Ezekiel 36:20-21

Ezekiel 36:20-21

[20] And when they entered  unto the heathen,  whither they went,  they profaned  my holy  name,  when they said  to them, These are the people  of the LORD,  and are gone forth  out of his land.  [21] But I had pity  for mine holy  name,  which the house  of Israel  had profaned  among the heathen,  whither they went. 

What does Ezekiel 36:20-21 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Their dispersion made Yahweh look impotent since the nations concluded that He could not keep them safe in His land. The Lord had risked His reputation by driving Israel out of the land, but He cared about His reputation, which the Israelites had made common. We need to remember that how Christians represent God by our words and deeds likewise concerns Him (cf. Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2).
"Israel was guilty of two great sins, the first of which was polluting God"s land ( Ezekiel 36:16-19).
"Their second sin was that of profaning God"s name before the Gentiles ( Ezekiel 36:20-23)." [1]