Exposition of Ezekiel 6-13, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 9 · Verse 3
VERS. 3.
And the glory of the God of Iſrael was gone up from the Cherub whereupon he was, to the threſhold of the houſe, and he called to the man cloathed with linnen, which had the writers Inkehorne by his ſide.
HEre our Prophet hath a ſad ſight, he ſees the glory removed from its place, and going away, which preſaged no good to Jeruſalem.
The parts of the verſ are theſe,
1. The ſubject of this glory; The God of Iſrael.
2. The motion of this glory, or glorious God, he was gone, and in his going you have,
1. Terminu… … quo, from the Cherub, &c.
2. Terminus ad quem, to the threſhold of the houſe.
3. What he did, he call'd.
4. To whom, to the man cloathed with linnen, &c.
The glory of the God of Iſrael.
For the glori…us God of Iſrael ſome take it per hypallagen. I have ſpoken of theſe words before, Chap. 8.4. We may hold to the words, and underſtand thereby ſome viſible ſigne of the gracious preſence o… God. It's thought our Prophet alludes to that in Ex…d. 25.22. Upon the Arke were two Cherubims, between thoſe the mercy-ſeate wa…, where God appeared, and from whence he gave ou… his mind to Moſes and others, Numb. 7.8, 9. Moſes heard God ſpeak from the mercy-ſeate, and that God now had left his place he had dwelt & ſate in ſo long; for thoſe expreſſions you have, 2 K. 19.15. Pſal. 99.1. now he was with-drawing his preſence, and denying them aſſiſtance.
Others think by the glory of God here, to be meant that glory which the Prophet had formerly ſeen, Ch. 1.28.3. Ch. 23 8.4. This viſionall glory, the ſign… of Gods preſence, went away, according to that Chap. 10.4. The glory of the Lord went up from the Cherubims: Cherub being put for Cherubims, which is uſu…l in Scripture to put one number for another. Wee may ſafely take either of theſe ſenſes, becauſe this viſion Ezekiel had of Chriſt was a ſigne of D vine preſenc…, as the mercy-ſeat was, the going away of it or this glory, doe both clearly evidence to us that God was departing, which is the ſcope of the Spirit here.
Gone up from the Cherub.
Pradus denyes that the Lord left the Cherubims, and went without them to the threſhold, but together with them, and Deodate ſeems to be of that opinion, in his notes upon the place: but the Text it ſelf leads us to think otherwiſe; for Ch. 10.18. The glory of the Lord departed from off the threſhold of the houſe, and ſtood over the Cherubims, which ſhews that the glorious Lord returned to the Cherubims he had left.
To the threſhold of the houſe.
The Sept. have it foreign in ſerenum, ſub dio, th…y ſay the Lord went out of the Temple into the open aire; b…t it's ſaid, the glory of the Lord went to the threſh…ld, not over it, or beyond it, and its conceiv'd to be the threſh…ld of the Prieſts Court. The Lord went thither.
1. To ſhew he was now going from the Temple, where was ſuch impure worſhip, and leaving his glorious high Throne, a… i…'s call'd, Jer. 17.12. The Jewes thought the Lord was co…fi…'d to the Temple, and the Prophets to the holy land.
2. Becauſe he was to pronounce ſentence againſt this wicked, idolatrous, oppreſſing people, which he would not doe in Sancto Sanctorum, or in the Temple, which was the place of his gracious preſence, and a type of Chriſt, and mercy by him. In the gates of the City they ſate in judgement, Amos 5.15. And God here at the threſhold gives ſentence againſt them.
3. To treat with the men ſtood at the braz…n Altar, and to give them commiſſions and inſtructions touching thoſe were to be ſpared and deſtroyed.
The Lords way of manifeſting his gracious preſence in his Church, was by ſome notable ſigne or other:Obſerv. 1. The glory was gone up, it was there before. When God was pleaſed with his people, he evidenced his preſence by ſome ſpeciall ſigne, Exod 13.21, 22. When the Church came out of Egypt, the Lord came before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. They had guidance and protection from the Lord Chriſt, whoſe preſence was evidenced by theſe viſible ſigns, out of which the Lord alſo ſpake ſometime, Pſal. 99.7. After they had the Tabernable, Arke, and Mercy-ſeat where God met them, & communed with them, Exod. 25.22. They had the Ʋrim and Thummim, to enquire of God, and receive anſwers by, Numb. 27.21. 1 Sam. 28.6. In Solomons days God manifeſted his gracious preſence in the Temple by a cloud, 1 Kings 8.10. God anſwered Elijah by fire, and manifeſted with whom his preſence was, 1 Kings 18.38. And ſo under the Goſpell, Chriſt the Lord manifeſted his preſence with his Church by viſible ſignes, Acts 2.3. Cloven tongues like fire ſate upon each of the Apoſtles. And Chap. 4.31. The place was ſhaken where they were, and they were filled with the holy Ghoſt. And Chriſt hath left his Word and Sacraments as ſignes of his preſence in the Chriſtian Church.
2. The ſigns of Gods preſence are the glory of God: So the Text calls them, The glory of the God of Iſrael was gone up: All thoſe viſible ſignes before mentioned were the glory of the Lord, ſo the ſpirit is pleaſed to call the ſign of Gods gracious preſence, 1 Kings 8.10, 11. The cloud that fil'd the Temple its cald the glory of the Lord index & ſymbolum gloriae Domini. A lapid.Pſalm. 29.9. In his Temple doth every one ſpeake of his glory. The Ordinances there have much of GODS glory in them, and they are his glory.
3. Gods with-drawing the ſignes of his gracious preſence from his Church & people, is a forerunner of heavy judgements. Here the glory of the God of Iſrael went up from the Cherub, and ſhortly after, the men with their ſlaughter-weapons are ſet on work to deſtroy. It's Gods method to take away the ſpeciall tokens of his preſence and love from a people, and then to bring in ſad judgments. People ſin, and hereupon the glory removes, and jugments draw near, Exod. 32. The people made a Calfe, upon which God denies to go with them as he had done, Chap. 33.3. now they ſhould not have viſible ſigns of h…s preſence. And of them it's ſaid verſ. 35. of Chap. 32. The Lord plagued the people becauſe they made a Calfe, &c. When God would not anſwer Saul by dreams, by Ʋrim or Prophets, then his deſtruction was near at hand.
Among other ſignes of GODS preſence, there be theſe;
1. Efficacy of the word, that it works mightily in the hearts of people; The Lord was with the Apoſtles, and how mightily did the word work; but when the word is inefficacious & powerleſſe, its evident the glory of the Lord is departing, and judgements dreadfull enough at hand. The Prophet prophecyed to the people, but the word wrought not, Iſa. 6.9, 10. Hearing they underſtand not, ſeeing they perceive not, their hearts were fat, their eares heavy, and their eyes ſhut. Now the word was inefficacious to them, and how long ſhall this be ſaith Iſa. Ʋntill the Cities be waſted without Inhabitant, the houſes without man, & the land be utterly deſolate. Sixe times is this Scripture quoted in the N. T.
2. Unity and love of S…ints, Pſal. 133.1.Iſa. 19.14. A perverſe ſpirit. Where brethren dwelt together in unity, there the Lord commanded the bleſſing, verſ. 3. and ſhewed his gracious preſence; where love is, God dwels, 1 John 4.16. But where bitterneſſe and diviſion encreaſe, Satan hath much intereſt; hearts, heads, tongues, hands, are divided every where, Iſa. 9.21. Manaſſeh is againſt Ephraim, Ephraim againſt Manaſſeh, and both againſt Judah. Mat. 24. love is grown cold. Inſtead of fervent love, are fervent contentions; in ſtead of love without diſſimulation, are crafty underminings; in ſtead of covering infirmities, are rakings in one anothers hearts.
When the breaches were ſtopped in the walls of Jeruſalem, the enemies were very wrath, Neh. 4.7. God hath promiſed to cloſe breaches, Amos 19.11. Let us improve the promiſe, and importune him to fulfill it, for rich mercy depends upon is, Iſa. 30.26. Unity is an humane ſavior of Kingdoms and Churches, diviſion is Abaddon, Apollyon, an helliſh deſtroyer, Mat. 12 25. A Kingdome divided cannot ſtand, God is departed from it.
Diviſion hath turned Religion into diſputation, driven God from the heart to the head: and now men are polemical, rather then practicall in Divinity.
3. Activity of men in place for God, where God is preſent, there is courage, Joſh. 1.9. 2 Chron. 13.12. But when he withdraws, men are without ſpirit, divine influences ceaſe, a numneſſe ſeizeth upon them, and they act faintly, be it in Church or State, Hoſ. 7.11. God was departing from Ephraim, if not departed, and Ephraim was a ſilly dove without he…rt, void of counſell and courage, and ſo fit for prey and ſpoile: Ephraim was quickly ſpoiled after the Lord left them.
4. Safety, protection, Jer. 1.19. Pſal. 46.5. & Iſa. 27.3.Judges 16.20, 21. When God was departed from Sampſon, the Philiſtims took him and put out his eyes. Leaſt any hurt it I will keepe it night and day. Where there is keeping, watching, there is preſence; but is not our ſafety almoſt, i… not altogether gone, can we challenge ſafety of any thing, eſtates, liberties, lives, religion: have not our Armies ſmarted, had blows, and breaches, is not our land ſpoiled, and under grievous preſſures; Are we not for a prey, and none delivereth, Iſa. 42.22.
4. The Lord doth not willingly depart from his people when they have provoked him. Hee goes from the Cherub to the threſhold of the houſe, and there ſtands as loth to goe any further; he had rather ſtay with them, then depart from them, if there were any hope of amendment, Hoſ. 11.8. How ſhall I give thee up Ephraim? how ſhall I deliver thee, Iſrael? how ſhall I make thee as Admah? how ſhall I ſet thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. Ephraim had deeply corrupted her ſelfe, ſwearing, lying, killing, ſtealing, adultery, idolatry, oppreſſion, were found in Ephraim, and yet God ſaith, how ſhall I give, &c. And further, that God is unwilling to leave his people, is evident,
1. He deſires they ſhould prevent it, Iſa. 1.2, 3, 4.16.18.
2. Doth upon eaſie terms offer favour, Jer. 3.13, 14. OnelyOnly acknowledge thine iniquity, for I am married unto thee
3. Uſeth ſtrong arguments to perſwade his people to turn to him, Ezek. 33.11. As I live ſaith the Lord I have no pleaſure in the death of the wicked. Turne, turne, &c. Chap. 18.31.
4. He is troubled when it commeth to departing.
5. When the Lord goes from a people, it's not ſuddenly, but by degrees; Hee did not here in a moment leave the Temple, but mov'd firſt to the threſhold, afterwards it went up over the threſhold, Chap. 10.4. then higher, towards heaven, verſ. 19. then to the middeſt of the City, Chap. 11.23. and from thence to the mountaine on the eaſt ſide of the City, ibid. and ſo went wholly from them, thus God ſtep by ſtep left them.