Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 36 · Verses 21-24 · Textual commentary 10 – Textual commentary 13
And will bring you into your own Land.
After the ſeaventy years of their captivity were expired, the Lord ſet them at liberty, and brought them back to the Land of Canaan, their own Land, becauſe they inherited it from their fathers, unto whom the Lord had given it. This was a glorious and great work, viz: the bringing the Jews out of Babylon, and all the Countreys where they were ſcattered, into Canaan, and did prefigure the ſalvation of the Church by Chriſt, and gathering of thoſe that were his out of all Nations unto it, according to what is in John 10.16. & John 11.52.
Firſt, Obſerve
The name of the Lord is holy.
His Eſſence, his Will, his Attributes, his Works, his Word, are his Name: All theſe ſet out God, make him known, and ſo are his name, even the name of his holineſſe, or his holy name. There is no name under Heaven like unto the Lords; its an holy name, and ſo glorious; a great name, and ſo dreadful. We ſhould ſanctifie the name of God; which is done by believing, Num. 20.12. When Moſes and Aaron did not believe God, they did not ſanctifie his name; but when men believe Gods Word, then they ſanctifie his name. Its done alſo by fearing to diſpleaſe him, Iſa: 8.13. Iſa. 29.23. Its done alſo by acknowledging his name to be holy, Math: 6.9. when men praiſe him.
Secondly, Obſerve
The profaning of Gods holy name, as it is a trouble unto him, ſo it ſticks and abides upon him.
Other provocations paſſe away, but this ſettles upon his ſpirit; ſee here what hold it took, verſ. 20. They profaned my holy Name; and verſ. 21. The houſe of Iſrael profaned my holy name among the heathen; verſ. 22. Mine holy name which ye have profaned among the heathen. Thrice the Lord mentions their profaning of his name; yea, in the next verſe, as if he could not ſhake this act of theirs out of his mind, he mentions it twice more, My name which was profaned, which ye have profaned. Gods name being holy is dear unto him, and the profaning of it makes deep impreſſions in his heart.
Thirdly, Obſerve
Temporall mercies are not merited at Gods hands by men.
I do not this for your ſakes, O houſe of Iſrael. What was it God did not for their ſakes? viz: deliver them from their Babyloniſh bondage, and bring them into their own Countrey; theſe were temporal mercies: and though there were Godly men amongſt them, as Ezekiel, Daniel, Mordecai, Ezra, Nehemiah, and others, yet with all their prayers, faſtings, ſuffering and holineſſe, they did not merit theſe outward mercies; liberty, ſafety, plenty, poſſeſſions, are not the merit or purchaſe of the creature, but the gift of God, 1 Tim: 6.17. He giveth us all things richly to enjoy. Have men more or leſſe of theſe outward things, they are upon free gift, not any defert: and if we deſerve not temporal things, much leſſe do, or can we deſerve ſpiritual and eternal things, which are of a tranſcendent nature; if we do not deſerve an outward deliverance, an earthly Canaan, how ſhall we deſerve a ſpiritual deliverance, an Heavenly Canaan? all things of that nature are free gifts, Luke 12.32. Rom: 6.23.
Fourthly, Obſerve
The good God doth unto his Church, be it temporal or ſpiritual, is for his own ſake.
What I do (ſaith God) I do it for mine holy names ſake; there is nothing to move me but my own name, that is holy, great, and glorious, and I will for my names ſake do much for my Church and People. That they were preſerved in Babylon, was for his holy names ſake; that they were brought out of Babylon, was for his holy names ſake; that they were replanted in Canaan, was for his holy names ſake; that they had a Temple, Sacrifices, Prieſts, Prophets, Ordinances again, was for his names ſake: when they were neer to deſtruction often in former dayes, God wrought for his names ſake, Ezek: 20. ſo Iſa: 48.8, 9. Its not for the enemies ſake, that God doth preſerve or deliver his people; nor for their ſakes, their prayers, tears, faith, obedience, holineſſe, that he doth great things for them, beſtow great mercies upon them, but it is for his own names ſake. For mans ſake God curſed the earth, Gen: 8.21. but its for his names ſake that he bleſſeth it; the choiceſt mercies Gods people have, are for his names ſake; they have pardon of ſin for his names ſake, Pſal. 25.11. 1 John 2.12. Purging of ſin for his names ſake, Pſal: 79.9. Leading in the paths of righteouſneſſe for his names ſake, Pſal: 23.3. Quickning of their dead and dull hearts for his names ſake, Pſa: 143.11. Though his people much offend him, yet he forſakes them not for his great names ſake, 1 Sam: 12.22. The Lord doth all freely and for the honour of his name; let us then ſay with the Prophet, Whatever we have, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name be the glory. Not unto us who are thy creatures, not unto us who are Tools in thy hand, but to thy name (which is the ground, root, and ſpring of all our mercies) be the glory, all the glory, and that everlaſtingly.
Fifthly, Obſerve
God will not ſuffer his holy and great name alwayes to lye under aſperſions and reproaches of men.
I will ſanctifie my holy and great name which was profaned among the heathen, even in the midſt of them. He will vindicate his honour and glory. Great men when their names are blemiſhed do ſtand upon it, and will vindicate them with much coſt and labour: ſo God, when wicked ones have profaned his name, and darkned the glory thereof, will ſtand upon it, and do that which ſhall clear his name before all his enemies. Goliah for many dayes defyed the God of Iſrael, and the Armies of Iſrael; but not long after the Lord vindicated his holy and great name by ſtirring up and ſtrengthning of David to take off his head, 1 Sam: 17.45, 51. When the King of Aſſyria and Rabſhakeh blaſphemed the name of God, as they did, Iſa: chap. 36. & 37. did not the Lord quickly ſend an Angel and deſtroy their great Army of one hundred fourſcore and five thouſand, and ſo by this ſtroke of his made his holy and great name glorious and dreadful. He will ſcatter the ſmoak and venemous vapours, that aſcend from the tongues and lives of profane perſons to hinder the beams of his glorious name from ſhining, as the wind ſcatters clouds from before the Sun; and as by deſtruction of his enemies, ſo by delivering of his ſervants.
Sixthly, Obſerve
When God doth great things for his people, and they honour his name for them, then very heathens will be convinced, acknowledge God, and give glory to his name.
The heathen ſhall know that I am the Lord, when I ſhall be ſanctified in you, that is, in your deliverance before their eyes; then you will magnifie my name, and they will magnifie my name which hath been profaned; then they will ſee and ſay that I am another kind of God then their idol gods are, that I am omnipotent, faithfull, holy, wiſe. Pſal. 126.2. When the Lord turn'd the captivity of his people; as they ſaid, The Lord hath done great things for us; ſo the heathens ſaid, The Lord hath done great things for them. So much of God appear'd in taking them out of Babylon, that Jewiſh and Babyloniſh Tongues were conſtrained to ſpeak out the power, truth and goodneſſe of God.
Seventhly, Obſerve
Things difficult, and in the eye of man impoſſible, are facile to, and feaſible by the power of God.
The Jews were among the heathens, who by their Laws, power, and vigilancy kept them in great bondage; they were ſcattered into one hundred twenty and ſeven Provinces, Eſther 8.5. with Chap. 1… 1. and ſo it ſeemed impoſſible that theſe ſhould be drawn out and carried to Canaan, which was ſo far off, eſpecially for them who were ſeated neer India; but what ſaith the Lord to this? I will take you from among the heathen. He would but put forth his hand and lay hold of them, ſaying, Come, go with me, and it ſhould be done; he would gather them out of all Countreys, as an Hen gathers her Chickens that are diſperſed up and down among the Buſhes, Trees, or Weeds in an Orchard: And as he carried them upon Eagles wings from Egypt to Canaan, ſo would he bring them upon the ſame wings from Babylon to Canaan. This work God is upon in theſe dayes of Chriſt, he is bringing out of all Nations ſome unto Chriſt, and gathering them into ſpirituall Canaan.
Verſ. 25.
Then will I ſprinkle clean water upon you, and ye ſhall be clean; from all your filthineſſe, and from all your idols will I cleanſe you.
WE are now come to the laſt generall part of this Chapter; which conſiſts in the multiplication of promiſes, both Spiritual and Temporal, with the ground of them.
The Spiritual are,
1. Remiſſion of ſins, verſ. 25, 29, 33.
2. Regeneration, verſ. 26.
3. Sanctification, verſ. 27.
4. Renovation of the Covenant between God and them, verſ. 28.
5. Repentance, verſ. 31.
The Temporal are,
1. Repoſſeſſion of their Land, verſ. 28.
2. Plentifull maintenance, verſ. 29, 30.
3. Re-edifying of their Cityes and waſte places, verſ. 33, 35.
4. Increaſe of men, verſ. 37, 38.
The ground of all theſe ſweet and great promiſes is Gods free grace, not mans deſert, verſ. 32.
Then will I ſprinkle clean water upon you.
When they were call'd and come out of Babylon, then would the Lord ſprinkle clean water upon them. The Jews by water mean the abundance of outward things. Some others interpret it of the water in baptiſme; but neither doth abundance of outwards, nor the water of baptiſme cleanſe from the pollution of idols: For after their return from Babylon, Jaſon ſent money for the ſacrifice of Hercules; he, Menelaus and others, fell to the cuſtoms of the Gentiles, deſired to be like them in all things, they ſet not by the honour of their Fathers, but liked the glory of the Gentiles beſt of all, 2 Maccab. 4. And are not many baptized ones amongſt the Papiſts and others, idolaters? Some other ſenſe of the word therefore muſt we ſeek out. By water, the bloud of Chriſt is intended, ſay the beſt Expoſitors. Some make Grace the thing, but that's too general, unleſſe we limit it to the bloud of Chriſt, which of Grace is given to waſh ſinners with. Theſe words, I will ſprinkle clean water upon you, have ſome alluſion unto the waters mingled with the aſhes of the red Cow, which being ſprinkled by a branch of Hyſſope upon the unclean party, he was cleanſed; and this water was call'd The water of ſeparation or purification for ſin, Numb: 19.9. The Septuagint call it foreign, The water of ſprinkling; and ſo the 18. and 19. verſes expreſſe it. This red Cow figured out Chriſt in his afflictions and ſufferings; and the water mingled with the aſhes of it, the bloud of Chriſt, which from hence is call'd The bloud of ſprinkling, Heb: 12.24.
The water they uſed in ſprinkling was clean water, running or ſpring water, free from all filth; ſo the bloud of Chriſt is pure, he was without ſin, any blemiſh, or ſpot, his bloud was precious and pure, 1 Pet: 1.19. and here its called clean water.
This ſprinkling of clean water upon them, is the application of the bloud of Chriſt, by the Spirit of God: as the Prieſt was to take of the bloud of the red Heifer with his finger, and to ſprinkle it; ſo God by the hand and finger of his Spirit doth take and ſprinkle the bloud of Chriſt, that is, apply the fruit and benefit of it unto the hearts of men, 1 Cor: 6.11.
And ye ſhall be clean.
There be three things among other which water ſerveth for, viz: to cool, to nouriſh, to cleanſe: 1. It quencheth thirſt cauſed by heat, and ſo coole; the like doth the bloud of Chriſt, being drunk by faith, John 7.37. 2. It nouriſheth and cauſeth growth; and Chriſts bloud doth the ſame, John 6.55. 3. It cleanſeth, which is the uſe of it here mentioned, water waſheth away the filth of garments, veſſels, and perſons; ſo the bloud of Chriſt is a cleanſing thing, Heb: 9.13, 14. If the bloud of Bulls and of Goats, and the aſhes of an He…fer ſprinkling the unclean, ſanctifieth to the purifying of the fleſh: How much more ſhall the bloud of Chriſt, who through the eternall Spirit, offered himſelfe without ſpot to God, purge your conſciences from dead works to ſerve the living God? The argument is a minori ad majus; if the bloud of typical ſacrifices could do that to the fleſh for which they were appointed, much more the bloud of Chriſt the true ſacrifice, will do that to the ſoul and conſcience for which it was appointed, viz: purge away the guilt of ſin; otherwiſe the honour and efficacy of the Type, ſhould be greater than the honour and efficacy of the Subſtance; which the Apoſtle denyes when he tells us, Types were ſhadows of good things to come, Heb: 10 1. This cleanſing is the remiſſion of their ſins through the bloud of Chriſt, or the juſtifying of their perſons, ſo as they are before God without ſpot, or fault, Col. 1.14. Rom: 5.9. Rev: 14.5. When ſins are forgiven, the perſons are clean in the fight of God.