Exposition of Ezekiel 6-13, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 7 · Verse 26
CHAP. VII.
26. The King ſhall mourne, and the Prince ſhall bee cloathed with deſolation, and the hands of the people of the Land ſhall bee troubled: I will doe unto them after their way, and according to their deſert… will I judge them, and they ſhall know that I am the LORD.
HAving ſpoken of the Eccleſiaſticall eſtate in the former Verſe, in this he comes to the Civill eſtate, and ſhews that the judgements ſhould light upon all ſorts, King, Prince, and People; mourning, deſolation, and trouble, ſhall be upon them; he names the ſubjects of miſery, and the miſeries; then he lays down the cauſes, the efficient, God, the materiall and meritorious, their ways, deſerts, then the end of all theſe Judgements, That they may know-&c.
The King ſhall mourne:
Hebrew is ijthabbal, the word being in Hithpael, foreign The Sept. is foreign, Which denotes a great meaſure of ſorrow, and expreſſions of it outwardly.notes continuation of mourning; ſome therefore render it, Hee ſhall pine away, or kill himſelfe with mourning: Its mourning with ſighing, and ſighes are waſting; and ſurely Zedekiah had cauſe of conſtant mourning, even to his death; he loſt the Kingdome, his Sonnes, and his eyes at once, which were dear things unto him; and ſome obſerve when the word is referred to Men, it notes mourning for dear things.
The Prince:
That is, Princes, the Singular Number for the P… … … phet for prophets.
Shall be cloathed with deſolation:
Its metaphoricall, from Garments, which doe cover and compaſſe about, ſo Deſolation ſhould compaſſe the Princes and Nobles on every ſide: The word notes ſuch Deſolation as breeds amazement in the beholders; which was here when they ſaw the City,Moller. Pſal. 143.4. the Temple, the Kingdome layd waſte, all things in them deſolated; they were cloathed with deſolation, and amazed at ſo ſtrange a Garment upon them.
The hands of the people of the Land ſhall be troubled.
When the people ſhould ſee their King mourning, their Nobles deſolate, no heart or ſpirit in them for the Church and State, for their Liberties or Lives, their hearts and hands were troubled.
But he expreſſes it by their hands, becauſe it was more viſible by them, and ſet out the greatneſſe of their miſery, they had no hands through feare and faintneſſe, to follow their Callings, no hands to take up Armes to defend themſelves; no hands to lift vp in prayer.
According to their deſerts.
The Hebrew is, According to their judgements, they have made ill Judgements of perſons and things, and deſerve my judgements for them, and anſwerably I will deale with them: They have oppreſſed, they ſhall be oppreſſed, they have not heard the cry of others,Ex judiciis peccatoris judicat peccantem Deus Orig. they ſhall not bee heard crying; they have rejected me, and they ſhall be rejected by me; they have kill'd, and they ſhall be killed; they have ſpoyl'd, and they ſhall be ſpoyled; and ſo that of Chriſt, in Matth. 7.2. is made good, With what judgement yee judge yee ſhall bee judged, and with what meaſure you meat, it ſhall be meaſured to you againe: In the 3, 4, 8, & 9. Verſes of this Chapter hath been ſpoken of Judging and recompencing them according to their wayes.
Obſer. 1.That God hath times for Kings and Courtiers to mourn in; greatneſſe exempts not from Gods hand, if great ones ſin, they ſhall ſmart for their ſins: The King ſhall mourne, &c. God takes off Royall Robes, and puts ſackcloth upon Kings loynes that ſin againſt him; heavy judgements he brings upon Kings; Zedekiahs ſins were great:
Firſt. He was falſe, a thing too incident to Kings, 2 Chro. 36.13. he violated the Oath he had taken.
Secondly, Idolatrous; Heatheniſh Idolatry was practiſed in his days, Verſe 14. the Temple and worſhip of it were polluted.
Thirdly, Truſted too, and ſent for Aegiptians to help him, Jer. 37.7. he would not hearken to Gods counſell, to the true Prophets, to thoſe advis'd him well, Jer. 36.25. Chap. 37.2. but to falſe Prophets, and wicked Counſellors.
Fourthly, He hated, impriſoned, and perſecuted the Prophets, 2 Chron. 36.16. Jer. 37.21.
Fifthly, Injuſt and cruell, let Jeremy be put to death ſay the Princes: Jer. 38.4. Then Zedekiah ſayd, Hee is in your hands, the King can doe nothing againſt you, &c. verſe 5. He was overpowred by the Princes, and durſt not diſpleaſe them, but it coſt dear at laſt.
Look upon other Kings, they had their ſins and their ſorrows; Rehoboham hearkens to ill Counſell, oppreſſes his people; and looſes ten Trib…s at once for it: Jeroboam upon wicked advice, ſets up Calves, reſtraines the people from the true worſhip at Jeruſalem, & Gods ſends him a dreadful meſſage by Ahij…h 1 King. 14.6, 7, 8, &c. Ahab did not execute Juſtice upon Benhadad, a man appointed to death; and therefore ſayth the Prophet, Thy life ſhall goe for his life, and thy people for his people, 1 Kings 20.42. The Court was very wicked then, Jezabell had the greateſt power in it. ſhe ſtir'd up Ahab to work wickedneſſe, ſhe ſet the Elders and Nobles awork, to accuſe, and ſtone Naboth to death; but there was a time of mourning for them, 1 Kings 21.23, 24, 27.
Ahaz, was wicked, and the worſe for his affl ctions, but God had a ſad day for him, when he loſt 120000 valiant men in one day, and had 200000 Women carryed away Captives, 2 Chro. 28. Aſa who was a good King, yet he is branded with truſting in an arme of fleſh, 2 Chron. 16.7. With oppreſſion of ſome of the people, Verſe 10. and therefore Hanani tels him he ſhould have Warres; and beſides he was greatly diſeaſed in his feet, Verſ. 9.12. Manaſſes was the great oppreſſing King, he ſhed and filled Jeruſalem with innocent blood, 2 Kings 21.16. and as he ſound times to ſhed blood, ſo God found times to have him in the thornes, in Fetters, in Captivity, in mourning and humbling himſelfe: Oppreſſion is the common ſinne of Princes, becauſe they have greatneſſe and power in their hands, they think its warrantable for them to doe what they liſt, Ephraim loveth to oppreſſe, Hoſ. 12.7. The Kine of Baſhan, the great ones that were ſtrong and fat, that had hornes and hoofs, they oppreſt the poore, and cruſh'd the needy, a man and his houſe, a man and his heritage, Micha 2.2. Naboth and his Vineyard went both at once; Hence the Princes of Jeruſalem are called, Roaring Lyons, Zeph. 3.3. they are greedy of their prey, they ſcare, ſcatter, and devour the flock, but God will hunt theſe Lyons, and judge theſe men of the Earth, Pſal. 10.18. whoſe trade is oppreſſion, and hath promiſed a time when his Princes ſhall oppreſſe no more, Ezek. 45.8. My Princes ſhall oppreſſe no more: Either this Propheſie is not fulfilled, or the oppreſſed in theſe dayes are not Gods people, or the Princes who oppreſſe are not Gods Princes; and if ſo, ſay to the oppreſſing Kings and Queens of the Earth, Humble your ſelves, ſit downe, for your Principalities ſhall come downe, even the Crown of your glory, Jer. 13.18. See Acts 12.23. Rev. 6.15.
Secondly, That God hath apparrell for Princes and Nobles, and what is it? Deſolation, The Prince ſhall be cloathed with deſolation; God had an eye to the cloathing of the Great ones, and their ſin about the ſame, and fits Garments for them, ſuch as they were not formerly uſed unto; Great ones ſin in their variety of Garments, they have many lye ſpoiling by them, when the nakedneſſe of others is ſeen for want of cloaths, therefore God threats to take away their changeable Suits of Apparrell, Iſa. 3.22. They ſin in the ſtrangeneſſe of them, they will have ſtrange faſhions; therefore, Zeph. 1.8. God threatens to Puniſh the Princes and Kings Children, and all ſuch as are cloathed with ſtrange Apparrell: The Jewes had peculiar Garments appointed them, Numb. 15.38. Deut. 22.12. but they fetcht in Forraign garments, made after the manner of the Heathens and Nations about them: The Courtiers and great ones then as now, affected ſtrange and coſtly apparell, were prodigall of their eſtates that way, had their cheſts and wardrops fill'd with rich garments, which at pleaſure they put on to draw reſpect from men; but wrath from God who cloath'd himſelf with vengeance, that he might cloath them with deſolation, which was a ſtrange Garment, never put upon their backs before,Iſa. 59.17. an unchangeable garment which laſted to their death; God ſtripped them by the Chaldeans of their proud attire, rich ſuits, yea of all they had, and cloath'd them with deſolation; hence Lam. 4.5. They that did feed delicately are deſolate in the ſtreets, and they that were brought up in ſcarlet embrace the dunghill.
3. Whereſoever is a generality of ſinning, there ſhall be a generality of ſuffering. The King ſhall mourn, the Prince ſhall be cloathed with deſolation, and the hands of the people of the Land ſhal be troubled. The whole Nation was rebellious, Ezek. 2.3. From the greateſt to the leaſt they were guilty, Jer. 6.13. and therefore they ſhould dye from the leaſt to the greateſt, Jer. 44.12. God is impartiall in his judgements, hee will not ſpare Kings, Princes, Nobles, people; but if their hearts, heads, hands be joyn'd in wickedneſſe, they ſhall be joyn'd in puniſhment. All fleſh had corrupted it's wayes, Gen. 6. and all fleſh was drown'd in the floods of Gods wrath, Gen. 7. The Sodomites were all guilty, and none eſcaped the vengeance of eternall fire, Jude 7. And here having all ſin'd, the wrath of God ſeiz'd upon them all, Iſa. 65.12. You ſhall all bow down to the ſlaughter, becauſe when I called yee did not anſwer, when I ſpake yee did not heare, but did evill before mine eyes, and did chuſe that wherein I delighted not.
4. That God ſmites ſinners in that they have much offended with, and ſhould ſtand them in moſt ſtead in times of affliction, The hands of the people, &c. They had ſin'd with their hands ſeverall wayes, in making Idols, Iſa. 2.9. Hoſea 14.3. In ſhedding blood, Iſa. 59.3. In acts of violence, verſ. 6. They did evill with both hands earneſtly, Mich. 7.3. Even Princes and Judges had covetous hands, God therefore ſmites them in their hands: and whereas they ſhould have been ſerviceable unto them, now in their diſtreſſe they were troubled, faint, unuſeful. Before they had hands for the Queene of heaven, Jer. 44.25 but now they had none for the God of heaven. They had hands for the ſervice of Aegyptians and Aſſirians, Lam. 5.6. But now they had none to ſerve themſelves in their perſonall callings, or military affaires.
5. The Lord obſerves the ways and works of all, no Church, no State, no Perſon; but what ever they doe, comes under Divine cognizance, their wayes and deſerts were knowne to the Lord: Some are ſo prophane and atheiſticall, that they thinke God ſees, regards not the things done here below, Pſal. 94.5, 6, 7. They breake in pieces Gods people, afflict his heritage, ſlay, murther widows and fatherleſſe ones, yet ſay, the Lord ſhall neither ſee nor regard it. And in Pſal. 10.11. He ſaith, God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, and will never ſee it, and not only Gods actuall ſeeing, but his power of ſeeing and knowing things here is denyed, Jab 22.13. How doth God know, can he judge through the darke clouds? Some have confidence to ſay God ſees no ſin in his children, and others bluſh not to ſay he ſees not the ſins of, and in the wicked, and ſo God ſhall ſee no ſin at all, they make him an unſeeing and unknowing God. David cals this brutiſhneſſe, Pſ. 94.8, 9, 10, 11. He that made the eye ſhall not bee ſee? He that teacheth man knowledge ſhall not be know? Yea ſaith he, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, and that their thoughts are vanity. What is moſt remote from mans eye and knowledg, that God knows exactly & afar off, Pſal. 139.2. And denounceth a woe to men of ſuch thoughts and practiſes, Iſa. 29.15. Woe to them that ſeeke deep to bide their counſell from the Lord, and their workes are in the darke, and they ſay, who ſeeth us, and who knoweth us. God ſeeth them, God knows them, and pronounceth a dreadfull woe againſt them: becauſe mens lives doe proclaim that they believe not Gods Omniſciency, therefore God profeſſeth it openly, Iſa. 66.18. I know their workes and their thoughts. He had obſerv'd all within and without, & therefore they ſhould be conſum'd. Gods eye is upon all our wayes and works, let us every day do as God did, review them, and ſee that they be good.
6. God in his judgments will proceed with ſinners according to their ways and deſerts, Job 34.10, 11, 12. Elihu proves there that God will not doe wickedly, nor pervert judgement, and why? for the worke of a man ſhall be rendered unto him, and cauſe every man to find according to his wayes. God is moſt juſt, & therefore takes notice of all thoughts, counſels, projects, attempts and actions, that ſo he may deal anſwerably with men, Jer. 32.19. His eyes are open upon all the wayes of the ſons of men, to give every one according to his wayes.
That in Revel. 18.6. ſeemes to croſſe this truth; when God will judge Babylon, ſhee muſt have double puniſhment, her cup muſt be doubled: God doth not command here that Babylon ſhould be twice puniſhed for the ſame ſin, that were not according to the rules of Divine Juſtice. Double here hath, reference to Babylons dealings with the Church; She did greatly afflict Sion, and now God would have Babylon to have double afflion to that, Babylon did injuſtly in oppreſſing Sion, Sion ſhould do righteouſly in deſtroying Babylon, and obſerve the word double, render unto her double according to her works. If ſhe have twice as many ſtrokes, judgments, twice as much blood ſhed as Sion had, its according to her workes, ſhe deſerves it, and nothing can be too much for her; therefore Jer. 51.49. As Babylon hath cauſed the ſlain of Iſrael to fall, ſo at Babylon ſhall fall the ſlaine of all the earth. The Babylonian Empire was a little world to Iſrael, and cal'd it's ſelfe the univerſall Empire, and Babylon ſaid ſhee was the Queen and the only City of all others, Iſa. 47.7, 8. The golden City, Iſa. 14.4. But now when God would puniſh Babylon for her bloodineſſe againſt Sion: not only ſhould Babylon's chldren that dwell in her be deſtroyed, but all her Subjects in her, great Territories ſhould be ſlain for her ſake,Alapid. underſtands it of Rome heathniſh. or together with her, which ſets out the greatneſſe of her puniſhment ſu…table to her deſerts, and is well cal'd double, for the death of one Iſraelite deſerves the death of two Babylonians.
7. They that will not know God in the way of his mercies, they ſhall know him in the way of his judgments. God had walked in paths of mercy amongſt this people many years, and they minded not God, honoured him not in the middeſt of mercies, but fed according to their paſtures, and forgat God, therefore he brought heavy judgments upon them, and ſaith, They ſhall know that I am the Lord. This phraſe is uſed above 50. times in this Prophet, and aſſures us that God will be known, and that amidſt his enemies, and with an experimentall knowledge; for that is the meaning of the words, not a literal and brain knowledg, Iſa. 26.11. When thy hand is lifted up they will not ſee: But they ſhall ſee. They will not ſee to fear, to repent: but they ſhall ſee; that is, have experience of the ſtrength of his hand to their ſhame and deſtruction.
The phraſe of knowing I am the Lord, ſometimes refers to mercies, as Exod. 6.6, 7. God would bring them out from the burthens and bondage of Aegypt, take them for his people, & then they ſhould know him to be the Lord. So in Exod. 16.12. 1 Kings 20.28. God would give them Manna, deliver up enemies into their hands, And they ſhould know, &c. That is, have experience of his mercy, truth, and loving kindneſſe. Sometimes, and moſtly it refers to Divine judgment, eſpecially in this our Prophet, God would bring in the Chaldeans with the ſword, and thoſe grievous calamities attend it, and they ſhould know that he was the Lord, that is, they ſhould have reall experience of his Authority and power over them, they ſhould feele the bitter fruits of his diſpleaſure in them.