Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 36 · Verses 21-24 · Textual commentary 30
And cauſe you to walk in my ſtatutes.
The Hebrew word for cauſe is foreign faciam, I will make, effect, or bring to paſſe by the operation of that ſpirit I put into you, that you ſhall walk in my ſtatutes. Vatablus renders it efficiam, which imports influence of power; David, Pſal. 143.10. prayes unto the Lord to teach him to do his will; and Pſal. 119.35. he ſaith, Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments; both theſe the ſpirit being put into man performs, it teaches him to do the will of God, and cauſes him to go in the path of his Commandements.
To walk in Gods ſtatutes, implyes ſeveral things.
Firſt, The making of Godlineſſe and Religion our chief work in this life: other things are to be done as inferiour things, this is to be the principal, no work ſhould be ſo minded as this; ſaith Joſhua Chap. 24.15. As for me and my houſe, we will ſerve the Lord; that ſhall be our great and chief buſineſſe in this world: He remembred what God had commended to him and all men, Deut. 6.6, 7, 8, 9. Theſe words which I command thee this day, ſhall be in thine heart; and thou ſhalt teach them diligently unto thy Children, and ſhalt talk of them when thou ſitteſt in thy houſe, and when thou walkeſt by the way, and when thou lyeſt down, and when thou riſeſt up; and thou ſhalt bind them for a ſign upon thine hand, and they ſhall be as frontlets between thine eyes, and thou ſhalt write them upon the poſts of thine houſe, and upon thy gates. God would have us to be godly inwardly and outwardly, at home and abroad, night and day, and to make our familyes religious; and they are repeated again, Deut: 11.18, 19, 20. that ſo they might take the deeper impreſſion upon the hearts of men. David looked at this work above all others, Pſal. 119.97. O how I love thy Law! it is my meditation all the day. To be godly and religious was his principal care, that is the one thing neceſſary; and Solomon hath drawn it up into this concluſion, Fear God, and keep his Commandements, for this is the whole duty of man, Eccleſ: 12.13.
Secondly, Taking delight in the wayes of God: His ſtatutes, commands, and wayes are grievous to men, naturally they walk not in them: When men walk in any way, they are delighted with and in that way; ſo here, walking in Gods ſtatutes notes delight, Pſal: 119.14. I have rejoyced in the way of thy Teſtimonies, as much as in all riches. Some rejoyce in fine houſes, ſome in fertile Lands, ſome in great Flocks, ſome in Silver and Gold, but David rejoyced in the way of Gods Teſtimonies, and as much as any of them, or all of them in their riches; he found more ſweet in them, then they in their wealth, verſ. 143. Thy Commandements are my delights: They were his chief, his ſatisfying, his ſole and ſoul delights. It was meat and drink to Paul, to be doing the will and work of the Lord, Acts 20.24. as it was unto Chriſt, John 4.34.
Thirdly, It imports motion and progreſſe; they ſhould not ſtand ſtill in contemplation, nor ſit ſtill in meditation, but they ſhould proceed and go on in the wayes of God, they ſhould get neerer their journeys end, be daily more knowing, more holy, more gracious and godly. The Theſſalonians faith did grow exceedingly, and their charity abounded, 2 Theſſ. 1.3. They walked from faith to faith, and from love to love. When Paul was converted, and brought into the way of Chriſt, he encreaſed in ſpiritual ſtrength, Acts 9.22. He reached forward, and preſſed towards the mark, Phil: 3.13, 14. He put on mightily for to get the knowledge of Chriſt, and the power of his reſurrection, and the fellowſhip of his ſufferings; he did not only walk, but ran oft in the way of truth and godlineſſe, 1 Cor. 9.26.
Fourthly, Walking in Gods ſtatutes, imports perſeverance in them; they ſhall not apoſtatize and turn back from them, but continue in them. Of a wicked man deſtitute of Gods Spirit, its ſaid, He hath left off to be wiſe, and to do good, Pſal. 36.1. But of a righteous man its ſaid, He ſhall hold on in his way, Job 17.9. He knows he is in a ſafe and good way, a way that will recompence him fully at the end, whatever hardſhips or ſtorms he meets withall, and therefore will neither ſit ſtill nor go back, he may be extra ſemitam ſometimes, but never turning back again.