Matthew Henry Commentary Ezekiel 11
Matthew Henry Commentary
Ezekiel 11
Matthew Henry Commentary
Ezekiel 11
"Moreover the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of Jehovah`s house, which looketh eastward: and behold, at the door of the gate five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. And he said unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise iniquity, and that give wicked counsel in this city; that say, [The time] is not near to build houses: this [city] is the caldron, and we are the flesh. Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man. And the Spirit of Jehovah fell upon me, and he said unto me, Speak, Thus saith Jehovah: Thus have ye said, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind. Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain. Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this [city] is the caldron; but ye shall be brought forth out of the midst of it. Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword upon you, saith the Lord Jehovah. And I will bring you forth out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you. Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. This [city] shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither have ye executed mine ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are round about you. And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord Jehovah! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?" — Ezekiel 11:1-13 (ASV)
Where Satan cannot persuade people to look upon the judgment to come as uncertain, he gains his point by persuading them to look upon it as distant. These wretched rulers dare to say, "We are as safe in this city as flesh in a boiling pot; the city walls will be to us like walls of brass, and we will receive no more damage from the besiegers than the cauldron does from the fire."
When sinners flatter themselves to their own ruin, it is time to tell them they will have no peace if they continue. No one will remain in possession of the city except those who are buried in it. Those are least safe who are most secure.
God is often pleased to single out some sinners as a warning to others. Whether Pelatiah died at that time in Jerusalem, or when the fulfillment of the prophecy drew near, is uncertain. Like Ezekiel, we ought to be greatly affected by the sudden death of others, and we should still plead with the Lord to have mercy on those who remain.
"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel, all of them, [are they] unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from Jehovah; unto us is this land given for a possession. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they are come. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh; that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord Jehovah." — Ezekiel 11:14-21 (ASV)
The pious captives in Babylon were insulted by the Jews who continued in Jerusalem, but God made gracious promises to them. It is promised that God will give them one heart; a heart firmly fixed for God and not wavering. All who are made holy have a new spirit, a new temper and dispositions; they act from new principles, walk by new rules, and aim at new ends.
A new name or a new face will not serve without a new spirit. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. The carnal heart, like a stone, cannot be made to feel. People live among the dead and dying and are neither concerned nor humbled.
He will make their hearts tender and fit to receive impressions: this is God's work, it is His gift by promise; and a wonderful and happy change is brought about by it, from death to life. Their practices will be consistent with those principles. These two must and will go together.
When the sinner feels his need of these blessings, let him present the promises as prayers in the name of Christ; they will be performed.
"Then did the cherubim lift up their wings, and the wheels were beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. And the glory of Jehovah went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. And the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me. Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that Jehovah had showed me." — Ezekiel 11:22-25 (ASV)
Here is the departure of God's presence from the city and temple. It was from the Mount of Olives that the vision went up, typifying the ascension of Christ to heaven from that very mountain. Though the Lord will not forsake his people, yet he may be driven away from any part of his visible church by their sins, and woe will be upon them when He withdraws his presence, glory, and protection.
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