The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 379

with your gifts, and with your iclolR." Hengstenberg and the 'Speaker's 0-,mmentary • ta.ke this view of the verse. "You h:1ve pretended," sfl.ys Greenhill," that by yr,ur idols set up in my stead, and the gifts you have offered to them, or by them to me, that you have honoured my Name, but by joining them and me together, you have polluted my Name." And ho declares that this poll1.1tion shall cease; that they will abandon their idols. And since their release from the Babylonian captivity, the Jews have never been guilty of idolatry like that mentioned in ver. 32-the service of wood and stone; they have never since then forsaken the Lord God for the idols of heathenism. 2. Their consecration to the Lord Jehovah. "For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me." Notice: (1) The scene of this service. "In mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel." After the retam from the exile the temple at Jerusalem was rebuilt by the Jews, and there they worshipped God. But in the largest and grandest fulfilment of this prophecy the holy mountain is to be understood spiritually (cf. John iv. 20-24). "The spiritual worship of the New Testament," as Schroder observes,"can be well described in the phraseology of the Old Testament worship, by which it was symbolized and prefigured. We still speak of the heavenly Jerusalem" (cf. Isa. ii. 2, 3; Gal. iv. 24-26; Heh. xii. 22). (2) The universality of this service. This is very emphatically expressed here. " There shall all the house of Israel, all of them, Rerve me." Partially this was fulfilled on the return from the exile. "When the Jews had returned from Babylon under Zerubbabel and Ezra, along with those who adhered to thelll from all the tribes, they formed a unity, possessed a temple at Jerusalem, and became a single people under the same presidency" (Cocceine). But the prophecy yet awaits its complete fulfilment. "All the separation between Israel and Judah shall cease. 'l'his points to times yet future, when in Messiah's kingdom Jews and Gentiles alike shall be gathered into one kingdom-the kingdom of Christ (comp. Jer. xxxi.; Mai. iii. 1, etc.; also Rom. xi. 25, 26; Rev. xi. 15). Jerusalem is the Church of Christ (Gal. iv. 26), into which the children of Israel shall at last be gathered, and so the prophecy shall be fulfilled (Rev. xxi. 2)" (' Speaker's Commentary'). (3) And as for the nature of this service; they shall worship the living and true God as the only worthy Object of adoration, and they shall obey him as their sovereign Lord. II. THE ACOEPTATION OF THEMSELVES A.ND THEIR WORSHIP BY THE LoRD JEHOVAH. 1. The acceptation of themselves. "There will I accept them. . . . As a sweet savour will I accept yo1L" 'l'his acceptation includes: (1) 'l'he full forgiveness of all their offences. 'l'hat he receives the sinner is an evidence that he will remember his sins against him no more. (2) The gracious reception of themselves: that God would regard them with complacency, and enrich them with his favour. When God accepts man he does it heartily and with a glad welcome, even as the father received his prodigal son (Luke xv. 20-24). When wo pray," Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously," he speedily answers," I will heal their backsliding, 1 will love them freely : for mine anger is turned away from him." 2. The acceptation of their worship. "There will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things." When the worshippers are themselves accepted, their worship will be accepted also. But when the worshippers are insincere and wicked, the Lord demands of them, "To what purpose) is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me?" etc. (Isa. i. 11-15). It is the contrite and believing heart of the offerer that commends the offerings unto God. Where this state of heart is we may say, with David, "Then ehalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness," etc. (Ps. li. 19). III. GATHERING THEM FBOM THEIR EXILE, AND THEJB RESTORATION TO THEIR OWN LAND. 1. Gathering them from thefr exile. "When I bring you out from the peoples. and gather you out of the countries, wherein ye have been scattered." The Lord does not lose sight of his people when they are scattered abroad. He does not cease to care for them or to protect them. Not one of them shall be lost through any failure on his part (cf. eh. xxxiv. 11-16; John x. 28). 2. Restol'ing them to their own land. " When I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I lifted up mine hand to give unto your fathers." The Jews were restored to their own land after tho exile in Ilabylon. '!'hat restoration was a remark11ble fulfilment of many prophecies. Thero is perhaps in the ~ext II reference to 11noihcr and yet future restora~  THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [ou, xx. 1-49.