Exposition of Ezekiel 6-13, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 11 · Verse 16
VERS. 16.
Therefore ſay, Thus ſaith the Lord God: although I have caſt them farre off among the Heathen, and although I have ſcattered them amongſt the Countries, yet will I be to them as a little Sanctuary in the Countries where they ſhall come.
AT this Verſe begins comfort for the Captives, they were caſt out, rejected, and inſulted over by their Brethren, fill'd with ſad thoughts of their condition: but here Heaven opens and light breakes out in ſweet promiſes, and they are theſe,
1. A promiſe of mercy to them in Babylon, verſ. 16.
2. Of returning thence, from Babylon to Syon. v. 17.
3. Of purifying them from their pollutions in the Land of Canaan, verſ. 18.
4. Of regeneration or converſion, verſ. 19, 20.
5. A threat to thoſe whoſe hearts ſhould cleave to their deteſtable things, which is comfortable to the godly.
For the 16. Verſe, the ſum is this, They at Jeruſalem look upon you in Babylon as a forlorne and forſaken people, without God and his worſhip; they exclude you from all fellowſhip and communion with them, yea from the Land of Canaan, and condemne your act of leaving them as illegitimate, but goe Ezekiel, and tell them that it was my doings to remove and ſcatter you, and that howſoever they looke upon this act of mine, as a certain token of my vengeance upon you, and tending to your utter deſtruction, yet let them know that they are miſtaken, and that I am a father of mercies, and will be a Sanctuary unto you in Babylon, and have deſerted them at Jeruſalem, that the glory is departed thence and come to you: Goe declare this for their terrour, and the comfort of you Captives.
The words in the Verſe are moſt of them plaine and eaſie, onelyonly thoſe muſt be opened, I will be a little Sanctuary; for there is ſome diffi…ulty about them, being variouſly interpreted. Sanctuary, foreign The word whence Mikdas comes, is ſometimes uſed in Scripture for cleanſing and ſanctifying; as 2 Sam. 11.4. Shee was purified from her uncleanneſſe, foreign Hence ſome render the word here, in ſanctificationem; thus, I will be to you for a little Sanctification; I will purge and cleanſe them; this Captivity ſhall be Ignis expurgatorius unto them, ſeventy yeares they ſhall be in the fire, and after that they ſhall c…me forth, as a Refiners Veſſell, well purified from its droſſe, be reſtored to their Land, have a new Temple and pure worſhip: So the vulgar hath it, in ſanctificationem modicam, Jerome alſo takes it in this ſenſe. In Babylon I will ſanctifie them, divorce them from their Idols, turne them from their Idolatry, that they may worſhip me purely; and it is obſerved, they never fell to Idolatry more, after their returne from the Babyloniſh Captivity.
In this ſenſe it affords us this note, the Lord doth ſanctifie and purge his People, by ſharpe and long afflictions, they had greatly defiled themſelves with the ſins of the Nations, and eſpecially with Idolatrie, and now he threw them into the Furnace of affliction, to melt and ſeparate the droſſe and tinne from them, ſome conceive that in Iſ 1.25. Referrs to this Babyloniſh captivity.A Lapi…. I will turne my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy droſſe and take away all thy tinne. Senacheribs comming did onelyonly ſcare them, Nebuchadnezzars carrying them away and keeping them ſo many yeares in Babylon was the meanes through Gods bleſſing to Sanctifie them: Gods hotteſt and fiery tryals are to purge. Dan 11.35. God purges the Iniquity of Jacob by afflict on. Iſ 27.9. And it's all the fruit he gives in it, to take away his ſin, not to take away his limbs or life but his ſin: when the Seraphin touched Iſaiah's lips with a burning coale, it was terrible to him; but then he ſayd, Thy iniquity is taken away, thy ſin is purged. Others take the word as here its rendered Sanctuarie and ſo is frequently uſed in the Scripture. as Jer. 17.12. Lament. 2.7. Ezek. 9.6. The Septuagint read it foreign, in Sanctuarium, ſo Kerker, not in ſanctificationem; and Suidas interprets foreign, Templum: And ſo Vatab renders it. Mickdas, and Montan. ſanctuarium, ſo Junius, Piſc. and Polan. Caſtalio hath it thus, Ero eis fanum, I wil be to them a Temple, a Sanctuary, and this ſenſe fits the condition of the Captives: For,
1. The Inhabitants of Jeruſalem reproached them for going into Babylon; and looked on them as having nothing to doe with the Temple, God, or his worſhip, get you farr from the Lord: againſt this evill, God comforts them, and ſayth, I will be a Sanctuarie unto you, what ever your Brethren thinke or ſay.
2. The Captives wept to thinke of their condition, Pſ 137.1. By the Rivers of Babylon there wee ſat downe yea wee wept when wee remembred Sion. When they cald to minde what a glorious Temple they had, what ſolemn aſſemblies there, what pretious Ordinances, and comforts they found therein; and now ſaw themſelv… deſtitute of all, they wept. For their conſolation ſaith God, I wil be a Sanctuarie unto you; and what ever benefit you found by the Saints at Jeruſalem, you ſhall finde in mee.
1. The Sanctuary was a place of refuge and defence, quaſi ſancta tueri a place to defend holy things, for ſuch things were layd up in Sanctuaries, the Greeks cal it foreign, from foreign, a particle privative, and foreign, to ſpoyl, rob, take away, for a Sanctuary was deemed a priviledg'd place, from whence, no thing, or perſon might be taken away without ſacriledge; upon this ground Joab fled to the Tabernacle of the Lord, 1 K. 2.28. and tooke hold of the hornes of the Altar. Moſes had his Citties of refuge, and in reference to theſe, many Princes appointed Sanctuaries to be priviledg'd places that thoſe fled to them might be ſecure; and this Land heretofore abounded with ſuch places. Churches, Churchyards, and other places were priveledg'd, ſo that if fellons or Traytors did flye to them, they were ſheltred for 40. Dayes; in which time, they were to confeſſe their fault, and to ſubmit to baniſhment; taking an oath of abjuration: and during thoſe forty dayes, no man might take them thence, without danger of excomunication, or irregularity; in this time any might feed them. After the forty dayes, if their Wives fed them, or gave them any ſuſtenance, it was fellony.Expoſition of tearms of Law Stamf. This law was made by K. Edward the confeſſor, grounded upon, the Law of mercy and reverence he bare to holy places, God would be a S…nctuary to him in this ſenſe, Iſa. 8.14. Sanctifie the Lord of hoſts himſelfe, let him be your fear and your dread. A d he ſhal be for a Sanctuary, that is, for a defence unto you. Jer 42.11. Be not afraid of the K. of Babylon of whom yee are afraid, be not afraid of him ſayth the Lord for I am with you to ſave you and to deliver you from his hand: here God was a Sanctuary unto them. The three Children, when the fiery furnace was heat ſo hot and caſt into it, found God a Sanctuary unto them.
Iſa. 6.1. His traine filled the Temple.2. In it they had Gods ſpeciall preſence, hence Sion where the Temple ſtood was cal'd the habition and reſt of God, Pſ. 132.13.14. Hence Gods goings and wayes are ſayd to bee in the Sanctuary, Pſ. 77.13.68.24. And David profeſſeth he had ſeene God in the Sanctuary, Pſ. 63.2. God would be a Sanctuary to them in this ſenſe, they ſhould have his ſpecial preſence; he had left the Temple at Jeruſalem, the glory was gone; and now he was with them in Babylon: Ezekiel had the Heavens opened to him by the River Cheb…r, ſaw viſions of God, God did manifeſt himſelfe in a ſpeciall manner to him, and to Daniel even in Babylon. God had no Church elſewhere, and now he was with his people there, and calls them his flock foure times in one v. Ezek. 34.8. and twelve times his flocke in the whole Chapter.
3. Acceptance in the Temple and ſanctuary; their perſons and prayers were accepted there. Hence was it that they freequented the Temple ſo much for prayer, Acts, 3.1. Luke, 18.10. And that David intimates Pſ. 20.3. that the Offerings and Sacrifices in the Temple were accepted, He heard my voyce out of his Temple, Pſ. 18.6. So Jer. 6.20. When they had corrupted the worſhip of God he tells them there; burnt Offerings were not acceptable, nor their Sacrifices ſweet, before they were; and the Propheſie is, Iſa, 60.7. That they ſhall come with acceptance to Gods Altar. Where his Altar was ſetled there was the acceptance, this they had likewiſe in Babylon. When Daniel made his prayer to God for himſelfe, and his People Chap. 9. Gabriel comes and tells him, he was greatly beloved of God, a man of deſires. So when Mordecai and Eſther faſted, their perſons and prayers were regarded, accepted in Babylon.
4. Incouragement and helpe, Pſ. 20 2. Helpe came from the Sanctuary and ſtrength from Sion, Strength and beautie are in his Sanctuary Pſ. 96.6. There they had councell to direct them, Ordinances to Sanctifie them, and promiſes to comfort them. Theſe they ſhould not want in Babylon, God would be to them ſuch a Sanctuary as ſhould afford them helpe. Therefore he ſtirred up the Spirit of Jeremiah to write to the captives and to counſell them what to doe. Jer 29.5 6.7. Build you houſes and dwell in them, plant Gardens and eat the fruit of them take Wives beget Sonnes and Daughters, and take wives for your Sonn…, and give your Daughters to Husbands that they may beare Sonnes and Daughters, that yee may be increaſed there, and not diminiſhed. And ſeeke the peace of the City whether I have cauſed you to be carryed away Captives, and pray unto the Lord for it, for in the peace thereof ſhall yee have peace. And God gave them prophets in Babylon,Though they had no materiall Temple to worſhip God in, yet God would ſanctifie them and give them grace to worſhip him, metu interno. Ezekiel, and Daniel, by whom he counſeld them from tyme to time; ſome Ordinances they had; what they wanted, God made up himſelfe, being a ſpeciall Sanctuary unto them: he alſo made Babylon an ordinance to cleanſe them, and for promiſes they had many, divers in this Chapt. and others as the 34. the 36. Which is full of ſweet, gracious, and comforting promiſes.
A little Sanctuary.
foreign Some take this word Adverbially, and render it Pauliſper, So Polanus, Junius, and Caſtal. God would be a Sanctuary to them a little time; and ſo to point out the ſhortneſſe of the time they ſhould be in Babylon, and thereby to comfort them againſt their Captivity. 70 Yeares was not long, and all that time they ſhould have God a Sanctuary.
Others take the word adjectively, Sanctuarium parvum, or modicum; ſo Montanus, Piſc. the Vulgar, and the French. Why his expreſſion is layd downe a little Sanctuary, we muſt inquire.
1. In oppoſition to that they had at Jeruſalem; that was very beautifull, rich, and glorious, ſet in Ivorie, Ezek. 7.…0. eyed of all; reſorted unto by all the Jewes; and famous throughout the Earth. God would be a Temple to them: but not ſuch a materiall, conſpicuous Temple. You think upon that great glorious Temple are troubled for it, I will be a little Temple to you.
2. Little, in regard of the paucitie that were there; you are but a fe…, and a little Temple will ſuffice you, Vatab. hath it Templum pauc…rum, Here they have no great Congregations, but Exiguae domunculae ſuperſunt in quibus congregatis adero. Aecolamp.and Calvi…, Sanctuarium paucitatis, many fell to the wayes of the Heathens; being mingled with them, they learned their wayes, and ſerved their gods; few were godly.
3. In regard of the hidden vertue, power, and goodneſſe conveyed unto them, which Babiloniſh eyes ſaw not; they thougth their God had wholly forſaken them, d d nothing for them: but he was an inviſible, ſpirituall, wonderfull, and ſtrange Sanctuary unto them, all which, was little to that they had in their owne Land, there they had mercy more openly, and more plentifully.
Will bee
foreign Et fui, I have beene a little Sanctuary, and will be, Pſ. 69.11. I became a Proverb to them, the word is Vaaebi, I have been; its future, yet rendered in the preter tenſe; and ſo much it ſheweth here, that God had been, and would be a Sanctuary to his people in Babylon.
Obſer. 1 The harſh dealing of wicked and corrupt men with the godly, occaſions God to give out comfortable tru hs and promiſes unto them: they at Jeruſalem, that were very evil, ſaid, get yee farr from the Lord, unto us is this Land given in poſſeſſion; therefore ſay, thus ſaith the Lord, &c. becauſe they ſpake ſo bitter, therefore God ſpeaks ſo comfortably; becauſe they rejected them, denyed them to have to do with God, or the land; therfore God receives them, tells them he will be a Sanctuary unto them. When others beat the Child the Parents Bowells yerne, eſpecially if unjuſtly, and ſhew the more ki…d…eſſe. When Rabſhakeh rayld againſt Hezekiah, Gods People, and blaſphem'd, from thence did the Lord take occaſion to ſignifie by Iſaiah to Hezekiah and the reſt, things very comfortable, 2 Kings 19.6. Thus ſaith the Lord, Be not affraid of the words which thou haſt heard, with which the ſervants of the King of Aſſyria have blaſphemed me: Behold, I will ſend a blaſt upon him, and he ſhall heare a rumor, and returne to his owne Land, and I will cauſe him to fall by the Sword in his owne Land. God tooke a riſe from the enemies blaſphemies, and rough proceedings againſt his people, to give in promiſes of mercy to his, and of deſtruction to them; when the enemy had dealt barbarouſly with Rachell, ſlaine and captiv'd her Children, and ſhe refuſed to be comforted, becauſe they were not; hereupon the Lord ſteps in, and ſaith, Refraine thy voyce from weeping, and thine eyes from teares, for thy works ſhall be rewarded, and they ſhall come againe from the Land of the enemy, becauſe they have deſtroyed thy Children, therefore will I give thee Children, becauſe they are ſcattered abroad, therefore they ſhall returne. When the Phariſees had caſt out the blind man, Jeſus ſought him out, found him, and told him who he wa…, John 9.35. and Iſa. 66.5. When their Brethren that hated them, caſt them out, then was the gracious promiſe given in; he ſhall appeare to your joy, and they ſhall be aſhamed: Ill manners occaſion good Lawes; and rough dealings, have drawne forth ſweet promiſes.
2. Afflictions, be they of what nature ſoever, are the acts of God, they were deprived of their Countrey, all their comforts there, they were in a ſad Captivity, mingled among the Heathen, but who did this? Was it their owne act? The Babylonians or any others? No, the Lord takes it upon himſelfe: I have caſt them a farre off, I have ſcattered them; it was his counſell, power, and providence did it, who ever were the inſtruments: The Scripture denyes afflictions to be from beneath, they ſpring not out of the duſt,Job 5.6. the root of them is not in the earth, but in Heaven; it therefore attributes all of them to God. Mich. 1.12. Evill came down from the Lord unto the Gate of Jeruſalem: Its evill indefinitely, what ever evill came nigh that City, is came from the Lord, he created it, he ſent it, and not onelyonly what was without the City, but all in the City, Amos 3.6. Shall there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it? Its an interrogation, and vehemently affirmes that all is the worke of God: Men take not notice of the hand of God in affliction, and therefore the Lord is oft brought in and preſented as the true and onelyonly Author of them, the inſtruments are eyed by us, and we are vexed at them, and greatly perplex our ſelves, that creatures of the ſame ranke and condition we are in, ſhould harme us and afflict us, but did we ſee the Lord in all, it would qu et and ſtill our ſpirits; whatever the agents were, God would have us to take notice of this, Iſa. 45.6, 7. That they may know from the riſing of the Sunne, and from the Weſt, that there is none beſides me, I am the Lord, and there is none elſe: I form the light, and create darkneſſe: I make peace, and create evill, I the Lord doe all theſe things: Man doth none of them.
3. God is mindfull of his threats, and faithfull in performing of them: He had long before in the dayes of Moſes told them, that if they ſinned againſt him, they ſhould be plucked off the Land they poſſeſſed, and be ſcattered awong the Heathen, Dan. 28.63.64. Levit. 26.33. and ſee it here performed, I have caſt them out, I have ſcattered them among the Countries. God is not forgetfull of what he hath threatned againſt ſinners, he hath his times to fulfill his threats, though ſome thouſand yeares after. There is a Propheticall threat in Hag. 2.22. which is probable that the Lord is now thinking of, and fulfilling, I will overthrow the throne of Kingdomes, and I will deſtroy the ſtrength of the Kingdomes of the Heathen, I will overthrow the Charriots, and thoſe that ride in them, the Horſes, and their riders ſhall come downe every one by the Sword of his Brother. Some interpret this place of Zerubbabel literally, and ſome ſhaking of Heaven and Earth was then, ſome great changes were made, but the moſt interpret it of Zerubbabel myſticall, of Chriſt, and his Kingdome; ſo D…odate takes it. God for the advance of his Church, under the Goſpell, will overthrow the throne of Kingdomes, all power and greatneſſe that is againſt the Kingdome of his Sonne; and how ſhall it be done by Warres? moſtly by civill Warres, Every one by the Sword of his Brother: God in his wiſe providence ſhall ſtirre up Kingdomes and Kings one againſt another, and they ſhall break themſelves and each other in pieces, that his truth and faithfulneſſe may be ſeen.
4. Afflictions are not alwayes arguments of Divine hatred, God had caſt them a farr off, and ſcattered them among the Countries; this the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem tooke to be an argument of Gods hatred, that he had forſaken them, that now they were none of his people, they conceived ſuch great judgements upon them, could not ſtand with Gods love, but the Lords thoughts differ from mans, he look'd upon them as his people as the true Church, as dearer to him then they at Jeruſalem, as thoſe he would be a Sanctuary unto: If great afflictions were arguments of the Lords hatred and wrath, then Noah, Job, and Daniel, were hated of God, they had exceeding great affl ction. Noah ſaw a World drown'd, Job had all pluckt from him, his Friends and Wife againſt him, yea God alſo in appearance; Daniel was a Captive, caſt into the Lyons Den, yet how deare were theſe to the Lord: Noah, God accepted his Sacrifice, Gen 8.21. Bleſſed him; Chap. 9.1. made a Covenant with him, verſ. 8, 9, So Job, how doth God juſtifie him, Chap. 42.7. You have not ſpoken of me the thing that is right as my ſervant Job hath: Job was Gods ſervant, ſpoke what was right of God, Job muſt pray for his three Friends, him God will accept, God gave Job twice as much as he had before; and Daniel was a man greatly beloved, Dan. 9.23. Chriſt was Vir dolorum, yet the man in whom Gods ſoule delighted, Iſa. 42.1. Afflictions are arguments of l…ve, Prov. 3 12. Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, even as a Father the Sonne in whom hee delighteth: God loves not affliction, but he loves his Children, and his bowels cauſe him to correct; it were cruelty, not love in a Father, that would ſuffer his Child to dye for want of a little Phyſick; if Phyſick will doe a Child good, a loving Parent will be at any coſt that way: Take heed how you cenſure thoſe that ſuffer; affl…ctions are not alwayes wounds of an enemy, but arguments o… love, eſpecially when they break the ſtubbornneſſe and pride of our hearts, purge out our pollutions, cauſe us to ſeek the face of God, quicken our endeavours after more holineſſe, cauſe us to mind the things of E…ernity more, make the Word and Chriſt more ſweet and precious to the ſoule, really and ſeriouſly.
5. What ever others think or ſay of Gods people, whitherſoever they are driven, whatſoever they looſe or ſuff…r, God will be a little Sanctuary unto them, theſe men were hardly thought of, yea rejected and condemned of thoſe at Jeruſalem, carryed Captive into Babylon, they had loſt all Countrey-comforts, City-priviledges, Temple-Ordinances, Eſtates, and Liberties; they had hard bondage when they were yet now in this caſe God was a Sanctuary unto them, he preſerved them, vouchſafed them his preſence, accepted their perſons and prayers, gave them counſell, ſanctified and comforted them, he was a ſpeciall Sanctuary unto them, and in ſtead of all Ordinances. Take Sanctua…y for the Land of Canaan as ſome thinke its taken, Exod. 15.17. God would be a Land of Canaan to them, or take it for Sanctification, as ſome doe here, and in Pſal. 114.2. God would be their Sanctification; or take it for Heaven, as it is Pſal. 102.19. God would be a Heaven unto them: However the Jewes in Babylon appeared in the World, eyther to them in Sion or Babylon, they were glorious in the eye of God, and he calls them his glory, and would be a Sanctuary unto them. This ſhould afford comfort unto thoſe are deprived of Ordinances, Eſtates, Liberties, Friends, Countries, and ſuffer very hard and ſharp things, if they be godly, God will be a Sanctuary unto them. Our Brethren that were driven out into other parts of the World, hath not God been a Sanctuary unto them? and hath he not alwayes been a Sanctuary unto us,This was the Lecture preſently after Hazebie fight. and a ſtone of ſtumbling unto others, and for a rock of offence? if God hath been a Sanctuary to defend us, to afford us his preſence, to accept of our perſons and prayers, to ſend us helpe, counſell, comfort, deliverance, let us ſanctifie this God himſelfe in our heart, make him our dread and feare, and he will ſtill be a Sanctuary unto us, Pſal. 134 2. Lift up your hands in the Sanctuary, and bleſſe the Lord.
6. There is no place can hinder God from taking care of, and ſhewing kindneſſe unto his people; they were in Babylon, a prophane, polluted Land, they were ſcattered up and down in the Countries thereof, and yet God was a Sanctuary unto them, and ſayd, he would be ſo in the Countries where they ſhould come; when they were in Aegypt, God was a Sanctuary to them there, and now in Babylon: Acts 10.34, 35. God is no reſpecter of perſons or places, but in every Nation, hee that feares him and workes righteouſneſſe is accepted with him: Gods people fear him, and worke righteouſneſſe where ever they are caſt, if into ſtrange Nations, as theſe Jewes; if into the dungeon, as Jeremiah; into the bottom of the Sea as Jonah; if into the fiery Furnace, as the three Children; Lyons den, as Daniel, God is a Sanctuary to them, let a man be godly, and he ſhall have not onelyonly protection, but praiſe of God, Rom. 2.29.