Exposition of Ezekiel 6-13, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 9 · Verse 10
VERS. 10.
As for mee alſo mine eye ſhall not ſpare, neither will I have pitty, but I will recompence their way upon their head.
IN this verſe is preſented to us:
1. Gods ſeverity, He will not ſpare, he will not pittie.
2. The equity of his dealing, I will recompence their way upon their heads.
Theſe words have been ſpoken of, Chap. 5.11. & 7.4. Gods not ſparing, not pittying, intimates a contrary diſpoſition, ſeverity, cruelty, Iſa. 13.18. They ſhould have no pitty, they ſhould not ſpare, but daſh the young men to pieces, they ſhould be cruell to all ſorts. When God handled Job ſo ſharply, Chap. 16.13. what ſaid he. His archers compaſſe me round about, he cleaveth my reins aſunder, & doth not ſpare, he powreth out my gall upon the ground. Here was a contrary diſpoſition to pitty and ſparing: And Job 30.21. hee tels God that he is become cruell to him. And God profeſſes, Jer. 30.14. that he had wounded them with the wounds of an enemie, and with the chaſtiſement of a cruell one.
VponUpon their heads, that is, upon themſelves, the head is put for the whole man, 2 K. 2.3. Knoweſt thou that the Lord wil take away thy Mr. from thy head to day, that is, from thee, Pro. 10.6. The bleſſing of the Lord is upon the head of the juſt, that is, upon the juſt, Pſal. 66.12. Thou haſt cauſed men to ride over our heads; that is us: Head here may be mentioned, becauſe they deviſed miſchiefe therewith.
The ſins of Gods owne people fetch the greateſt ſeverity from him;Obſer. 1. the iniquity of the houſe of Iſrael and Judah is exceeding great, and as for me, mine eye ſhall not ſpare, &c. No people under heaven were ſo deare to God as the Iſraelites. Hence Iſrael is put for Gods Elect ones, both Jewes and Gentiles, Rom. 11.26. Gal. 6, 16. And a Jew for a true worſhipper of God, Rom. 2.29. Yet when theſe ſinn'd, God became more ſevere againſt them then others, Ezek. 9.8, 9. Behold I am againſt thee, and will execute judgements in the middeſt of thee, I will doe in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not doe any more the like. No ſuch dreadfull judgements ever before any City as Jeruſalem: No ſuch wrath powred out upon any as upon the Jewes: As they had more love and favour from God then others, whilſt they were faithfull to him, ſo they had more wrath and fury from him when they forſooke him, Amos 3.2. You onelyonly have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I puniſh you for all your iniquities. They only were the family of his love, and they only were puniſhed above others. They were made as evident a pattern of juſtice, as ever they were of mercy; for God executed judgement among them in anger, in fury, and furious rebukes, Ezek. 5.15. Yea, hee ſet his jealouſie againſt them, and dealth furiouſly with them; he delivered them up to thoſe dealt hatefully with them, Ezek. 23.25.29. Ther's one paſſage very obſervable in 2 Kings 23. When Joſiah had done great things, cauſed the people to enter into a Covenant with God, deſtroyed Idolatry and Sodomie out of the land, kept a ſollemn Paſſeover, ſuch an one as had not been from the Judges time, now in 400. yeares before, when he turned to the Lord with all his ſoul and might, and none like him roſe up afterwards: would you not looke now that God ſhould be propitious to his people, and to Jeruſalem? But hearken what is ſaid in verſ. 26. & 27. Notwithſtanding the Lord turned not from the fierceneſſe of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled againſt Judah becauſe of all the provocations that Manaſſeh had provoked him withall: And the Lord ſaid, I will remove Iudah alſo out of my ſight, as I have removed Iſrael, and will caſt of this City Jeruſalem which I have choſen. Wee have done ſomething in way of Reformation, kept Faſts, taken a ſollemne Covenant, &c. But may not the Lord for the blood ſhed in Qu. Maries dayes, and of later dayes, ſay, I will remove England or London out of my ſight.
2. God deales equally with ſinners, he recompenceth their owne wayes upon their own heads, he ſets their ſinnes in order before them, layes the burthen of them upon them, and cauſes them to eate the fruit of their own works, and what can be more equall, Obad. 15. As thou haſt done, it ſhall be done unto thee, thy reward ſhall return upon thine own head. Edom had afflicted and ſpoiled Gods people, and the like ſhould befall Edom, Ezek. 35.15. As thou didſt rejoyce at the inheritance of the houſe of Iſrael becauſe it was deſolated, ſo will I doe unto thee; thou ſhalt be deſolate O mount. Seir and all Idumea.