Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 36 · Verses 29-30
Verſes 29, 30.
I will alſo ſave you from all your uncleanneſſes, and I will call for the Corn, and will increaſe it, and lay no famine upon you.
And I will multiply the fruit of the Tree, and the encreaſe of the Field, that ye ſhall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
THeſe two Verſes hold out two more great Promiſes unto this people; which are
1. Ablation of evills, as uncleanneſſes, famine, reproach.
2. Collation of good things, Corn, Fruit, and encreaſe of the field.
Verſ. 29. I will alſo ſave you from all your uncleanneſſes.
This is a ſpeciall Promiſe, and of great concernment: Some refer it to Juſtification, and make it to be Gods free taking away the guilt and puniſhments deſerved by their uncleanneſſes: Some refer it to Sanctification, and make it to be Gods cleanſing them from the filth, and delivering them from the power of ſin. They are miſtaken who interpret the words of Babyloniſh uncleanneſſes, as if God would deliver them out of Babylon, and ſave them from the pollutions thereof; if that had been the ſence, the words ſhould have run thus, I will ſave you from all their uncleanneſſes, not from all your uncleanneſſes. To let that Expoſition paſſe, we may take in here both their Juſtification and Sanctification, and ſo make the ſence full, I will ſave you from all your uncleanneſſes by my pardoning grace, that ſhall acquit you from the guilt and puniſhment of all your ſins; and I will ſave you from all your uncleanneſſes by my ſanctifying grace, that ſhall purge out all your defilements and ſpots: The word for uncleanneſſes is Tumeoth, which notes not only Ceremonial uncleanneſs, but Moral alſo, as Levit. 18.27.
I will call for the Corn, and will encreaſe it.
The Hebrew is, I will call to the Corn, I will command the Corn to grow and bring forth; I will give but a word of power, and as that hath cauſed all things to be and bring forth, ſo ſhall it do with the Corn, and not only cauſe it to grow, but to encreaſe, ſo that there ſhall be plenty, and plenty continued; for it follows,
And lay no famine upon you.
The Jews had oft been under grievous famines, as appears 2 Sam. 21.1. 2 Kings 6. 1 Kings 18. Joel 1. Amos 4.6. 2 Kings 25.3. The Lord called for, and laid famines upon them; but here he promiſes, not to lay any famine upon them; they ſhould be free from that judgement, and live in the abundance of good things.
Verſ. 30. And I will multiply the fruit of the Tree.
Not only ſhould the Corn thrive and bring forth, but the Trees alſo they ſhould be fruitfull, yea, very fruitfull; God would multiply the fruit of all the Trees which uſed to bear fruit. Some Trees are for ornament of the earth, ſome for Timber, ſome for Fire, but moſt for fruit, and thoſe that were for fruit ſhould bear fruit in abundance.
The encreaſe of the field.
Theſe words are ſpoken of thoſe things which ſponte naſcuntur do grow of themſelves without ſetting, ſowing, or planting, they are properly the encreaſe of the Field.
That ye ſhall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
The Heathens took occaſion from the famines the Jews met with, to reproach them and ſay, What do you want bread? is your God the chiefeſt and beſt of Gods, and will he ſee you want? is he hard-hearted, and will not afford you neceſſaries to live? ſurely our gods are better, and more mercifull than the God of the Jews; they ſuffer us not to want any thing, we have no ſuch famines as you Jews have, you are hunger-ſtarved wretches, and beholding to us for bread. Theſe were grievous reproaches which the Lord promiſed here to take away, by giving unto them plenty of all things for their maintenance. They had upbraided the Jews, verſ. 13. That their Land was a Land devoured men; God therefore now told them, Their Land ſhould bring forth Corn, fruit, and other good things, and ſo maintain the inhabitants of it.
Firſt, Obſerve;
When God enters into, or renews Covenant with a People, he will do much for them.
I will be your God, I will alſo ſave you from all your uncleanneſſes, and I will call for the Corn, and encreaſe it, and lay no famine upon you, and I will multiply the fruit of the Tree, &c. Here God renewed Covenant with them, and promiſed them ſpiritual and temporal mercies, which in due time he gave them in; ſo when he firſt entered into Covenant with them, Ezek. 16.8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. what great things did God do for them? Then waſhed I thee with water, yea, I throughly waſhed away thy bloud from thee, and anointed thee with oyl; I cloathed thee alſo with broidered work, and ſhod thee with Badgers skin, and I girded thee about with fine Linnen, and I covered thee with ſilke, &c. When God is once ingaged to a People, he doth much for them, and great things, he layes out himſelf and his Attributes for their good.
Secondly, Obſerve;
God is a perfect Saviour.
I will ſave you from all your uncleanneſſes. They had many, and variety of uncleanneſſes, Ceremonial and Moral impurities, inward and outward pollutions; they had much guilt, and much filth, but God ſaved them from them all; he doth perfectly juſtifie, and will perfectly ſanctifie in due time: there is not one inherent corruption within, cleave it never ſo faſt unto the ſpirit of man, but God will work it out; He will take away all iniquity, (Hoſ. 14.2.) the guilt of ſin, the power and pollution of ſin, yea, the very being of ſin, verſ. 13. of this Chapt: I will ſprinkle clean water upon you, and ye ſhall be clean; from all your filthineſſe, and from all your idolls will I cleanſe you. God will do his work of this nature throughly and perfectly; David acknowledged it, Pſal. 103.2, 3. Bleſſe the Lord, O my ſoul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diſeaſes.
Thirdly, Obſerve;
It is no difficulty unto the Lord to make plenty of things, he can eaſily do it.
I will call for the Corn, and will encreaſe it. It is but calling for it, and it comes; if he call for fruitfulneſs of the Field, or Tree, or both, they come: as ſervants come at the call of their maſters; ſo any creatures, Corn, Wine, Oyl, come at the call of God; if God do but ſay, Let the earth bring forth, it will bring forth; there is power in his Word, it is the Word of the greateſt King; no earthly King hath fertility or ſterility at his Command as God hath, Haggai 1.11. He called for a drought upon the Land, & it came; 2 Kings 8.1. He called for a famine, and it came and ſojourned ſeaven years with them. If God call for a judgement or a mercy, it comes preſently. Let us fear to offend him leaſt he call for a famine, the peſtilence, or a ſword; let us improve mercies for his honour, that he may call for the Corn and Fruit, and continue the ſame unto us.
Fourthly, Obſerve;
Whatſoever plenty is in a Land, it is from the power, bleſſing, and bounty of the Lord.
I will call for the Corn and encreaſe it. Though the Land have kept her Sabbaths, hath not been ploughed or ſown in many years, yet I will cauſe it to bring forth, and that richly; I will multiply the fruit of the Tree; the Vine, Fig-tree, and the Olive ſhall be laden with fruit, and that ye take no pains for, the tender Graſſe and Herbs, the encreaſe of the Field: Theſe, even all theſe, are from the call, benediction, and bounty of God, which we ſhould take notice of, and be thankfull for. All the Corn we have for bread, all the Fruit we have for delight, all the Herbs we have for Phyſick, and all the graſſe and fodder we have for Cattle, are all from the Lord; and if we do not uſe all for his glory, but abuſe the ſame as Ephraim did, God will deal by us as he did by Ephraim, Hoſ. 2.8, 9. even take all from us, I will take away my Corn in the time thereof, &c.
Fifthly, Obſerve;
God takes notice how wicked ones reproach his children being under his judgements, and will cauſe their reproachings to ceaſe.
Ye ſhall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. It was a vile thing for the Babylonians to caſt it in the Jews Teeth, That their Land was a Land of famine, and ſo to reproach them for that judgement which God for their ſins did oft lay upon them; this was inhumane, barbarous, to adde affliction to the afflicted; God obſerved it, and to comfort them againſt ſo ſoar an affliction, he gives in a promiſe of a plentifull maintenance, I will call for the Corn, and multiply all things, ſo that there ſhall be no occaſion for an enemy, for any Babylonian to ſay ſo any more; Ye ſhall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.