The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 341

the soul that penitently turns from sin unto God. (Forndditional S\ltTtTCstions concern- ing this life, see our notes on ver. 9.) 3. Its gi·eat encouragement~ "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord God: and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?" God delights in the conversion, not in the condem- nation, of the sinner; in the inspiration of life, not in the infliction of death. "'l'he God of the Old Testament," says Havernich, "has a heart: himself the essence of all blessedness, and mirroring himself in the blcssedn~ss of the creature, he has a heart for every being who has fallen away from him, and who is exposed to death. 'l'he funda- mental feature of his character is holy love: he dclighteth in the retw·n of the sinner from death to lii'e." "He delighteth in mercy." '!'his is the great encouragement for the sinner to turn in penitence unto him. II. A DEPLORABLE MORAL TRANSFORMATION. 1. Its nature. "When the riahteoue tnmeth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to a.11 the abominations that the wicked man doeth." Here is the transformation of a ris::htcons man into a wicked man; of a doer of righteousness into a worker of iniquity. The prophet does not ~et forth an occasional or temporary aberration from the right and the true; but the habitual and persistent practice of wickedness. Moreover, in the case supposed, the sinner "doeth according to all the abominations" of the wicked, and con- tinues therein to the end of his earthly existence: he "committeth iniquity, and dieth therein" (ver. 26). That such a turning from righteousness to wickedness is possible is evident from the moral constitution of man. He is free to obey or to disobey God; to do that which is right or to commit iniquity. 2. Its consequences. (1) He forfeits the benefit of bis former righteousness. "All his righteousness that he hath done shall ,J.Ot be mentioned;" Hevised Version, "None of his righteous deeds that he hath done shall be remembered." This is the antithesis to that which was declared of him who turns from sin unto righteousness: "None of his transgressions that he hathcommitted shall be remembered against him." "Unless we persevere we lose what we have gained." "Look to yourselves, that ye lose not the things which we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward." (2) He incurs the penalty of his persistent wickedness. "In his trespass that he bath trespas,ed, and in his sin that he bath sinned, in them shall he die; . . . for his iniquity that be bath done shall he die." (On this death, see our remarks on ver. 4, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die;" and on ver. 31.) Ill THE EQUITY OF THE DIVTh'E DEALINGS WITH MEN IN EACH OF THESE MORAL TRANSFORMATIONS. (Vers. 25, 29.) 1. Men sometimes challenge the rectitude of God's dealings with them. "Ye say, The way of the Lord is not"equal . , . Saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal." The righteousness of the Divine way is thus denied, or at least questioned, sometimes even by the godly. Thus did Job (L 2, 3). Thus also did Asapb (Ps. lxxiii.11-14). If sore affliction or protracted trial befall us, we are prone to doubt and challenge the kindness, perhaps even the justice, of God's treatment of us. Yet "wherefore doth a Jiving man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins ? " 2. Those who thus challenge the rectitude of Gorf)s dealings are generally unrighteous themselves. " Hear now, 0 house of Israel . , . Are not your ways unequal?" The wickedness of the house of Israel had Jong been exceedingly great, and was still so ; yet they were forward to charge God with unfairness in his dealings with them. The greatest sinners are the readiest to daringly call in question the holiness of the character and the righteousness of the doings of God. The more excellent a man is the greater will be his confidence in the holiness of the Divine will and ways, the more hearty his acquiescence in that will, and the more devoted his love to its great Author. 3. If God should deign to reply to such a challenge, he will most arnply vindicate the character of his dealings with men. He does so in this chapter. When the evolution of his purposes in relation to our race is more complete, U will be unmistakably clear that in the salvation of the penitent sinner and in the condemnation of the persistently wicked he has acted in complete harmony with the infinite perfections of hi.s being. "His work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment: a God of faithful- ness and without iniquity, just and right is he;" " Clouds and darkness are round about him : righteousness and judgment are the foundation of his throne;" "'l'he Lord is rigl,teous in all his ways, and gracious in all his works;" "Great and marvellou8 urc thy wurks, 0 Lorrl God, the Almighty; righteous and true arn thy ways, thou Kiug of tlic agco-"-W. J, OH, xvm. 1-32.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 34,3