Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 36 · Verse 32
Verſ. 32.
Not for your ſakes do I this, ſaith the Lord God, be it known unto you; be aſhamed and confounded for your own wayes, O houſe of Iſrael.
IN this Verſe is comprehended the ground of all the gracious and great Promiſes ſpecified in the words before and following: And
1. It is expreſſed Negatively, It is not for your ſakes.
2. Implyed Affirmatively, It is for the Lords ſake.
Not for your ſakes do I this.
God ſaw nothing in them to move him to bring them out of Babylon, or to do ought for them in Babylon; but he beheld that in them, which might have moved him to deſtroy them, he ſaw how they profaned his holy name among the Babylonians, verſ. 21. he ſaw how they intended to turn heathens, and worſhip wood and ſtone, Ezek. 20.32. Being Gods people they thought God was bound to do much for their ſakes, and that he ſhould not deal juſtly with them, if he did not mind them, & do for them; ſee how they expoſtulated with God, Iſa. 58.3. Wherefore have we faſted, and thou ſeeſt it not? wherefore have we afflicted our ſoul, and thou takeſt no knowledge? They did in effect tell God he dealt not well with them, they deſerved better things at his hands than they had; therefore ſaid the Lord here, Not for your ſakes do I this,
Be it known unto you.
Take notice that what conceits ſoever ye have of your own worth or deſerts, becauſe ye are my people, and of the ſeed of Abraham my friend, yet I do not bring you out of Babylon for your worth or merits ſake, I do nothing upon that account, and proclaim it openly unto you, and all the world.
Be aſhamed and confounded for your own wayes.
Your wayes are ſo far from meriting at my hands, that they merit not at the hands of men, they are of that nature as you ought to be aſhamed and confounded for them; of the words aſhamed and confounded was ſpoken Chap. 16.52, 54, 61.
Firſt, Obſerve;
Men are apt to think they deſerve ſomething at Gods hands.
The houſe of Iſrael thought ſhe had ſuffered a long and ſore captivity, and having faſted and mourned every fift and ſeaventh month throughout the ſeaventy years, Zech: 7.5. ſhe conceived God now ſhould deal unkindly, yea unjuſtly, if he ſhould not do ſome great thing for her; now it was juſt for him to remember all her tears, ſighs, prayes, faſtings and ſufferings, to ſet her at liberty, and give her repoſſeſſion of her Land, rewarding her with old and new priviledges. Matth. 7.22. Many will ſay to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have not we propheſied in thy name? and in thy name have caſt out Devils? and in thy name done many wonderfull works? They thought they had merited Heaven by their doings, and looked for ſome wonderful reward for their wonderful works. The labourers which came into the Vineyard at the third and ſixt hours, thought they deſerved more of the Lord of the Vineyard than they that went in at the ninth and eleventh hours, Matth. 20. Prone is corrupt nature to conceit it merits ſomewhat at the hands of God. But
Secondly, Obſerve;
Mens wayes are ſuch as they ought to be aſhamed of themſelves, and fear deſtruction from God for them.
Be aſhamed and confounded for your own wayes, O houſe of Iſrael; they are ſuch as you ſhould bluſh at, and loath to behold, and make you fear leaſt my judgements ſhould ſieze upon you for them. Nehem. 9.30, 31. What ſaith he of them? Lord, thou gaveſt them into the hand of the people of the Lands; that is, thou didſt caſt them into captivity for their own wayes; and what then? Nevertheleſſe, for thy great mercies ſake, thou didſt not utterly conſume them. They had cauſe to fear conſuming; had not mercy and great mercy ſtepped in, they had been utterly conſumed: So Jeremy, Lament. 3.22. It is of the Lords mercies that we are not conſumed. If it be mercy that our perſons are not deſtroyed, what do our works or wayes deſerve from him?
Thirdly, Obſerve;
The Promiſes God makes unto, and the mercies he beſtows upon his people are free, and for his own ſake.
Not for your ſakes do I this, ſaith the Lord God, be it known unto you; I have promiſed To ſprinkle you with clean water, to put a new heart into you, to give you my ſpirit, to ſave you from all your iniquities, to bring you again to Sion, to give you many mercies there, & to do you much good; but theſe I do not for your ſakes, you deſerve them not, but for mine own ſake, for mine own honour and name; as verſ. 22. I do not this, O houſe of Iſrael, for your ſakes, but for mine holy names ſake. For mans ſake come judgements; the earth was curſed for Adams ſake, Gen: 3.17. For Achans ſake the Iſraelites fell and fled, Joſh: 7. For Jonas ſake the Sea was tempeſtous, Jon: 1.4.12. But when mercies come at Land or Sea, it is for the Lords own ſake; He made all things for himſelf, Prov: 16.4. for his own names ſake; and what good ſoever he doth to any Nations or Perſons is not for your ſakes, but for his own holy names ſake. When the Jews were neer deſtruction, he wrought for his names ſake, Ezek: 20.9. So when we were neer to deſtruction oft times in theſe Nations, the Lord wrought for his own names ſake, not for our ſakes. Let us give God the glory of what he hath done for our Nation, and for our ſelves, and ſay, Help us, O God of our ſalvation, for the glory of thy name, and deliver us, and purge away our ſins for thy names ſake.