The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 29

n time, the sinf\ll practice broke out vigorously again. And in consequence, the complete destruction of Jerusalem, the utter overthrow of the kingdom, and the captivity of the people, are declared to be at band. And the text asserts that, by means of thie severe judgment, the people wo~ld be fi?ally and for ever freed from idolatry. And the result. has proved the prophetic assertion true. One effect of the Captivity was the complete_ e:3dication ?f the ten?ency of ~he Jews to idolatry; "so that whereas, before the Captmty, no nat10n (all thmgs considered) was more impetuously bent upon idols and idolatry than they were, after that Captivity no nation was more vehemently set against idols and idolatry than they were." The sin of idolatry is not limited to thoee who are called heathen. Dr. Thomas Guthrie says truly, "In a sense all men are idolaters. In the days of old, it is said that Egypt had more gods than men. Else, where than in Egypt, everywliere, as the Bible says, • there be lords many and gods many.' The Hindu reckons his divinities by thousands and tens of thousands; yet the world has a larger pantheon-as many gods as it has objects, be they innocent or guilty, which usurp the place of Jehovah, and dethrone him in the creature's heart, Nor are men less idolaters if drunkards, though they pour out no libation to Bacchus the god of wine; nor less idolaters, if impure, that they bum no incense at the shrin~ of Venus; nor less idolaters, if lovers of wealth, that they do not mould their god into an image of Plutus, and, giving a shrine to what lies hoarded in their coffers, offer it their morning and evening prayers. He has been an idolater, who, rebelling against Providence, follows the hearse of a coffined god; he made an idol of wife or child; and now, when the robber of all our homes has stolen these his gods away, and beare off his plunder to the grave, the feelings of that man's heart may be expressed in Micah's complaint to the Danite 'robbers,• Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?'" Let no one deem it strange if God should visit him for his idolatries. He may do so by forcibly removing the idol, by depriviog the idolater of the riches which he has worshipped, or by taking to himself the child or other relative which has been made an idol. Or he may visit those who sin thus by making the idol the occasion of sharp sorrow or bitter trial, as when a child has been idolized by his parents, and grows up to II bring down their grey hairs with sorrow to the grave." Blessed will it be if such visitation leads to the turning of the heart entirely to God. IL A PROPHETIC PREDICTION WHICH WAS REMARKABLY FULFILLED. "Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee," etc. " Thie prediction is frequently repeated; and the accomplishment of it has been most wooderful. It might have been expected that a nation, ever prone to idolatry in a country where the worship of the true God was established and none else tolerated, would have readily conformed to the idolatrous usages of the nations amoog whom they were scattered by the Captivity, and so have been incorporated with them. Yet neither the authority, the frowns, the examples, or the favour of their conquerors or powerful neighbours; nor their own fears, hopes, interests, or predilection for the sensual, jovial worship of idols, could prevail with them to run into gross idolatry, during the Captivity or afterwards I Nay, they were instru- mental to the proselyting of numbers of idolaters to the worship of Jehovah, in the countries where they were dispersed" (Scott). This is certainly a remarkable fulfilment of prophetic prediction; and it furnishes: 1. Evidenoo of the omniscienoo of God. He clearly and certainly foresaw what the result of the Captivity would be in this respect. Such foreknowledge points to the omniscience of him who possesses it. "0 Lord, thou bast searched me and known me,'' etc. (Ps. cxxxix. 1-4). Thie knowledge should prove: (1) .A. restraint to the evil-doer. There is no possibility of sinning in secret (cf. Job xxxiv. 21, 22; Ps. xc. 8; Heb. iv. 13). (2) An inspiration and consolation to every one who trusts in God. 11 Our individual life," to uee the words of Dr. Parker, "is all understood by him. That life is but dimly known to ourselves. We catch glimpses of it here and there, but its scope and meaning are still unrevealed to us. We are often in shadow. There are scattered rays of light, but no steady shining of the sun which protects us from the mystery of much darkness. It is enough that God knows our life, and that hie wisdom is pledged as our defence. To-morrow is coming upon us, and we know not with what messages and revelations, with what joys and troubles; but God is coming with it, and in hie path is the brightness of all-sufficient wisdom." 2. Evidence of tl~ Divine inspiration of the prophet. The influence of past ea. xxm. 1-49.) 'l'HE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 31