And when this cometh to pass, &c.— Therefore when these things come to pass, (they shall come to pass immediately,) then, &c. "When you see my prophesies concerning the destruction of Jerusalem actually come to pass, as will immediately be the case; then you will be convinced of the truth of my mission, and of your own inexcusable fault in despising my predictions." See Ezekiel 33:21-22 and Calmet.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, Once more the prophet is sent to the rebellious house of Israel. And we have here,
1. The office of a watchman described. In times of danger and invasion, when the people set a watchman to descry the approaching enemy, his business is, to wake, look out, and spread the alarm wherever he sees the sword coming; in which case having discharged his trust, his own fidelity will be approved; and if others take warning, they will be safe; if not, their blood will be on their own heads. But if the watchman be negligent or asleep, and the sword comes, and any soul, surprised for want of warning, perishes in his iniquity, then shall his blood be required at the watchman's hands. An awful charge! and well may they tremble for themselves who undertake to be watchmen to immortal souls against surrounding spiritual foes.
2. God applies this to Ezekiel. He is by divine commission appointed a watchman to the house of Israel; his business is, attentively to hear, and faithfully to report, the word of warning which God shall deliver to him: particularly he must say to the wicked, without distinction of persons, or fear of men's faces, O wicked men, thou shalt surely die. Wherever unrepented iniquity is found, there the heavy wrath of God will lie; and neither the greatest will be spared, nor the meanest overlooked. Death eternal will be the assured wages of sin; and wicked men are warned of this, that while there is yet hope they may fly from the wrath to come, to him alone who can and will abundantly pardon. If he neglected his duty, then the wicked should perish in his iniquity; for it will not excuse the careless sinner that he lived and died under a negligent pastor, when he had God's word in his hands; but his blood will God require at the prophet's hands; and terrible will be the cry of the blood of lost souls in the ears of unfaithful ministers in a judgment-day. But if he was faithful, however obstinate the sinner might be, he would at least have the comfort of delivering his own soul; and though Israel be not gathered, he shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord. And this was not merely directed to him; but is also written for our instruction, and equally applicable to every one intrusted with the care of immortal souls; on whose fidelity so much depends, and whose unfaithfulness must be attended with such aggravated guilt and misery.
2nd, The substance of a considerable part of this chapter we had in chap. 18: and we need repeatedly to have such important truths inculcated upon us.
1. They quarrelled with God's dispensations of providence and grace, as if they were unjust and unequal; and would argue from the words with which the prophet concluded, chap. Ezekiel 24:23 that it was in vain to call them to repentance and life, when their sins were bound upon them, and they must necessarily pine away in their iniquities; though the prophet had spoken continually of what would be the case, if they did not return to God, and with an express view to lead them to repentance. Note; (1.) They who choose to err, will pervert the glorious truths of God, that they may have a plea to harden themselves in iniquity. (2.) Many, through hardened despair of pardon, rush presumptuously on their sins, and render their hearts thereby utterly obdurate.
2. God silences their unjust reflections.
[1.] Their despair had no foundation from God's word, but arose from their own wilfulness. Far from delighting in the death of a sinner, vengeance is God's strange work. He assures them, nay, by an oath confirms his word, that he would rather they would turn and live; nay, he warmly expostulates with them on the folly and perverseness of their conduct, and with repeated earnestness urges them to consider their ways, and turn from their iniquities, that they may not die, as otherwise they infallibly must. Note; (1.) Sinners must repent, or perish. (2.) God is grieved, speaking after the manner of men, when they perversely reject the calls of his word. (3.) The damnation of the sinner lieth at his own door; in the day of judgment he will have only himself to blame.
[2.] Their charge against God, as dealing unequally, is refuted, they themselves being judges; for what can be so evidently equitable as his procedure? 1. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live: if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity—he shall die for it. The grand source of their ruin is their pride; they trust to their own righteousness, the most fatal rock against which a soul can split; for the moment a person places confidence in his own doings and duties, and fancies himself strong enough to resist any temptation, he is already fallen. This high conceit is his mortal sin, and the sure forerunner of his ruin: puffed up with pride, he falls into the snare of the devil; commits iniquity, lives and dies in the practice of it; and the consequence of this is, he perishes everlastingly: all his pleas of former goodness will stand him in no stead at God's bar; he is found in unrepented guilt, and sinks under the curse into the belly of hell; and the more confident his former hopes were, 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 bar the door of hope against sinners, far from it; but to warn them of their danger, that they may escape from it. For, whenever a sinner turns to God, however aggravated his guilt, and numberless or enormous his transgressions, he shall, through Jesus, be accepted, and find that the Lord can as easily pardon many transgressions as few: and, for the encouragement of the trembling soul, God is pleased to assure us, that his arms are open; and, so far from upbraiding us with our rebellions, he will not so much as mention them in the day when we return to him. The past shall all be cancelled, the present blessed change shall only be remembered; and walking perseveringly, through the power of divine grace, in the way of truth and holiness, 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, these unreasonable and wicked men as his people, but turns them over to the prophet, determined to judge them according to their ways; and, however they dispute against him, he will glorify his righteousness in the destruction of the impenitent and apostates, and in the salvation of the penitent and faithful.
3rdly, Ezekiel had been informed, chap. Ezekiel 24:26 that one of those escaped out of the flames of Jerusalem, should give him an affecting narrative of the miseries which that devoted place had suffered; and lo! the messenger arrives. According to some, this was a year and four months after the fatal 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 sad news that he brought, chap. Ezekiel 24:27 had begun anew, after a long silence, with earnestness 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 Chaldean army through the country, he has a word sent unto him from God, to be delivered to the miserable remnant who inhabited the wastes of Judaea, who, so far from being humbled with all the judgments that they had seen, and the sufferings that they had felt, continued just as bad as ever: and these were either Johanan and his associates, or some others who might still have continued in Judaea after he and his company were departed into Egypt.
[l.] 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, expect to keep possession of it against opposers.
[2.] Their other sins were great and aggravated. (1.) Ye eat with the blood, contrary to the divine prescription, Leviticus 19:26 or upon the blood, referring to the idolatrous practices of the heathen, who sat down round the blood of the sacrifices which they had offered to devils, and fancied they held communion with them thereby. (2.) Ye lift up your eyes toward your idols, worshipping these 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 defile 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 pursue them in the waste places; those who are in the open fields the beasts shall devour, and they who have fled to the forts and fortresses for shelter, shall die of the pestilence. One judgment shall follow upon another, till the land is completely desolate, their remaining strength they boasted of utterly ruined, and the very mountains desolate, without flocks or herds feeding on them: nor shall a traveller pass through the land; so uncultivated, so depopulated would it be, and filled with wild beasts. Such judgments would make them know an avenging God, who, having sworn to punish, will execute his threatenings, and give them the just recompense which their abominations deserve.
4thly, The Jews who remained in the land were, we find, bad, very bad: nor were many of the captivity much better, as evidently appears from the latter part of this chapter.
1. They were hypocritical mockers and revilers. 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 in the bonds of iniquity; covetousness reigned within; they were pleased with the prophet's manner, his expressions and elocution as a speaker, but paid no regard to the matter. It was the amusement of an hour; and when they were gone, they could readily join in the abuse cast upon him; and among their own party ridicule and revile the preacher, his doctrine, and his hearers. Note; (1.) Public persons, especially faithful ministers, will be the butt of obloquy. If they knew but half the evil said of them, it might discourage them; but God knows their revilers, and will punish them. (2.) It is a serious matter to hear God's word; they who make a jest 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's sake, who never so much as expect edification from them. (4.) We often see a smooth tongue cover a malignant heart; externally, 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 message; 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 scoffers despise 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 prediction, and the threatened vengeance overtakes them.