Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 36 · Verse 38
Verſ. 38.
As the holy flock, as the flock of Jeruſalem in her ſolemn Feaſts, ſo ſhall the waſte Cityes be filled with flocks of men, and they ſhall know that I am the Lord.
IN the Hebrew it is, As the flocks of holineſſes or holy things. The Jews beſides other feaſts, had three great ſolemn Feaſts every yeer at Jeruſalem; 1. The Paſſeover; 2. Pentecoſt; 3. The Feaſt of Tabernacles, unto which the people came up from all parts of the Land; and for their uſe at thoſe times great flocks of ſheep, and herds of Cattel were brought to Jeruſalem. In Joſiahs time there were 30000 Lambs and Kids, beſides Oxen and ſmall Cattel which were for holy ſervices, and therefore here are called The holy flock, and flock of Jeruſalem. John 15.2. You read of a ſheep Market, and by it a Pool; great flocks of ſheep were brought unto that Market, and they were waſhed in that Pool before they were uſed in holy ſervices. Jeruſalem at theſe Feaſts were filled with flocks of ſheep and men, and God here promiſeth, That the waſte and deſolate places of Judea ſhould be filled with men, and made to abound with inhabitants again, how improbable ſoever it ſeemed to the Jews or Heathens.
And they ſhall know that I am the Lord.
They ſhall acknowledge that my thoughts are not theirs, nor my wayes theirs, and that I am faithfull, and able to do great things.
Firſt, Obſerve;
God expects that his People ſhould ſeek to him for performance of thoſe Promiſes he graciouſly makes them.
I will for this be enquired of by the houſe of Iſrael, to do it for them. It is tender mercy, and loving kindneſs in God to make promiſes unto ſinners, and it is duty in man to mind them being made, and to ſue them out by prayer; David did ſo, Remember (ſaith he) the word unto thy ſervant, upon which thou haſt cauſed me to hope, Pſal. 119.49. And again, Quicken me according to thy Word, verſ. 154. He minded God of his word and promiſes, and preſſed him by hearty prayer to make the ſame good. So Jacob, Lord, didſt not thou bid me return unto my Countrey? and ſaidſt, thou wouldeſt deal well with me; deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Eſau, for I fear him, Gen: 32.9, 11. Had not Jacob improved the promiſe, he might have gone without deliverance: Promiſes as they are foundations for faith, ſo they are incentives unto prayer, and provoke thoſe to whom they are made, to ſue them out. O Lord God (ſaid Solomon) let thy promiſe unto David my father be eſtabliſhed, 2 Kings 1.9. Thou didſt promiſe him that I ſhould ſit upon the Throne, Lord, make it good. Jeremy holds out this truth moſt cleerly, That God expects to be ſought unto for the performance of what he promiſeth, Chap: 29.10, 11. After ſeaventy years be accompliſhed at Babylon, I will viſit you, and perform my good word towards you, in cauſing you to return to this place; for I know the thoughts that I think towards you, ſaith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evill, to give you an expected end: Here is the promiſe; what now follows in the 12, 13, & 14. verſes? Then ſhall ye call upon me, and ye ſhall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you, &c. See it put in practice, Dan: 9.2, 3, 4, &c. God tells them, Iſa: 43. That he blots out tranſgreſſions for his own ſake, and will not remember their ſins; but then it is added, Put me in remembrance, verſ. 25, 26.
Secondly, Obſerve;
That the increaſe of Children is the bleſſing of God, and he can increaſe them in a ſhort ſpace to become like a flock.
They multiplyed and filled the Land after their return, and were as the Stars of Heaven, the Sand of the Sea-ſhore, and Duſt of the earth; the Key of the womb is in Gods hand, and he maketh the barren woman to keep houſe, and to be a joyfull Mother of children, Pſal. 113.9. And he makes the fruitfull woman to be more fruitfull. He multiplyed his People as the Bud of the field, Ezek: 16.7.
Thirdly, Obſerve;
How deſperate ſoever the conditions of men and things are, the Lord can reſtore them to their Priſtine eſtate, yea, to a better.
They were in a low and loſt condition in Babylon, all their Cityes laid waſte in their own Land, and never like to be built or inhabitated; but God delivered them, and reſtored them to their Primitive ſtate, and made all their waſte Cityes populous. Jeruſalem formerly was filled with men, now the waſte Cityes ſhould be alſo filled, abounding with men, now their Land ſhould be planted and inhabited; things in that Land were often at the point of ruine, and incurable in the eye of men, but God relieved them, raiſed and reſtored them: When Sennacherib was there with his great Army, and all ſeemed loſt, did not God deſtroy his Army, and relieve them publickly and privately? though there were now no Cityes left, God could, and did raiſe them up many Cityes; though there were no people to inhabit thoſe Cityes raiſed, God could raiſe them up men, and did make them exceeding populous, even as populous as Jeruſalem was at her ſolemn Feaſts, more populous than ever.
Fourthly, Obſerve;
The end of Gods deliverances, works and mercies, is, that God may be acknowledged and glorified.
When I have brought them out of Babylon, planted them in Sion, built their Cityes, filled them with inhabitants, and bleſſings of all ſorts, Then ſhall they know that I am the Lord, that I am not like the heatheniſh gods and lords, but that I am faithfull, omnipotent, gracious and merciful, worthy to be honoured and adored by the houſe of Iſrael.