THE COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM PREDICTED, BOTH IN PARABLE AND BY SIGN (Chap. 24)
EXEGETICAL NOTES.—“On the day on which the King of Babylon commenced the siege and blockade of Jerusalem, this event was revealed by God to Ezekiel on the Chaboras (Ezekiel 24:1-2); and he was commanded to predict to the people through the medium of a parable the fate of the city and its inhabitants (Ezekiel 24:3-14). God then foretold to him the death of his own wife, and commanded him to show no sign of mourning on account of it. His wife died the following evening, and he did as he was commanded. When he was asked by the people the reason of this he explained to them that what he was doing was symbolical of the way in which they were to act when Jerusalem fell (Ezekiel 24:15-24). The fall would be announced to the prophet by a fugitive, and then he would no longer remain mute, but would speak to the people again (Ezekiel 24:25-27). Apart, therefore, from the last three verses, this chapter contains the words of God, the first of which unfolds in a parable the approaching calamities, and the result of the siege of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans (Ezekiel 24:1-14); whilst the second typifies by means of a sign the pain and mourning of Israel, namely, of the exiles at the destruction of the city with its sanctuary and its inhabitants. These two words of God, being connected together by their contents, were addressed to the prophet on the same day, and that, as the introduction (Ezekiel 24:1-2) expressly observes, the day on which the siege of Jerusalem by the King of Babylon began.”—(Keil.)
Ezekiel 24:1. “The ninth year.” The date is taken from the commencement of of Jehoiachin’s captivity, which would fix the time when the word of the Lord came to the prophet as B.C. 590.” ‘In the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month.” This day was afterwards kept as a fast, and is still observed as such by the synagogue.
Ezekiel 24:2. “Write thee the name of the day.” “The prophet is to write down the day, as a man does with remarkable days, in order not to forget the date. The object, to make use of this afterwards in proof of his prophetic office, needed to be more definitely noticed.”—(Hengstenberg). “The prophet is specially charged to write down the particular day on which he delivered his message, and to announce it as that on which Nebuchadnezzar had commenced his attack on Jerusalem. As he was at the time at the distance of more than four hundred miles from that city, it was not to be supposed that the intelligence could have reached him by any human means. When, therefore, the captives afterwards received the information, they had, on comparing the dates, an infallible proof of the Divine inspiration of the prophet.”—(Henderson). “Set himself against Jerusalem.” The Hebrew word signifies to lie hard upon (Psalms 87:7). It is sometimes used to describe the investing of a city with an army. In the afflictions of the righteous God is said to lay on a heavy hand (Psalms 32:4). The sacrificer laid his hand upon the victim (Exodus 29:19); and the witnesses were ordered to lay their hand on a blasphemer before the was stoned (Leviticus 24:4), so in great judgments God lays on His hand.
HOMILETICS
THE LAST WARNING OF JUDGMENT
Ezekiel had uttered many warnings before, and he still goes on speaking up to the very moment of judgment. This illustrates:—
I. The Prophet’s faithfulness. Amidst every discouragement he is still resolved to deliver the message of God. He will utter God’s last word, though it comes too late to arrest judgment. The true prophet must speak the word which is given him, and leave the results with Him who sent him.
II. The Prophet’s inspiration. Ezekiel was four hundred miles from Jerusalem, and yet he tells his fellow-captives that the siege was begun at that very moment at which he was speaking. This was a clear proof that the prophet’s mind was enlightened by that Sovereign Intelligence which sees and knows all things. He could not possibly know this event by human means. Therefore his assertion, that the siege was then commencing while he was speaking, must have been the result of supernatural knowledge. If any one maintains that this was a prophecy after the event, he must be prepared to accept the conclusion that both Ezekiel’s prophetic and moral characters fall to the ground.
III. The solemnity of the prophet’s last word. In this chapter he takes his farewell of his nation. We are reminded of Our Lord’s parting words to Jerusalem, “Behold your house is left unto you desolate” (St. Matthew 23:38). When the prophets of God speak no more to nations, or to individual men, then the day of their visitation is over and the time of judgment has come.
IV. The solemn importance of God’s notes of time, in the life of nations, and of men. There are times and events in the lives of nations which historians may note down as the most important. But what different rates of importance are to be assigned to these as God views them! And so it is in regard to the lives of individual men. How different would be the calendar of our lives if we marked the times and events of it at God’s bidding! “We are generally ignorant of the real significance of events, which we think we understand. Almost every person can recollect one or more instances, where the whole aftercurrent of his life was turned by some single word, or some incident so trivial as scarcely to fix his notice at the time. On the other hand, many great crises of danger, many high and stirring occasions, in which, at the time, his total being was absorbed, have passed by, leaving no trace of effect on his permanent interests, and have wellnigh vanished from his memory. The conversation of the stage-coach is often preparing results which the solemn assembly and the most imposing and eloquent rites will fail to produce. What countryman, knowing the dairyman’s daughter, could have suspected that she was living to a mightier purpose and result than almost any person in the church of God, however eminent? The outward of occasions and duties is, in fact, almost no index of their importance; and our judgments concerning what is great and small are without any certain validity. These terms, as we use them, are, in fact, only words of outward description, not words of definite measurement.”—(Bushwell).
1. The Lord can make known what men do, to whom He pleases and at what distance soever. Nebuchaduezzar and his forces were in Judea, sitting down before Jerusalem, and this the Lord revealed to Ezekiel, being in Babylon. It was declared to Elisha, whither the king of Syria would march, and where he would pitch his camp. (2 Kings 6:9-10.) The death of Herod, in Judea, was discovered to Joseph, being in Egypt. (Matthew 2:19-20.) And when Moses was in Midian, the Lord told him that all the men were dead in Egypt, which sought his life. (Exodus 4:19.)
2. There are some things and times the Lord would hace his people take special notice of, and keep the chronology thereof. Ezekiel must write the year, the month, and day of Jerusalem’s beseiging. When God hath been upon executing great judgments, or showing great mercies, the days and months have been recorded. The day and month of Noah’s entrance into the ark, and of his coming out again, are mentioned. (Genesis 7:11; Genesis 8:14; Genesis 8:16.) The time of the Jews going out of Egypt you have punctually set down. (Exodus 12:41-42); so the time of their passing over Jordan (Joshua 4:19); of Solomon’s building the temple (2 Chronicles 3:2); of Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews (Esther 3:8; Esther 3:13.) This shows that these events were not casual, that the wisdom and power of God were interested in them, whoever were the instruments.”—(Greenhill.)