Exposition of Ezekiel 6-13, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 11 · Verse 17
VERS. 17.
Therefore ſay, Thus ſaith the Lord GOD, I will even gather you from the People, and aſſemble you out of the countries where ye have been ſcattered, and I will give you the Land of Iſrael.
THey at Jeruſalem had vindicated the Land to themſelves, To us is this Land given, and ſo cut off the Captives from hope of having any part in that Land: This was queſtionleſſe a great affliction to their ſpirits; and therefore the Lord bids the Prophet tell them that (as he would be a Sanctuary to them in Babylon) ſo he would gather them out of Babylon; bring them back to Canaan and give them that Land in poſſeſſion, which the others unjuſtly challenged to themſelves. In the former verſe he ſpake to them at Jeruſalem, in this he ſpeaks to the Captives.
I will even gather you.
Caſt. Convocabo, the Septuagint foreign,Ie vous recueillerai de peuple. Fr. I will receive or undertake to bring them out of the Nations, the Hebrew word foreign Congregabo vos, from foreign Which is properly ſpoken, de rediſperſa, To gather that is diſperſed, men or other things; and theſe beeing diſperſed among the Nations God ſaith he will congregate them,foreign The Jewes prayer was in the time of their diſperſion, Congrega nos de populis quo disperſiſti nos, we are now no body, we have no face of a State or Church, gather us into a body, make us a common wealth, a Church againe, This is the thing God hath promiſed them.
Aſſemble you out of &c.
The Hebrew is foreign I will add you out of thoſe countries, and here its ſpoken of thoſe were ſcattered; which I obſerve becauſe Buxtorf. ſhewing the difference betweene Kabats, and Aſaph, ſaith, Aſaph is, De re non diſperſa, and ſo doth Leigh out of him, in his Critica ſa…ra: but both Kabats, and Aſaph here, refer to the Jewes, who where ſcattered amongſt the Babylonians; and the Vulgar render it ad unabo, I will unite you and make you one body.
I will give you the Land of Iſrael.
The Land of Iſrael is not oft mentioned, ſave in this Prophecie, onelyonly nine times before it, and not after it at all in the old Teſtament; and but twice in the new, Mat. 2.20.21. In Ezekiel its mentioned 20 times: In wrath, when it refers to thoſe were yet in it, in mercy, when it refers to thoſe were Captives, or enemies inſulting at the ruine of it, as you may ſee, Ezek. 12.19.36.6.25.3.6.
Why its ſayd the Land of Jſrael, rather then the Land of Judah, when as it was cal'd the Land of Judah before it was cal'd the Land of Iſrael (for we read in Moſes dayes it was cal'd the Land of Judah, Deut, 34.2. and the Land of Iſrael firſt in Samuells dayes 1 Sam, 13.19.) is inquireable. The Land of Judah is a reſtrictive Tearm, and includes onelyonly what belonged to the Tribe of Judah of which you may read, Joſh. 15.1.2.3.4. But the Land of Iſrael is a comprehenſive tearm, conteining all the Tribes which came out of the loynes of Iſrael; ſo that hereby he gives them to underſtand, that they ſhould not injoy a peice of the holy Land again; but the whole, all that the twelve Tribes had.
The Land of Iſrael was a choiſe Land; A Land that flowed with Milke and Honey. Deut 26.15. A Land of Corn, and Wine, bread, and Vineyards. Iſa. 36.17. A Land of Brooks, Fountains, Springs, Vines, Figtrees, Pomgranets, Oyle and Honey, a Land of plenty, wherein they ſhould want nothing. Deut. 8.7 8.9. A Land given of God. Deut 4.1. The deſire and glory of all Lands. Ezek. 20.6. Becauſe it was the Land of Immanuel Iſa. 8.8. Gods holy habitation. Exod. 15.13. The type of Heaven, and therefore call'd the Land of the living. Pſal. 27.13. This Land of Iſrael God puts them in minde of, the loſſe of which, as it begat deep ſighing in their Soules, ſo the hope of repoſſeſſing it reviv'd them not a little. God had given them this Land once before; through their ſinne they had loſt it, but now God would give i… them againe, and double ingage them by a ſecond deed of gift. This people were now Captives, and their ſins had oft Captiv'd them, after they had Kings. Of their firſt Captivity you may read, 2 Kings 15.29. which was by Tiglath Pelezer: A ſecond by Salmanazzar, 2 K. 17.6. A third by Senacherib, 2 Kings 18.13. A fourth by the Captains of the Hoſt of the King of Aſſyria, who carryed Manaſſes into Babylon, 2 Chron. 33.11. A fifth by Pharoah Nechob, 2 Kings 23.33, 34. A ſixth and ſeventh, by Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Chron. 36.5, 6. 2 Kings 24.11, 10, 12. 2 Kings 25.7. Thus was this people oft brought low, carryed into other Lands from that good land of Iſrael, as its cald, Deut. 4.21. And you ſhall hardly find that any of the preceding Captivities had a promiſe of returning them againe before this, but here God graciouſly tels them, he would gather them out of the Countries and bring them back to Jeruſalem.
1. Queſt. By whom did the Lord gather them? bring them to this Land againe?
Anſw. By three men eſpecially, whoſe names are very obſerveable, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel; Ezra ſignifieth a helper, and he was a ſpeciall helper of them, under God, out of Babylon, Ezra 7.6. Nehemiah is the conſolation of the Lord, and he brought Divine conſolation unto them, Nehem. 2.18. and was as a God amongſt them in conveying and comforting them many wayes, as you may obſerve in the Book beares his name. Zerubbabel is, as Jerome will have it foreign Iſte princep… in Babylon…, and he that could bring this people out of ſuch a Country and condition they were in, had need to be a mighty Prince, and ſo was he; therefore Zach. 4.7. no mountainous ſtrength of Devils or wicked men could ſtand before him: Others interpret it, one repugnant to confuſion; and ſo he was, he led the people orderly out of that confuſed place and condition they were in, even unto the holy Land, and Divine order they had formerly injoyed there; and thus Ventilator babel, foreign Ventilavit.the fanner of confuſion, or foreign Fluxus Babylonis, he brake down the banke of Captivity, and made way for the ſtream to flow from Babylon to Sion.
2. Queſt. The promiſe here being made to the Captives in Babylon that were brought thither with Jechoniah, whether had they any benefit of it that were now at Jeruſalem, and afterwards carryed Captive with Zedekiah into Babylon?
Anſw. Some think none of the Captives with Zedekiah returned, or had any benefit of this promiſe; and the reaſon I find given, is, becauſe few returned, but there may more be ſayd for it.
1. The promiſe was not made to them at Jeruſalem, but to the Captives in Babylon at that time.
2. We find many excepted from entring into the Land of Iſrael after the Captivity, Ezek. 13.9. the falſe Prophets are excluded the Land of Iſrael; and Ezek. 20.38. The Rebels God ſayth, ſhall not enter into the Land of Iſrael; and who were the Rebels, but thoſe refuſed to goe with Jechoniah, who ſtayed at Jeruſalem, and ſinned greatly againſt God, and therefore are oft called the Rebellious houſe, the Rebellious Nation, Chap. 2. God ſaith, he would plead with them as he did with their Fathers in the Wilderneſſe when they came out of Aegypt, and there they dyed, onelyonly two of them entred into Canaan.
3. That Chapter in Jeremiah of the good and bad Figges, ſpeakes to this buſineſſe; its the 24. of Jeremiah; where the good Figs are interpreted of Jeconiah and his Captives; God ſaith, he will acknowledge them, ſet his eyes upon them for good, bring them againe to the Land, and plant them in it, &c. verſ. 5, 6, 7. The evill Figs are interpreted of Zedekiah and his Captives, and them God will deliver into all the Kingdome of the Earth for hurt, to be a reproach, a proverb, a taunt, and a curſe in all places.
Others conceive, that ſome of Zedekiahs Captives returned to the Land of Iſrael, and the grounds given are theſe: Firſt, in the 9. Chap. ſome were marked that were godly, and theſe being preſerved and carryed away, its not probable they ſhould be ſhut out from intereſt in that gracious promiſe, I will gather you, and give you the Land of Iſrael: whoever were denyed the Land, not the godly.
2. Cyrus Decree was not reſtrictive, but any Jew might returne, 2 Chron. 36.23. Who is there among you of all the Lords people, the Lord his God be with him, and let him goe up: Cyrus gave liberty to any, or all to goe.
3. I ſhall adde one thing, and it's that in Jer. 31.8. A great company ſhall returne thither, above 40000. As you may read, Neh. 7.66.67. And it's probable that ſome of them were of thoſe that Nebuchadnezzar brought with Zedekiah into Babylon.
Queſt. 3. Whether the gathering and deliverance of the Church out of Babylon, be Typicall, and a reſemblance of the ſpirituall gathering and deliverance of the Church in time of the Goſpel: whether they referr to Chriſt or no?
Anſw. Thoſe great deliverances out of Aegypt and Babylon, had ſomething in them repreſentative of the Churches deliverance by Chriſt. Pharoah, and Nebuchadnezzar point out Satan, that held the Gentiles; and Antichriſt, …hat held the Chriſtians in bondage, till Chriſt, as Moſes and Zerubbab…l did deliver them. Their comming out of Aegypt referrs to the time of Chriſt and the Goſpell, if you compare Hoſ. 11.1. with Mat. 2.15. And for the Babyloniſh deliverance referring to Chriſt, conſider, Ezek. 34.12.13.14. Where the Lord ſpeakes of gathering and bringing his People from the Countries where they have been ſcattered, to the Mountaines of Iſrael, and then in the 23. & 24. ver. I will ſet up one Shepheard over them, and he ſhall feed them, even my Servant David, he ſhall feed them and he their Shepheard; I the Lord will be their God, and my Servant David a Prince among them. This one ſhepheard, this David, this Prince, was Chriſt, As is generally agreed upon by interpreters, and Job. 10.11. Chriſt tells them he is The good Shepheard, Namely, that one and only Shepheard ſpoken of in Ezekiel. That of Rachel weeping for her Children, when they went into Captivity, Jer. 31.15. referd to the tyme of the Goſpel and had its fulfilling then. Mat. 2.17.18. and why their comming out, ſhould not alſo have reference to deliverances under the Goſpell by Chriſt, I ſee not. Some interpret thoſe words of Iſa. 19.1.2.Maldon. Tollet. The ſpirit of the Lord God is upon me, becauſe the Lord hath anointed me, to preach good tidings unto the meek, he hath ſent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaime liberty to the Captives &c. to be meant literally, of the Babyloniſh Captivity: And you know how the Lord Chriſt. Luke 4.21. ſaith, This day is this Scripture fullfilled in your eares.
Obſer. 1 The Lords eye is upon his People, he takes notice of them where ever they bee, let them be in Babylon in the ſeverall Countreys thereof, he obſerves them. Father, when their Children are ſcattered here and there, cannon take any notice of them, they are out of their ſight, it's not ſo with God, let his Children be among Heathens; as now the Jewes were, among Lyons, as Daniel was, among waters, and Fiſhes, as Jonah was; let them be where, or in what condition ſoever, he ſees them, obſerves, conſiders them, Proverbs. 15.3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place; not of ſome one Countrey, as Judea, Aegypt, Babylon, but in every place of the World, 2 Chron. 16.9. His eyes run to and fro, throughout the whole earth, to ſhew himſelfe ſtrong in the behalfe of his: Gods eying of his is not a bare intuition, but in order to their aſſiſtance; to doe them good, to put out ſtrength from them.
2. In low and miſerable conditions, God ſends in hope and helpe; they were now ſtript naked of all their comforts, amidſt Barbarians, in a ſervile, ſinking condition, ſaw no likelyhood of bettering their condition, being under the hand of a potent and ſevere Adverſary; yet now hope and helpe comes in: I will gather you, you that are Captives, deſolate, more low and miſerable then ever you were, even you will I gather; thus God lets in comfort to them in their comfortleſſe eſtate, and its Gods way to doe ſo. When the Iſraelites cryed in Aegypt by reaſon of their bondage; when they were ſorely afflicted, ſaith the Text, God heard them, remembred them, looked upon them, and had reſpect unto them, Exod, 2.24, 25. And in the next Chapter, he appeares to Moſes, tells him, he had ſeen their affliction, knew their ſorrows, and was come to deliver them, verſ. 7, 8. When people are outwardly or inwardly low, its Gods method frequently, if not conſtantly, to afford reliefe, Pſal. 116.6. I was brought low and he helped mee; He was low in Sauls dayes, low in Abſoloms, but the Lord helped him. When power is gone from a people, and none to be found, in publique or private to help a people, then are they in an afflicted, miſerable condition, yet then God affords helpe, Deut. 32.56. So Nehem. 9.27. In the time of their trouble when they cryed unto thee, thou heardeſt them from Heaven, and according to thy manifold mercies, thou gaveſt them Saviours. When the Jews were brought low by Haman, and at the borders of death all of them, God appeared in Eſther, Abaſuerus, turned the ſtorme upon Haman himſelfe, and helped the Jewes in that ſtrait.
3. Things which are hard and ſeem impoſſible to fleſh a…d blood, are eaſie unto God: How difficult was it to the judgement of thoſe Captives, to conceive a returne; they were farr from Jeruſalem, the journeys long and dangerous; they at Jeruſalem had rejected them, they were under a mighty Tyrant, the terrour of Nations; they were ſcattered in ſeverall places, imployed to ſervile worke, for the profit, pleaſure, of the Chaldeans; as digging in their Mines, plowing of their Fields, dreſſing of their Vines; if they ſhould ſtirre to get away, the King had command of 127. Provinces, and could preſently raiſe Forces to fetch them back, or cut them off, &c. Theſe and ſuch like thoughts, made it ſeem difficult, if not impoſſible to them, that they ſhould ever returne againe to Jeruſalem; but the Lord would gather them; it was an eaſie act to him, no more then a Shepheard gathering of his Flock into the fold, he whiſtles or ſends out his Dogg, and preſently they all runne into his Fold; ſo when God ſpake the word, mov'd the heart of Cyrus, he made a Proclamation for the Jewes to go up to Jeruſalem, and preſently it was done: In Ezek. 37.11. You may read the Jewes apprehenſions of their conditions; they ſay, Our bones are dryed, our hope is loſt, we are cut off, for our parts: They thought themſelves like dead and dry bones that lye in the bowels, or on the face of the earth, without hope of life, or ever returning into their owne Land; but by the Parable of the dry bones, which at a word of Propheſie were inl…ve…ed, rayſed, and made a great Army, God ſhewed what he could eaſily doe, in things ſeeming to man impoſſible; and he applyes it to them, Verſ. 12. Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cauſe you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the Land of Iſrael: They conceived it as impoſſible for them to repoſſeſſe their Countrey, as for a dead man to live; bu… it was eaſie with God. There is nothing too hard for God, he could bring a great Nation out of Sarahs dead womb, Gen. 18.14. & Jer. 32.27. God tells them that he is the Lord, the God of all fleſh; and then askes them this Queſtion, Is there any thing to hard for me? Did I not bring you out of Aegipt? Laed you through the red Sea, through the Wilderneſſe, ſet you in the pleaſant Land, and can I not bring you back into it, though ſcattered up and downe in Babylon? Verſ. 37. Behold I will gather you out of all Countries, whither I have driven you in mine anger, and will bring you to this place, and cauſe you to dwell ſafely. Luke 18.27. Things unpoſſible with m…n, are poſſible with God.
4. Lands and Countries are the Lords to diſpoſe of to whom he pleaſes, I will give you the Land of Iſrael, the Earth is the Lords and the fulneſſe thereof, the World and they that dwell therein, Pſal. 24.1. And he diſpoſes the Kingdomes thereof, Pſal. 115.16. The Earth hath he given to the Sonnes of men: There is not a Sonne of man which hath any ſpot of Earth, or Kingdome in the World, but the Lord gave it him; he rules in the Kingdomes of men; he takes them away, and gives them to whom he will, Dan. 4.31, 32. He is God of all the Kingdomes of the Earth, Iſa. 37.16. And Cyrus acknowledged that God had given them all to him, Ezra 1.2. Being the Lords, he may juſtly diſpoſe of them as ſeems good to himſelfe. This Land of Iſrael was poſſeſſed by Canaan the Son of Cham, and called the Land of Canaan; but his Poſterity for their wickedneſſe, were ſpued out of it, Levit. 18.25. and then God gave it to the ſeed of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, whoſe name was changed to Iſrael, and thence his Poſterity called Iſraelites, and ſo this the Land of Iſrael; but they through their Idolatry and oppreſſion, forfeited this Land, and now God had given it into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, after they had poſſeſſed it 850. yeares. Sin thruſts people out of their Countrey, and robs them of their rights and priviledges, Iſa. 13.22. And had not God given them this Land againe, they had had little or no right to it. God gave it to Abraham when the Canaanites had it, and he gives it to the Iſraelites when the Chaldeans had it.
5. The afflictions of the Church though great and grevious, yet have their period; now Iſrael was in Babylon, their Countrey, City, Temple, Ordinances, Publique worſhip, were gone. They were amid'ſt Idolaters, prophane, blaſphemous perſons, in a polluted place, which was very ſad; yet this condition ſhould have an end, God would gather them out from Babylon, into the holy and pleaſant Land, where they ſhould enjoy choice mercies againe. God will not alwayes chide, The Greek is, foreign.neither keepe his anger for ever. Pſal. 103.9. Here at the beginning of their Captivity, Gods heart was relenting, and he laid in this gratious promiſe, to refreſh them. Man when he is offended, is not onelyonly angry, but bares grudges in his heart, ſeeks revenge, and the ruine of them have wrong'd him, as Haman, Mordecai, and the Jewes: but it's not ſo with God, he may be angry for 70 yeares, but that is not alwayes, for ever. Iſa. 54.7.8. It was but a moment, a ſmall moment, and the wrath was but alittle, as he cals it there; becauſe God was a Sanctuary unto them, all the time and made them gratious promiſes at the beginning. So then you may anſwer, the queſtion made, Jer. 35. Will he reſerve his anger for ever? Will he keepe it to the end? No, God is gratious, and will not alwayes be wrath.