Exposition of Ezekiel 6-13, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 7 · Verse 25
CHAP. VII.
25. Deſtruction commeth, they ſhall ſeeke peace, and there ſhall be none.
HE told them before, that the worſt of the Heathen ſhould come, and now that deſtruction was comming, and annexeth a new calamity, their vain expectation, and reall diſappointment of peace.
Deſtruction.
The Sept. is quite out in rendring it mercy, foreign Praeciſio venit.propitiation commeth. Others read it thus, A ſtraight griefe commeth. The Heb. ſignifies more, a breaking, a cutting off: ſo the word is uſed, Iſa. 38.12. The Chaldee hath it, preciſion or forecutting. Piſcator exciſor, The cutter up, the deſtroyer, or man of deſtruction commeth: and he proves it muſt be taken ſo, becauſe its joyned with a verb maſculine, and ſo the ſenſe is, Nebuchadnezar the deſtroyer, the man that cuts down Nations, that breaks Kingdomes in pieces, is comming upon you, even Nebuchadnezzar, who is deſtruction it ſelfe.
They ſhall ſeeke peace.
God had threatned by his Prophets the utter ruine of Jeruſalem which they would not believe; the falſe Prophets ſuggeſted the contrary, they cryed peace, peace, Jer. 8.11. Ezek. 13.10. Seduced the people, ſo that they feared not, they conſidered the ſtrength of their Scituation, Tower, Temple, Souldiers, and what theſe Prophets had ſaid, and would not believe that Enemies ſhould come within their gates, Lam. 4.12. But when the Enemy was come, they ſought for peace and ſafety, but found it not.Ezek. 38.22. They excus'd Zedekiah that he brake with Nebuchadnezzar in the point of Tribute; they tendered ſilver and gold to buy a peace, and that would not doe it, Iſa. 13.17. Ezek. 7.19. They conceiv'd that men come farre could not lye long before their Walls and Gates, but that they would be conſum'd, or glad to retire with ſhame, ſo they ſhould be ſafe: Or if things came to the worſt, that the City muſt be yielded, yet it ſhould be upon good and honourable terms, at leaſt with ſecurity of life and liberty; but neither their money, their policy, their prayers, or ought elſe could prevaile for peace or ſafety, they had found them perfidious, & would hearken to no terms of peace; the Chaldeans were Cockatrices, and would not be charmed, Jer. 8.17. Therefore its ſaid, v. 15. We looked for peace, but no good came, and for a time of healing, but behold trouble.
Some refer this ſeeking of peace, to God, they ſhould in their ſtreights, at the deſtruction by Nebuchadnezzar cry to God, make many faſts and prayers in the time of the ſiege, and ſeeke for peace with God whom they had offended with their grievous ſins, and he would not heare them, peace they ſhould not finde, Jer. 14.12. Ezek. 14.17, 18.
Obſer. 1 That wicked men in time of Divine judgements, when they come upon them, are peaceleſſe; deſtruction commeth, and they ſhould ſeeke peace, they had neither peace within, nor peace without, wars were in their gates, and wars in their hearts, their own conſciences did accuſe, ſmite, condemn them. Common calamities rous'd their ſleepy conſciences, they ſaw themſelves in ill caſe from Nebuchadnezzar, in worſe by reaſon of God, the one threatning their lives, the other their ſoules. So that which way ſoever they looked, peace they ſaw none: The winds of affliction ſtir'd the waves of their corruption, Iſa. 57.20, 21. The wicked are like the troubled ſea when it cannot reſt, whoſe waters caſt up mire and dirt.
When the great winds are abroad, the Sea hath no reſt, it cannot reſt, it rages, and throws up and out, mire and dirt: So when great and death-threatning calamities are abroad, wicked men reſt not, they cannot reſt, they are mire, Iſa. 10.6. And their expreſſions are miery, and what's the concluſion, there is no peace to the wicked ſaith the Lord. They may ſay they have peace, others may confirme their aſſertion, but God ſaith they have none, nothing of that is included within the ſweet name of peace is to be found in them. You may find Sathan there, a helliſh conſcience there, ſinfull luſts there fears, ſorrows, terrors there, but no peace there. The way of peace they know not, there is no judgement in their goings, they have made them crooked paths, whoſoever goeth therein ſhall not know peace, Iſa. 59.8.
2. Great neceſſities and ſtreights cauſe ſinners to ſeek for that they formerly neglected, violated, viz. peace with God, and peace with man; Zedekiah, theſe Jews had broken the Covenant made with Nebuchadnezzar, they provoked God, 2 Chron. 36.12, 13. And now when deſtruction was upon them, they ſeeke peace from heaven and earth; in their proſperity they regarded neither God nor man; but when both were againſt them, then they ſue, they ſeek for peace at their hands. Wen Herods diſpleaſure was upon the Tyrians and Sidonians, they ſought for peace at his hands, Acts 12.20. and Hoſ. 5. In their afflictions they wil ſeeke meearly, and earneſtly too, Jer. 11.14. They cry in their trouble: and ſaith the Lord, I will not heare them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.
3. That States may ſeek too late for peace with God & man, they may defer ſo long, that their ſeeking may be in vain, their endeavours fruſtrate, and hopes diſappointed, they ſhall ſeeke peace, and there ſhall be none, neither God nor man will give in any peace.
The date of mercy was out, & the door of hope that, therfore Jer. 12.12. God tels them the ſpoilers were come, the ſword devouring, and no fleſh ſhould have peace, neither young nor old, though they ſought it earneſtly. In ſtead of peace they ſhould be in travell as one with child, their hands ſhould be upon their loyne…, their faces pale, and cry out, Alaſſe for that day, Jer. 30.5, 6, 7. The time was come, that God had taken peace from the Land, Jer. 16.5. I have taken away my peace from this people, even loving kindneſſe and mercies. God had taken it away, and now it was too late for them to ſeek after it, too hard for them to bring back, or any friend they had. If they looked that Jeremie, who was a Prophet, acquainted with, & intereſſed in God ſhould do it, he was forbidden to pray for them, Jer. 14.11. Pray not for this people for their good. If he prayed againſt them, God would hear him, but not if for them. It would be ſin in him ſo to do, if they looked for others that they had better thoughts of then Ieremie. Gods tels them that if they had as good men as Noah, Daniel, & Iob who were acquainted with great afflictions, could pray very powerfully, & being precious men, righteous, perfect, deſirable, as Gods teſtimony is of them, yet they ſhould not help them with their prayers at all, Ezek. 14.14. Nay if they ſhould ſet upon faſting and praying themſelves, God would not heare, or give in any peace, Ier. 14.12. When they faſt I will not heare their cry, and when they offer burnt offerings and an oblation, I will not accept them, but I will conſume them. They beg peace, I will ſend the ſword: They aske bread, I will ſend a famine: They deſire health, I will bring the peſtilence, and theſe ſhall conſume them.
It's dreadfull when any come too late unto God, then in ſtead of mercy, they meete with judgements. Hence Ier. 8.15. We looked for peace, but no good came, and for a time of health, but behold trouble. When it will be thus with a Land, ſee Ezek. 14.13. Prov. 1.24, &c. Matth. 23.37, 38.