The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 274

III. TH& BLESSED ISSUE IN NEWNESS OF LIFE. "'l'hey lived, and stood up . . . an exceeding great army [or 'force 'l" (ver. 10). The glorious issue of this agency, human and Divine, is (1) life,-life in God's view, life in God, life unto God, life now and ever- more with God; it is (2) largely extended life,-an exceeding great army, innumerable, stretching over all lands and through all the centuries; it is (3) powerful, life,-the word translated "army" might be rendered "force." The "multitude of them that believe," and that have life by faith in Jesus Christ, should be a great forr,s or power for good. If it did but realize its resources, anJ knew how strong it was in Christian truth and the power of God which is at command, it would do far "greater works'" than any it ha.s yet accomplished for its Ma.ster and for mankind.-C. "Ver. 11.-The cry of the hopeless. " Our hope is lost : we are cut off to ourselves" (Fair bairn's translation); i.e. we are" cut off from the source of power and influence, and abandoned to ourselves." Takiog these words apart from their connection(though quite in accordance with their spirit and tenor), our attention is directed to- I. THE HOPELESS, BECAUSE THE ABANDONED. Many are they who have had, or still have, occasion to utter this most sad exclamation. It has been: 1. The remnant of a moribund race; or a dishonoured community (like Israel in Egypt or in Babylon); or a people held in hopeless slavery or a company of men and women doomed to lifelong exile (Cayenne or Siberia). 2. Individuals, or families, or email groups of those who have once cherished hopes, perhaps high hopes, of a happy life, but who find themselves hopeless, cut off, a.way from all their resources, abandoned to themselves, with nothing but misery and death in view; it may be the marooned or castaway, left on some lonely island to pine and die; or it may be the condemned felon when the last effort to obtain a reprieve ha.s failed; or it may be the family in the great city allowed to perish for lack of food; or it may be the helpless straggler whom the army has left behind to fall into the hands of a barbarous enemy. Sad and pitiable in the last degree is the fate of those who have to lament that they are "cut off (and abandoned) to themselves." Distinguished from these are: 3. The spiritually hopeless. Those'Who are perplexed and distressed in heart, because (1) they cannot satisfy their minds as to the reality of sacred truths, as to the soundness of Christian doctrine; or because (2) they cannot find the peace and rest of heart they have been long seeking; or because (3) they fancy that they have sinned beyond forgiveness and restoration. These souls cannot find the help they need; it seems to them that '' no man careth for their soul," or can enter into their feelings, or go down to the dark depths of their necessity. They do not know what to do in their extremity ; everything and every one has failed them; their "hope is perished;" they are "cut off" and abandoned. II. TREIB ONE RESOURCE. When man fails us, we can tum to God and trust in him. In him the helpless and the hopeless find their Refuge. "I am a.lone, and yet not a.lone, for the Father is with me," said our Lord. And many thousands of his disciples have irained relief where their Master sought and found it. The great and supreme fact that God "remembered us in our low estate;" that when we were as a race utterly undone, "cut off" from all resources, with no hope whatever in man, he had compassion on ue, and stooped to save us ;-this is the strong, unfailing assurance that God will not desert us, even though we abandon one another. However low be our condition, and in what- ever sense we may be hopeless, we may confidently count upon (1) the near presence of God; (2) the tender sympathy of our Divine Friend; (3) his gracious and timely succour. '!'his will come to us, indeed, in his own time and way, which may not be after our choice or according to our expectation. But it will come; for it is quite impossible that the eternal Father will abandon bis children, that the once-crucified aocl now exalted Saviour will leave to their fate those for whom he died, and who turn earnest eyes to him for help and for salvation.-C. Vere. ;n-28.-The blessed kingdom. Understanding this Divine promise to find its true and complete fulfilment in the kingdom of Christ, we may recognize some of the features of that kingdom as it will one day be constituted. . I. lTs ONE ACKNOWLEDGED HEAD. The ideal "David" (vers. 24, 25) is found, not m any future ruler like Judas Maccabmus, but in Jesus Christ; in him who is exalted "to be a Prince and a Saviour," the Lord and Sovereip of his people everywhere. A 011. :xxxvw. 1-23.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPSET EZEKIEL. 283