THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PARABLE (Ezekiel 17:11-21)
EXEGETICAL NOTES.—From Ezekiel 17:12-17 we have the formal interpretation of the parable. In Ezekiel 17:19-21, the threat contained in the parable is confirmed and still further expanded.
Ezekiel 17:12. “Behold the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof.” The account of the carrying away of the king, i.e., Jehoiachin, and his princes into Babylon is related in 2 Kings 24:11, etc.; Jeremiah 24:1; Jeremiah 29:2.
Ezekiel 17:13. “And hath taken of the king’s seed, and made a covenant with Him, and hath taken an oath of Him.” “The king’s seed is Jehoiachin’s uncle Mattaniah, whom Nebuchadnezzar made king under the name of Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17), and from whom he took an oath of fealty” (2 Chronicles 36:13).—(Keil.)
Ezekiel 17:14. “That the kingdom might be base, that might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.” The design of Nebuchadnezzar was to weaken the kingdom so that it could not revolt against his authority, but, at the same time, to protect them if they continued loyal.
Ezekiel 17:15. “But he rebelled against Him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people.” “Though we have no account of this mission to the King of Egypt anywhere else in the Jewish records we may rest satisfied with the testimony of Ezekiel, who was a contemporary. Egypt was celebrated in ancient times for its herd of horses. According to Diod. Sic. i. 45, the whole region from Thebes to Memphis was filled with royal stalls, and such was the abundance of horses, that no fewer than twenty thousand chariots, each having two, could be furnished in time of war. It was, therefore, natural for Zedekiah to turn to that quarter for aid, and considering the hostile attitude of the two great empires, he might reasonably expect that his application would not be made in vain.”—(Henderson.) “Shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?” “Such things,”—perjury—breach of covenant. Even Pagan nations had great reverence for an oath, and looked upon these as among the highest crimes. When one enquired of the Delphic oracle whether he might break his oath, he was told that for putting so impious a question he should be punished by the untimely death of his children.
Ezekiel 17:17. “Make for him in the war.” Heb., “Act with him in war,” i.e., be of service to him. “Pharaoh will not render him the expected powerful aid against the Chaldeans; he will leave his protegé in the lurch when he is hard pressed by his enemies. That the Chaldeans need no great military force against Jerusalem, is manifest here from this, that the Egyptians, against whom alone it could be necessary, come not to its aid with any force. Egypt was already at that time worm-eaten, which the Spirit of God showed to his prophets, while the world went no further than the surface.”—(Hengstenberg.)
Ezekiel 17:18. “He had given his hand.” “To give the hand,” is still in the East a pledge of agreement, or fidelity (2 Kings 10:15; Ezra 10:19; Jeremiah 1:15). Zedekiah proved faithless to God, because in pledging his fealty to the King of Babylon he made a solemn appeal to the God of the Jews (2 Chronicles 36:13). The oath which Zedekiah swore to the King of Babylon is designated in Ezekiel 17:19 as Jehovah’s oath, and the covenant made with him as Jehovah’s covenant.
Ezekiel 17:20. “And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon.” “My net” (Ezekiel 12:13). Nebuchadnezzar was God’s instrument to punish this rebellious king. “And will plead with him there for his trespass.” To “plead” with him signifies to bring him to submission, to work conviction in him by means of suffering (Ezekiel 20:36). This prophecy was fulfilled five years afterwards, when Zedekiah was carried away captive to Babylon, where he died in prison (Jeremiah 52:8-11).
Ezekiel 17:21. “And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered to all winds.” Instead of fugitives the Chaldee reads, “chosen ones,” “his brave men,” or “heroes.” But the ordinary reading yields a suitable sense, and is the one adopted by the LXX. and the Vulgate. “The mention of some who remain, and who are to be scattered towards all the winds, is not at variance with the statement that all the fugitives in the wings of the army are to fall by the sword. The latter threat simply declares that no one will escape death by flight. But there is no necessity to take those who remain as being simply fighting men; and the word “all” must not be taken too literally.”—(Keil).
HOMILETICS
1. Men look for help from an arm of flesh when in straits. Zedekiah expected that Pharoah’s mighty army, and great company, his chariots and horses, should make for him. We are prone to look unto second causes and creature help more than God’s. Asa, being in distress, did so, “he relied,” saith the text, “on the king of Syria, and not on the Lord his God,” (2 Chronicles 16:7); and “in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians” (Ezekiel 17:12). Confidence in man is a common practice of the sons of men. Ephraim, when he saw his sickness, went to the Assyrian and sent to Jareb (Hosea 5:13). Men’s spirits look any way, turn any whither, for relief, rather than to God. The arm of flesh is more to them than the arm of God. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;” Some in riches (Psalms 52:7); some in falsehood (Jeremiah 23:25); some in strongholds (Zechariah 9:3); some in men (Isaiah 2:22). But it argues atheism, ignorance, pride, unbelief, that men look not unto God at such times; yea, it proclaims the baseness of our spirits, that we fall upon what is visible, weak, unfaithful, at a distance, and neglect God, who is strong, all-sufficient, near; and all because invisible, not seen of us.
2. Divine Providence overrules and orders things so, that wicked men are frustrated and dissappointed of their hopes and expectations. Zedekiah hoped and expected that Pharaoh with his great forces, should make much for him; but “neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him.” It is not kings, armies, counsellors, and counsels, will do it. Pharaoh’s army came forth of Egypt, raised the seige when Nebuchadnezzar was before Jerusalem (Jeremiah 37:11); yet it did not make for him. The Chaldeans returned again, sat down before the city, took it, Zedekiah, the princes and others. Absalom expected much from the counsel and advice of Ahithophel, but God turned it into foolishness (2 Samuel 17:14); and all the strength he had made not for him (2 Samuel 18). He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise” (Job 5:12). Haman could not perform his enterprize. Herod could not accomplish his design to murder Christ when he slew the infants (Matthew 2). Kings and people imagine vain things, and the Lord laughs them to scorn (Psalms 2:1; Psalms 2:4). He brings “the counsel of the heathen to nought. He maketh the devices of the people,” princes, armies, “of none effect,” and establisheth His own thoughts and counsels, and that to all generations (Psalms 33:10-11). God served His own will upon Pharoah and his army. Zedekiah was frustrated—he looked for light and met with darkness. He leaned upon Pharoah, a broken reed, that ran into his hand and pierced him (2 Kings 18:21). God’s providence works in all, by all, and overrules all; and He brings to pass His own sacred purposes by kings’ armies, by men’s wits, wills, policies, and powers.
3. The Lord takes notice of the circumstances and aggravations of men’s sins, especially kings’. “He despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo! he had given his hand” (Ezekiel 17:18). I saw him, saith God, reach out his hand, give it as a pawn and pledge of his fidelity to Nebuchadnezzar; he engaged himself thereby to be subject and tributary to him. This aggravated his sin much. It was against the light of nature, special mercy. It was against his superior, Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest king then on earth. It was against the good of the whole Jewish state, for it brought war, famine, plague, captivity upon them all: yea, more than all these, it was a high offence against God and His attributes, and therefore the Lord saith, “he trespassed against me.” God minds with what circumstances men’s sins are clothed. Solomon’s sin had the aggravation nailed to it, “His heart was turned from the Lord God, which had appeared unto him twice” (1 Kings 11:9).
4. Oaths and covenants made with men are divine things, and not to be slighted: “Mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken” (Ezekiel 17:19). It was made with a heathen king, an idolator, yet God owns it as made with Himself, because His sacred and dreadful name was used therein, and judges the breach and violation thereof as bad as if it had been formally made with Himself. Oaths made between man and man are called in Scripture the “oaths of God” (Ecclesiastes 8:2); and the covenant made between Jonathan and David is called “the Lord’s oath” (2 Samuel 21:7). Let not man, therefore, slight covenants and oaths they have made with men, but remember they have to do with God, who is faithful, performing what He swears, and keeping covenant for ever.
5. The Lord hath nets and snares to catch and take perfidious princes and people in. “I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare” (Ezekiel 17:20). There is no evasion when God seeks after sinners. If He throw the net, it shall encompass the greatest leviathan; if He set the snare, it shall take the stoutest lion. God had a net for Pharaoh, and caught that great leviathan in the sea. An oak was the net He caught Absalom in (2 Samuel 18:9). The earth was his net to take Korah, Datham, and Abiram. A heap of stones was His net thrown upon Achan. A cave was the snare He took five kings in (Joshua 10:16-18). The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were snared in slime pits (Genesis 14:10). Herod could not escape the worms, they were God’s net and snare to catch him. The Babylonish armies were His nets and snares to take Hoshea (2 Kings 17); Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33); Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, who were all kings (2 Chronicles 35). Zedekiah had thoughts he should escape, but he did not escape besieging, taking, carrying into Babylon. When the city was taken, he fled by night (Jeremiah 39:4); but God spread His net so, that it fell upon him and all with him. Let men take heed of offending the great God of Heaven and earth, for He hath nets and snares to take them with. If once He throws His net and set His snare, He will take them; and being taken, you may struggle, but shall never get out. Nets and snares are hidden things, they catch suddenly, and hold certainly.—(Greenhill.) Ezekiel 17:17. The help of man is of no avail when God means to destroy. God’s help, on the other hand, avails even against man’s help. Zedekiah with Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar with Jehovah. Look at the co-partneries for thyself, and bestow thy confidence accordingly. The latter firm is the more reliable. Cursed is the man that trusteth in man (Jeremiah 17). Men promise, and break their promise; God promises, and does not break His. (Ezekiel 17:19). God’s oath as against Zedekiah’s perjury. God does not swear, and then fail to keep His oath: that shall be learned by experience by those who swear falsely, or who do not keep their oath. If thou appealest to God as a witness, thou summonest Him also as a judge, as an avenger! We have never to do with men alone. (Ezekiel 17:20, etc.). No one can escape God. The enemies’ sword is sharp; God’s sword is sharper still. God’s judgments are always meant to lead to the knowledge of Himself as well, and not merely of ourselves.—(Lange).