The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 109

3. Their guilt was extraordinary. It exceeded that of the nations round ahout them. "'hile they enjoyed special restraints, they not only went to tho same lenrrths of profane idolatry as other nations, they went beyond them I Although the fact'°'oC one spiritual Deity was clearly made known among them, yet thoy borrowed the idol• deities of every adjacent nation, until their Reprover could declare, "According to the number of thy cities are thy idols, 0 Israel I" 4. Public warnings were lost upon them, That God had spoken by the mouth of prophets was cleai·, because their pre- dictions bad come to pass. That God was uniformly faithful in maintainincr his Word no sane mind could question. His judgments had fallen, like hail, upon :u the sur~ rounding empires, and manifestly, because of idolatry; therefore nothing short of sheer insensibility of mind prevented their taking heed, What more could God do for them, to bring them to repentance, than he had done? Every mouth is silent, Their guilt had come to a head, had reached a final climax. IV. -SPECIAL GUILT BEARS ITS PROPER FRUITAGE OF PUNISHMENT. It is not possible that anything can sever the link between sin and punishment. That link has been wrought by Eternal Justice. l. This punishment should manifestly proceed from God. "They shall know that I the Lord have spoken it," etc. Too often men regard their sufferings as chance effects, misfortunes that have come about in a hap- hazard way. Not so here. Even those who would not believe that God had dona them former kindness, and sent them faithful monitors-even these shall be compelled to feel that this punishment is from God. It shall be so public, so severe, so intimately connected with the sin, so precisely in accordance with prophetic warning, that God shall at length be acknowledged as the righteous Author. So self-willed are some children that nothing but the rod will induce submission. 2. This retribution shall be publi,c. Though the sin be done in secret, the chastisement shall be public. In every age, impartial justice has sought the fullest light for its deeds. Among the ancients, law was administered, and wisely so, in the gate. God has nothing to con- ceal To the extent that his creatures have capacity to understand, he is prepared to reveal. It is his intention that the universe shall behold the retributions of guilt and be awed thereby. The destruction of one may thus turn to the salvation of many. 3. This punishment shall be ea:tremely severe. "I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like," etc. Yet, though severe, it was not too severe. It was not more severe than the case required. The cause of justice would not have been satisfied with less. When God holds the scales, punish- ment will be exact; it will neither be too great nor too lenient. Guilt is proportionate to previous advantage, and retribution is in precise measure with guilt. If we prove unfaithful, the higher we have been lifted up by acts of kindness, the deeper will be our fall. Capernaum and Bethsaida deserve a heavier sentence than Tyre and Sidon. "There are first that shall be last." 4. The guilty are to be the executors of their own fate. "The fathers shall eat the sons . . . and the sons shall eat their fathers." The famine shall press sore; but this is not the worst feature in the doom. Natural affection shall so decay that the father will not shrink from slaying his own boy, and feeding on the human flesh. Sons shall be so far lost to filial reverence that they will do the like to their fathers. When once love to our heavenly Father is dead, love to our natural kin soon decays. Man, cut off from God, becomes a monster. The beasts of the field never sink so low as man does in his last depravity. It is an impressive fact that guilty men often execute God's judgmeots upon themselves, while yet they know 1t not. A heavenly glory emanates from the cross of Jesus. Christ, but eternal shame encircles for ever the gallows of Judas.-D. Vers. 11-17.-The Divine Remonstrator. It is clear as daylight that the root-sin of the Jews was unbelief. Although the prophets of Jehovah brought incontestible evidence that they spake in God's Name, and spake only words of truth, the people clos~d their ears, and treated the warning with contempt. They were in love with sin, and were resolved not to part from it. Proofs that God spake through the lips of these prophets were abundant. I. THERE WAS THE REPEATED ASSERTION OF HONEST MEN THAT Gon SPAKE BY THEM. Ezekiel was known to be a true man. It was known that he had no private interests to ijcrvt:, It was acknowledged that in all the relations of human life he was on. v. 1-17.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 97