Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 3 · Verse 26 – Verse 27
VER. 26.
And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, and thou ſhalt be dumb, and ſhalt not be to them a reprover; for they are a rebellious houſe.
HEre is a farther and full manifeſtation of his ſilence, but there is doubt concerning the meaning of the words. The Septuagint hath it, I will bind thy tongue; and this bond, it's conceiv'd, was a divine precept; God commanding him to be ſilent, and thereupon it was, that he forbare to ſpeak unto them. Others take the words literally, and hold that the uſe of his tongue was taken away; ſo that neither in publique nor in private hee might ſpeak unto them, but be a wordleſſe and tongueleſſe man amongſt them; whereupon they being troubled, and wondring at what had befallen Ezekiel, might ſearch out the cauſe, and become more willing to heare thoſe ſad meſſages he had to deliver. But ſalve aliorum judicio, I conceive the words are not to be taken in their literall ſenſe.
1. Becauſe the Prophet is bid in the the next Chapter, verſe 9. to prepare him meat, and to eat thereof, which he could not do, if his tongue had cleaved to the roof of his mouth; the motion of the tongue is needfull to that action.
2. It's plain from the 14th verſe of that 4th Chapter, that it cannot be meant literally; for there the Prophet ſpeaks, Then ſaid I, ah Lord God, behold my ſoul hath not been polluted, &c. We are then to take the words figuratively, thus; Thou ſhalt be as a man, whoſe tongue cleaves to his mouth, as a man that is dumb; ſuch a one ſhalt thou be amongſt them: and this ſenſe the words following infer; Thou ſhalt not be to them a reprover; they would not have thee to tell them of their ſins, of my judgements, and the danger thereupon; and thou ſhalt not be a reprover unto them: and it's the Scripture language to call them dumb that are in the place of Miniſters and Prophets, and preach not, Iſa. 56.10.
Obſerv. 1. The Lord hath the power over Prophets lips, to ſhut and open them at his pleaſure: I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, &c. If God forbid the Prophets to ſpeak, they muſt be dumb, as contrary, if hee command they cannot be ſilent: Amos 3.8. The Lord hath ſpoken, who can but propheſie? The Jewes objected againſt the Prophets, that they propheſied no good unto them, only ſad things, and were meſſengers of death; the Prophet anſwers, it's true, but God hath commanded, hee hath ſpoken, and who can be ſilent? who ſhall dare not to deliver and heare his meſſage? he is a roaring Lion, will tear in pieces diſobedient Prophets and people, he was to ſpeak, and to be ſilent when God would have it ſo. Balaam knew this, Numb. 22.38. Lo, I am come unto thee, O Balak; have I now any power at all to ſay any thing? can I with canning do any thing? ſo is the Hebrew; the word that God putteth in my mouth, that ſhall I ſpeak; it was in God to open or ſhut his mouth; hee could not with all his canning do ought: Prov. 16.1. The preparations of the heart in man, and anſwer of the tongue is from the Lord; and ſo the ſilence of the tongue, and ceſſation of the ſpirit in man, is from the Lord; Prophets are to be ſilenced and ſuſpended, not when Prelates, people will, but when the Lord will.
2. People are impatient of reproofs; Thou ſhalt not be a reprover unto them; for they are rebellious, they would not indure him to deal roughly with them, to convince them of their ſins; many affect the Prophets being ſhining lights, but when they are burning lights they hate them; when they ſcorchmen wth through reproofs and evident convictions of their guiltineſſe, then they hate them, and ſeek to miſchieve them; Iſa. 29.21. Hee that reproved in the gate had a ſnare laid for him; and Micaiah is a hatefull man to Ahab, 1 King. 22.8. becauſe hee propheſied not good to him; reproofs are veritates mordaces, they have ſalt and fire in them, which few men can indure, eſpecially being ſore; and therefore they wil impriſon and murther the Prophets; Put this fellow into priſon, ſaith Ahab, verſ. 27. Let John reprove Herod, and he is preſently clapt into a priſon, Luke 3.19. Reproofs evidence to men, that their ſins are known, awaken guilt, and croſſe them in the things they love, and therefore they cannot indure them; like Moſes rod in hand, it was without hurt, but thrown down it became a Serpent; ſo reproofs thrown forth prove Serpents to men, they moleſt and ſting them.
3. The peoples ſins do cauſe God to cut them ſhort of ſpirituall mercies; here was a Prophet furniſhed with the treaſure of heaven, and the Lord ſhuts up his mouth, and makes him a dumb Prophet unto them; and why ſo? for they are a rebellious houſe, they did not profit under their judgements, they ſtill undervalued their Prophets, they went on ſtubbornly in their wayes againſt God; and this made God deny them the benefit of the Prophets labours: unbelief, irreformation, and ingratitude, are provoking ſins, and God puniſhes people for them and ſuch like, with the removall of his word and Prophets: in Amos 8. the Lord tels them there ſhall be howlings in the Temple, dead bodies in all places, verſ. 3. that their Sun ſhould go down at noon, their feaſts be turned into mournings, and ſuch mournings, as are for an only ſon, deep and laſting, verſ. 8, 9. and why ſo? they had ſinned greatly in ſleighting, and being weary of Gods Sabbaths and Ordinances, they were covetous, they oppreſſed the poore, &c. and now God would ſend a famine of the Word, verſ. 11. and there would be howlings, darkneſſe and death above meaſure; it's a dreadfull thing, when people provoke God to take away his Prophets by death, to command them ſilence, or to remove them into corners. The Prophets and Miniſters are the light and ſalt of the earth, if God take them away, people will be unſavoury, full of worms, noyſome luſts and corruptions, they will be in darkneſſe, and haſten to eternall darkneſſe; it's the Word that makes all ſweet and comfortable, if that go, Gods face is hid, his preſence departed, and all lyes open to ruine, it's the ſins of the people that introduce ſuch a judgement.Idcirco tibi praedicationis ſermo tollitur, quia dum me in ſuis actibus plebs exaſperat, non eſt digna cui exhortatio veritatis fiat. Greg. Hom. 17. in Evang. God takes away his Word, and the preachers of it, becauſe the peoples lives are exaſperating, not conformable to what is taught; This judgement wee may feare in this Land, becauſe the diſtance is exceeding great between Gods Word and our lives; I will not prophecy, but pray; The Lord prevent and divert ſuch a judgement from England; if it ſhould come, it would be the moſt dreadfull that befell the Land theſe fourſcore yeares; afflictions you are like to meet withall, and preſſing ones; but that I may not diſcourage your hearts, caſt your eyes and thoughts upon that promiſe in Iſa. 30.19, 20. He will be very gracious unto thee at the voyce of thy cry, when he ſhall heare it, he will anſwer thee, and though the Lord give you the bread of adverſitie, and water of affliction, yet ſhall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more. The word in Hebrew is, lo iicaneph, thy teachers ſhall not be winged, and fly from thee when danger is, but thine eyes ſhall ſee thy teachers, and thou ſhalt heare a voyce behinde thee, &c. This is ſpoken of the Church under the Goſpel, as well as before; if you can therefore take hold of this promiſe, and cry earneſtly unto God, you ſhall not loſe your teachers, and the truth, though you loſe your eſtates and outward comforts; if God ſhould take away your teachers from you,Lam. 3.9. it would be an Argument of much wrath, and that this people is unworthy of ſpirituall mercies.
VER. 27.
But when I ſpeak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou ſhalt ſay unto them; Thus ſaith the Lord God; He that heareth, let him heare; and he that forbeareth, let him forbeare; for they are a rebellious houſe.
THe greateſt part of this verſe hath been ſpoken of in the 11th verſe of this Chapter, and fifth verſe of the ſecond Chapter; and therefore ſhall not need now to be opened unto you.
Obſerv. 1. All times are not times for the Prophets to ſpeak in: Thy mouth is now ſhut, and it's not ſeaſonable for thee to prophecy, but hereafter when I ſhall ſpeak with thee, I will open thy mouth. Prophets muſt therefore waite upon God, as for warrant to ſpeak, ſo for libertie and opportunitie of ſpeaking. Amos 5.13. The prudent ſhall keep ſilence in that time. There be times when God in judgement to a people, would not have them ſpeak. Eccleſ. 3.7. There is a time to keep ſilence, and a time to ſpeak; and both theſe the Lord will ſhew his ſervants.
2. Neither the Prophets infirmitie, nor the peoples ſinnes, ſhall alwayes keep the Prophets mouths ſhut; When I ſpeak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou ſhalt ſay unto them, &c.
3. God tryes many wayes with a ſinfull wretched people to gaine them; he ſends them into Captivitie, gives them a Prophet there, ſhuts up his mouth, opens it againe, and all to ſee what this people will doe; I will open thy mouth, and thou ſhalt ſay, thus ſaith the Lord; He that heareth, let him heare, &c. There are but few amongſt you, who will heare, I am afraid, but if any will heare, let him heare, &c. God will try men whether they are curable or no.