Exposition of Ezekiel 6-13, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 7 · Verse 24
CHAP. VII.
24. Wherefore I will bring the worſt of the Heathen, and they ſhall poſſeſſe their houſes. I will alſo make the pomp of the ſtrong to ceaſe, and their holy places ſhall be defiled.
IN this Verſe hee ſhewes what inſtruments God would uſe, and they were the Chaldeans, whoſe Title is, The worſt of the heathen, and they ſhould,
1. Poſſeſſe their houſes.
2. Deſtroy the pomp of the Jews, &c.
3. Defile the holy places, and ſo lay waſte both Civill and Eccleſiaſticall State.
Worſt of the Heathen.
The root whence the word worſt comes, ſignifies to be wicked, foreign malum vel malignum eſſe.to be a Malignant, to doe evill, Jer. 4.22. They are wiſe to do evill. The Septuagint render it here, The wicked of the Heathen: foreign.And its the ſame word is given to the Devill,foreign Les plus manvais in the French. 1 John 3.12. Of that wicked one, the great Malignant of heaven and earth. The Chaldeans are here called the worſt of Nations, or Heathens, as the Hebrew i…, their wickedneſſe appeares in theſe things: They were a theeviſh people, they rob'd Job of his Camels, and ſlew his ſervants, Job 1.17. They were great Sorcerers, Dan. 2.2.10. Great Oppreſſors, Iſa. 14.4.17. Very cruell, therefore compared to Lyons, Iſa. 5.29. To a Razor, Iſa. 7.20. To Cockatrices and Serpents, Jer. 8.17. They were Idolatrous, Ezek. 23.14. A Bitter and haſty Nation, Hab. 1.6. Terrible and dreadfull, verſ. 7. All for violence and ſpoile, verſ. 9. Chap. 2.8. They were drunkards, Hab. 2.15.See Deut. 28.49, 50, 51. Proud and unſufferably covetous, verſ. 5. and Ezek. 23.25. It's ſaid they ſhall deale furiouſly with thee, they ſhall take away thy noſe, and thine eares, and deale hatefully with thee, verſ. 29. They ſhould ſtone them, diſpatch them with ſwords, and burne up their houſes with fire, verſ. 47. Theſe were the worſt of Nations, or the worſt of that Nation ſhould come.
They ſhall poſſeſſe their houſes.
Theſe wicked and mercil ſſe wretches, ſparing neither man, woman nor child, ſhould take all into their poſſeſſion.
foreignThe word for poſſeſſe hath a contray ſignification, to inherit, poſſeſſe, Deut. 4.1. and to diſ-inherit, diſpoſſeſſe, Zech. 9.4. The Lord will caſt her out. foreignIt's the ſame root▪ and you have both ſignifications in one verſe, Joſh. 23.5. The Lord ſhall drive them out of your ſight, and yee ſhall poſſeſſe the Land. It's the ſame roote for driving out, and for poſſeſſing, this is rare, and for the learned to obſerve that a word ſignifies contrary things.
It's frequent ſignification is to poſſeſſe by hereditary right, to ſucceed; but it's uſed ſometimes more largely to poſſeſs any way as in 1 Kings 21.15. Deut. 2.24. Ahab tooke poſſeſſion of Naboths Vineyard, and Moſes of the King of Heſhbons land, which was not by ſucceſſion: and ſo it's to be taken in this place, they ſhould come in by force and poſſeſſe their habitations. And there is ſomething more in this phraſe, poſſeſſing notes continuance of habitation in their hands, as being their owne, 1 Cor. 7.30. Let them that buy be as if they poſſeſſed not. Poſſeſſors look upon things as their own, and to continue with them; here by the Chaldeans poſſeſſing their houſes, is cloſely pointed out the 70. yeares captivity, all which time the land and habitations left ſhould be in the Chaldeans power.
I will alſo make the pomp of the ſtrong to ceaſe.
What ever lifts up, and cauſes the ſpirits of men to ſwell, it is Pomp, ſo the word is uſed, Jer. 12.5. In the ſwelling of Jordan, when the waters increaſed, and made the River ſwell over its bancks, which Jordan alwayes did in harveſt time, Joſh. 3.15.
Strong or Potent m…n, whence great ones are called Potentates, their riches, attendance, honours, places, allyances, and the like, doe make them proud, ſtately, ſelfe-confident; but their pomp, power, magnificence, excellency ſhall all ceaſe and come to nothing. It's not their Armes, or Armour, their big lookes, inſolent ſpeeches, rich attire, honourable Titles, or any thing wherein they glory that ſhall advantage them, be it their Souldiery, their ſtrong and ſtout men, their pomp ſhall ceaſe, I will cruſh their Creſts, and bring them low. Pintus underſtands it of Zedekiah, and the Nobles of Jeruſalem.
Their holy places ſhall be defiled.
The holy places were the Court, the Temple, and the holyeſt of all: ſome refer theſe words to perſon…, and not to places, and read them thus. They ſhall ſee prophaned, defiled, which ſanctifie them: noting the Prieſts who ſanctified the people by their offerings, and prayers for them, they ſh uld not be regarded as Prieſts of the higheſt God; but becauſe they had dealt deceitfully with the people, corrupted the Covenant of Levi, therfore they ſhould be ſlain as other perſons, or led into captivity with them.
Others read the words thus: They ſhall inherit their holy places, the Chaldeans ſhall come and take poſſeſſion of them, becauſe it's ſaid here, Their holy places, and not Mine. Theod. Lavat.It's conceiv'd by ſome that theſe were Chappels, or oratories, which they had made in ſeverall places in or neer to their houſes, and conſecrated to God.
Obſer. 1 That God can uſe the worſt of men to accompliſh his holy deſignes, and execute his righteous judgements. The Chaldeans he brings to afflict, chain, and captive the Jewes; Wicked men have wicked ends, anſwerable principles, and mediums to attain thoſe ends, Iſa. 10.7. But they are as ſtaves and rode in the hand of God, with which hee corrects hypocriticall Nations, verſ. 5.6. They are Gods ſword, Gods hand, Pſalm. 17.13, 14. and he knows how to uſe both to effect his own pleaſure, and to execute judgements upon ſinners, and that without ſin. Hath not God brought in, and ſet on worke the worſt of men among us? What Miſcreants, Blaſphemers, Plagues, Vermine, what Aegyptians, Chaldeans, and bloody mercileſſe wretches have wee doing miſchief in this Land, men that juſtifie Chaldeans, that are skilfull to ſhed blood, to cheat a Nation of its God and Religion, to betray and undoe Kingdomes, many wonder ſuch vile wretches ſhould live and have a being upon the earth; many are troubled that God uſes ſuch filth and ſcum to doe him any ſervice; but we muſt know that there is uſe of Thiſtles, Scorpions, and Serpents, and God would not uſe ſuch men, if there were not good to be done by them, Iſa. 10.12. It ſhall come to paſſe that when the Lord hath performed his whole worke upon Mount Zion, & on Hieruſalem, I will puniſh the fruit of the ſtout heart of the King of Aſſyria, and the glory of his high lookes.
2. That houſes, lands, and good things of this world wee ſhould not much ſeeke after, ſeeing they may fall into the hands of the worſt men. I will bring the worſt of the Heathen, and they ſhall poſſeſſe your houſes. All they had gotten fell into the hands of Chaldeans.
3. That no external excellency or pomp is to be confided in, God will make the pomp of the ſtrong to ceaſe; policy, power, riches, honours, ſtrength of Armies, are not pillars of braſſe to confide in, they are glaſſe, mettall ſoon broken, and blowne away by the breath of the Lord, when he is in a way of wrath. Nebuchadnezzar was a proud Tyrant, that with his plundering made the world a wilderneſſe, Iſa. 14.17. That exceeded moſt Princes of the world in greatneſſe, in Kingdomes, tributary Princes, honour, ſtrength of Souldiers, &c. See in verſ. 11. what is ſaid of him: Thy pompe is brought down to the grave, 12. How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer ſonne of the morning, how art thou cut down to the ground which didſt weaken the Nations. So for Aegypt that abounded in horſes, Iſa. 31.1. and truſted in their ſtrength, Ezek. 30.18. The pomp of her ſtrength ſhall ceaſe in her: And Chap. 32.12. By the ſwords of the mighty will I cauſe thy multitude to fall. They ſhall ſpoil the pomp of Aegypt, and all the multitude thereof ſhall be deſtroy…d; God would deſtroy them with a great deſtruction, and then mercy ſhould come in, then neither the foote of man nor beaſt ſhould trouble them any more, then would the Lord make their waters deepe, and make their rivers run like oyle, ver. 13.14. Neither Babyloniſh nor Aegyptian pomp endure long. God makes the arrogancy of the proud to ceaſe, and layes low the haughtineſſe of the terrible, Iſa. 13.11.
This God hath done lately before our eyes,Victory at York 2. of July, 1644. he hath made the pomp of the ſtrong to ceaſe, there were the Potentates of the Earth, Honours, Riches, Strength, Arms, Horſes, & what ever might make them pompous, was with them, great hopes and hearts they had, they looked for the day, and thought not only the North but the South ſhould be theirs: not Yorke, but London, yea England to be theirs; but they are diſappointed, their honour is laid in the duſt, their pomp ceaſeth. Wee may ſay according to that in Zech. 11.2.3. Howle Fir-tree, for the Cedars are fallen, the mighty are ſpoiled, howle O ye Oaks of Baſhan, for the forreſt of the vintage is come downe, their ſtrength and comforts are abated: There is a voyce of the howling of the Shepheards, (that is, Princes which ſhould feed and ſeek the good of the people) for their glory is ſpoiled, a voice of the roaring of young lions, for the pride of Jordan is ſpoyled.
The ceaſing of their pomp ſhould be the beginning of our praiſe, Pſal. 98.1. O ſing unto the Lord a new ſong, for hee hath done marvellous things, his right hand and his holy arme hath gotten him the victory. We may ſing with Moſes, Exo. 15.6, 7. Thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in power, thy right hand O Lord hath daſhed in pieces the enemy, and in the greatneſſe of thine excellency thou haſt overthrown them that roſe up againſt thee: Thou ſenteſt forth thy wrath, which conſumed them as ſtubble. And with David, Pſ. 136.1, 2, 3, 4. O give thankes unto the Lord for he is good, for his merciemercy endureth for ever, &c. And Pſal. 107.8. O that men would praiſe the Lord for his goodneſſe, and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men.
4. Unſpirituall worſhip pleaſes not God, neither profits the worſhippers, they had the Temple, ordinances of it, appeared oft before God, brought their Sacrifices; but God threatens them, and all their worſhip, their Civill eſtate, and Eccleſiaſticall alſo ſhould be ruined; God in worſhip lookes at the hearts and ſpirits of men, if they be abſent from, but halfe, or in part in the worſhip, God regards it not. Their oblations are vain oblations, Iſa. 1.13. Their faſts and prayers are a trouble, a wearineſs to God. v. 14. And he tels them that he had mouth-neerneſs, & heart-farneſſe, lip labour, & heart-diſhonour, Iſa. 29.13. yea Ezek. 33.31. He had mouth-love, mouth-worſhip, when their ſilver and gold had heart-love,Cor eſt principium vitae, cogitationis omnis voluntatis & actionis. heart-worſhip. It's the heart is the principall thing in Gods eye. My ſon give me thy heart, Prov. 23.26. If that be not given him in worſhip, nothing is given, nothing is accepted that we think given. David therefore prays, Pſ. 119.80. Let my heart be ſound in thy ſtatutes, that I be not aſhamed. If a man have a deceitfull ſpirit, a rotten heart, hee will be aſham'd when he ſhall find that all his prayers, faſts, ſervices, ſhall be thrown back as dung in his face: Oain gave the fruit of the earth, not the fruit of his heart, and it was not accepted; neither doe they gaine ought at Gods hands who worſh p him carnally, 1 Tim. 4.8. Bodily exerciſe profits little.
5. Men are apt to reſt in outſide worſhip, & bleſſe themſelves for it, they cryed the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, &c. Jer. 7.4. They look at the Temple and worſhip of it, and hence concluded ſafety to themſelves, they thought it not probable that ever deſtruction ſhould come to them, their City, State, & Church; they looked upon their Temple as a glorious thing, and that worſhip therein would ſecure them from all; but God oft threatens the defilement, removal, and deſtruction of it from this 20. verſ. to the 25. The Phariſee went up to the Temple, he faſted, prayed, gave tiths of all, and in ſuch out-ſide ſervices did he reſt. Men now have their Chappels and Chaplains, and think that by the prayers of the one, and holineſſe of the other, they ſhall be fitted for heaven.