Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 33 · Verses 27-29
Verſes 27, 28, 29.
Say thou thus unto them, Thus ſaith the Lord God, As I live, ſurely they that are in the waſtes ſhall fall by the ſword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beaſts to be devoured: and they that be in the forts and in the caves, ſhall dye of the peſtilence.
For I will lay the Land moſt deſolate, and the pomp of her ſtrength ſhall ceaſe: and the mountains of Iſrael ſhall be deſolate, that none ſhall paſſe through.
Then ſhall they know that I am the Lord, when I have laid the Land moſt deſolate, becauſe of all their abominations which they have committed.
IN the 27. & 28. verſes, the judgements threatned are particularly mentioned.
1. The ſword for thoſe in the waſtes.
2. The devouring beaſt for thoſe in the fields.
3. The plague for thoſe in the forts and caves.
4. Deſolation for the land and mountains.
5. Ceſſation of ſtrength, and the pomp of it. All theſe confirmed with an oath.
Verſ. 27. As I live.
The vain confidence of theſe Jews ſo provoked God, that he ſwears they ſhall not inhabit the Land, and that by his life, As ſure as I am the living God, ye that are ſo guilty of ſuch great ſins, and ſo unlike unto Abraham, ſhall be rooted out and deſtroyed.
Surely they that are in the waſtes ſhall fall dy the ſword.
After the deſtruction of Jeruſalem many got into other Cities and Towns, which had been plundered, fired and ſpoyled, thinking that there would be ſafety for them; but God would cauſe ſome to ſearch thoſe places, and ſheath their ſwords in the bowels of the Jewes hid in them. The Hebrew for by the ſword, is Bachereb, in the ſword, but ב here is by.
Him that is in the open field will I give to the beaſts to be devoured.
Some in this time of common calamity kept in the open fields, or in the face of the fields, as the Hebrew is, fearing to venture into any Town or City, and ſo promiſed to themſelves ſecurity there; but the fields were no ſhelter unto them, God had Lyons, Bears, Wolves, and ſuch wilde beaſts, which found them out, teared them in pieces, and devoured them.
They that be in the forts and in the caves, ſhall dye of the peſtilence.
Some were got into ſtrong forts, others were hid in caves of the earth where none could find them, or come at them; theſe ſeem'd to be out of all danger, but the peſtilence and famine could reach them there. In that Land were forts, rocks, holes to hide men in, Iſa: 2.13. 1 Sam: 13.6. Joſh: 10.16. 1 Sam: 24.3. Judges 6.2.
Verſ. 28. For I will lay the land moſt deſolate.
Canaan was a land abounded with all good things, it flowed with milk honey, and was the glory of all Lands, Ezek: 20.6. Yet this Land would God lay moſt deſolate; Shemamah Ʋmeſhammah, deſolation, deſolation, it ſhould be a wilderneſs, extreamly deſolate.
The pomp of her ſtrength ſhall ceaſe.
In the 7. Chapter 24. verſ. we had theſe words, I will alſo make the pomp of the ſtrong to ceaſe: and Chap: 30.18. The pomp of her ſtrength ſhall ceaſe. The Land ſhall be ſo battered, waſted, conſumed, that ſhe ſhall no more truſt in any ſtrength of hers. Junius refers it to the Ark or Sanctuary, call'd the excellency of their ſtrength, Chap: 24.21.
The mountain of Iſrael ſhall be deſolate, that none ſhall paſſe through.
The Land of Iſrael was full of mountains which were not barren, but ſome for Paſture, ſome for Vines, ſome for Cedars, and other Trees, and ſome for Cattle; when they were ſo, many paths were made to the mountains, and they were frequently viſited, but they ſhould be deſolate, without Cattle, Trees, Vines, or any to paſſe by or through them; none ſhould come over the mountains, to worſhip at Jeruſalem.
Verſ. 29. Then ſhall they know that I am the Lord, when I have laid the land moſt deſolate, becauſe of all their abominations which they have committed.
Here the finall cauſe of Gods deſtroying them and their Land is pointed out, and that is the glory of God in their acknowledging his juſt proceedings; before they ſaid His wayes were not equall, but now they ſhould acknowledge the equity of his wayes, and that they had deſerved ſuch things.
Firſt, Obſerve;
When God is reſolved upon puniſhing a people, there is no place or refuge to ſecure them from his ſtroakes and judgements.
Here were men got into waſte places, into open fields, into forts and caves, yet none of theſe ſecured them; the Lord had ſworn to deſtroy them, and the ſword finds out thoſe in the waſte and ruinous places; the wild beaſts finding others in the open fields, devoure them; and thoſe were got into the forts, and hid in caves, the peſtilence and famine conſum'd; they thought to flye and hide themſelves from the vengeance of God, but it could not be; had they gone down to the bottome of the Sea, yea, down to Hell, God would have met with them there, Amos 9.2, 3, 4. No Town, no Fort, no Field, no Cave can protect that perſon whom God purſues; if men and beaſts cannot come at him, God hath the Arrowes of famine and peſtilence to ſhoot into his ſides and liver. Let us take heed how we offend God, and provoke him to ſet upon our deſtruction; there is no place, perſon, or priviledge, can protect us from his ſtroke; let us get into Chriſt, hide our ſelves in him, in the clefts of that rock, then we ſhall be ſafe, whatſoever ſtorms are abroad.
Secondly, Obſerve;
Its mens ſins which lay Lands waſte, and bring remarkable judgements upon them.
Canaan was laid deſolate, the pomp of her ſtrength ceaſed, the mountains had none to paſs by or over them; yea, The Land was laid moſt deſolate, and why? becauſe of all their abominations, Their ſins exceeded the ſins of the Heathens, and they had anſwerable judgements; their manifold abominations brought manifold judgements. They had the beſt Land in the world, and ſhould have been the beſt people, but they degenerated and provoked God ſo by their abominations, that he made their plagues wonderfull great, and of long continuance, Deut: 28.59. Seaventy years did they ſuffer, and the Land alſo, which ſuffering they brought upon themſelves and the Land, as the Lord tells them, Zech: 7.14. They laid the pleaſant Land deſolate; they by their abominations did it, they cauſed the Temple to be burnt, the teſtimonies of divine preſence to be removed, the Cityes, fields and mountains to be deſolate.
Thirdly, Obſerve;
By ſevere judgements God convinces men of the equity of his way, and cauſes them to give glory to his name.
Then ſhall they know that I am the Lord, when I have laid the Land moſt deſolate, becauſe of all, &c. Severe judgements awaken conſcience, ſharpen the underſtanding, and cauſe men to ſearch, judge and condemn themſelves, and withall to juſtifie the Lord; they have influence into Heathens, Jer: 22.8, 9. Many Nations ſhall paſſe by this City, and they ſhall ſay every man to his neighbour, wherefore hath the Lord done this unto this great City? Then they ſhall anſwer, becauſe they have forſaken the Covenant of the Lord their God, and worſhipped other gods, and ſerved them. Thus they juſtified God, and gave him glory, when they ſaw his terrible judgements upon Jeruſalem, and the Land of Canaan.