The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 112

Exemplar, deeply participate. And if there bo painful retributions, which involve saint and sinner in one common outward doom, let us give due weight to the precious fact that such outward suffering comes to them with essentially different spiritual 8 j<Tnificance. And for the rest, we rejoice that though "clouds and darkness are round about the Lord, righteousness and judgmcnt are the habitation of his throne." And in tlie distribution of awards in the great future, God" will render to every man according to his deeds" (Rom. ii. 6; cf. Matt, xvi. 27 ; Luke xii. 47, 48; 2 Cor. v. 10).-W. J. Vers. 5-17 .-Pre-eminent privilege, perversity, and punishment. "Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem," etc. In these and some succeeding verses we have the interpretation of the symbolism of the previous part of the chapter; or "an authorita- tive commentary on the preceding allegory." The text presents to our notice- I. A POSITION OF PRE-EMINENT PRIVILEGE. " Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her." The position here stated may be viewed: 1. Geographically. We are not to interpret this as asserting that Jerusalem was situated in the centre of the earth. But Palestine really occupied "a central position with regard to that group, or those groups, of nations which to it practically constituted the world." On the north of it was Syria, on the south Egypt, on the east Assyria, on the west Europe. "It stood midway between the two great seats of ancient empire, Babylon and Egypt." And, as Fairbairn observes, "viewing the world as it existed at the time of Israel's settle- ment in Canaan, and for a thousand years afterwards, we believe it would be impossible to fix upon a single region so admirably fitted, at once to serve as a suitable dwelling- place for such a people, and to enable them, as from a central and well-chosen vantage- ground, to act with success upon the heathenism of the world." 2. ReligiO'USly. The Israelites were placed in the midst of the nations, as in a position of honour by their possession of higher and fuller religious privileges. They had been blessed with more illustrious men than other nations; mightier and more wonderful deeds had been done for them than for any other people; a clearer and brighter revelation of God had been given to them; a purer and nobler worship had been instituted amongst them. 3. Influentially. The Israelites bad been thus favoured and stationed, in order that they might be a blessing to other nations. Not selfishly were they to enjoy their privileges, but for the benefit of others. Their light was to shine for the illumination of other peoples, 'l'bey were specially blessed, that others might be blessed through them. With unmistakable clearness is this expressed in the sixty-seventh psalm: "God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause bis face to shine upon us; that thy way may be known upon earth," etc. (cf. Deut. iv. 5--8; John iv. 22). In like manner, _Christians are called to be "the salt of the earth," and "the light of the world ; " and they are exhorted, " Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. v. 13-16; cf. 1 Pet. ii. 9). • II. Srns OF PRE-EMINENT WICKEDNESS. 1. Their rejection of God's commands. " She bath changed my judgrnents into wickedness more than the nations," etc. (vers. 6, 7). The word" judgment" is here equivalent to" commands" or "ordinances." 'l'wo degrees of rebellion against the Divine will are clearly indicated. (1) Disobedi- ence of Divine commands. "They have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them. . . . Ye have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept ~y jndgments." (2) Hostility to the Divine commands. "She bath changed my Judgments into wickedness" is not an accurate translation. Hengstenberg renders it, "She opposed my judgments worse than the heathen;" and Schroder, "She quarrelled w_ith my judgments more wickedly than the (heathen) nations." The spirit of ?1sobedience bad grown daring and defiant. The seventh verse presents the same idea: "Ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you." Here also the translation is incorrect. Hengstenberg, "Ye raged more than the heathen who ;iro round about you." There is a reference to Ps. ii. 1, "Why do the heathen rage?" l'he chosen people bad grown more fierce in their rebellion agninst God, cv,'n than the hralhen nations. 2. Their desecration of God's sanctuary. "Thou hast defiled my snnctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominaLions" (vcr. 11). Heathen idols, altars, and ceremonies had been introduced into the temple and 100 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [OH, V, 1-17,