Exposition of Ezekiel 14-19, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 16 · Verse 59
VERS. 59.
For thus ſaith the Lord God, I will even deale with thee as thou haſt done, which haſt deſpiſed the oath in breaking the Covenant.
THis verſ. is the concluſion of the fifth part of the Chapter, which was a commination of threatning, and conteins the ſumme of all thoſe judgements fore-mentioned. The parts of it are theſe:
1. A judiciall ſentence, I will deale, &c.
2. The cauſe of Gods ſo dealing, which is, deſpiſing the oath, and breaking the covenant.
3. The ratification of this judiciall ſentence; Thus ſaith the Lord.
I will deale with thee as thou haſt done.
Sept. is, I will doe in thee as thou haſt done: the Heb. is, with thee. Thou haſt broken the Covenant thou mad'ſt with me, promiſing to worſhip, honour, and obey me: and I wil not keep it, who promiſed to counſell, comfort, and protect thee. Becauſe I entered into Covenant with Abraham and your Fathers at Mount-Sinai; you think that whatſoever you doe, howſoever you provoke me by your ingratitude, diſobedience, idolatries and apoſtacies, yet that I am bound by Covenant and promiſe to you, and that there muſt be performance on my part, however things are on your part. But you are deceived, ſeeing you have firſt broken with me, I am free, and ſhall render to you according to your merits; you have ſin'd …xceſſively, and I will puniſh you anſwerably. … h…ve you cauſe to blame or cen…ure me as being … and fa…, when as you your ſelves are perfidious and Cov…nant-breakers.
Which haſt deſpiſed the Oath.
Heb. is, foreign which is from foreign or foreign to contemn, deſpiſe, di d…e: ex …ſta quo…am; and Avenarius makes it to hav… aff…inty with foreign conculcare, to tread under foote, becauſe we tread upon …ings d…ſpiſed. The Sept. is foreign, as thou haſt diſhonoured, di…grac'd the oath. Fr: tu as me ſpriſe. Lavat. contempſiſti.
The oath.
Hebrew is, foreign which ſignifies not ſimply an oath, but an oath with execra…ion, or curſing: it is ſuch an oath as tyes a man to keep promiſe or Covenant, cum imprecatione mali, if he do not, and di ers from foreign which is an oath without imprecation of evill, as you have it, Nehem. 6.18. Deut. 7.8. Pſal. 105.9. But foreign notes ſwearing with a wiſhing of evill, as that a man periſh, be annihilated, ſuffer ſome grievous thing if he doe not perform what he ſweares. Numb. 5.21. it's cal'd an oath of curſing: And Jer. 44.12. They ſhall be foreign for an execration or a curſe. So the verb is u…d, Judg. 17.2. Hoſ. 10.4. 2 Chron. 6.22. And when they did …weare, it's ſaid, Nehem. 10.29. they entered into a curſe, foreign and ſometimes the curſe was expreſſed, as 1 Sam 14.44. Saith Saul, when Jonathan had taſted the honey, God doe ſo, and more alſo. His meaning is this; I have curſed the man that ſhall eate any food this day before evening: and ſeeing thou haſt tranſgreſs'd, God doe ſo to me and more, let me be accurſed, let me dye the death, if thou dye not. The like to this is that of Jezabel, 1 King, 19.2. So let the gods doe to me, and more alſo, if I make not thy life as the life of on… of them by to morrow this time. So Ch. 20.10. ſometimes it was implyed, as Gen. 14.22, 23. I have lift up my hand to the Lord that I will not take from a threed to a ſhooe-latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine. Now it's implyed here, i… I doe, let the Lord do ſo and ſo by me. Pſalm 95.11. Ʋnto whom I ſware in my wrath if they enter into my reſt. …o it runs in the Hebrew; here is a part of the oath conceal'd, implyed, and not expreſt, as thus; if they enter into my reſt let not me live, or let not me be God any longer.
The Sept. render foreign by foreign malediction and execration. They wiſh'd themſelves accur…d and execrable, if they did not perform what they had ſworn. It's the judgement of ſome, that the curſes mentioned in Deut. 27. by which the law was eſtabliſhed, and unto which they ſaid Amen, are here meant, and doubtleſſe they are; for there curſes are pronounced againſt idolatry, bribery, murther, and other ſins; yea againſt every man that ſhould not confirm all the words of the law to doe them. Now they did not obſerve them, but violate them all in a grievous manner, and ſo deſpis'd the oath, that is the execrations and curſes which are cal'd the curſes of the Covenant, Deut. 29.21.
In breaking the Covenant.
God entered into a Covenant with his people, verſ. 8. and they joyn'd in Covenant with him. Exod. 24.7. Moſes tooke the booke of the covenant and read in the audience of the people: and they ſaid, all that the Lord hath ſaid we will doe, and be obedient. Here was a ſolemn engagement. Deut. 26.17, 18. Thou haſt avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walke in his wayes, and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people. Here was a mutuall avouching and owning one another; and Deut. 29.12. the people are ſaid to enter into covenant with the Lord, and into his oath which he made with them. This covenant they brake.
The H brew word is, foreign from foreign to breake; which in Hiphil is to weaken, make void, abrogate. Pſal. 33.10. The Lord bringeth the counſell of the heathen to nought foreign hee makes them fruſtrate, foreign Sept. He ſcattered and daſht in pieces their counſels. Here in Ezek. the Sept. is, foreign to violate, or tranſgreſſe. When any thing materiall is done contrary to agreement, that is a breaking of Covenant.
There be ſome things ſet down in the word more particularly, which are violations of the Covenant, as not circumciſing their males, Gen. 17.14. Idolatry, Deut. 17.2, 3. Joſh. 23.16. Making a league with the inhabitants of Canaan, Judg. 2.2.20. Bringing the uncircumciſed into the Sanctuary, who polluted the worſhip and Ordinances, Ezek. 44.7. And the general was, the not obſerving all things which God had commanded them in the Law, Lev. 26.15, 16. If they did not all his commandements they brake covenant.
This breaking of covenant is ſet out in the word by ſeverall expreſſions; ſometimes it's call'd not continuing in the Covenant, as Heb. 8.9. They continued not in my covenant. Sometimes unſtedfaſtneſſe in it, Pſalm. 78.37. They were not ſtedfaſt in his covenant. Sometimes forgetting of it, Deut. 4.23. Take heed leſt yee forget the covenant. Sometimes, yea oft forſaking of it, as Deut. 29.25. Jer. 22.9. 1 King. 19.10.44. and tranſgreſſing it, Hoſ. 6.7. Judg. 2.20. 2 Kings 18.12.
Queſt. The Scripture ſaith that God is a God which keeps covenant, Nehem. 9.32. yea faithfull in keeping covenant, Deut. 7.9. And God ſaith, he will not ſuffer his faithfulneſſe to faile, nor breake his covenant, nor alter the thing gone out of his lips, Pſal. 89.33, 34. How doth the Lord then ſay here, I will deale with thee as thou haſt done? Is not he bound up by his faithfulneſſe and promiſe to do them good though they faile? according to that in 1 Tim. 2.13. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithfull, he cannot deny himſelfe.
Anſw. If the Covenant were made upon conditions, and thoſe not obſerv'd, no imputation could be laid upon the Lord if he perform not what was his part. The Covenant you may ſee how it runs in ſeverall places, Deut. 7.9. The Lord thy God he is God, the faithfull God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him, and keepe his commandements, to a thouſand generations, and repayeth them that hate him to their face to deſtroy them. All the bleſſings and curſings, Deut. 28. depend upon obedience and diſobedience, keeping and breaking Covenant, ſo that the Lord is free to puniſh if man perform not. Levit. 26.15, 16, 17. If ye will not doe all my commandements, but breake my covenant: I alſo will doe this unto you, appoint over you terrour, conſumption, the burning ague. I will ſet my face againſt you, and yee ſhall be ſlaine before your enemies. They that hate you ſhall reigne over you, and yee ſhall flee when none purſueth. So Deut. 31.16, 17. They will forſake me, and breake my covenant, then my anger ſhall be kindled againſt them. In that day I will forſake them, hide my face from them; they ſhall be devoured, and many evils and troubles ſhall befall them.
2. Though God afflicted them very ſorely, and cut off the body of this people by ſevere judgments, yet he reſerv'd ſome, continued his faithfulneſs, kept covenant with them, and manifeſted his loving kindneſſe unto them, according to that written, Pſal. 89.28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. God own'd them in Babylon for his people, and dealt like a God in covenant with them there. Ezek. 37.12. O my people, I will open your graves, and cauſe you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Iſrael.
Obſer. 1.
The tye of a Covenant between God and man is a ſtrong tye, it hath the nature of an Oath, and an oath is the ſtrongeſt tie of all. Thou haſt deſpiſed the oath in breaking the covenant, that ſtrong tie of an oath wherewith thou waſt bound to me thou haſt broken.
God promiſed unto Abraham to give him and his ſeed the land of Canaan, Gen. 12.7.13.15. Chap. 15.18 it's ſaid, God made a covenant with Abraham, ſaying, unto thy ſeede have I given this land.
Now this promiſe and covenant is ca…'d an oath, Gen. 26.3. I will perform the oath which I ſware unto Abraham thy father. Deut. 34.4. This is the land which I ſware unto Abraham, unto Iſaac, and unto Jacob.
The covenant alſo which God made with them at mount-Sinai is is call'd an oath, Dan. 9.11. It's to cal'd becau…e of the bindingneſſe of it: A man that enters into covenant with God is bound as much as it he had taken the moſt …olemne oath. Acts …3.1. They bound themſelves under a curſe, or wi…h an oath of ex…cration. As was at the giving out of the Law, and making the Covenant, Deut. 11.26, 27, 28. They agre d to it, that if they did not do what God commanded, what they covenanted, that the curſe ſhould come upon them, Deut. 27. when they ſaid Amen to the curſes: ſo that there was a ſtrong obligation upon them. Hence you have that expreſſ…on, Ezek. 20.37 The bond of the covenant. A Wife is not tyed more ſtrongly to her Husband by the bond of marriage, then a people is unto God by the bond of that covenant they make with him.
God would bring th m under the bond of the Covenant by thoſe judg…ments a…d curſes he wou…d poure out upon them, and make them, acknowledge him for their God and King, as they did. Dan. 9.10, 11 We obeyed not the voyce of the Lord our God, to wal…e in the lawes which he ſet before us by his ſervants the Prophets. Yea, all Iſrael have tranſgreſſed thy law, therefore the curſe is powred upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moſes.
2. Such is the corruption of man, that it violates, fruſtrat s, and makes void the ſt ongeſt obligations. They brake the Covenant, which was a ſacred bond, and had the ſtrength of an oath, and bound them under penalty of being curſed. God had ſet life and death before them, good and evill, Deut. 30.15. bleſſing and curſing, Deut. 11.26. He had hedg'd them about with promiſes, with threats, bound them in a covenant and oath; yet all would not doe, ſuch ſtrong bands held them not in, they brake all: God had broken the bands of captivity, Levit. 26.13. and bound them with cords of love, and look'd they ſhould have kept cloſe to him: but Jer. 3.20. Of old time I broke thy yoke, burſt thy bands: and thou ſaidſt I will not tranſgreſſe, when upon every high hill, and under every green tree thou wandereſt, playing the harlot.
God brake the Aegyptian yoake and bonds by a mighty power, and freed them: and they brake his yoak, his bonds by the mighty power of their corruption, and would rather be in bondage to ſin, then in covenant with him; neither was it here and there a man that did ſo, but it was the body of the people; therefore Jer. 11.10. The houſe of Iſrael and the houſe of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers: All Iſrael and all Judah have done it: Leſt God ſhould miſtake, hee would make tryall of thoſe hee thought were moſt likely to have kept his Covenant. Jer. 5.5. I will get me to the great men, and will ſpeak unto them, for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgements of their God. They are in places of authority and honour, and reſemble me, they have underſtanding, knowledge, and time to conſider of the covenant, the engagements they are in, the benefits of keeping, and evills of breaking it: but theſe have altogether broken the yoake, and burſt the bonds, notwithſtanding their breeding, the means of knowledge, and many mercies they had above others, and ſuch ſtrong ties to have kept them in bounds, yet they have not regarded mee, my commands, threatnings, covenant or curſes. Mans corruption is violent, and will violate all engagements and relations.
3. Breaking of the covenant by ſinning againſt God, is a ſlighting and deſpiſing of the threats and curſes of God: Thou haſt deſpiſed the oath in breaking the covenant.
God hath threatned all ſin with woes and curſes, ſee Levit. 26. & Deut. 28. Curſed is every one continues not in all things written in the booke of the law to doe them, Gal. 3.10. And the wrath of God it reveal'd from heaven againſt all ungodlineſſe and unrighteouſneſſe of men, Rom. 1.18.
Now if men did not ſlight and deſpiſe threatning, wrath, curſes, they would not dare to ſin, and break covenant with God; they think words are but wind, that threatnings are but ſcar-crowes, having no great matter in them; or if they have, they will not ſuddenly come, as Ezek. 12. When the Lord threatned deſtruction to the Prince, people, Cities, and the whole land, they flighted all, and ſaid, The dayes are prolonged, and every viſion faileth, verſ. 22. Yea, the viſion is for many dayes to come, 27. and ſo went on in their ſinfull ways, and deſpiſed the truths of God.
When a man reproacheth and ſlaunders another privily, he deſpiſeth that branch of the oath, curſed be he that ſmiteth his neighbour ſecretly.
When children ſet light by their parents, they deſpiſe that part of it, curſed be hee ſetteth light by his Father or his Mother.
When men take bribes or reward to pervert juſtice, they deſpiſe that clauſe of the oath, curſed is he that taketh reward ſo ſlay an innocent perſon: and ſo of the reſt, Deut. 27.
Now what preſumption and boldneſſe is it in men to deſpiſe the Oath, break the Covenant of God, preſume they ſhall do well enough though they ſin, and continue in ſinfull wayes. Lev. 26.15. If ye ſhall deſpiſe my ſtatutes, or if your ſoule abhor my judgements, ſo that you will not doe all my commandements, but that yee breake my covenant, I will doe ſo and ſo by you.
Deſpiſing of the law is a deſpiſing of God, judging both to be little worth: Shall the infinite, wiſe, great and glorious God magnifie his law, and make it honourable, Iſa. 42.1. yea magnifie it above all his name, Pſal. 138.2. And ſhall ſorry, ſinfull, fooliſh man ſlight, contemn the ſame? Shall he deſpiſe the Oath, and breake the Covenant?
5. See here the admirable juſtice of God, I will deale with thee as thou haſt done: Thou ſhalt be judge thy ſelfe; is it not equall to doe like for like? Thou haſt deſpiſed the oath, I will deſpiſe thee: Thou haſt broken the Covenant unjuſtly to ſin againſt me; I will break it juſtly to puniſh thee. Marvaile not at that expreſſion of Gods breaking the Covenant, you have in the word that is equivalent to it, Numb. 14.34. Yee ſhall know my breach of promiſe. God had promiſed them, ſworn to them that they ſhould enter into Canaan; but they brought up an ill report concerning that Land, murmured againſt God, who thereupon told them they ſhould not come into that Land, but wander forty yeares in the Wilderneſſe till their carkaſſes were waſted, and ſo they ſhould know his breach of promiſe: had they made good their promiſe, he would have made good his promiſe; but becauſe they brake with him in ſinning, he brake with them in puniſhing, and ſo here was exact juſtice, lex talionis, as in our Prophets words alſo: they brake Covenant, and deſpiſed the Oath, and ſo made God and his wayes contemptible: whereupon God breaks with them, and makes them and their wayes deſpicable. Jer. 22.28. Coniah a deſpiſed broken Idoll. Lam. 1.8. ſpeaking of Jeruſalem, he ſaith, all that honoured her deſpiſe her. She was a deriſion, Chap. 3.14. a reproach, Ezek. 5.14. They ſaid, ſing us one of the ſongs of Sion, Pſal. 137.3. An hiſſing, Jer. 19.8. All that paſſed by clapt their hands at her, hiſs'd and wagg'd their heads, Lam. 2.15. A Curſe, Jer. 44.12. They deſpiſed the Curſe God made them.
6. Breach of Covenant is ſo provoking a ſin as God will certainly puniſh. Thus ſaith the Lord God I will deal with thee; Thou haſt broken the Covenant, and I will not put it up at thy hands. The Lord appeared in a judiciary way, and gave out a judiciall ſentence, ratifying it with thus ſaith the Lord God: Hee is a God of truth and power, and will undoubtedly puniſh the breach of Covenant. God is infinitely byond all creatures: The nations to him are as the drop of a bucket, the ſmall duſt of the ballance, Iſa. 40.15. Yea all nations before him are as nothing, leſſe then nothing, vanity, v. 17. What was this Nation of the Jewes then for the great God to mind, and ſo far to mind, affect, as to take to be his people, to enter into Covenant withall; to counſel, comfort, protect, proſper, and exalt with priviledges above all the Nations in the world? It was no better nor bigger then other Nations: but it pleaſed God to beſtow himſelfe and his love upon this People, and to joyne in Covenant with them, the higheſt favour a people could have; but what did they? they brake Covenant with God, left him the fountain of life, love, mercy, and of all good, fell to other gods, other worſhip, and went a whoring after the ſight of their eyes, the inventions of the Nations and imaginations of their own hearts: this provoked God greatly, and made him ſay, Be aſtoniſhed O heavens at this, and be horribly affraid, be ye very deſolate: For my people have committed two evills, they have forſaken me the fountaine of living waters, and hewed them out Ciſterns, broken ciſterns that can hold no water, Jer. 2.12, 13. They violated the Covenant, and God would viſit for it. Joſh. 23.16. When yee have tranſgreſſed the covenant of the Lord your God which he commanded you, &c. Then ſhall the anger of the Lord be kindled againſt you, and yee ſhall periſh quickely from off the good land which he hath given you. God will make quick work with them. Hoſ. 8.1. He ſhall come as an Eagle againſt the houſe of the Lord becauſe they have tranſgreſſed my covenant. Eagles flye ſwiftly; the Eagle was the King of Aſſyria, who haſtned to their deſtruction. Needs muſt breach of Covenant provoke ſorely, when it cauſeth God to pronounce a curſe upon the man ſhall doe it. Jer. 11.3. Thus ſaith the Lord God of Iſrael, curſed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant.
A curſe is a conſuming thing: Perſons, Townes, Cities, Nations conſume away, becauſe the curſe of God is upon them for breaking Covenant with him. Iſa. 24.5, 6. The earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, becauſe they have tranſgreſſed the lawes, changed the ordinances, broken the everlaſting covenant. Therefore hath the curſe devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are deſolate.
One place more, Levit. 26.25. I will bring a ſword upon you that ſhall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when yee are gathered together within your Cities, I will ſend the peſtilence among you, and yee ſhall be delivered into the hand of the enemie.
When the Covenant is broken, it hath a quarrell with man, pleads againſt him, calls for vengeance: the Original is, foreign vindictam faederis, the vengeance of the Covenant. As there is much mercy in the Covenant if it be kept: ſo there is much vengeance if it be broken: all the woes and curſes mentioned in the book of the law, are the vengeance of the Covenant; therefore when the Lord told them by Huldad what he would doe for the breach of Covenant, he ſaid, Behold I will bring evill upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curſes that are written in the booke which they have read before the King of Judah, 2 Chron. 34.24.