Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

EZEKIEL - CHAPTER 7

MESSAGE AGAINST MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL, CONCLUDED

IMMINENCE OF DOOM OF THE LORD, v. 1-4

Verse 1 reasserts that what Ezekiel is prophesying, and about to prophesy and write, is not his own message, but the very word of the Lord. While he was the obedient mouthpiece, the message was directly of and from the Lord, to Israel, Ezekiel 2:3; 2 Peter 1:21; Revelation 1:1; Revelation 1:19; Revelation 22:19.

Verse 2 directs Ezekiel as "son of man," to assert to the land or country of Israel that "an end, the end" had come down upon the four corners or parts of the land, to cover all the land or country of Israel. Chaldea’s armies swept across the country of Israel numerous times, sparing neither age nor sex, destroying houses, burning crops and destroying grain that they themselves could not carry away, leaving a depressed, impoverished remnant to be ravaged by pestilence and plagues, as they made their final sweep until the monarchy of David should be no more left in the land, v. 3, 6; Amos 8:2; Matthew 24:13-14.

Verse 3 concludes that "now," or at hand, forthwith, these judgments should fall upon them, as the fruit of sins of former generations of their people. Their iniquity and rebellion against God had become so continued and accumulated that they had no further time or space for confessions of their sins so as to bring amendments of God’s threatened and long delayed chastening, Proverbs 1:26; Proverbs 29:1. God’s irresolute judgment for their abominations was expressed in three ways in this verse: a) "I will send," b) "I will judge," and c) "I will recompense."

Verse 4 asserts that the Lord would not spare (excuse) or pity the land of Israel from or in her hour of just punishment. She was to be judged according to, or in harmony with, her ways and her abominations throughout the land, until she came to know, recognize, or comprehend that the Lord God was her true master, Ezekiel 5:11; Ezekiel 8:18; Ezekiel 9:10; Ezekiel 12:20; Deuteronomy 28:58-62.

Verse 5 reassures that the Lord God of Israel says, "an evil" or grave judgment, "an only evil" or only grave judgment left, a final. calamity, such as was never before seen, is to be beheld, as it surely falls upon or sweeps over all the land, like a prairie fire or a swelling flood, making an utter end of all forms of religious and civil and family rule for Israel in her land, Ezekiel 5:9; Nahum 1:9.

Verse 6 adds, without repetition that "and end," inevitable finish, has come to end Israel’s state. The end had been slumbering, lingering, watching for Israel’s sake, but mercy was to linger no longer over any of her people yet lingering in her land, Psalms 78:65-66; Romans 2:1-2; Romans 10:20-21.

Verse 7 continues the lament of pending trouble. The meaning of the warning phrase "The morning is come unto thee," the time magistrates sentenced offenders, seems to allude to the beginning of the final turn of fate. Calamity was at hand for all Israel, who yet dwelt in the land. "The day of trouble," (double-trouble) is announced to be at hand, v.12; and not the "sounding again of the mountains," or never again would praises of idol worship be shouted by them from the mountain tops, to defy the living God, as in their recent past, Jeremiah 21:12; Zephaniah 1:14-15; 1 Thessalonians 5:5-7.

Verse 8 sounds a repetition that the calamity judgment can not be retarded but will shortly, nigh immediately, fall as God’s Spirit would not always strive with men, individually or nationally, to turn them from their sins, v. 3, 4; Genesis 6:3; Proverbs 1:26. The people were to learn, as a new generation, that it was the Lord who caused the Chaldeans to overrun their land, as a direct result of the sins of their fathers, Exodus 18:2.

Verse 9 further reiterates the idea that an Eternal, Holy God would not further tolerate, spare, or show pity on the polluted land of Israel, that was to be an "holy" or sanctified land, Leviticus 11:44-45; Leviticus 20:7; Numbers 11:18.

Verse 10 calls upon all to behold or take note of the morning of the day of judgment. While at hand, this referred to the rod that had blossomed and pride that had budded, alluding to the proud oppression of Nebuchanezzar and the Babylonians, the instruments of God’s vengeance, Isaiah 10:5. But each of the prophets seemed also to allude to that day of judgment of rewards and losses to which every child of God shall one day be brought in judgment, 1 Corinthians 3:8; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11.

Verse 11 declares that violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness or brought divine judgment upon all the land of Israel, Isaiah 5:7; Jeremiah 6:7; Amos 3:10. None in the whole land shall escape the catastrophes to be inflicted by the Chaldeans, whom God in His Sovereignty was to use, to execute His wrath upon His backslidden, rebellious, and idolatrous land. The judgment was to be so severe that there would not be one left unpunished to comfort another, Jeremiah 16:5, much as in Egypt that fateful night of Divine judgment, Exodus 12:30.

Verse 12 again reminded them that the time, day, or period had come, drawn near, so that the buyer of new property should not rejoice nor should the seller mourn; When captivity stared them in the face, the property owner would soon lose it all, and the one who had sold it would join him on a plane of equality, as slave brothers in a captive land. God’s wrath had been irrevocably fixed upon all who were in the land, v. 13; Leviticus 25:13; 1 Corinthians 7:38. This was the burden of Ezekiel’s prophecy, which he was to deliver, faithfully to all the house and land of Israel, both speaking and writing, passing the message on and on across the land, v. 7; Romans 1:18; Psalms 76:10; Psalms 90:7-8.

Verse 13 warns that the seller will never be permitted to return and repurchase the land or properties that he hastily sold, even in the year of jubilee, Leviticus 25:13. All hope of recovery of accumulated wealth, accumulated in willful rebellion against God, was to be forever forfeited, like that of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah, like that of the rich-barn-builder who lived for self alone, and like Annanias and Saphirra, Genesis 19:12-13; Genesis 19:22-26; Luke 12:15-21; Acts 5:1-11.

Verse 14 describes the state of defeatism and despond to which all Israel had come in their land, once known as a courageous, ready, powerful people, they now ignored the "blowing of the trumpet, the call for able-bodied men to warfare, none would respond to defend property, religion, life or their country, Jeremiah 6:1. For God’s wrath was upon the multitude of the land, Proverbs 1:22-30.

Verse 15 states that the sword was "without," in the fields and countryside to slay, and pestilence and famine were "within" the cities, so that those in the fields "without" would die by the sword of the enemies. No security was to be found, Deuteronomy 32:25. And those "within" would be devoured by famine and pestilence, ravaging. disease, and plagues of vermin, Ezekiel 5:12; Lamentations 1:20. It was much as Christ warned of the Roman invasion, Matthew 24:16-18.

Verse 16 further prophesies that the few of the Israelites who do escape the sword and famine shall flee to the mountains, to keep themselves together, perhaps in dens and caves, where they would mourn like doves of the valley, each mourning because of his iniquity.

Like hunted doves of the valley, they would fly to the rocks of the mountains to protect themselves, cooing one for another, with mournful sound, to keep the flock together; So would mercy be extended or life of a few in Israel be preserved, Psalms 11:1; Isaiah 59:11. Sins often bring bitter fruit and many regrets that poured out prayers can not remove. Some sins are so grave against the flesh that man must pay for them in the flesh, even though God forgives the sinner, Galatians 6:7-8. If one becomes drunk, kills a companion or friend, breaks a leg or loses a limb in a drunken-caused accident, God can and will forgive him, but He will not restore the limb or bring the friend or loved one back to life; So it is with long pursued national sins of God-defying moral and ethical nature, Zechariah 12:10-12.

Verse 17 declares that the hands of all Israel should be feeble and their knees as weak as water in the face of their enemies when the enemies came upon them, incapable of resistance, Psalms 22:14; Ezekiel 21:7; Isaiah 13:7; Jeremiah 6:24. This was a repetition of their condition when they were smitten in Ai so that "the hearts of the people melted and became as water," Joshua 7:5.

Verse 18 further declared that they would cover themselves with sackcloth, and horror should seize them, as shame would cover their faces and baldness would be upon their heads, as an expression of deep grief, Psalms 55:8; Isaiah 3:24; Isaiah 15:2-3; Jeremiah 48:37; Amos 8:10. The baldness or sign of mourning was likely self ­inflicted, similar to that related, Ezra 9:3; Micah 1:16.

FURTHER JUDGMENTS DESCRIBED IN THE LAND, v. 19-27

Verse 19 foretold that they of Israel, in the day of the enemies invasion, would throw their silver into the streets and their gold would be discarded, as if unclean or polluted. It was not because they despised their gods of silver and gold, or their treasures, so much as to avoid the cruelty of their enemies, if they entered into their houses and found the silver and gold hidden there, Ezekiel 44:12. But their treasures of silver and gold would not: 1) Save or deliver them from the day of the wrath of the Lord, or 2) Satisfy their weary souls, or 3) Fill their stomach with nourishment because it had been used for idolatrous worship, to gratify the lusts of their flesh, 1 John 2:15-17; Proverbs 11:4; Zephaniah 1:18.

Verse 20 indicates that the ornaments that God had set in His tabernacle and temple, to symbolize His majesty, had been surrounded by images and statutes of detestable abominations that had been brought as idols into His Holy temple, Jeremiah 7:20. Because of such contemptible disregard for His law, He therefore vowed their coming calamity, Exodus 20:4; Psalms 115:4-9; See also Ezekiel 24:21.

Verse 21 confirms that the Lord purposed to give the temple and city of Jerusalem into the hands of the strangers, barbarous and savage nations, (heathen) as a prey, to be further profaned, polluted, and desecrated, and their glory destroyed, because of their father’s willful sins.

Verse 22 declares that the Lord would also turn His face or blessings and approval, away from the temple and the city of Jerusalem, as also described Isaiah 59:2. His "secret place", or Holy of Holies of the temple, where He had long appeared in His Shekinah glory to bless Israel, would soon be wholly desecrated, polluted by plundering heathen bandits or robbers who would enter it and take away the golden instruments of worship and sacrifice. Such was to come as a Divine chastisement upon the people of Jerusalem because of their idolatrous estrangement from God and His laws, Daniel 5:3-4.

Verse 23 relates that chains were to be made for absolute subjugation of the religious and political leaders of Judah and Israel, to carry them away captive into Babylon and Assyria, as bloody criminals are bound, to be controlled and humiliated in spirit. Jeremiah 27:2; Jeremiah 40:1. Their Holy city of Jerusalem had come to be a den of thieves, robbers, bandits, and murderers, filled with violence, so that the Lord was to withdraw His presence, as also described, Micah 3:10-12; Jeremiah 51:9.

Verse 24 warns that the Lord would bring the worst or most notorious of the heathen upon Israel, Habakkuk 1:6. The rude, rough, evil tempered, most inhumane, and blood-thirsty of the Chaldeans were to sweep into and over Israel and Judah, seizing their houses, justifying the counsel given them, verses 12, 13. God asserted that it was He who would make the "pomp," outward show of their leaders to cease and "their" holy places, now so polluted, that He would own them as "His" no longer.

Verse 25 continues warning that they of Israel and Judah should be cut off from peace and glory, not find it, even when desiring it, because of their day of earthly suffering for their chosen path of disobedience to God, 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

Verse 26 describes the coming of mischief upon mischief, rumor upon rumor; Fear, uncertainty, and alarming accounts of the coming of destructive armies would increase their terror, Jeremiah 4:20. They would then, when it was too late to pray or make amends for their wrongs, seek a hopeful vision from their prophets, in vain, Deuteronomy 32:23; Ezekiel 20:1; Ezekiel 20:3; Psalms 74:9; Lamentations 2:9. For the law administration was to perish or cease from the priest, and counsel from the ancient elders of Israel, Amos 8:11; Deuteronomy 17:10.

Verse 27 concludes that the Lord would cause the king, the prince, and the hands of the people all to be weakened and desolated from liberty, by the judgment hand of God until they knew that He was the Lord.