and forgiveness are also so that His people may know that He is the Lord.

"And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD. "Thus says the Lord GOD: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God."
Ezekiel 28:24-26

And finally, the promise of deliverance is so that we may know that the Lord is our God.

Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!
Psalms 106:47-48