Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 33 · Verses 21-22
Verſes 21, 22.
And it came to paſſe in the twelfth yeer of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had eſcaped out of Jeruſalem, came unto me, ſaying, The City is ſmitten.
Now the hand of the Lord was upon me in the evening, afore he that was eſcaped came; and had opened my mouth untill he came to me in the morning, and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.
HEre the 3 general part of the Chapter takes place, and is a denunciation of judgement againſt thoſe that eſcaped as the deſtruction of Jeruſalem; from the 21. verſ. to the 30. and this is ſet out or amplified,
1. From the time and occaſion of it, verſ. 21.
2. From the efficient cauſe, verſ. 22.
3. From the moving cauſes, verſ. 24, 25, 26.
4. From the finall cauſe, which is in the 29. verſ.
Verſ. 21. In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month.
How long this was after the taking and ſmiting of Jeruſalem will appear by comparing Jerem. 52.5, 6, 7. with this verſe. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the City was broken up. The captivity of the Jewes began with Zedekiahs reign; for that time he was made King, Jehoiachin was carryed away captive into Babylon, 2 Kings 24. Now this was in the twelfth year of the captivity, the tenth month, in the fifth day of it, ſo that it was a year and ſix months wanting four dayes before this tydings of Jeruſalems being ſmitten, came to Ezekiel.
One that had eſcaped out of Jeruſalem, came unto me, ſaying,
Many periſhed in Jeruſalem by the famine and plague in the time of the Siedge, many were ſlain at the taking of it, yet ſome eſcaped, and its probable they hid themſelves in holes, woods, among the mountains, or fled to Aegypt; one of which, after ſo long a time as a year, five months, and ſixteen dayes, came to Ezekiel, and told him The City was ſmitten; its without queſtion he and others had heard ſomthing of Jeruſalems condition before, but no certainty.
The City is ſmitten.
The word for ſmitten, is from Nacah, which notes ſo to ſmite, as not to miſſe, it was certainly ſmitten; The Septuagint is foreign The City is taken; The Vulgar Vaſtata eſt civitas, The City is laid waſte, Broken up, as in Jerem: 52.7. This was ſad News he brought, that Jeruſalem that famous City, that City of God was deſtroyed.
Verſ. 22. Now the hand of the Lord was upon me.
This expreſſion we had in the 1. Chap: 3. & Chap: 3.14. The hand of the Lord was ſtrong upon me. And here by the hand of the Lord is meant, Vis Prophetica, or Afflatus Propheticus, Prophetical breathings of Gods Spirit were upon the Prophet, whereby he was inabled to ſpeak freely and boldly concerning the ſtate of the Jews in Judaea, that had eſcaped; God informed the Prophet how things were at Jeruſalem before the Meſſenger came.
In the evening afore he that was eſcaped came.
The evening was the beginning of the day among the Jews, and ſo of much eſteem, and God then by his Spirit, viſited the Prophet.
And had opened my mouth untill he came to me in the morning.
In the 24. Chap: God had told the Prophet, that one ſhould eſcape and bring him tydings of things at Jeruſalem, and that in that day, his mouth ſhould be opened, and here its made good. The opening of the mouth implyes
1. Materiam loquendi, Matter of ſpeaking.
2. Libertatem loquendi, Freedom of ſpeaking.
3. Occaſionem loquendi, Opportunity of ſpeaking.
All theſe concur'd here, he had matter given in to ſpeak unto thoſe that were eſcaped, and flattered themſelves they ſhould live and recover their loſſes; he had freedom, Jeruſalem being ſmitten, boldly to maintain what he had formerly propheſied againſt Jeruſalem, and occaſion Miniſtred unto him, from the mans coming.
The word foreign ad fer untill were better rendred, when & ſo Sa: in his notes upon the place, hath it donec procum, ſaith he. There was a ſweet harmony and correſpondency between what the Prophet received from the Spirit of God, and that which this Meſſenger faithfully related unto him.
My mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.
After this he was ſo fill'd with the Prophetical Spirit, that he was ſilent no more, but propheſied freely and frequently unto them.
Firſt, Obſerve;
Gods people are ſometimes under long afflictions.
In the twelfth year of our captivity. They had endured many miſeries in a forraign Land amongſt a barbarous people twelve years, Numb: 20.15. We dwelt in Aegypt a long time, and the Aegyptians vexed us and our Fathers; Aegypt was an houſe of bondage and vexation unto them, and when they were brought out God threatned them, that if they would not obſerve all the words of his Law to do them, and fear his glorious name, he would make their plagues great, and of long continuance, Deut. 28.59. And this captivity of theirs was ſo long, that they thought God had forgotten them, Lament: 5.20. Wherefore doſt thou forget us for ever, and forſake us ſo long time? Seventy years time they lay in Babylon, which was no better then an iron furnace; Ezekiel, Daniel, and other Godly Ones were in this condition.
Secondly, Obſerve;
That when utter deſſolation comes upon places, and Gods judgements are ſevere, yet ſome have their lives for a prey.
One that had eſcaped came, Ezek: 9.5. The ſlaughtermen are commanded to ſhew no pity, but to ſlay utterly; old and young, both maids little children and women, only the marked ones they muſt not touch; its probable this man that eſcaped was one of the marked Ones, for he had a ſpecial care to come and inform Ezekiel what had befallen them and the City, that ſo he might bear witneſs both to the truth of Jeremies and Ezekiels propheſies; had he been a wicked man, he would hardly have come to the Prophet into Babylon; but whoever he was, he eſcaped famine, plague and ſword, which cut off thouſands of others.
Thirdly, Obſerve;
Ancient, renowned and priviledged Cityes have their periods and diſſolutions.
Jeruſalem was very ancient; there is mention of it in Joſhuah's dayes, Joſh: 15.8. She was famous throughout the earth, call'd the Gates of the People, for the reſort unto her, Ezek: 26.2, She had choice priviledges, ſhe was the holy City, Iſa: 48.32. The City of the Lord of Hoaſts, Pſal. 48.8. The City of Solemnities, Iſa. 33.20. The valley of Viſion, Iſa. 22.1. The perfection of beauty, Lament: 2.15. The City judged by all to be impregnable, Lament: 4.12. But whatever Jeruſalem was, here's the concluſion, Jeruſalem is ſmitten, broken in pieces, and laid utterly waſte; Kings, Princes, Nobles, Counſellours, Judges, Prophets, Prieſts, People, all were ſmitten. In Rev: 8.12. its ſaid, The Sun, Moon and Stars were ſmitten, a third part of them; but here the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and Orbs they were in, were wholly ſmitten, O what darkneſs was then upon the face of the Jewiſh earth? All created, and artificiall glory is ſubject to ſmiting; let not your hearts be taken with Sun, Moon, or Starres, with Cities and the glory of them, &c.
Fourthly, Obſerve;
The faithfulneſſe of God in performing what he foretells and promiſes.
Chap. 24.26, 27. It was hinted to the Prophet, that one ſhould eſcape the fury of the Babylonians, and bring the news of Jeruſalems deſtruction, and that, That day his mouth ſhould be opened, and he ſhould ſpeak; and is it not here fulfilled punctually? that day the party eſcaped came with that ſad News of Jeruſalems being ſmitten, was the mouth of the Prophet opened; and mark how forward God is to make good what he promiſes, He opened not his mouth at the end of the day, but the evening before the man came, which was the beginning of their day, he came in the morning by what time the Prophet might be up, but God had been with the Prophet before. Exod: 12.41. Let us learn to be faithfull, and perform to a day what we promiſe, rather be before-hand with men, then behind with them.
Fifthly, Obſerve;
God is pleaſed ſometimes to confirm the truths delivered by his ſervants, by witneſſe and ſigns.
Here was a witneſſe came from Jeruſalem to aſſure the Prophet and others, that what had been propheſied againſt Jeruſalem was true and made good; here was ſign upon ſign, he was as dumb before, and now his mouth was opened, which was a confirmation to him and others likewiſe. Iſa. 44.20. He confirmeth the word of his ſervant, and performeth the counſels of his Meſſengers. Many would not believe Ezekiel, not Jeremy, touching the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, but God confirmed their words.
Sixthly, Obſerve;
Liberty to ſpeak the things of God is from the Spirit of God.
No man can propheſie or declare the things of the Lord, unleſs the Spirit of God breath upon him, and open his mouth; The hand of the Lord was upon me, and opened my mouth, and I was no more dumb. He had great freedom and boldneſſe of ſpeech, when the Spirit of God came upon him, that fill'd him with Sanctuary water, and made the waters flow ſtrongly; before the Spirit waters them Prophets are dry, before that ſpeaks they are dumb, but when the hand of the Lord is upon them, then they cannot but ſpeak and diſtill Heavenly dews, or poure out great rains; 2 Cor: 6.11. O ye Corinthians, Our mouth is open unto you, our heart is inlarged. The Spirit had fill'd his heart with divine things, and his mouth was open freely and boldly to communicate the ſame unto them.