The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 69

whole body. War brings nothing but loss in the long run. SeHhh. corrimerce does not ultimately pay. Greedy competition overreaches itself and reaps a Nemesis of general commercial depression. It is often found that the ruin of one house of business is followed by that of others. A market is injured, and all concerned with it suffer. Selfishness, envy, jealousy, and greed destroy mutual confidence. They introduce a condition in which every man's hand is against his fellow. 'l'his must be one of general disaster, because it is one of general distrust. We do not suffer in the end by being magnanimous. Assuredly these considerations apply with double force to religious communities. The Church that exults in the downfall of its rival cannot truly prosper. Here, indeed, what hurts a member of the body hurts the whole body. Far wiser as well as higher was the spirit of St. Paul, who rejoiced in the preaching of the gospel by a.11 mea.ns, even though, in some cases, it involved enmity to himself (Phil. i. 18). Ver. 8.-Divi'M antagonism. L IT IS POSBmLE FOB Gon TO BE IN ANTAGONISM TO MEN. We have come to regard the quarrel between man and God as one-sided. Now, it is one-sided in its Oiigia, its evil, and its malice. God never wishes to be at war with men, and never originates any breach of the peace, His conduct throughout is just, considerate, marvellously long-suffering. Even when the conflict is forced on to an· extremity, God never ceases to love his foolish, fallen children. ~He is ever waiting to be gracious, longing for signs of contrition and a door of reconciliation. The origin of the quarrel, its evil, and its malice are all on our side, But this does not mean that God takes no part in it, that he only stands before us as an impassive and immoble granite wall that we may dash our heads against, but that never moves an inch against us; much less that he gives way before our rebellious onslaught, and weakly yields to wilful opposition on our part. We can provoke the Lord to 11,nger (Ps. lxxviii. 58). '' God is angry with the wicked every day." (Ps. vii. 11). As Lord and Judge, he executes sentence. By necessity of righteousness, he sets himself in array against his sinful creatures. II. SIN PROVOKES THE ANTAGONISM OF Gov. God was angry with Tyre for its wickedness, and his anger was not mitigated by the fact that the greedy were rejoicing over the calamities of their neighbours. All sin rouses the anger and active opposition of God. He is not opposed to any one from prejudice, as men are too often opposed to their neighbours. But sin, which is opposition to the will of God, must needs be opposed by him if that will is to be done on earth as it is in heaven. This, then, is not a question for a. few rare souls in the awful condition of victims of Divine displeasure. Every sinner has God for his opponent. The fatal punishment of others ought to be a warning. It was not so taken by Tyre. Instead of seeing a dreadful lesson in tho ruin of Jerusalem, the Tyrians rejoiced over it. Such wickedness the more stirred up the antagonism of God. Now, these Tyrians were heathen people, judged only according to their light. Yet they were condemned, for the ground of judgment was moral evil, not defective theology. But much more must God be in antagonism to those who have fuller light and yet rebel against him. "Therefore thou art inexcusable," etc. (Rom. ii. 1). ill CHRIST HAS COME TO PUT AN END TO THE DIVINE ANTAGONISM. This does not mean that God is reluctant to sheathe his sword, till Christ succeeds in persuading him to do so; for our Lord was seat by his Father for the express purpose of making peace. But the cause of the antagonism bad to be removed, and Christ came to effect that end by making his great atonement for sin. Through this also he brought men into a new state of repentance, and reconciled them to God. Now, we are under the doom of Divine antagonism, so long as we live in unrepented sin. But the offer of the gospel shows the way of escape from it in free forgiveness and perfect restoration to the favour of God. Ver. 7.-The mlllBion of Nebuchadnezzar. I. Gov EMPLOYS BUMAN AGENT!!. He docs not shatter Tyre as he created the world, with a word. Nor does he send Michael and the hosts of heaven with flaming swords to smite the devoted city. 'l'he devastating conquests of Babylon effect his purpose. Nebuchadnezzar is his" servant" (Jer. xxv. 9). In the happier work of bringing salvation to a ruined world God uses human agents. ou. xxvr. 1-21.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 71 - ----- ·--- --------------------------- God appear~d incarnate in a human form, .Apostles were next sent forth to proclaim the glad tidrngs~ In the present day God uses human ministers of juatice and human ministers of mercy. II. Gon EMPLOYS AB BIB AGENTS MEN WHO DO NOT KNOW HIM, This is the singular fact brought before us in :relation to the use of N ebucha.dnezzar as a. minister of Di vine judgment. The King of Babylon was a heathen monarch, who did not acknowledge the true God (see Dan, iii. 15). Yet he was impressed into the Divine service. We may serve God unconsciously. It is possible to be an instrument for effecting his purposes even when we are thinking that we a.re resisting them. The Jews who crucified Christ were unconsciously the means of lea.ding his work on to completion. Thus God controls men. He claims all; he uses all. For he is the God of a.11, though all do not own or even know him. III. Gon EMPLOYS BAD MEN AS BIB AGENTS. The worst thing a.bout Nebuchad- nezzar was not his paganism, for which he was not responsible, as he had inherited it from his ancestors;. but hie wickedness, his cruelty, his ambitious greed and intolerant despotism. • Yet· not only was this man unconsciously enlisted in the service of God. His very wrath was made to praise God, and the very exercise of his wicked disposition was just the thing that carried out the Divine purpose. The nations were chastised according to the ends of Divine justice by the unjust and wicked scourge of N ebucba.d- nezzar's invasions. Thie wonderful fact does not solve the enigma of evil, but it helps to lighten the burden of that great mystery. We see that evil itself may be turned into a ministry of good. IV, Goo's EMPLOYMENT OF HUMAN AGENTS IS NO JUBTm0ATION OF THEIR CONDUCT. The use of their action is no defence for it. God does not approve of Nebuchadnezzar because he seizes that cruel monarch's plans and makes them to fall in with his own holy purposes. Nebuchadnezzar must be content to be judged by the moral character of his deeds, not by the unsuspected Divine.issue of them, It is no excuse for sin that God may overrule it for good. The Jews were not exonerated from blame in rejecting Christ because this rejection was the means of the world's redemption. We may be used by God to high ends, and then cast away as worthless souls unless we serve him consciously end do his will from our hearts.