Ezekiel 14
HAWEISEzekiel 14:12-23
upon their heart; their affections were plunged upon them, their hearts
the throngs of idolatry; and though as a distance from their congress, still slaves to their raptures; such an ascendant had they over them. They put the flambling-block of their iniquity before their foes, and fall down to the stock and fume: and though such dare iniquity of God! what impious effrontery! what answer can be expected, but wrath to the utterances. Note, (1.) Heart idols are equally abominable with those that are the work of men’s hands; and covetousness, self-love, but as much idolatry as the bowing down to gods of gold or silver. (2.) They who put the flambling-block of their iniquity before them, can expect nothing but to fall into the pit of destruction. 3. The Lord gives him an answer for them. With God those in no respect of persons; whoever draws near to him in hypocrisy, shall bear his burden, and receive an answer according to the magnitude of his idols; he will give them up to the delusions they have chosen, and punish them according to their crimes. That I may take the heals of Israel in their own heart, expecting their sin and folly, and bringing them to deloved shame and punishment, because they are all effranged from me through their idols, alienated from the heroes and worship of God by their attachment to these abominations. Note, Our own hearts are our great plague and fours; they seduce us from God to indulge some favourite lust, the idol within, and in spite of the remonstrances of God’s word, and our own consciences, hurry us on to our ruin. 4. A solemn warning is given them to repent, on pain of eternal perdition; be they native Israelites, or sojourners among them, they have the same call; they must turn from their idols, and from all their abominations; else, if they continued to feporate themselves from God in this hastad fervour, and walked in these iniquities, God will speak to them in terrible wrath, confound that daring impiety and hypocrisy which leads them to the prophet, pretending to consult him, or, will make them spectacles of horror, cut them off by sudden death, and by these movements of vengeance teach others to tremble, and fear to offend that God who is a consuming fire. Note, (1.) The hypoerite shall be detected and confounded, often in this world, at furthest in a judgment day. (2.) Of all sinners, the hypocrises doom will be inoff terrible, Mat. xxiv. 51. 5. The doom of the false prophet is real. The deceiver and the deceiver shall perish together. Since the people chute their own delusions, God will give up the prophets they confided to a living spirit, a King’s axis. 22, 23, and in just judgment suffice them to be deceived by the devil. He will stretch out his avenging arm, and utterly destroy them from the midst of the people, e. g. and both the false prophet, and they who feel to him, shall bear the punishment of their iniquity, dreadful as their aggravated provocations. Mysterious are the ways of God; and though we are often lost in our enquiries why he permits the evil we see, the day will come when all his dispensations will be proved, beyond contradiction, to be altogether righteous and true. 6. The judgments executed on the wicked will be a warning to many of the heals of Israel, that they go no more affray, beholding the due effects which arise from such departures from God, and made wise by the sufferings of others: neither be polluted with all their transgressions, which would necessarily involve them in the same ruin, but on the contrary learn to love and serve the blessed God, that they may be my people, approving their fidelity, and I may be their God, faith the Lord God, blessing them with all good things here, and their portion and exceeding great roward hereafter. Note, (1.) Others punishments should deter us from their iniquities. (2.) Sin defiles the soul, and renders it odious in the eyes of a holy God. (3.) They who approve themselves to God as his people, shall find the present and eternal advantages of his love and favour. 12. ¶ The word of the LORD came again to me, saying. 13. Son of man, when the land smooth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it. 14. Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, faith the LORD God. 15. ¶ If I can’t noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they find it, so that it be delover, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: 16. Though these three men were in it, as I live, faith the LORD God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be delovere. 17. ¶ Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land: so that I cut off man and beast from it: 18. Though these three men were in it, as I live, faith the LORD God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves. 19. ¶ Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and I pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: 20. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I son nor daughters, they shall be delivered their own souls by their righteousness. 21. For thus faith the LORD God, How much more when I send my four fore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? 22. ¶ Yet behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, and sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way, and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it. 23. And they shall comfort you when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that: I have not done without cause, all that I have done in it, faith the LORD God. We have here, 1. The heavy judgments threatened on a guilty land. When the measure of their sins is full, wrath to the utterances will overtake them. Four fore plagues are here threatened; Souls, when the staff of bread is broken, and men and beasts perish with hunger. Wild beasts, so numerous and ravenous, that all travelling must be undue, and the land desirous and desolate. The sword, commissioned of God to go through the land, and confume what the famine hath left, for whatever hath would the sword, God gives it the direction, and appoints it where to fall. Pestilence, that despoulsate the country, and plus a taint in the blood immensely fatal. There are the arrows-hood against wicked nations; and when his own people offend, God will shake his courage over them also. 2. All intercession is vain when the decree is gone forth. Though Noah, Job, and Daniel joined as advocates, their piety and prayers could be of no avail. They could not deliver a sin or daughter, their own souls only should be given them for a piety. The mention of Job, with Noah and Daniel, seems strongly to prove that he really lived, and answered the character given him in the book which bears his name; eminent for patience as Noah for his integrity, when all flesh had exempted their ways; and Daniel, though a young man, had already appeared distinguished by his wisdom, humility, piety, zeal, and prayer. Perhaps some few remained who resembled their holy men, and for their sake a hope might be entertained, that Jerusalem would yet be spared, as Sodom might have been, if but ten righteous had been found in it. Indeed if anything could have averted the threatened wrath, these advocates had prevailed; but her time is come, the measure of her guilt is full, her ruin determined, and the wrath denounced inexorable. Note, (1.) In the world of times, some few eminent Saints are found. (2.) Though they may not prevail to avert the ruin of their land, themselves shall be saved amidst the general desbiations, sometimes exempted from the common calamity, and wo derfully preferred: at last, if they suffer with others, they shall enjoy divine confessions; and whatever becomes of their bodies, their souls are safe for eternity. 3. A remnant is reserved from the general ruin. Brought forth out of Jerusalem to join their brethren in captivity, and ye shall see their way and their doings; either behold their penitentiretain to God, humbled and converted by the judgments they have suffered, or their hardened wickedness, which would convince the captives of the righteous judgment of God upon them; and ye shall be comforted concerning all the evil I have brought upon Jerusalem; pleased to see the blessed effects wrought thereby, if it led the sufferers to repentance; or satisfied in the justice of God in his severity upon such transgressors: and they shall confort you, when ye see their way and their doings; either it would delight them to see the gracious symptoms of their conversion, or if they perished in their abomination, they would no longer give for their sufferings, but justify God in them; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause, all that I have done in it, faith the Lord, but that the Lord in all his dispensations is righteous, just, and good. Note, (1.) Nothing will hereafter be matter of greater thankfulness to God’s people, than those bittered affections here which have contributed to their souls good. (2.) God will be glorified in all his works, and his saints will adore and delight in them; even the punishment of the wicked shall redound to his honour, and minister matter for their praises. CHAP. b Lev. xxi. 16. Ibid. 1. Chap. iv. 16. & v. 16. 1 Jer. xv. 2. See Jer. xv. 16. & vi. 14. & xiv. 15. & xv. 16. 6 Lev. xxi. 16. Chap.