The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 26

husband. This is the relationship to which the text points, and which is treated of in eh. xvi. It is great condescension on the part of God to authorize the prophets thus to represent his relation to hie people. "Thy Maker is thy Husband; the Lord of hosts is his name" (lea. liv. 5). "Return, 0 backsliding children, saith the Lord ; for I am a Husband unto you" (Jer. iii. 14). This relationship should he characterized by: 1. Tender affection. We may see this in the way in which St. Paul writes of the love between Obrist and the Church (Eph. v. 23-32). When marriage is con- tracted without true mutual affection, the relation is desecrated. 2. Exalted privilege. In taking the Israelites to be his, God gave himself to them as their supreme Portion. "They shall he my people, and I will bp their God" ( J er. xxxii 38). " This of God's being our God," says Charnocke, "is the quintessence of the covenant, the soul of all the promises: in this he hath promised whatsoever is infinite in him, whatsoever is the glory and ornament of his nature, for our use ; not a part of him, or one single perfection, but the whole vigour and strength of all. .As he is not a God without infinite wisdom, and infinite power, and infinite goodness, and infinite blessedness, etc., so he passes over, in this covenant, all that which presents him as the most adorable Being to his creatures : he will he to them as great, as wise, as powerful, as good, as he is in himself. .And the assuring us, in this covenant, to be our God, imports also that he will do as much for us as we would do for ourselves, were we furnished with the same goodness, power, and wisdom: in being our God, he testifies it is all one as if we had the same perfections in our power to employ for our use; for he being possessed with them, it is as much as if we ourselves were possessed with them for our own ad vantage, according to the rules of wisdom, and the several conditions we pass through for his glory." 3. Bcrupulousfidelity. The relationship imperatively demands this. God would not fail in one jot or tittle on his part. " If we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he canaot deny himself." .And Israel was required to he true to him in obeying his commands, and above all in worshipping him alone. "I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me," etc. (Exod. xx. 1, seq.). Through Jesus Christ we may each enter into this exalted relationship. Through him we may each be enabled, without presumption, to say of the great God," He is my God and my Father." II. .A BIN OF THE GREATEST HEINOUSNESS. " .And .Aholah played the harlot when she was mine." Israel is here representeJ as a wife who bas been unfaithful to her hl!Bband. The primary reference is to the sin of Jeroboam in setting up the golden calves at Bethel and at Dan, and calling upon the people to worship God through them (1 Kings xii. 26-33). .And this was but the beginning of Israel's sin. .Afterwards they worshipped Baal and .Astarte. Their sin involved: 1. Positive injustice. They robbed God of his rights. He has a just claim on our obedience, our reverence, and our love. This claim is firmly based upon what he is in himself-the Supremely Great and Good; and upon what he is and does in relation to us--our Creator, etc. Not to comply with his claims is to defraud him of his due. 2. Base ingratitude. How shameful were the returns which Israel made for his great kindness to them! Very strikingly is this set forth in eh. xvi. And their conduct has been too closely repro- duced by us. For his fidelity we have returned unbelief; for his love, coldness of heart; for his beneficence, disobedience. How heinous this ingratitude is I And yet, alas, how common I "Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind .As man's ingrntitude; Thy tooth is not so keen, Because thou art not seen, Although thy breath be rudo. "Fre3ze, freeze, thou bitter sky, Thnt dost not bite so nigh As benefits forgot: '!'hough thou the we.tars wnrp, Thy bting is not so sharp As friend remembsr'd not." (Shakespae.re,) 28 THE DOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [dH, um. 1-49.