Chapter 12 — Stuff for Removing
THE prophet is now called to address himself to the captives amongst whom he dwelt, for even with them was found that pride of heart that refused to believe the solemn warning of judgment. It seemed to them impossible that God should allow Jerusalem to be entirely destroyed, and its people to be dispersed. What was this but deadness of conscience as to the sin that had made this judgment necessary? But even so, might they not all speedily return and be once more established? What was this but unbelief in the word of the Lord through Jeremiah? Had he not already announced that for seventy years their captivity should last?
They were a rebellious house; they would not see, and they would not hear. And is not Christendom in our day as blind to its own rapidly approaching apostasy, and as deaf to all God’s plainest warnings of judgment? (see 2 Thess. 2). “Thou also shalt be cut off” (Rom. 11:22).
With wondering eyes the captives look on as Ezekiel gathers his stuff together by day and removes it in the twilight with covered face, so that he might not see the ground (verses 4-8).
What could this strange conduct mean? The explanation then follows. “This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.” How literally all was fulfilled that is here symbolically portrayed the after-history of Zedekiah, king of Judah, amply declares (see 2 Kings 25; Jer. 39:1-8). Zedekiah fled by night from Jerusalem but was followed by the Chaldean army, and brought to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, who there put out his eyes and brought him to Babylon — “yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there” (verses 8-17). How sad and humbling to think that God’s own people had sunk so low that only by the execution of such judgments would they recognize His hand “they shall know that I am the Lord.”
Ezekiel is then made to eat his bread with quaking, and drink his water with trembling, thus indicating that alarm that should fill the hearts of the few people left in Jerusalem after the dreaded Chaldean siege. “Say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord God of (i.e, concerning) the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, because the land shall be desolate... and ye shall know that I am the Lord” (verses 17-21). Solemn indeed is it to observe once more that the people of Jehovah are obliged to own that He is Jehovah, not through the abundance of His blessings which He was ever able and willing to bestow, but through His scattering and devastating judgments, the fruit of their own waywardness and folly. May we not all learn a much-needed lesson from this? How wise and gracious of our God to leave on record such histories of human failure and divine government! In God’s government we reap what we sow, and yet His grace in the end brings sweetness out of every bitter cup.
But God’s long-suffering patience with His erring people instead of bowing their hearts with contrition only filled them with greater unbelief: “Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect (i.e., accomplishment) of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision, nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God” (verses 21-27).
Long years before, the Preacher had lamented that, “because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Eccles. 8:1). So it was with Israel in Ezekiel’s day, and so it is with Christendom today. The scoffers abound, saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?” (2 Pet. 3:4), but it is that they may walk after their own lusts. It is the evil servant that says in his heart, “My lord delayeth his coming” (Matt. 24:48-50, and having once put far from him the evil day, abandons himself to every form of worldliness and fleshly license.
But the days were come for Israel when the word that Jehovah had spoken should be accomplished (verses 26-28).
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