Ezekiel 33

Ezekiel 33:1-16

faith the Lord GOD. 15. When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country shall be a desolate of that whereof it was full, when I shall smite all them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I am the LORD. 16. This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her: the daughters of the nations shall lament her: they shall lament for her, ever for Egypt and for all her multitude, faith the Lord GOD.

Though Egypt was an idolatrous nation, and Pharaoh a wicked prince, the prophet must take up a lamentation over them. For the shininess of God, when they are do no more, must weep over those who, hardened in sin, refuse to shed a tear for themselves.

1. The king of Egypt is compared to a lion, fierce, devouring, ravenous; to a whale, or crocodile with his rivers, a multitude of people, or from his rivers, fallying forth in quell of prey; and as this animal with his feet troubles the waters, so did he with his armies disturb the tranquility of his neighbours. Note, Ambitious princes are the troublers of the earth, and the scourgers of mankind.

2. His destruction is foretold. The same similitude is continued; God, the author of his ruin, shall take him as a great fish in his net, with all his numerous forces, v. 3. and drag him to land; where, as a fish out of his element, he must perish, and being calf forth into the open field, become a prey for every fowl and every beak, v. 4. Yes, to moments will be the carnage, such a torrent of blood be shed, that the vallies shall be filled with the corpses of the slain, and the rivers swelled with human gore, hyperbolically speaking, as high as the mountains, v. 5. 6. The sword is God’s, the executioners of vengeance the Chaldams, v. 11. All the men, the worlds of the nature, who shall pull the prop, plunder the wealth, and say the multitude of the Egyptians, v. 12. Yes, the very cause shall be destroyed, and the foot of man or beall shall no more disturb the waters, so few should remain, v. 13. The land throughout shall be desolate, and all its gleams be at an end, v. 15. Even the luminaries of heaven, as it shocked to behold these ravages, shall be darkened and clothed in its schools, v. 7. 8. And the once rapid rivers, as if congealed with guts, shall roll slowly on with difficulty their heavy flood, v. 14.

3. The tidings of Pharaoh’s fall, with his multitude, will alarm, amaze, and bitterly affect the nations. Not only the neighbours and aliens would be vexed at their overthrow, lament them, and tremble at the judgments they beheld, v. 16, 17, 18, but even the remotest countries who hid no connection with the Egyptians, v. 9. Shall bear with astonishment the report, and dread every moment, lead that sword of the Lord, brandished before them by the king of Babylon, should fall at Ldl upon their heads. Note, (1.) When the sword of judgment is brandished before us, and we see others smitten, it is high time to tremble for ourselves. (2.) Instead of being humbled by the situations of God before them, hardened sinners murmur and her against God.

4. The Lord will make himself awfully known by these strokes of vengeance: the fully of pride and creature-confidence will then appear, and God be found the only true abiding support, and satisfying portion.

5. ¶ It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 18. Son of man, well for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, ever her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit. 19. ¶ Whom doest thou pass in beauty? ¶ go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised. 20. They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: ¶ she is delivered to the sword, draw her, and all her multitudes. 21. ¶ The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword. 22. ¶ Arthur is there, and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword. 23. ¶ Whose graves are let in the fides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused her terror in the land of the living. 24. There is Elam, and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living, yet there they born their shame with them that go down to the pit. 25. They have let her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror

was caused in the land of the living, yet have they born their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be slain. 26. There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living. 27. ¶ And they shall not lie with the mighty, that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with a their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. 28. Yes, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword. 29. There is Edom, her kings and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit. 30. ¶ There be the princes of the north all of them, and all the Zidonian, which are gone down with the slain, with their terror they are ashamed of their might, and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit. 31. ¶ Pharaoh shall be the swords, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, faith the Lord GOD. 32. For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, faith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 33:17-32

About a fortnight after the former prophecy, was this delivered. It brings Pharaoh, with his multitude, to their grapes, and the prophet must lament over them, or rather compose a funeral dirge to be sung on this melancholy occasion.

1. Egypt is brought to the grave, and received among the dead. The prophet is ordered to call him down, viz. 18. because divine power accompanied his prophetic word. Like other famous nations, the must lie four, nor be exempted from the common fate of those, whom in beauty she rivalled, v. 19. She is delivered to the sword, and dragged, as the corpses of malefactors, in ignominy to the pit, v. 20. The mighty among the dead are practically represented as rising to congratulate Pharaoh on his arrival, Ija. xix. 9. and admit him free of their dreary mansions, v. 21.

2. A variety of nations are mentioned who had gone down before him to the grave, and waited, in derision, to pay him mock honour, now become like one of them.

(1.) The African monarch, with his subjects, a vast congregation, once the terror of the living, now slain by the sword, and their graves in rows placed round the sepulchre of their king, v. 22, 23. Note, They who have been a terror to others, must themselves fall before the King of Terrors.

(2.) The Pelican with their king next appear; they too had raised a mighty noise in the world, but are now gone down uncircumcised, unholy and profane, into the nether parts of the earth, slain by the sword, and laid in an ignominious grave, v. 24, 25.

(3.) Meshech and Tubal lie there, supposed to be the Scythian nations, not buried in state as the mighty, but with their fudds under their heads, as warriors, and their iniquity shall be upon their knees, dug out of their graves, and ignominiously exposed, though once the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.

(4.) There lies Edom with her kings and princes. Their might unable to protect them, and forced to shap to the devouring sword. Though the circumcised descendants of Abraham, yet being unlike him in their spirit and temper, they fall among the uncircumcised. No outward privileges can protect those, whose hearts are apostulated from God.

(5.) The princes of the North, with the Zidonians, notwithstanding their maritime forces and strong fortifications, are fallen, and their pride confounded in the dust, v. 30.

Ladly, Pharaoh with his multitude, slain by the sword, shall make his grave with these, and share that consolation, if such a wretched reflection can be supposed to administer comfort, that he looks round and beholds other mighty monarchs as low and wretched as himself, v. 31, 32.

In all this description of Egypt’s fall, perhaps something typical may be intended respecting the ruin of the antichristian foe, Rev. xi. 8. which may engage the prophet to dwell the longer upon it. And we may in general read and tremble, whilst we see sinners so many and mighty cast down into the pit of destruction; and learn how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God.

CHAP. Before Christ (17).

more eminent his perfection, the more dreadful will his disappointment be, and the more aggravated his guilt. Be not therefore high-minded, but fear. 2. The wicked shall surely die, such is the decree of the unchangeable God; not that this terrible sentence is designed to her the door of hope against penitents, far from it; but to warn them of their danger, that they may escape from it. For, whenever a finner turns to God, however aggravated his guilt, and numberless or enormous his misdepression, he shall, through Jesus, be accepted, and find that he can as easily pardon many transgressions as few; and for the encouragement of the trembling soul, God is pleased to assure us, his arms are open; and so far from upbraiding us with our rebellions, he will not so much as mention them in the day we return to him. The past shall all be cancelled, the present life of the change shall only be remembered; and in the way of truth and righteousness, in which he divine grace we are enabled now to walk, we shall assuredly find eternal life.

The conclusion from the whole is clear. God’s ways are equal, theirs unequal; he will not own therefore their unreasonably and wicked men as his people, but turns them over to the prophet, v. 17. determined to judge them according to their way; and however they dispute against him, he will glorify his righteousness in the destruction of the impenitents and appellates, and in the salvation of the penitent and faithful.

21. ¶ And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem, came unto me, saying, ‘The city is fourteen. 22. Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, after he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth until he came to me in the morning, and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb. 23. Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, ‘The land is given to man,’ they that inhabit those walls of the land of Israel, speak, saying, ‘Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many, the land is given us for inheritance. 24. Wherefore lay unto them, I thus saith the Lord GOD, Ye eat with the blood; and I lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood; and shall ye possess the land? 25. Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye desire every one his neighbour’s wife; and shall ye possess the land? 26. Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD, A I live, surely, they that are in the walls; and I give to the beasts to be devoured: and they that be in the fairs and in the caves, shall die of the pestilence. 28. For I will lay the land I most desolate, and the pomp of her through shall cease: and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. 29. Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate, because of all their abominations which they have committed.

Ezekiel 33:21-29

Ezekiel had been informed, chap. xxiv. 26. that one of those escaped out of the flames of Jerusalem, should give him an affording narrative of the miseries that devoted place had suffered, and lo! the messenger arrives. According to Jesus, this was a year and four months after the land catastrophe; though others, by a different method of computation, suppose it only a month from the time of the destruction of Jerusalem.

1. The prophet, the evening before the messenger arrived, by a divine impression, being made acquainted with the fat news he brought, chap. xxiv. 27. had began anew, after a long silence, with cyrnethines and zeal to address his unhappy countrymen; taking occasion from this sad event to warn them of the dreadful consequences of sin, and call them to repentance.

2. After he had heard the particulars of the siege, and destruction of the city, with the ravages of the Chaldeans army through the country, he hath a word from God sent unto him, to be delivered to the miserable remnant who inhabited the walls of Judea; and so far from being humbled with all the judgments they had seen, and the sufferings they had felt, continued just as bad as ever: and these were either Johann and his ablestness, or some others who might still have continued in Judea, after he and his company were departed unto Egypt.

(1.) Their pride was insufferable. Far from lamenting their sins, which had caused the desolations of the land, they count themselves as high in God’s favour as Abraham; yea, in some respects they think they exceed him, possessing their inheritance by as good a title; and being many, to keep possession of it against opposers, v. 24.

(2.) Their other sins were great and aggravated. (1.) Ye eat with the blood, contrary to the divine prescription, Lev. xix.

Vol. II.

26. or upon the blood, referring to the idolatrous practices of the heathen, who set down round the blood of the sacrifices they had offered to devils, and fancied they held communion with them thereby. (2.) Ye left up your own towards your idols, worshipping their abominations. (3.) Ye shed blood, the blood of innocents. (4.) Ye stand upon your sword, place confidence in an arm of flesh. (5.) Ye work abomination, slaves to vile affections and unnatural lusts. (6.) Ye desire every one his neighbour’s wife, which is justly reckoned among the most atrocious crimes.

(3.) The consequence of such wickedness could not but be fatal to them. Shall ye possess the land? Such miscreants as the earth groaned to bear? No. The sword of vengeance will purify them in the walls, and they shall die, and they who have fled to the fairs and fortresses the shelter, shall die of the pestilence, v. 27. One judgment shall follow upon another, till the land is completely desolate; their remaining strength they be added of is utterly ruined, and the very mountains wafted without flocks or herds feeding on them: nor shall a traveller pass through the land, so uncultivated, so despoulated would it be, and filled with wild beasts, v. 28. Such judgments would make them know an avenging God, who having sworn to punish will execute his threatenings, and give them the just recompense their abominations deserve, v. 29.

30. ¶ Also thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls, and in the doors of the hostes, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. 31. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 32. And lo, thou art unto them as s a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. 33. And when this cometh to pass (lo it will come) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.

Ezekiel 33:30-33

The Jews which remained in the land were, we find, bad, very bad: nor were many of the captivity much better, as here evidently appears.

1. They were hypocritical mockers and revilars. They came with other worshippers, and sat, to appearance, gravely and attentively, as if desirous to hear the prophetic word, and in their professions before the prophet pretended much love; but their hearts were in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity; covetousness reigned within; they were pleaded with the prophet’s manner, his expections and execution as a speaker, but paid no regard to the matter. It was the punishment of an hour; and when they were gone, they could readily join in the abode call upon him; and among their own party ridicule and revile the preacher, his doctrine, and his hearers. Note, (1.) Public persons, especially ministers, will be the but of obloquy. If they knew but half the evil God of them, it might discourage them; but God knows their revilars, and will punish them. (2.) It is a serious matter to hear God’s word; they who make a jell of things sacred, will find by and by that God is not thus to be mocked. (3.) Many come to the ordinances in formality, and for fashion sake, who never so much as expect edification from them. (4.) We often see a smooth tongue cover a malignant heart; from the teeth outward, all is profession of love and regard, but rancour and enmity rage within. (5.) Many take pleasure in hearing the man and the minister, who pay no regard to the meddle; and while their ears are delighted, their hearts are untouched. (6.) Even among professors of religion, covetousness is a reigning sin; and nothing more effectually quenches the good impressions of God’s word than this.

2. God’s word will stand when all contemners of it shall perish together. When this cometh to pass (lo it will come) however now so offers despite the wrath of God, they will too late rue their folly; then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them, when the event verifies the protection; and the threatened vengeance overtakes them.