Ver. 28.-Reverence. In order that the prophet might be prepe.red to discbarcre his prophetic ministry aright, it was necessary that, in the first place, be should expe~ience a just conception of the greatness, holiness, and authority of the Being by whom he was commissioned. He could only then appear in a. proper attitude before men when he had found what wa~ his proper attitude before God. The fear of the King of heaven alone could preserve him from any fear of those whom he was directed to visit as au authorized ambassador. Hence there was first afforded to Ezekiel a vision of the Eternal Majesty-a vision which doubtless often recurred to his memory when he was fulfilling the duties devolving upon him as the servant and messenger of Jehovah to men, and when he encountered incredulity, neglect, scorn, or opposition. 1 MAN HAS A NATURE CAPABLE OF REVERENCE, Fear is one thing, reverence is another. Fear is awakened by the sense and apprehension of personal danger; reverence is enkindled by the sight of supreme goodness, purity, and power. It may be base to fear; it must be honourable and profitable to venerate. It is the prerogative of man to recognize, to admire, to adore supreme excellence. II. GoD IS THE PROPER A1'"'D SUPREME OBJECT OF REVERENCE, Within limits it is right and good that we should honour and revere our fellow-men. The child may justly revere the parent, the pupil, the teacher, the subject the king. Yet there is but One who may be revered with no qualification, with no reserve. The Divine attributes are such that, the more we study them, the more we shall find in them deserving of wondering and adoring awe, and the more shall we be assured that there is in them an infinity of excellence which is unfathomable, undiscoverable. Ill IN GoD's PRESENCE IT IS JUST THAT HUMAN REVERENCE SHOULD BE MANIFESTED AND EXPRESSED. Ezekiel says, with beautiful simplicity, "I fell upon my face." Overcome with the vision of natural and moral perfection, the prophet felt himself unfit to look up, felt that his right place was in the dust. It is meet and proper that we should manifest the emotions which we justly feel. With reverence and godly fear should human spirits, conscious alike of dependence and of ill desert, draw near to the Infinite Holiness and Strength. .Familiarity in devotion is hateful and contemptible ; lowly veneration is both becoming and acceptable. IV. REVERENCE IS THE ATTITUl)E IN WHICH MAN IS JUSTIFIED IN EXPECTING BLESSING :FROM GoD. 1. It is good for us profoundly to feel our inferiority, our dependence, our innumerable necessities. 2. It is good for us to receive the revelation of God that is only made to the lowly and submissive. 3. It is good that reverent, prophetic spirits should be the channel by which men may submissively receive authoritative representa- tions of Divine glory and Divine grace.-T.
Vers. 1-3.-Introduction respecting the person and mission of the prophet. I. His PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS. A real, though sometimes undiscovera.ble, fitness between the instrument and the task, is an invariable law in the procedure of God. 1. Mark the significance of his name, " God becomes strength." Most probably the name had ori(Tinated with God, who had, either secretly or openly, influenced his father Buzi in °selecting it. A name, when God-given, is a revelation of what is unique and special in the man's nature. Thus Israel, Na.ha!, Peter, Jesus. 2. He was designated from his birth, and by his birth, to special service for God. Every man's entrance into life is designed to be an entrance upon Divine service. '!'he world a. capacious temple, and God its central Object. In Ezekiel's case there was no diversion of purpose; no casting a.bout for a definite vocation in life. His education, all through the stages of youth, was concentrated on this single object-to be Jehova.h's priest. The noblest types of the Levitical priesthood would be set before him as his model. 3. He had reached the maturity of his powers. By a merciful ordinance of God, in accommoda- CIJ, I, 1-28,] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 19