Exposition of Ezekiel 14-19, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 17 · Verse 6
VERS. 6.
And it grew and became a ſpreading vine, of low ſtature, whoſe branches turn'd toward him, and the roots therof were under him: ſo it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and ſhot forth twigs.
HEre you have the effects of the ſeed planted, the meanning is this: That Zedekiah being advanced to the Throne, he reigned: and while gratefull and faithfull to Nebuchadnezar who raiſed him, he proſpered.
It grew.
This plant or ſeed budded preſently, he let the people of Judah ſee and know that he had power.
Became a ſpreading vine.
Heb. is, foreign a luxuriaut vine. The vine abounds with leaves and ſprigs, and runs out far. Zedekiah encreaſed in riches, friends, power, ſtrength, but never came to any conſiderable greatneſſe: He was not like the tall Cedar, but as a low vine; for it follows,
Of low ſtature.
foreign.Heb. is, low in ſtature; the vine is a plant that creeps upon the earth, and grows not high, unleſſe helped by others. Sept. ſaith, he became a weake vine, and little in greatneſſe.
There was as much difference between his Reign and Jehoiachins, as between a tall Cedar, and a low ſhrub: he was under Nebuchadnezar.
Whoſe branches turned towards him.
By branches, Nobles, Coū ſellors, Officers and chief attendants that depended on him.Some doubt there is, whither this him be Nebuchadnezar the Eagle, or Zedekiah the Vine, to me it is appar nt, Nebuchadnezar is pointed at; for both Zedekiah and his branches did depend upon the King of Babylon: and whilſt they looked to him, and kept Covenant, they flouriſhed; both root and branches grew and ſpread: but when they failed to perform engagements, the branches were pluckt off, and the vine rooted up.
The roots thereof were under him.
Nebuchadnezar gave rooting to this vine; what power ſoever Zedekiah had, it was under him; he planted it in Judaea, his owne countrey, tyed him to conditions, would have defended him from any other invaſive power, and had it in his hand to hold him under, or to make him a free Prince againe at his pleaſure. The roote hath life, communicates vertue, and beares up the body and branches. But whence hath it all? is it not from the earth, in and under which it is? So Zedekiah had his politicall or Kingly life, all his power and ſtrength from Nebuchadnezar under whom hee was.
Obſer. 1.
That Heathen Princes may come to much greatneſſe. Nebuchadnezar who was an Heathen, is cal'd an Eagle, who is the chiefe of all birds, and not ſimply an Eagle, but a great Eagle, with great and long wings, full of feathers. He had great power, great territories, multitudes of people, yea Kings and Princes under him. Dan. 2.37. Thou O King art a King of Kings; for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdome, power, ſtrength, and glory. And where ever the children of men dwell, the beaſt of the field and the fowles of heaven hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all, verſ. 38. He had vaſt power over men, fowles, and beaſts; he was the greateſt Eagle of thoſe times.
Prophane Authors make an Eagle an embleme of majeſty and greatneſſe. King Pyrrhus would be cal'd an Eagle, as Plutarch obſerves in his life. Alexander the great that day he was born, two Eagles were ſeene to ſit upon the top of the houſe, which preſaged his greatneſſe; for he conquered Europe and Aſia, two great parts of the world; he was an Eagle had great and long wings, which extended from Eaſt to Weſt. Ahaſbuerus was ſuch an Eagle, he reigned from India even unto Ethiopia over 127. Provinces, Eſth. 1.1.
2. Princes, Potentates, who are the Eagles of the world, have an ill eye at the Church and people of God. This great Eagle came to Lebanon, his eye was upon the Jewes that dwelt in the holy Land, that were the only people of God, and them hee made a prey of. Eagles have piercing eyes, ſtrong beaks, terrible talons: and let the Doves look to it, if any be in danger, it's they; not Puttocks, Kites, Buzzards doe Eagles mind, but Doves. The Church is in holy writ cal'd a Dove, Cant. 6.9. Pſal. 74.19. and it's ſubject to ſpoil and prey. The Eagles have their eyes upon it, and watch their opportunity to teare and devour it. Did not Senacherib that great Eagle, who had ſtrong and long wings come to Judah and take the defenced Cities thereof? came he not up to the gates and walls of Jeruſalem with full purpoſe to ſpoile and devoure? Iſa. 36.1, 2. Did hee not ſay, I am come to the ſide of Lebanon, and I will cut downe the tall Cedars thereof, and the choiſe Fir-trees thereof, Ch. 37.24. 'Tis Sion, Lebanon, Jeruſalem, that the Monarchs and great ones of the earth have ſpight at. Did not the great ones of Edom, Iſhmael, Moab, Hagaren, Gebal, Ammon, Amalek of the Philiſtims, Tyrians and Aſſyrians conſpire togther againſt Gods people, conſult againſt his hidden ones, and ſay, Come, let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Iſrael may be no more in remembrance *Mount-Seir had a perpetual hatred againſt the children of Iſrael, Ezek. 35.5. Ammon, Moab, & Mount-Se…r, though ſpared by the Iſraelites when they came out of Aegypt; yet they came againſt Iehoſhaphat & Judah to caſt them out of their poſſeſſions, 2 Chr. 20.10, 11., Pſal. 83. They would not only plunder them, but roote them out; they would utterly extirpate them, and the memory of them. Such was the intention and attempt of Haman. Doe not the Eagles and great ones of the earth ſeeke to lay waſt Sion, and root out the generation of the righteous?
3. States may riſe to a great height, even the height of Cedars; the Jewiſh ſtate is cal'd a Cedar, yea, a Cedar upon Lebanon, an hill; Cedars are very high. 2 King. 19.23. The tall Cedars: foreignHeb. is, the tallneſſe of Cedars. Amos 2.9. whoſe height is as the height of Cedars, and they were higher then fir-trees. Zach. 11.2. Howle fir-tree, for the Cedar is fallen. Inferiours howl, mourn, when higher then themſelves doe fall.
It's ſaid of the men of this State, they are become great, waxen rich, they are waxē fat, they ſhine, Jer. 5.27, 28. But ſo evill that they over-paſſed the deeds of the wicked.The Jewiſh State being likened to a Cedar, was great, high, glorious, powerfull, God proſpered it ſo that it flouriſhed greatly; it was like the Cedar for talneſſe, but not for ſweetneſſe; for Jehoiachin who was the top of this Cedar, did evill in the ſight of the Lord, 2 King. 24.9.
4. No Kings or Kingdomes are ſo high or great, but the Lord can bring them down, and abaſe them. A great Eagle comes and crops the higheſt branch of the Cedar, and the top of his young twigs: Jehoiachin, the Princes and Nobles a…e taken away by him, and deprived of all their greatneſſe and glory. The top of this tall Cedar was broken off, and thrown to the ground, and it was done by the counſel, appointment, and providence of God. Thus ſaith the Lord, a great Eagle came to Lebanon. God ſent this Eagle to doe it: He hath means, wayes, times, to un-power Kingdomes, to un-king Kings, to un-noble Nobles: He can at his pleaſure remove Kings, and take them and others from all rule and government. Dan. 2.20, 21. Wiſdome and might are his, he changeth times and ſeaſons. The times of all States, Empires, governments are in his hand, and hee removes the Kings and Governours of them at his pleaſure: Job tels us, he looſeth the bond of Kings, Chap. 12.18. The bond of Kings is their authority, the laws & covenants by which people are bound unto them, the Lord takes away the one, and makes people regardleſſe of the other. He leads Princes away ſpoiled, and overthrows the mighty, verſ. 19. He poureth contempt upon Princes. Thus did he deale by Jehoiachin, he looſed his bond, led him away, ſpoiled and made him contemptible.
Sometimes God takes them off from the throne by a ſtroake in Warre: ſo Ahab was removed, 1 Kings 22.The Roman Emperours were 63. and only 6. dyed a naturall and peaceable death, as Fitzherbert obſerveth in his Treatiſe concerning policie & religion p. 2. c. 13. they were bloody, tyrannicall, & God tooke them off by unnaturall deaths. Sometimes by the act of their own hand: ſo Saul, 1 Sam. 31.4. Sometimes by ſtirring up their own Subjects againſt them: ſo Nebuchadnezar this great Eagle, that cropt the Cedars of Lebanon, was driven from his neſt by the inferiour birds. Dan. 4.32. They ſhall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling ſhal be amongſt the beaſts of the field. And verſ. 33. he was driven from men. Chriſtian, King of Denmarke was put from the Throne by his Nobles for his great cruelty, himſelfe, Wife, and three children baniſhed, as Sleid. l. 4.
Other Kingdomes, and this alſo can tell you of Cedars whoſe top-branches have been cropt: how it far'd with Edward the 2. is not unknown unto you.
If Kings would not have God to looſe their bonds, let them take heed how they break his bonds, and goe beyond the bounds of Religion and juſtice which he ſets them.
5. Though God doe deprive great ones of great mercies, yet not always of all mercies. The higheſt branch of the Cedar, and the top of his young twigs are cropt, but they are not thrown away, or thrown into the fire; but they are carryed into a land of traffique, and ſet in a Citie of Merchants. Jehoiachin, the Princes, and glory of the Land are deprived of their power and greatneſſe, that was a ſad affliction; but they were provided for in a ſtrange land, ſuffered to trade and live. God mingles mercy with judgements; yea when they are great, ſharp, proclaim the ſeverity of God; yet even then there is ſome matter of comfort twiſted together with them; if there be ſeverity on the one hand, there is goodneſſe in the other.
It ſeem'd to be the height of rigour to pull Jehoiachin a young King from the Throne, and to deprive him and the Nobles of all the comforts that Canaan, Jeruſalem, and the Temple could afford, but it was not: their limbs might have been pul'd from them, their eyes put out, their lives taken away; but theſe are ſpar'd, and they are ſeated, not in a Country-village, but in a City, and a City of Merchants, that ſo they might have commerce with men of quality, be taken up with merchandizing affairs, and not mind their loſſes too much.
6. God prevents mens expectations, and raiſes up to that honour and greatneſſe they looked not for. God ordered the ſpirit of Nebuchadnezar, ſo that he tooke of the ſeed of the land and planted it: that is, he made Zedekiah King, who look'd not for it; he was Jehoiachins fathers brother, 2 Kings 24.17. And ſeeing the Cedar of Lebanon now cropt, had little cauſe to thinke himſelfe or any of the Jewiſh race ſhould be advanc'd, he might have concluded warrantably, that himſelfe ſhould have been carryed into Babylon, ſet in the City of Merchants, and not have abode in Canaan, be planted in the fruitfull field and City of God: but Gods thoughts are not the thoughts of men, he exalts whom hee pleaſes, Pſal. 75.6. Promotion is neither from the Eaſt, nor the Weſt, nor from the South; but God is the Judg, he putteth downe one, and ſetteth up another, and doth it unexpectedly many times. Saul when looking for Aſſes had a Kingdome, and Kingly honour beſtowed on him, 1 Sam. 9. and 10. Chap. When Davids thoughts were-upon the Sheep and Sheep-folds, Gods thoughts were upon him for higher purpoſes; hee tooke him from his ſheepe, and ſheep-folds, to feed Jacob his people, and Iſrael, &c. Pſalm. 78.70, 71. How unexpe&edly were Hazael and Jehu raiſed to Kingly dignity, 2 King. 8.13. Chap 9.5, 6. Joſeph in Aegypt, Daniel, Mordecai, and Eſther in Babylon; did not God prevent their thoughts, and ſet them higher then their expectations advanc'd. Hannah ſaw, and confeſſed it long ſince, that the Lord raiſeth up the poroe out of the duſt, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to ſet them among Princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory. Poore and meane men looke not for ſuch high things, but the Lord freely beſtows it on them. Pſal. 113.8. He ſets them with Princes.
7. The diſpoſing of ſubdued Kingdomes is a difficult work, and requires wiſdome, care, and caution. Nebuchadnezar had ſubdued the land of Canaan, and what doth he? he wiſely takes of the ſeed of the land, not of the ſeed of Babylon, not a ſtranger, which would have bred diviſions, contentions, wars, and blood, but one of themſelves, and places amongſt them, and that with circumſpection: Hee made things ſure as he could for himſelfe, and ſure for Zedekiah whom he planted amongſt, and ſet over the people; he was very circumſpect in this weighty buſineſſe: ſo the word ſaph-ſaphah ſignifies: men of this world are wiſe in their generations. This K. when he took away Jehoiachin, carried away all Jeruſalem, and all the Princes, and all the mighty men of valour, tenne thouſand captives: and all the Craftſmen and Smiths, the Kings wives and his officers, and all that were apt for warre, and none remained ſave the pooreſt ſort of the land, 2 King. 24.14, 15, 16. He tooke away all that might be of uſe to the new King, he would leave him none to give him ill counſell, or aſſiſt him in ill enterprizes; he planted him by great waters, among multitudes of poor people, that had little for themſelves, and leſſe for their King.
8. Tributary Princes and Kingdomes at firſt are reſpective and gratefull to thoſe that they depend upon. Zedekiah was planted by Nebuchadnezar in Judea, and his branches turned towards him, and his roots were under him: Himſelfe, and thoſe belonged to him acknowledged their dependance on Nebuchadnezar. Kindneſſe, favour, is to be owned and confeſſed, though from Strangers and Heathens. He ſent to Nebuchadnezar, Jer. 29.3. yea he went to him, Jer. 51.59. So that he was very obſervable of him: and while he was content with this condition of being under that potent King, and faithfull in keeping Covenant, and performing Articles agreed upon, he and the Kingdome thrived; it's ſaid of him, hee grew and became a ſpreading vine, which brought forth branches, and ſhot forth twigs. He grew in eſtate, in children, in Nobles, in Offices and Officers; he came to the condition of a vine, yea a ſpreading Vine that hath leaves and branches.
9. When the glory and ſtrength of a Kingdome is marr'd and broken by warres, it doth not eaſily recover it's priſtine condition, if ever. The Kingdome of Judah, after Nebuchadnezars plundering and ſpoiling of it, in time became a vine, but of low ſtature, in all Zedekiah's dayes it did not recover it ſelfe. When a tree is cropt, it requires time to grow up againe, and it may be never attains its former height and glory. This Kingdome was a tall Cedar before, now it was a low ſhrub; it had not that wealth, power, dignity, greatneſſe it had before. If a Family or Town be ruined by wars, it may be 7. years before they get up again, and 7. to that, much more when Kingdomes are ſhaken, batter'd, wounded.
10. See hence the inſtability of all earthly greatneſſe. Kings and Kingdoms that were high and moſt flouriſhing, are ſoon brought low: The Kingdom of Judah was glorious, powerfull, like the higheſt Cedar upon the hill of Lebanon: but it continued not, it ſuffered many changes. Ten Tribes were rent from it in Rehoboam's dayes. Senacherib infeſted it in Hezekia's dayes. Pharaoh Necho in Jehoiakims, and put it under taxe. Nebuchadnezar he cropt, Cropt the Cedar, tooke off the higheſt branch, and lop of the young twigs, &c. So that the kingdomes of this world cannot be holden long by any. Let us feare that God who batters and ſhakes Kingdomes in pieces, looke after, and labour for that Kingdome which cannot be moved, Heb. 12.28.
Let us not mind the riches of the world, but labour to be poor in ſpirit, for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven.