Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 33 · Verses 32-33
Verſes 32, 33.
And lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely ſong of one that hath a pleaſant voice, and can play well on an inſtrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.
And when this cometh to paſſe, (lo, it will come) then ſhall they know that a Prophet hath been among them.
Verſ. 32. Thou art unto them as a very lovely ſong.
THe Hebrew is Ceſhir agavim, ſunt canticum amantium, as a ſong of Lovers; ſo the word is rendred, Jerem: 4.30. Thy lovers will deſpiſe thee, its the ſame word: Lovers have delightfull ſongs to pleaſe their ears and paſs away time; ſo the Prophets preaching was delightfull unto them to hear, but as in muſick and ſinging, there is nothing comes of it when done, ſo they heard the Prophet, but nothing came of their hearing. The Septuagint hath it foreign, as the voice of a Pſaltery, which was an inſtrument to ſing unto. The French is Comme une chauſon de plaiſanterie, as a ſong of jeſting or ſcurrility, which greatly affect carnall hearts. Some render the words eris illis canticum ſubſannatorum, thou wilt be to them a ſong of ſcoffers, that is, however they ſeem to be greatly pleaſed and affected with thy propheſying, yet in their hearts they laugh at thee and deride thee.
Of one that hath a pleaſant voice, and can play well on an inſtrument.
When one both playes well, and ſings ſweetly, that muſick of all others is moſt taking, affects the ear, and ſtirs the ſpirits; ſo Ezekiels voice was pleaſing to them, and he handled his matter well, they were, or ſeem'd to be ſtirr'd and affected with what he delivered. The Hebrew for can play well on an inſtrument, is Ʋmetib naggen; which Montanus renders, Bene ſcientis pulſare, of one that knows well how to play; Nagan ſignifies to play upon a muſicall inſtrument, and alſo to ſing to it.
For they hear thy words, but they do them not.
Some heard not at all, thoſe that heard reſted in what they heard, or abuſed it, jeering and ſcoffing at the Prophet as a pleaſant Songſter, they were not doers of what was taught them, They received not the truth with love, they mingled it not with faith, they yielded not obedience to it, which things do make a Doer of the word, 2 Theſſ: 2.10. Heb: 4.2. Rom: 5.17.
Verſ. 33. When this cometh to paſſe (lo, it will come)
When the judgements threatned ſhall be made good, viz: That thoſe in the waſtes ſhall fall by the ſword, and thoſe in the open fields ſhall be devoured by the beaſts, they in the forts and caves ſhall dye of the famine and peſtilence, when the Land and mountains ſhall be laid moſt deſolate, which things will certainly come to paſs whatever thoughts they have, or falſe Prophets ſay to the contrary; for I have determined theſe things againſt them, commiſſion'd thee to declare them, and I being omnipotent will in due time accompliſh them.
Then ſhall they know that a Prophet hath been among them.
The execution of what is threatned ſhall convince them, and make them ſay, we were deceived about Ezekiel, he ſpake not out of ill will to us, or of his own head, but he was ſent to denounce the judgements of God againſt us for our ſins, which he faithfully did, and we now feel the weight of them, and find he was a Prophet, not a Songſter, that his matter had dread in it, and was not to be ſported withall.
Firſt, Obſerve;
That men may be much affected with hearing the Prophets and Preachers of God, and yet be vile hypocrites, very wicked.
Theſe men that flocked to hear Ezekiel, and unto whom he was as a very lovely ſong, as a ſong of one that hath a pleaſant voyce, and can play well on an inſtrument, they were backbiters & covetous; there was none in Babylon pleaſed them like Ezekiel, they ſaid, Come, come let us go and hear Ezekiel; they were as much taken with him, as any are with muſick, with pleaſant voices, tunes and ſongs, which oftentimes raviſh the hearers; yet they were unſound at heart, the word did them no good, they amended not their lives, they parted not with their luſts. In Chriſts time, the people flocked to hear him, were affected with him, Mark 12.37. The common people heard him gladly; & Chap: 14.43. Judas and a great multitude with him, came to take Chriſt, and laid hands on him, verſ. 46. & Chap: 15. verſ. 8.13, 14. The multitude cryed, Crucifie, crucifie him. Many of them that heard him gladly before, were much affected with his Heavenly Doctrine, now cryed out crucifie him, and ſo ſhewed what vile hypocrites they were. In our dayes ſome Preachers are as a pleaſant ſong to ſome perſons; they are affected with their voice, notions, geſtures, expreſſions, matter, arguments, ſtories; they ſigh, they weep ſometimes, and are raviſhed at other times, they never heard ſuch a man, ſuch a Sermon, ſuch things, and yet are not changed in their hearts, reformed in their tongues or lives, but are notorious hypocrites.
Secondly, Obſerve;
When people hear the Preacher, and do not practice what is taught, the word is no more to them then a ſong, or a fit of muſick, nor the Preacher more then a Muſician or Fidler unto them.
Thou art unto them as a lovely ſong of one that can play well on an inſtrument; for they hear thy words, but they do them not. Theſe words are a proof and reaſon of the former. Should we tell people, You eſteem the word preached no more then an idle, amorous, witty, ſcurrilous ſong, nor the Preacher any more then he that ſings ſuch a ſong, they would think themſelves much wronged; but it is ſo in Gods account, when they hear the Preacher, and do not practice what they hear: A fit of muſick affects for the preſent, but quickly paſſes away, and both the muſick and the man are forgotten; ſo is it here, people are affected ſomewhat at a Sermon, but Sermon and Preacher are quickly forgotten.
Thirdly, Obſerve;
Hearing of the word is good, but not to be reſted in.
They are not blam'd for hearing, that is a duty belongs to all; James 5.19. But they reſted in their hearing; they made not the word a Lamp unto their feet, and a light unto their paths, as David did, Pſal. 119.105. They did not meditate on it, digeſt it, turn it in ſuccum & ſanguinem, into good nouriſhment, that ſo they might expreſs the virtue of it in their lives; they heard the word, and that was all; of ſuch that is verified, Matth: 13.13. Hearing they hear not. The word hath no influence into them, impreſſion upon them, expreſſion from them; they are no better then thoſe that never heard; they are like men that obſerve wind and tide, but never make a voyage. 2 Tim: 3.7. There were women ever learning, but never attained to the knowledge of the truth; and many are ever hearing, and never come to practice. Luke 13.26. Thou haſt taught in our ſtreets. They had heard Chriſt, reſted in their hearing, and that was their undoing.
Fourthly, Obſerve;
God expects men ſhould be not only hearers, but doers alſo of his word.
They hear thy words, but they do them not. Hearing alone pleaſes not God; he gave not his word to be heard only, but to be heard and practiced; they are good hearers qui verba vertunt in opera, who turn words into actions, James 1.22. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own ſelves. He tells them they deal fallaciouſly, they baffle and delude themſelves, not others, if they hear the word, and do it not; though there be power in the word to ſave your ſouls, yet if ye be not doers of it, ye deceive your ſelves, and will loſe your ſouls; Matth: 7.26, 27. Every one that heareth theſe ſayings of mine, and doth them not, ſhall be likened unto a fooliſh man, which built his houſe upon the ſand, and the rain deſcended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that houſe, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. He that hears Chriſts Heavenly Doctrine and doth not practice it, is not built upon the rock, but upon the ſand; and when the tryall comes, will be deceived of his expectation, his houſe will down, his ſoul will be loſt. It is not hearing, it is not crying, Lord, Lord, that will open a door for a man to enter into Heaven by; verſ. 21. Not every one that ſaith unto me, Lord, Lord, ſhall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven; Not any one which goes no further: But he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. My father (ſaith Chriſt) hath made known his will; he would have men do his will, and then he will open unto them, and let them into Heaven. Its not mens hearing or ſaying, but their doing what they hear, which pleads ſtronglyeſt for their entrance into Heaven. Many men commend the Preacher, the Word with their tongues, but diſgrace both with their lives: The beſt commenders of the Preachers and their doctrine are mens lives, when they are doers of the word; Matth: 25.21. Its well done thou good and faithfull ſervant, enter thou into thy maſters joy: Not well heard, or well ſaid, but well done. Let us ſee to it, that we be not hearers only, but doers of the word. Rev: 22.14. Bleſſed are they that do his commandements, that they may have right to the Tree of life, and may …nter in through the gates into the City.
Fifthly, Obſerve;
The judgements threatned by the Prophets of God, ſhall certainly take place.
When this cometh to paſſe (lo, it will come.) He means the ſword, wilde beaſts, peſtilence, utter deſolation, which were threatned: It ſeem'd ſomewhat unlikely, that after a war, a few poor people left in waſtes, holes, caves, forts, woods, & fields, ſhould be cut off; but the Lord had ſaid it, and he did effect it. How improbable or impoſſible ſoever things appear to us, what God threatens by his Prophets to doe (without repentance intervene) he will accompliſh.
Sixthly, Obſerve;
Whatever the thoughts of wicked ones are for the preſent of the Prophets, the time will come when they ſhall have other kind of thoughts of them.
When this cometh to paſſe, then ſhall they know, &c. When the ſword, wilde beaſts, peſtilence, utter deſolation are upon them and the Land, when they are in ſtraits, in the jawes of death, then they will have other apprehenſions of Ezekiel then now they have: Ezekiel at preſent is a lovely ſong, like a man that hath a pleaſant voice, ſome affect him, ſome ſcoff at him, others cenſure him; but when death is before them, then their thoughts will alter, then they will ſay, Ezekiel told us of theſe things that are come upon us, and how to avoid them, he call'd upon us to conſider our wayes, to turn from all our iniquities, and to provide for our ſouls; we then ſlighted him, only gave him the hearing of what he ſaid, but now we ſee he was a Prophet of God, delivered weighty things, and we were fools that we hearkened not unto him, doing what he ſaid. When young men, who deſpiſe all the Preachers ſay againſt whoredom and wanton courſes, come to be in years, find their fleſh and bodies to be conſumed, then will they have other thoughts of them and what they preached, then will they ſay, How have we hated inſtruction, and our hearts deſpiſed reproof? we obeyed not the voyce of our Teachers, nor inclined our ears to them that inſtructed us, Prov. 5.11, 12, 13. There were Prophets amongſt us, who ſought our good, who tendred mercy and many precious truths unto us, but we were ſo blinded with our luſts, ſo conceited of our own wayes, that we rejected them, and whatever they tendred us.
Seventhly, Obſerve;
The Prophets will be witneſſes at laſt againſt diſobedient hearers.
They ſhall know that a Prophet hath been amongſt them. They heard Ezekiel, but did not what he ſaid; his perſon, his doctrine, did at laſt bear witneſs againſt them. Where-ever the Lord ſets a faithful preacher, who takes pains among the people, declaring the mind of God unto them, and they do not practice what they are taught, that Preacher will riſe up in judgement againſt them; his doctrine, his prayers, tears, drops of ſweat, his life, his ſufferings, reproaches, death, will all be witneſſes againſt them. If the ruſt of mens ſilver and gold will be witneſſes againſt them, and eat their fleſh like fire, James 5.3. becauſe they let their ſilver and gold lye by them, and did not improve the ſame for publique good, and in charitable uſes, how much more will the truths of God which the Preachers have commended unto them, (being neglected, and not improved to the good of the hearers and others) bear witneſs againſt them, and eat their fleſh, yea, their ſouls like fire? Thouſands who have flocked after Miniſters to hear them, will find thoſe Miniſters witneſſes againſt them, becauſe they heard them only, and never did what they heard. What a multitude of witneſſes will London and England have againſt them at the latter day? All the Godly faithful Miniſters whoſe doctrine hath been heard, but never obeyed.