The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 36

Ver. 16.-" The desire of thine eyes." I. A PICTURE OF DOMESTIC LOVE. Ezekie1'11 wife is called "the desire of his eyes." God has ordained marriage, and the blessedness of the true union of husband and wife is from him. It is in itself good and a source of further blessings. It is not the doctrine of the Bible that monkish celibacy is more holy than homely wedded love. 1. The blessedness of wedded love is a solace in trouble. If Ezekiel had a wife who could be described in the language of our text, it must have been refreshing for him to turn from the rancour of Jewish enmity to the sympathy of a true woman. The home is a sacred refuge from the storms of the world. 2. Wedded love is a type of Divine love. The Church is the bride of the Lamb. God loves his people as a true husband loves his wife. 3. Such a great blessing should be tenderly guarded. Wedded love may be hurt by want of thought as much as by want of heart. Small kindnesses constitute much of the happiness of life, and small negligences may make its cup very bitter. It needs care lest the bloom of love be ruthlessly brushed aside. II. A STROKE Oil' FEARFUL TROUBLE. 1. " The desire of his eyes" is taken from Ezekiel. A prophet is not exempt from the greatest troubles that fall to the lot of men. Divine privileges do not save us from earthly sorrows. Love cannot hold the beloved for ever. The pair who love much may yet be parted. This awful grief of widowhood may invade the happiest home. They who are never divided in love may yet be thrust asunder by "the dark divorce of death." 2. This trouble comes by <1 sudden stroke. Sudden death seems to be best for the victim, for it spares all the agonies of a protracted illness, and all the horrors of the act of dying. But to those who are left it comes as an awful blow I Still, as such events do occur in the most affectionate and most peaceful households, we should do well to be prepared for them. The sweet summer garden of to-day may be a waste, howling wilderness to-morrow. 3. The trouble comes from God. Therefore it must be irresistible. On the other hand, it must be right. We cannot understand why so fearful a blow should fall. We can only say, "It is the Lord." III. A BEQUIREHENT OF UNNATURAL RETICENCE. Ezekiel is not to "mourn nor weep." Inwardly his grief cannot be stayed, for no man can escape from nature; but all outward signs of grief are to be suppressed. This is a hard requirement. 1. Public men m'USt repress private emotion. Here is one of the penalties of a prominent position. The great duties must be performed as though nothing had happened. The leader of others must present a confident face to the foe, though his soul is wrung with despair. A smiling countenance must mask a breaking heart. 2. Private sorrow is buried in public calamity. The national disaster of Jerusalem is so huge that even the most terrible grief of sudden widowhood is not to be considered by the side of it. Grief is generally selfish; but what is one soul's agony to the misery of mankind? 3. Divine judgments are not to be gainsaid. Ezekiel's trouble is typical. Hengstenberg and others hold that he did not really lose his wife-that the story is but a parable. Even though we take it as history, we see that it is used as an illustration of the fate of the Jews. This was unanswerable. The penalty was deserved by the guilty nation. Guilt is silent. In all sorrow we have no right to reply to God, The psalmist says, "I was dumb" (Ps. xxxix. 2). Christ went to his cross in silence. "As a sheep," etc. (Isa, liii. 7). 4. God h,1s consolations for patient sorrow, Though the mourner is silent, God is not, and his voice whispers peace to all his trusting sons and daughters in their sorrow, Ver. 27.-Thedumb mo11thope11ed. I. TnEnE IS A TIME TO KEEP SJLENOE. Ezekiel was not stricken dumb physically like Zacharias. He was silenced by circumstances and the will of God. Even a prophet may have to learn that "silence is golden." Consider the indications of the time to keep silence. 1. When one has nothing to say. It is a great mistake to speak been.use one ought to say something instead of waiting \ill there is something to be said. Prophets have not always messages to deliver, 38 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [cu. xXIv. 1-27.