Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 33 · Verses 12-16
Verſes 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.
Therefore, thou ſon of man, ſay unto the children of thy people, The righteouſneſſe of the righteous ſhall not deliver him in the day of his tranſgreſſion: as for the wickedneſſe of the wicked, he ſhall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedneſſe; neither ſhall the righteous be able to live for his righteouſneſſe in the day that he ſinneth.
When I ſhall ſay to the righteous, that he ſhall ſurely live: if he truſt to his own righteouſneſſe, and commit iniquity; all his righteouſneſſe ſhall not be remembred, but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he ſhall dye for it.
Again, when I ſay unto the wicked, Thou ſhalt ſurely dye: if he turn from his ſin, and do that which is lawfull and right;
If the wicked reſtore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the ſtatutes of life, without committing iniquity; he ſhall ſurely live, he ſhall not dye.
None of his ſins that he hath committed, ſhall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawfull and right; he ſhall ſurely live.
THeſe words do explain and confirm what God had ſaid in the 11 verſ. and that by way of contraries: 1. He ſets a righteous man before them, and bids the Prophet tell them, That if a righteous man turn from his righteouſneſſe, and become wicked, his righteouſneſſe will not benefit him, but his wickedneſſe will bring judgement upon him: 2. He ſets a wicked man before them, and bids the Prophet tell them, That if he turn from his wickedneſſe, that ſhall not prejudice him, he ſhall not fall thereby, but he ſhall live.
Here is nothing in theſe verſes of Gods decrees of life or death, of ſalvation or condemnation, and mens being under them. Its ſaid whileſt they are righteous they are under the decree of life and ſalvation, and when they ceaſe from their righteouſneſs, they are under the decree of death and condemnation; and ſo if a man be righteous one day, and wicked another, and that interchangeably all dayes of his life, he doth daily paſſe from under one decree to another, forward and backward; I find no foundation in the words for ſuch a conceit; they hold out Gods dealings with men here in this world, according to the conditions he finds them in; if they be juſt and righteous he will bleſs them; if they be unjuſt and wicked he will puniſh them; the one ſhall live comfortably, the other ſhall be cut off by ſome judgement; here is nothing pointing at the decrees of God.
Verſ. 12. The righteouſneſſe of the righteous.
What righteous man is here meant the 15. verſe informs us, viz. a man legally righteous, ſuch a man as reſtores the pledge, gives again what he hath robbed, and walks in the ſtatutes of life without committing iniquity; If a wicked man did theſe things, he was righteous; its therefore a righteouſneſſe of the Covenant of works, not the righteouſneſſe of faith, here ſpoken of; a moral, not a Goſpel righteouſneſſe, which the 13. verſe is clear for, calling it his own righteouſneſſe.
Shall not deliver him in the day of his tranſgreſſion.
The word for tranſgreſſion is Poſhang, which ſignifies ſin, ſcienter & contumaciter commiſſum, preſumptuous and wilfull ſin, rebellion, apoſtacy; Sometimes it is taken for any ſin, or failing, as Lament: 1.22. Do unto them as thou haſt done unto me, for all my tranſgreſſions. Jeremiah had no great ſins againſt light, he did not rebel againſt God; his tranſgreſſions were ſuch as are the ordinary failings of men, ſo its uſed, Job 13.23. And the Septuagint hath it foreign, In the day he ſhall erre. Let him have done never ſo much good, and continued long in ſo doing, that ſhall not deliver him in the day of his erring, tranſgreſſing, fayling. Had Adam ſtood many dayes, months, years, and then eat of the forbidden fruit, all his righteouſneſſe would not have delivered him; and ſo here under the Covenant of works, there is no deliverance upon any failing. But rather it notes here ſome grievous ſin and way of wickedneſſe, which expoſes unto, and haſtens Gods judgements.
As for the wickedneſſe of the wicked he ſhall not fall thereby, in the day that he turns from his wickedneſſe.
Let the wickedneſſe of the wicked be great, of what kind ſoever, againſt God and man, idolatry, profaneſs, oppreſſion, &c. it ſhall not bring deſtruction upon him, make him to fall and periſh; when he repents of it, turns fom it, and walks in thoſe wayes that are contrary thereunto, then his former ſins ſhall not be imputed to him, nor the judgements deſerv'd executed upon him. As the righteouſneſs of the righteous ſhall not deliver him when he ſins, ſo the wickedneſs of the wicked ſhall not damnifie him when he turns. Here is a Nominative Caſe put abſolute, the wickedneſſe of the wicked.
Neither ſhall the righteous be able to live for his righteouſneſſe in the day that he ſinneth.
His righteouſneſs ſhall not uphold him, do him any good, when he falls into ſin, his ſin will be the death of him, and his righteouſneſs, he cannot live in it, or for it.
Verſ. 13. When I ſhall ſay to the righteous, that he ſhall ſurely live: if he truſt to his own righteouſneſſe.
Here the caſe of the righteous man is further amplified and ex…ounded; let me make him a promiſe of life, and ſay; That in living, he ſhall live, (ſo the Hebrew is) yet if he truſt to his righteouſneſs and commit ſin, he ſhall not live. When men have a Legall righteouſneſs, they are apt to truſt in it, to think it makes them acceptable to God, that it will anſwer Juſtice for their ſins, divert wrath, procure favour, and ſo preſume to take liberty, and pleaſe the fleſh in many things; but their righteouſneſs will not ſtand them in ſtead.
And commit iniquity.
Of this ſee Chap. 3.20. & Chap. 18.24. where much hath been ſaid of this expreſſions, The will, affections, and heart are in committing iniquity, it's making a trade of ſin, ſuch men are workers of iniquity. Phariſees had a legall righteouſneſs, but they devoured widows houſes, made Proſelytes, and them twofold more the children of the Devill then themſelves, Matth. 23.14, 15. Theſe committed iniquity.
All his righteouſneſſe ſhall not be remembred.
That is, none of his righteous deeds ſhall be ſo had in remembrance, as to have any acceptance or reward, they ſhall be laid by and forgotten; inſtead thereof, he ſhall have judgement for his wickedneſs, that ſhall be remembred and rewarded.
But for his iniquity that he hath committed, he ſhall dye for it.
The reward of his iniquity is death: either he ſhall pine away under ſome ſtroak of God, which is Mors minor, a leſſer kind of death; or he ſhall be cut off by ſome judgement which is a death indeed, a death with a witneſs.
Verſ. 14. Again, when I ſay unto the wicked, thou ſhalt ſurely dye: if he turn from his ſin, &c.
In this verſ. and the two following, the caſe of the wicked man is further explained; as the promiſe to the righteous was with condition, ſo the threatning of the wicked is with exception, He ſhall ſurely dye, unleſſe he repent and turn, and teſtifie the reallity of the ſame, by doing that which is lawfull and right, Or as it is in the Hebrew, By doing judgement and juſtice, by giving unto God and man what is preſcribed: of theſe words ſee Chap. 18.5.
Verſ. 15. If the wicked reſtore the pledge.
Pignus eſt quod propter rem credi tam datur, cujus poſſeſſionem ſolum ad tempus conſequitor creditor, ſed dominium penes debitorem eſt.A Pledge is ſomething pawned for a thing borrowed, the poſſeſſion whereof for the preſent is in the hand of the Lender, but the right is belonging to the Borrower. Chabol is from Chabal, to bind, becauſe Pledges are ſtrong Bonds and Obligations. Poor people were often neceſſitated to pawn their garments, Beds, Cattle, & Utenſils, which wicked men would keep and make their advantage of, which they ought not to have done, Deut: 24.10, 11, 12, 13. Therefore its ſaid here, If the wicked reſtore the pledge; if he be mercifull to thoſe that be poor and afflicted.
Give again that he had robbed.
Robbers ſeldome make reſtitution of what they get by violence. The word Gazal ſignifies to ſpoil a man of what is his, Vi & aperte, as High-way Robbers do, and alſo any violent wreſting, and forcing mens right out of their hands: Now if the wicked did make reſtitution of what he had ſo gotten, and
Walk in the ſtatutes of life without committing iniquity.
The ſtatutes of life are the ſtatutes of God, which being exactly kept, afford life to the keepers of them, Ezek: 20.13. They walked not in my ſtatutes, and they deſpiſed my judgements; which if a man do, he ſhall even live in them, or live by them; as its Levit: 18.5. If a man walk in theſe from day to day, and keep them perfectly, committing no iniquity; what then?
He ſhall ſurely live, he ſhall not dye.
This and the like promiſes are legall, and made to legall righteouſneſs, and clearly evince that the Prophet ſpeaks of a legall righteous man. The Goſpel ſaith not, that a juſt man ſhall live by doing, but that the juſt ſhall live by faith, and that the law is not of faith. If men could keep the Law, do what it requires they ſhould live by it; but (except Chriſt) none ever did, and ſo none was ever juſtified by the Law, Gal: 3.10, 11, 12. If a man could be found that walked in the Statutes of life without ſinning, he ſhould ſurely live, and live as comfortably as Adam did in Paradice, and ſhould not dye.
Verſ. 16. None of his ſins that he hath committed ſhall be mentioned unto him.
The Hebrew is, all his ſins which he hath committed, ſhall n t be mentioned unto him; that is, None of his ſins ſhall be imputed or charged upon him: Vid. Chap: 18.22.
He hath done that which is lawful and right, he ſhall ſurely live.
The Life here ſpoken of, cannot be eternal life; becauſe 1. A mans turning from his former wicked wayes, and making reſtitution to men for wrongs done, is no ſatisfaction to the juſtice of God for the breach of his Laws: And 2. No man can ſo keep the law or ſtatutes of life, as thereby to obtain life eternal. Here is no mention of Chriſt, or faith in him, without which eternall life cannot be had; I conceive its meant of a temporal life; he that ceaſes from his wicked wayes, that lives honeſtly, doing lawfull and right things, he ſhall not have cauſe to complain, as the Jews did, That they pined away under their iniquities; but he ſhould live in living, as the Hebrew is, and that is, he ſhould live a very comfortable life.
Firſt, Obſerve;
There is a righteouſneſſe will not profit a man when he hath moſt need.
When a man ſins, then he hath moſt need of righteouſneſs to cover his ſin, to prevent judgement; but then his own righteouſneſs, a legal righteouſneſs, a duty righteouſneſs will ſtand him in no ſtead; The righteouſneſſe of the righteous ſhall not deliver him in the day of his tranſgreſſion; he ſhall not be able to live in the day that he ſinneth. Let us therefore look after an Evangelicall righteouſneſs, for Chriſt hath told us, That except our righteouſneſſe exceed the righteouſneſſe of the Scribes and Phariſees, we ſhall in no caſe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Matth: 5.20. They had a legal, a duty, an own-righteouſneſſe but they had not the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, the righteouſneſs which is of God by faith; and that is only the righteouſneſſe will ſtand in ſtead againſt all ſin, and let us into Heaven.
Secondly, Obſerve;
Its perſeverance will Crown mens undertakings, and make them acceptable.
Its not enough to begin well, unleſs we go on; if men be righteous, and give over their righteouſneſs, falling to iniquity; as thoſe that are legally righteous may, they loſe their former righteouſneſs, and fall under judgement: If a righteous man commit iniquity, all his righteouſneſſe ſhall not be remembred but for his iniquity which he hath committed he ſhall dye.
Thirdly, Obſerve,
Men are apt to reſt upon a legall righteouſneſſe.
If he truſt in his own righteouſneſſe. When men reſtore the pledge, make reſtitution for what they have gotten wrongfully, walk in the ſtatutes of life, do that which is lawfull and right, they are very prone to truſt in this their own righteouſneſs; ſo did the Phariſees, Luke 18.11, 12. ſo did Paul while he was a Phariſee, Rom. 7.9. but being become a true Chriſtian, and having obtained the righteouſneſs of faith, he had no confidence in the fleſh, Phil. 3.3. but his whole confidence was in Chriſt Jeſus.
Fourthly, Obſerve;
Let the wickedneſſe of men be what it will, if they turn from the ſame, it ſhall not prejudice them, but they ſhall live a comfortable life.
As for the wickedneſſe of the wicked, he ſhall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedneſſe. If he turn from his ſin, and do that which is lawfull and right, his ſins ſhall not be mentioned unto him, he ſhall ſurely live, he ſhall live in living; others by reaſon of their iniquities are dead in living, they have no comfort in their lives, but pine away. Its mens ſins which make times evill, and lives uncomfortable; Pſal. 34.12, 13, 14. What man is he that deſireth life, and loveth dayes that he may ſee good? Keep thy tongue from evill, and thy lips from ſpeaking guile. Depart from evill, and do good. This is the way to live long and comfortably. Righteouſneſs exalts Nations, Familyes and Perſons.
Fifthly, Obſerve;
Gods ſtatutes punctually kept afford life: he who walks in the ſtatutes of life without committing iniquity, ſhall ſurely live.
Deut. 4.1. Hearken, O Iſrael, unto the ſtatutes, and unto the …dgements which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and …in and poſſeſſe the Land. He ſpeaks of a temporal life here; …ut in Matth: 19.17. of an eternal life; if thou wilt enter into ife, keep the Commandements. The young man ſpake of eternal life, and Chriſt bids him keep the Commandements if he would have that; ſhewing, that if a man could perſonally and perfectly keep the Commands of God, he ſhould have eternall life.