Hosea tells you that after two daies hee will revive his people and in the third day raise them up though they bee like men dead and buried yet God hath his time to revive raise and to cause to live in his sight They were as dry bones in Babylon and served a hard service there but there was a day wherein God gave them rest from their sorrow fears and servitude Isa 14.3 4. The Gentiles were a long time in the wildernesse in a lost and perishing condition Eph. 2.12 there was a time they were without Christ without hope without God in the world but God had a day to manifest his choice of them vers 13. but now in Christ Jesus they who were sometimes a farre off are made nigh there was a now a time a day for them So Zeph 3.16.19 20. Obs 2 The taking of a people to be the Lords is of meer grace and mercy It is Gods own free act In the day when I chose Israel Israel did not chuse him Israel had nothing to affect him but out of his good pleasure hee chose Israel The Lord makes open protestation Deut. 7.7 8. that hee did not set his love upon them nor chuse them because they were more in number than other people but because he loved them and what made God love them were they better than other Nations they came of the Amorites and Hittites they were in their bloud when hee said unto them Live Ezek. 16.3 6. did hee foresee they would beleeve repent and persevere in keeping his commands and honour him above the rest of the world no hee foresaw that they would bee more wicked than the Nations and Countries round about them Eze. 5.6 7. and exceed Sodom Samaria in wickednesse as it is Ezek. 16.47 51 52. what was it then caused God to love chuse this people nothing without God himself all was within doors that stirred him up to do it I will say to them which were not my people thou art my people Hos 2.23 Gods will is the cause and nothing else Rom. 9.18 Hee will have mercy on whom hee will Isa 41.9 I have chosen thee and not cast thee away Obs 3 When Gods people are in troubles he discovers and reveales himself unto them one way or other by one means or other I made my self known unto them in the land of Egypt that was a land and house of bondage to them they met with reproaches threats stripes rigour and hard labour there and when the case was so with them then God unmaskes and shews himself unto them When Josephs brethren were in great trouble then hee made known himself unto them Gen. 45. and so did God unto his people by Moses and Aaron hee made known what Promise and Oath hee had made to Abraham Isaac and Jacob hee made known his tender-heartednesse to them that their cries came up to his ears and that he was affected with their sorrows and would no longer indure the Egyptians to oppress them he made known his mighty power unto them that hee was stronger than Pharaoh and all his strength Deut. 4.34 35. hath God assayed to go and take him a Nation from the middest of another Nation by temptations by signs and by wonders by warre by a mighty hand by a stretched out arm and by great terror according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes unto thee it was shewed that thou mightest know that the Lord hee is God The Lord made himself known by these in an eminent manner unto them It is Gods way and wont to appear to his in the time of their calamitie and darkness Isa 54.11 12 13 14. O thou afflicted tossed with tempests and not comforted Behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires I will make thy windows of Agates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones And all thy Children shall bee taught of the Lord and great shall bee the peace of thy Children in righteousnesse shalt thou be established c. What a precious glorious discovery of God was here unto the Church being in a storm So when Rachel wept for her Children and refused to bee comforted because they were not how did the Lord break out of the Clouds and shine when hee said to her refrain thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from tears for thy work shall bee rewarded saith the Lord and they shall come again from the land of the enemie In the time of affliction Gods words and works are more observed take deeper impression indear more unto him therefore hee loves to manifest himself in them Obs 4 God knowing mens weaknesse condiscends for to strengthen and establish them in the assurance of his favour towards them Not onely by word and works did God evidence it that the seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob were his chosen ones his people which might have sufficed but hee took his oath on 't I lifted up my hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob yea that it might bee the more firm hee doubled it When I lifted up my hand unto them Saying I am the Lord your God For God to tell any people hee hath chosen them argues great favour then to appear unto them and make large manifestations of himself and his good will unto them by words providentiall and wonderful working for them argues more and more favour and then to swear unto them or declare hee hath sworn unto them and not onely to do some few things for them but to bee their God this is height of favour wonderful stooping on Gods part and this hee did to confirm their hearts in assurance of his love God cannot falsify his word much lesse his Oath God did swear that Abraham and his seed might have strong consolation not stagger question his love any more and the Apostle applies it to himself Heb. 6.17 18. to all beleevers who are heirs of the promise and under the oath of God that we might have strong consolation Vers 6 In that day that I lifted up my hand unto them to bring them forth of the Land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them flowing with milk and honey which is the glory of all lands God having chosen the Jews to bee his people made himself known unto them and professed himself to be their God here hee tells them of the good promise hee made unto them which was to bring them out of Egypt into Canaan The praise and encomium whereof is set out more fully in this ver than in any part of holy writ besides its threefold 1 From the discoverer it was a land of Gods looking out for them 2 From the Commodities it had that in plenty it flowed with milk and honey 3 From the eminency of it above other Lands it is the glory of all Lands Of Lifting up the Hand hath been spoken in the former
Nations Heylin Cosmogrâ— Vide Lyra in Ezek. 20 6 besides women children and such as were not able to fight 2 Sam. 24. this land was the glory of all lands in regard of the fruitfulnesse and plenty of it of which see Deut. 8.7 8 9. cha 32.13 14. Isa 36.17 a land beyond Egypt though some have affirmed the contrary for Deut. 11.10 11 12. the land thou goest in to possesse is not as the land of Egypt from whence ye came out when thou sowedst thy seed and wateredst it with thy foot as a garden of herbes But the land whither thou goest to possesse it is a land of Hells and Vallies and drinketh water of the rain of Heaven A land which the Lord thy God careth for the eyes of the Lord thy God are alwaies upon it from the beginning of the year unto the end thereof This is a divine Testimony and an high praise of it and doth justly intitle it to bee the glory of all lands What our Prophet saith here of Canaan may bee suspected and seems to bee contradicted by Isaiah ch 13.19 where hee calls Babylon the glory of Kingdomes and if that be the glory of them how can Canaan bee the glory of all lands Hee speaks of the City Babylon which was the head of Chaldea and gave denomination to a great part of Mesopotamia and Assyria the walls whereof were two hundred foot high filty Cubits broad and sixty miles in Compass which the Babylonians counted the glory of Kingdomes and boasted of if it did exceed Jerusalem in its greatnesse richnesse strength and populousness yet it fell short of it in other things Jerusalem represented the true Church Gal. 4.26 Heb. 12.22 Babylon the malignant and false Church Rev. 17.5 glorious things were spoken of Jerusalem and it was the faithful City Isa 1.21 the Holy City Isa 52.1 the City of Truth Zach. 8.3 a City of Righteousnesse Isa 1 26. the City of the Lord of Hosts such things were never spoken of Babylon Again if Babylon bee the Glory of Kingdomes it s not said to bee of all kingdomes it might bee the glory of Heathenish Kingdomes it was not the glory of Canaan for there was the Idol Bel other Images and abominable Idolatry Jer. 51.44 47. which eclipsed the other glory it had Again if it bee granted that Babylon was the glory of all Kingdomes and so of Judea or Canaan yet take Canaan in its latitude with all its excellencies and so considered it is the Glory of all Lands and beyond Babylon taken for the City or the Countrey for besides its milk and honey its fruitfulnesse and plenty there was something of an higher nature which made it so For 1 It was the land of promise Heb. 11 9. 2 A type of Heaven Heb. 3.11 3 The land God chose to dwell in Ps 132.13 14. Exo. 15.17 4 In it was the Temple Worship Ordinances and Oracles of God 1 Kin. 6. 8. chapt Whence it was called the Holy Land Zach. 2.12 holy Habitation Exod. 15.13 the land of the Lord Isa 14.2 Ps 85.2 the land of uprightnesse Isa 26.10 the land of Immanuel Isa 8.8 and upon this account it was the glory of all lands For no land besides in all the world was so called as this or had such prerogatives Obs 1 Old mercies should bee minded not onely by those they were first bestowed upon but also by their posterity who had benefit by them also In the former vers and this God mindes them of Old mercies his choice of them his making known himself unto them his professing himself to bee their God his bringing them out of Egypt which were some eight or nine hundred years before and his espying out a land for them which was four hundred years before that for it was in Abrahams daies that God took notice of that land Gen. 12. get thee to a land that I will shew thee vers 7. unto thy seed will I give this land These Old mercies God would have them to mind though they were in Babylon and deprived of that good land God had given them Let men bee in what condition they will Old mercies should not bee forgotten especially signal great emphatical mercies When God shall publikely own a people deliver them from great slavery put them into a state of freedome safety and honour provide all good things for them such mercies ought not to bee forgotten but to bee remembred from generation to generation This was done in Davids dayes Ps 44.1 2. Wee have heard with our ears O God our fathers have told us what worâ— thou didst in their daies in the times of Old how thou didst drive out the Heathen with thy hand Judges 6.13 Fathers told their children of the miracles God had wrought for them and how hee brought them out of Egypt and because men are apt to forget former mercies when they grow old they grow out of minde the Lord laid a charge upon the Jews that they should not forget them Deut. 6.10 11 12. And commanded them to remember the daies of Old and to consider the years of many generations and to inquire of the ancient what he had done for them Deut. 32.7 There bee no works like unto Gods works and they ought to bee had in remembrance David kept them in mind for hee professes to the Lord himself I remember the daies of Old I meditate on all thy works I muse on the work of thy hand he looked back to the daies of Noah of Abraham of Joseph of the Israelites and of Gods dealing with them because the heart is not quickly affected with old mercies and works of God he meditated and mused on them and that till his heart was warmed and stirred up to praise as it is Psal 105.5 remember his marvellous works that hee hath done his wonders and the judgements of his mouth O yee seed of Abraham his servant Obs 2 That Lands Countries and Habitations of People are appointed ordered and disposed of by the Lord hee brings them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that hee had espyed for them All souls and all lands are the Lords and whom hee will hee plants where hee pleases Hee distributes lands and habitations to whom hee thinks meet The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Psal 24.1 hee is the sole owner thereof the true Lord of the soil and all it brings forth and hee hath given it to the children of men Psal 115.16 hee hath assigned them their several portions Deut. 32.8 the most high divided to the Nations their inheritance when he separated the Sonnes of Adam the most high God being Lord paramount would not have the Sonnes of Adam to live all in one Country or Land but appointed them several lands and Countries to dwel in and set them their bounds and limits as you may see in Gen. 10. especially vers 25. where Eber names his Son Peleg which signifies division because the earth was divided in
at but when they sinne wilfully despising mee my Laws my worship they reproach blaspheme provoke mee so that they shall hear of it Son of man go and speak to the house of Israel go and tell them how they have dealt with mee and how I take it Such sins did deserve death Num. 15.30 31. The soul that doth ought presumptuously whether he be born in the Land or a stranger the same reproacheth the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s the same word is here for Blasphemed and may as well bee rendred so as reproacheth for hee that reproacheth the Lord blasphemes him and hee that blasphemes him reproacheth him they are joyned together 2 King 19.22 and what then That Soul shall bee cut off from among his people because hee hath despised the word of the Lord and hath broken his Commandement that soul shall utterly bee cut off There was no mercy for those sinned in that manner Heb. 10.26 28. many I fear commit such trespasses in these daies by speaking against Providence Ordinances Scriptures Angels Christ God himself and so sin away mercy and their own souls at once David prayed that God would keep him back from presumptuous sinnes Psal 19.13 and wee had need do it for there is that in our natures which carries us on strongly towards them as much as they did him remember what Solomon saith Prov. 28. Happy is the man that feareth alwaies but hee that hardeneth his heart that presumeth that is wilful pertinacious shall fall into mischief into mischievous sinnes into mischievous judgements chap. 13.13 Who so despiseth the word shall bee destroyed but hee that feareth the Commandement shall bee rewarded hee that sleights the word and waies of God destruction is his portion but he that fears to violate the command of God shall bee rewarded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee shall have peace safety a man by despising or fearing the word command of God doth neither hurt the one nor advantage the other but hee may hee doth hurt or advantage himself and that greatly 28 Then they saw every high Hill c. In this verse you have the Idolatry they fell into when they came into the Land of Canaan with the degrees thereof First Their Leaving of God and looking unto the Hills Iis locis arboribus quae prae caeteris erant insignes aliquid divinitatis in esse purabant Gentes Ideo ibi idolis sacrificabant Mariana yea every high hill and all the thick trees they gave liberty to their eies to spy out places suitable to their Idolatrous thoughts on hills and places beset with thick trees the Heathens worshipped and their Hearts and eyes were towards such places 2 Their making Altars and sacrificing there they offered there their Sacrifices c. they should not have sacrificed any where but in the place God appointed which was first the Tabernacle afterwards the Temple but they spied out hills groves thickets set up Altars and sacrificed on them those offerings which were peculiar unto God 3 Their Continuance and expencefulnesse therein they offered Sacrifices They poured out there their drink offerings 4 Their Content and delight they took therein there also they made their sweet savour The provocation of their Offering The Hebrew is The indignation and anger of their Corban 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Korban omne donum significat quod ad sacros usus offertur de pecoribus frugibus aliisque rebus Mincha Non tam late patet sed de frugibus terrae tantum in elligitur that is their approaching gift or offering Jun. hath it irritamentum oblationis suae the irritation of their oblation Piscat Oblationes irritantes provoking oblations because by them they did provoke God to anger to judgements There is a figure in these words called Hyppalage which is such a transposing of words as that is said of one which should bee said of the other as here provocation of offerings for Offerings provoking There also they made their sweet savour The Original for sweet savour is Reach nichochehem The Odour of their rests Odores grotos suos their acceptable odours when they had offered these they thought the Lord smelt a sweet savour was well pleased with them and so rested in them which phansied rest was pleasing to them though it lasted not neither had reality in it for their incense or sweet savour was a provocation to God Obs 1 That what the Lord promiseth hee makes good how difficult or impossible soever it seems to man The Lord had promised them Canaan and how should they come to it they were bond-men in Egypt there is a red Sea a vast wildernesse between Egypt and Canaan and beside Canaan had strong men in it sonnes of Anack Cities walled and great several Kings to oppose and keep them out but notwithstanding all these difficulties God having promised to bring them in hee did it when I had brought them into the Land for the which I lifted up my hand to give it to them His hand that was lift up to confirm them it should be done was let out for the doing thereof that hand could take away all doubts could also take away all difficulties There is nothing too hard for the Lord hee will work and who shall who can let it Isa 43.13 As hee is gracious to Promise so faithfull and able to perform and doth in due time make good whatever hee hath promised though it seem impossible hee said a Virgin should bring forth Isa 7.14 and was it not made good Mat. 1.18 that Abraham who was aged should have a Childe and his seed bee as the starres of Heaven and were not both made good Gen. 21.2 Exod. 12.37 Numb 11.21 not one word fail'd of all that God promised Moses 1 King 8.56 this should make us beleeve the promises of God what ever flesh and bloud objects Obs 2 Mens habitations are given and assigned unto them of the Lord I brought them into the Land I gave it them If men bee removed from place to place seated here or there the hand of the Lord is in it if they have commodious pleasant gainful habitations if they dwell safely under vines and fig-trees as it is 1 King 4.25 it s the Lords doing his providence disposed it so and wee should be thankful in and for our habitations and minde the heavenly Canaan and those mansions mentioned Joh. 14.2 prepared for those do beleeve and glorify God out of which when once we are possessed of them wee shall never bee removed Obs 3 Circumstances of time and place do aggravate mens sinnes and make them hainous When I had brought them into the Land then they saw every high hill there they offered sacrifices there they presented the provocation of their offerings there they made their sweet savour there they poured out their drink offerings here bee four theres every one aggravating and accenting their sinnes This was ingratitude with a witnesse that the Lord should
overturn overturn overturn Overturn the Church overturn the State overturn them for a long time which was very sad and bitter yet even now when hee is in a full carriere of overturning hee tells them of the comming of Christ who should bee their King wear the Crown and raise up the Kingdome again This was great mercy in the depth of misery if they lost an earthly Kingdome they should have a spiritual one if they lost a prophane and temporal King they should have a King of Righteousnesse an eternal King It is the method of the Lord when hee is bringing in dreadful judgements upon his People that have provoked him bitterly to lay in something that may support and comfort those have served him faithfully Amos 9.8 9 10 11. Behold The eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinfull kingdome and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob saith the Lord There was mercy mingled with judgement so in the next vers For Lo I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all Nations like as corn is sifted in a sive yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth here again is mercy in the midst of judgement So again in the two next verses All the sinners of my People shall dye by the sword which say the evil shall not overtake nor prevent us and what then In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruines and I will build it as in the days of old here is goodnesse with severity Obs 5 That how contrary soever Gods actings appear yet he will make good his promises hee is mindful of them and will be faithful The Lord had promised to set up his Sonne Christ to bee King in Sion the hill of his holinesse Psal 2.6 that the Government should bee upon his shoulder Isa 9.6 that hee would cause a branch of Righteousnesse to grow up unto David and hee shall execute judgement and righteousnesse in the land Jer. 33.15 what likelihood was there that these things should bee when the Lord overturns the land plucks up all by the roots and laies all in a dead condition and that for many daies and years They might have thought and said surely This death of the Crown of Church and State will bee the death of all those and other Promises but it was not so though a sentence of death was upon the land upon the Jews yet the living God kept life in the Promises hee minded them and said I will give it to him hee shall have this land the Kingdome and the crown hee shall sit upon Sion reign and execute judgement The actings of God sometimes are such that to mans apprehensions they will make void the Promises of God Psal 77.7 8. saith Asaph will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his Promise fail for evermore Gods hand was heavy upon him his proceedings with him such as his soul was greatly afflicted questioned the truth of his Promises and was ready to despair but what saith hee in the tenth verse This was my infirmity There was no infirmity in God hee had not forgotten his Promise it was not out of his sight though out of Asaphs mans faith may fail him sometimes but Gods faithfulnesse never fails him Psalm 89.33 God will not suffer his faithfulnesse to fail Gods operations may have an aspect that way the Devils temptations and our unbeleeving hearts may not onely make us think so but perswade us it is so when as it cannot be so for the Lord will not suffer it hee will not make a lye in his Truth or faithfulnesse so the Hâ—brew is hee is a God cannot lye he is truth speaks truth and not one of his Promises can or shall fail which may afford strong Consolation unto all that are under any promise of God Vers 28 And thou Son of man prophesy and say Thus saith the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach even say thou The sword the sword is drawn for the slaughter it is fourbished to consume because of the glittering 29 Whiles they see vanity unto thee whiles they divine a lye unto thee to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain of the wickâ—â—â— whose day is come when their iniquity shall have an end In these verses and the rest to the end is contained the Prophesy against the Ammonites Two waies were spoken of in the 19 20 and 21. vers One leading to the Ammonites the other to the Jews Nebuchadnezzar using divinations to discover unto which of these he should go Divine Providence over-ruled the Divination so that he was to make his military expedition unto Jerusalem Hence least the Ammonites should bee secure and insult over the Jews whose judgements were now comming upon them The Lord commands the Prophet to denounce judgement yea the same judgement unto them In his Prophesy we have 1 The judgement which is the sword ver 28. 2 The Causes of it 1 Reproach ver 28. 2 Impiety and inhumanity ver 29. 3 The place where it shall be vers 30. 4 The Similitudes to which the judgement is likened vers 31. 5 The Event thereof vers 32. 6 The Ratification of the Prophesy ibid. Concerning the Ammonites The Hebrew is Ad filios Hammon To the children of Ammon These Ammonites came of the Jewish Race for they were from Lot and his younger daughter Gen. 19.38 who being with child by him named her Sonne Ben-Ammi who was the Father of the Ammonites and for Lots sake who was the root of them the Lord shewed them kindnesse long after Deut. 2.19 when the Jews came into Canaan they must not distresse them nor meddle with them the Ammonites land was given to the children of Lot for a possession and so the Moabites vers 9. had their land upon that account but the Ammonites though descended from the Jews were bitter enemies to them and made war against them Judg. 11.4 1 Samuel 11.1 2. 2 Chronicles 20.1 They were notorious Idolaters they had Molech and Milchom among them 1 King 11.7 2 King 23.13 They were cruel and bloody Amos 1.13 Concerning their Reproach Some would have the words taken passively here for the reproach they suffred from the Chaldaeans but they are rather to be taken Actively for the Reproach which the Ammonites put upon the Jews So Vatablus understands the words and other interpreters A lapide affirms Opprobrium sive ignominiam Ammonitarum vocat quo Israelem affecerant that the Ammonites upbraided the Jews and their God as weak and unwarlike because Nebuchadnezzar was comming to them and durst not meddle with the Ammonites It s certain the Ammonites bare the Jews no good will and were glad of opportunities to vent that ancient
it was as great an honour to the Countrey where it was as a Crown to a Kings head In Canaan were great and goodly Cities Deut. 6.10 In Midian were Cities and goodly Castles Numb 31.10 and these were the Ornaments and glory of those places Obs 6 Strong-holds Cities Nations are the Lords and hee gives them to whom hee will As hee gave the Ammonites so the Moabites Countrey unto the men of the East and that for a possession Ezek. 29.19 Behold I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon What had the Lord to do with Egypt was it not Pharaohs had hee any right to dispose of it to another King yes hee had more right to it than Pharaoh himself Jerem. 10.7 he is the King of Nations and may take from one and give to another at his pleasure Hee took the Kingdome out of Rhehoboams hands and gave it unto Jeroboam even ten Tribes 1 King 11.35 hee took the Land of Canaan from others and gave it unto Abraham and his seed Gen. 13.12 14 15. afterward hee took it from them and gave it with the great City thereof into the hands of the Babylonians Jer. 32.3 and with it every strong hold Hab. 1.10 and after seventy years gave it again unto the Jews Vers 12. Thus saith the Lord God because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance and hath greatly offended and revenged himself upon them 13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast from it and will make it desolate from Teman and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword 14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel and they shall do in Sodome according to mine anger and according to my fury and they shall know my vengeance saith the Lord God These verses contain a Prophesy against the Edomites who are the third sort of enemies to the Jews mentioned in this Chapter Here likewise as before you have 1 Their sin v. 12. 2 Their Judgements v. 13. 3 The Efficient and instrumental causes v. 14. 4 The End of those judgements ibid. 12 Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah By Edom are meant the Edomites or Idumaeans who descended from Esau who Gen. 36.8 9. is called Edom and the Father of the Edomites which name hee had either from his red skin and hair Gen. 25.25 or rather from his selling his birth-right for red-pottage vers 30. make mee to eat min-haadom haadom hazzeh of that râ—d that red he was cruell and prophane not unlike unto him were his posterity the Edomites who ever bare ill will to the house of Jacob When the Jews came out of Egypt Moses sent to the King of Edom to let them have passage through their Countrey but hee refused and came out in hostile manner against them though they were his brethren Numb 20.14 18 20. It was Doeg an Edomite that fell upon the Priests and slew them 1 Sam. 22.19 That the Edomites unkindnesse might not lye upon the spirits of the Jews and beget ill bloud in them the Lord made a Law that they should not abhor an Edomite because they were their brethren Deut. 23.7 he took care that there might bee brotherly love between them but there was very little Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance What cause the Edomites had to deal revengefully with the Jews we must inquire They being borderers upon the Jews Josh 15.1 and full of enmity against them did many times vex and prejudice them whereupon when Saul was King he fought against them as being their common enemies with others 1 Sam. 14.47 and David slew all their Males lying upon them six months with his Army 1 Kin. 11.15 16. and made them tributary putting garrisons in all parts of their Countrey 2 Sam. 8.14 After this in Jehorams daies they revolted and made themselves a King and hereupon were smitten by Jehoram and his forces 2 King 8.20 21. Amaziah also in his daies slew ten thousand of them 2 King 14.7 and other ten thousand did the children of Judah carry away Captive and threw them off the top of a rock and broke them in peices 2 Chron. 25.11 12. these things together with that ancient grudge they had against them for Jacobs getting the blessing and birth-right from Esau their Father made them splenetive and to seek revenge and therefore when they had any opportunity they used violence and shed innocent bloud Joel 3.19 and when the Babylonians came against the Jews carried them away Captive the Edomites rejoyced at it incouraged them against the Jews and said of Jerusalem Rase it rase it even to the foundation thereof Psalm 137.7 they were as the Babylonians Obad. ver 11. Thoâ— waste as one of them look what spirit was in a Babylonian the same was in an Edomite did they speak proudly so did the Edomites ver 12. did they enter the gates of Jerusalem and lay hands on the prey so did the Edomites ver 13. did they cut off many so did the Edomites they cut off those that did escape and delivered up those remained in the day of distresse ver 14. Thus they dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance The Hebrew for taking vengeance is in revenging a revenge Edom was greedy of revenge and set upon it so much the doubling of the word imports And hath greatly offended and revenged himself upon them Turpiter se dare ita ut propter culpam ceu poenam nondum expiatam affletur ceu exibiletur ab hominibus Avenar Vide Kirker in verbo Asham In the Hebrew its vaijeshmu ashom deliquerunt delinquendo they offended in offending that is they greatly offended Asham signifies to do wickedly shamefully and also to make desolate Ezek. 6.6 because abominable sinnes do bring desolation Junius renders the words thus and do make themselves guilty indesinenter for ever they so offended as that there was no pardon no mercy for them Piscator Reatum magnum contraxerunt They contracted great guilt Their revenging themselves upon the Jews made them exceeding guilty 1 The Jews were their brethren Obadiah 10. Amos 1.11 2 They were their neighbours Idumaea and Judaea bordered upon one another Mark 3.8 3 They were Confederates with the Jews Jer. 27.3 An Edomitish Embassadour was at Jerusalem who together with the Embassadours of the other Kings there mentioned were strengthening themselves with Zedekiah against Nebuchadnezzar Obad. 7. They therefore to revenge themselves for former wrongs done them upon the Jews and that in the day of their calamity this made their sin exceeding sinful 13 I will also stretch out my hand upon Edom. In the 7. vers the Lord had said that hee would stretch out his hand upon Ammon that is hee would severely punish it so now also hee would stretch it out upon Edom and make it
here the Lord threatned to make it desolate and waste The Hebrew is it shall bee for a desert and a reproach the wars should consume all Cities Villages men beast so that it should bee a reproachful wilderness stript of all its glory and ornaments And they shall know that I am the Lord. When I shall have brought in a potent enemy upon them and laid all waste then they shall know there is one greater than Pharaoh and the Egyptians to whom belongs the right of lands and rivers Because he hath said the River is mine and I have made it Here the Cause is specified why the Lord would deal so severely with Egypt because Pharaoh was so proud and arrogated so much to himself hee challengeth Nilus to be his and that hee by his Art and industry had made it so beneficial to all Egypt These words were spoken to in the third vers 10 I am against thee and against thy rivers In the third verse it s said Behold I am against thee Pharaoh King of Egypt and here I am against thee and thy Rivers hee was proud of and confident in his rivers that they would fertilize his land and secure him from enemies but God was against him and them and disappointed his confidences I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste The Hebrew is Lechorvoth choreu The solitudes of solitarinesse or the wastings of waste that is exceedingly waste there shall bee nothing considerable left therein it shall be as a dry wildernesse From the Tower of Syene even unto the border of Aethiopia Solinus makes Syene to bee in the front of Egypt between Nilus and the Red-Sea but others finde it to bee in the utmost parts of Egypt Southward five thousand furlongs above Alexandria Pliny reports under the Tropick of Cancer where at mid-day of the Solstice bodies have no shaddows Sands also in his Travailes Pliny natur histor l. 2. c. 73 places it above Thebes and under the Tropick of Cancer affirming that there was a Well of marvailous depth in it which was filled with light at the summer Solstice Sands trav l. 2 mihi p. 111. It s now called Asna Bonfrerius saith it s a City of Egypt in extremitate Thebaidis confinio Ethiopiae in the utmost part of Thebais and in the borders of Ethiopia In Hebrew the word is Seuneh in the Septuagint Sune therein was a Tower to defend from enemies they bordered upon or for other uses Even to the border of Ethiopia These words will not afford good sense so wee take Ethiopia as it is commonly taken for if the desolation were but from Syene to Ethiopia that was inconsiderable they being near together yea so near that Syene disterminated them It s improper to say England shall bee destroyed from Barwick to Scotland The word in Hebrew for Ethiopia is Cush which in sacred Scripture doth not alwaies note Ethiopia in Africa though frequently it doth for Gen. 2.13 The name of the second river is Gihon which there is said to compass the whole land of Ethiopia or Cush this cannot bee the African Ethiopia for Gihon ran not that way it was the Oriental Ethiopia of which Moses wife was Numb 12.1 Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom hee had married The Hebrew is the Cushite this woman was Zipporah the daughter of Jethro the Son of Revel the Midianite Exod. 2.15 18.21 chap. 3.1 so then the Midianites were the Oriental Cushites or Ethiopians of Asia of this sort its probable were those Ethiopians that came against Asa 2 Chron. 14.9 Zerah the Ethiopian came with one thousand thousand it had been too far a journey for so many to have marched out of the African Ethiopia Tostat upon the place saith the Ethiopians dwelt not onely in Africa but in Asia also Torncellus and others make this Ethiopia out of which Zerah came to bee the land of Midian The word Cush saith Junius upon the second of Genesis comprehends the three Arabiaes both the Ethiopiaes and all the Meridian coast The sense of our Prophet is that all Egypt should bee laid waste even from Syene in the borders of the African Ethiopia to Arabia and Midian which are Cush viz. the Oriental Ethiopia 11 No foot of man shall pass thorough it nor foot of beast shall c. By these and such like speeches great desolation is set forth unto us wee must not take the words so strictly as if no man or beast should bee found or left in Egypt but it should bee so wasted that trading should cease there should not bee such markets fairs and merchandiseing in her as was before men should not mind comming to Egypt nor have occasion to pass thorough it few men or beasts yet some should bee there Neither shall it be inhabited forty years After the taking of Tyrus by a long siedge Nebuchadrezzar had Egypt given him for that service which was in the seven and twentieth year of the Jews captivity vers 17. shortly after hee made war upon it spoiled it of man beast and all its glory and so it continued till the Babylonish captivity ceased which was some forty or three and forty years after There be different opinions among Expositors concerning the beginning of these forty years and their ending Vid Junium 12 In the midst of the Countries that are desolate Nebuchadrezzar made many Countries desolate according to the word of Jeremy ch 25.9 and among those Egypt was one so the words in the midst are to be understood And her Cities among the Cities that are laid waste As Egypt was fertile so populous and abounded in great Cities Lavater informes us that in the time of King Amasis it had twenty thousand Cities How many or how great soever they were laid waste by the Babylonian Army and that fourty years I will scatter the Egyptians among the Nations Where wars come many are consumed by the sword some are famished some devoured by the Plague and other diseases and doubtlesse though many Egyptians perished by such means yet some escaped and those God scattered and drave into other Countries Obs 1 Wars and the dismal effects of them are the just judgements of God upon perfidious Princes Pharaoh had deceived the Jews they leaned upon him for help but hee was a broken reed unto them Therefore behold I will bring a sword upon thee and it shall bee sharpe I will cut off man and beast out of thee Thou occasionedst my people to bee cut off through thy unfaithfulnesse and I will cause thee and thine to bee cut off through my fury Warres are dreadful but they are appointed sent and ordered by God where-ever they come Obs 2 Such is the efficacy and severity of Gods judgements as that nothing can stand before them or secure against them Egypt had strong Cities great Rivers was well peopled abounded in horses and charets Isa 31.1 yet the land of Egypt shall bee desolate and waste
enemy to God and his people how much more should Christians do and indure any thing for Christ their King and heavenly Commander if hee say go wee should go if come wee should come if pluck out your right eye cut off your right hand or right foot we should do so if hee calls us to indure affliction and suffer hard things wee should not stick at them no though it be the jeoparding of our lives knowing hee hath a spiritual and eternal reward for us Seeing men have done and suffered so much for heathens how can wee do or suffer too much for Christ Scipio Africanus had three hundred Souldiers who would clime a Tower if hee bid them or throw themselves from the top of a Tower at his command what dishonor will it bee to Christ if his souldiers will not do as much at his command as others have done at their Lords Commands Obs 5 Armies with their Generals and Commanders may serve long labour soâ—ely suffer hard things and after all these bee dis-appointed of their expectations Nebuchadrezzar caused his Army to serve a great service thirteen years so that their heads shoulders sides were bald and peeled and what then yet had hee no wages nor his Army they expected great matters in Tyrus which was so rich and full of all sorts of Commodities but found nothing considerable nothing answering their expectation or sufficient to recompence their charge and suffering This undertaking could not be without millions of money hopes they had that Tyrus being now the Mart of Nations would repay them with advantage but Tyrus wealth was dispersed and there was no money in Cash Sometimes armies find rich spoil and fat prey in the Towns and Cities they take and sometimes they find empty houses Obs 6 Nations Lands Kingdomes are the Lords and he disposes of them to whom hee pleases Behold I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar Hee would take it from Pharaoh King thereof and give it to another Neither did the Lord do any wrong unto Pharaoh because he was tenant at will and held upon these tearmes quam diu se bene gereret to bee King while hee carried himself well but hee grew proud insolent and like a Dragon lay in the midst of his rivers saying my River is mine and I have made it for my self God therefore took away his Kingdome from him and gave it to the King of Babylon hee looseth the loines of King and dis-misseth them from their Kingdomes Hee rejected Saul 1 Sam. 15.23 and gave his Kingdome to David chap. 16.1.13 hee rent ten Tribes from Rhehoboam and gave them to Jeroboam 1 Kin. 11.31 hee cast out many Kings and gave their lands to Nebuchadrezzar Jerem. 27.3 7. and v. 5. you may see upon what ground hee doth so I have made the earth the man and the beast that are upon the ground by my great power and by my stretched out arm and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto mee and now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar hee made the earth hee may give it to and take it from whom hee please it s his not ours no man is owner of the earth or any part of it it s the Lords therefore if hee break in peices mighty men without number and sets others in their stead hee wrongs hee oppresses none Job 34.24 Let not us be troubled that God hath done such things in our daies Obs 7 God in his holy and wise Providence makes use of Heathens or any instruments to do his work Nebuchadrezzar and his Army wrought for him they were his servants hee set them on work though they knew it not When Armies of Heathens do plunder Townes take Cities lay waste Kingdomes they are working for God they are executing his judgements though they minde it not God carries on his work let instruments bee what they will He can make use of the worst of men as well as of the best Hee can promote his interest by an Army of heathens as well as by an Army of Christians and let Armies bee what they will good or bad when they are at work they work for God they wrought for mee saith God It s good therefore not to stick upon the instruments which work but to look at the hand in which they are how that directs and regulates them look at him whose tooles whose servants they are This will quiet mens spirits and keep their tongues within compass Obs 8 The Lord suffers not any no not heathens and Infidels to labour for him in vain Hee gave the land of Egypt with all the wealth of it to Nebuchadrezzar and his Army who were the worst of the Heathen Ezek. 7.24 because they served and wrought for him God is just not like those Masters who set men on work and then will give them no wages whosoever works for God shall have his penny when the mid-wives would not destroy the male children of the Jews but save them alive because they feared God â—e dealt well with them and gave them houses Exod. 1.17 20 21. hee gave them habitations and blessed their families They were Infidels yet God rewarded their work Jehu was wicked yet because hee did the work of the Lord in rooting out Ahabs Family in destroying Baal with all the Priests and Temple of Baal therefore the Lord rewarded him and that largely 2 King 10.30 Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel which was made good in Jehoahaz Joash Jeroboam and Zachariah who came out of his loines and reigned after him 2 King 13 14 15. chapters How should this stir us up to do good and serve the Lord if Heathens shall not labour for him in vain much lesse shall Christians who know how to act from a right principle in a right manner and for a right end if they meet with hardship in his service hee will remember and reward it fully not with a temporal Kingdome but with an eternal the land of Egypt shall be given to Babylonians because the kingdom of Heaven shall bee given to Christians Luke 12.32 Fear not little flock it is your fathers pleasure to give you the Kingdome let us therefore bee stedfast and immoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as wee know our labour shall not bee in vain A cup of cold water two mites cast into the treasury a sigh a tear laid out for God and his interest shall not bee forgotten what Paul told the Hebrews I may tell you that God is not unrighteous to forget your work men may forget or reward poorly but God will not forget because hee cannot bee unrighteous nor reward poorly because he deals bountifully with his servants Psal 116.7 Obs 9 Execution of judgement upon proud
his daies After the flood at the building of Babel God confounded the languages and dispersed the posterity of Noah into diverse Lands and set them their bounds Gen. 11.9 and so when hee brought the Israelites into the land of Canaan hee gave them their bounds according to what you find Psal 78.55 Hee cast out the Heathen before them and divided them an inheritance by line and made the Tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents hee drove out and destroyed the Hittites the Girgashites the Amorites the Canaanites the Perizzites the Hâ—vites and the Jebusites seven great and mighty Nations Deut. 7.1 and gave the land unto his people the Jews If God now will drive out the bloudy perfidious and Idolatrous out of Ireland and give it unto others that the seed of his servants may inherit it Martin in the lives of the Kings of England Heylin in his Cosmograph Fox in Act and Monum Grafton Speed and that those which love his name may dwell therein who shall fault and blame him for it and that England hath had right thereunto not onely from Henrie the eighths days who was proclaimed King thereof in Parliament here and in an Irish Parliament likewise if Heylin say true but also from Henry the Seconds Time yea from Edgars who was long before appears by English History Obs 3 The Lord provides and bestows the choicest mercies upon his own people If there bee a land in the World that flowes with milk and Honey that exceeds other lands for plenty and pleâ—santnesse his people shall have it hee espies out Canaan for them that land was too good for Heathens his people must have it When God carried Jacob and his family into Egypt hee provided the good and fat of that land for them Gen. 45.18 yea they were placed in the best of the land chap. 47.11 God fed and filled his with the finest of the wheat Psal 147.14 Moses mentions seven things together in Deut. 32.13 14 15. as honey out of the rock Oyle out of the flinty rock Butter of Kine milk of sheep fat of lambs and Rams of the breed of Bashan and Goats fat of Kidnies of wheat the pure bloud of the grape these the Lord provided for his people and they had all an excellency in them When Gods gives honey oyle butter milk fat flower wine hee giveth the best and purest you may read what choice mercies God bestowed upon this people Ezek. 16.10 11 12 13. they had goodly pleasant things Joel 3.5 the Hebrew is goodly desirable things and David acknowledgeth hee had a goodly heritage Psal 16.6 God had not measured out to him a mean portion but a good yea a goodly heritage that which was so in the eies of all even a wealthy place Psal 66 12. God provided the best places in the Court for Esther and her maidens when in Babylon Esth 2.9.16 so likewise Daniel and the three Children were set in eminent places Dan. 2. 3. ch God made his people to ride tread upon the high places of the earth and of their enemies Deut. 32.13.33.29 Obs 4. Spiritual mercies make a land glorious yea more glorious than all that lands want the same whatever mercies they else injoy Canaan was the glory of all lands not so much for its flowing with milk and honey its great plenty it had as for the spiritual mercies it injoyed There was the Lords presence his Prophets his worship his Oracles and his Ordinances and these made it glorious yea more glorious then all the Nations farre or near Psal 76.1 2. In Judah is God known his name is great in Israel in Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place is in Sion God was not known in Babylon in Egypt in other Nations his Tabernacle and dwelling place was not amongst them therefore they were not glorious but see what is in the 4. vers Thou art more glorious than the mountains of Prey Thou Judah thou Israel thou Salem thou Sion that hast spiritual mercies and blessings art more glorious than they whatever their glory bee have the Nations abroad goodly towers thou hast the Temple have they stately Cities thou hast Jerusalem the City of God have they wise men thou hast the Prophets have they gods of gold silver and stones thou hast the true living God Jehovah to bee thy God have they humane Laws that are good thou hast Divine Laws that excel have they temporal excellencies thou hast spiritual have they the glory of the world thou hast the glory of Heaven Psal 50.2 Out of Sion the perfection of beauty God hath shined what made Sion so glorious and beautiful it was the presence of God if hee had not been there Sion had been like other mountaines and Canaan like other Nations but his presence was like the Sunne darting out her beams and making all lightsome glorious and beautiful Spiritual mercies are beams and raies of that God who is ten thousand times more bright than the Sunne by these hee shined in Sion and made it the perfection or universality of beauty by these hee shined out of Sion and darkned all the glory of the Nations what or how great soever it was where God and his Ordinances are there is glory and where these are not there is no glory but Egyptian Darknesse a land without the Sun In Canaan was spiritual light and glory There were glorious appearances of God glorious praisings of God glorious conversions of sinners unto God glorious sabbaths and assemblies and glorious beauties of holinesse glorious types of Christ and people who were the glory of God Isa 4.5 and had glorious communion with God There were glorious Truths Ordinances and dispensations of God So then wise Counsellors good Magistrates stout Souldiers rich Merchants industrious Labourers strong Towns stately Houses high Mountaines fertile Vallies pleasant Rivers goodly Corn-fields heards of Cattle flocks of sheep with plenty of all outward things do not make a land so glorious as spiritual mercies do if God Christ Gospel and the Ordinances of it bee in a land they make it glorious and glorious beyond all other things and above all other Nations Let us learn to know our true glory even spiritual mercies and prize them highly though loathed by some like Manna of old and pray that such glory may ever dwell in our Land Vers 7 Then said I unto them cast yee away every man the abominations of his eyes and defile not your selves with the Idols of Egypt I am the Lord your God This Verse is a command wherein you have the Commander the things commanded and the reason thereof 1 The Commander Then said I unto them 2 The things Commanded which are 1 Casting away of abominations where 1 You have a specification of these abominations they are the abominations of their eyes 2 The extent of this act every man 2 Non-defilement of themselves with Egypts Idols 3 The reason I am the Lord your God Then said I to
God and this people met God made himself known unto them then by sanctifying of them vers 12. for whom hee is a God unto hee blesses and sanctifies and specially on his Sabbaths then hee heard their Prayers accepted their offerings and let out his loving kindnesse unto them Obs 1 Having and hallowing Gods Sabbaths is a sign and manifestation that God is the God of that people The Jews had the Lords Sabbaths and hee bad them hallow them that so being hallowed they might signify and certify to them that God was their God As Circumcision and the Passeover were signes that the Jews were in Covenant with God so likewise was the Sabbath Exod. 31.13 and because it was a sign of the Covenant between them and God vers 16. God tells them they must observe it for a perpetual Covenant and hence it was that when they violated the Sabbath God accounted it the violation of the Covenant between them Vers 21 Notwithstanding the Children rebelled against me they walked not in my statutes neither kept my Judgements to do them which if a man do he shall even live in them they polluted my Sabbaths Then I said I would pour out my fury upon them to accomplish mine anger against them in the wildernesse Here the successelessenesse of Gods exhortation is evidenced hee pressed them to bee obedient and dutiful to him being their God but they rebelled and would not walk in his statutes nor keep his judgements their Fathers statutes and judgments they would walk in and observe they chose rather to be defiled and dye in their Fathers waies than to be sanctified and live in Gods waies Whereupon God had a purpose to destroy them as hee had formerly to destroy their fathers This Verse is the same with the 13. which hath been opened and the observations given Vers 22. Neverthelesse I with-drew my hand and wrought for my Name sake that it should not be polluted in the sight of the Heathen God having purposed their destruction saw that if hee should proceed thereunto the Heathens would make an ill sense of it and blaspheme his name for prevention wherof hee let fall his purpose and would not destroy them This Verse falls in with the ninth and fourteenth onely this is in it which they have not I with-drew my hand Vatablus hath it retraxi manum meam I drew back my hand Castalio revocavi I recalled it Jun. Trem. Reduceus manum meam bringing back my hand I wrought for my name Gods hand was stretched out and hee pull'd it back again The Hebrew word is in Hiphil And notes thus much I made to return I made mine arm come back again when it was going forth to destroy them Obs Gods people do oft provoke him both fathers and Children and so that they are at the door brink point of destruction and yet he is merciful unto them and that for his name sake When hee cannot shew mercy for their sakes hee will shew mercy for his own names sake In the eighth ver is set down their BUT but they rebelled against mee they would not hearken they would not forsake their Idols whereupon God purposed to destroy them In the ninth vers is Gods BUT but I wrought for my name c. in the 13. vers again is their BVT but the house of Israel rebelled c. then God was angry again and purposed to consume them in the â—4 vers you have Gods BUT again But I wrought for my names sake c. in the 16. vers you have their BUT the third time but they polluted my Sabbaths in the 17. you have Gods Nevertheless or BVT again for its the same in the Original Neverâ—helesse mine eye spared them c. in the 21. vers you have their Notwithstanding or BVT once more the Hebrew is the same with But before Notwithstanding or But the Children rebelled c. and in this 22. verse you have Gods BUT or Neverthelesse answering thereunto Neverthelesse I with-drew my hand and wrought for my names sake Four times in this Chapter you have them provoking God even to their ruine and as many times his sparing of them this last time his hand was stretched out even at the work and had hee strucken one blow had broken them all but hee recalled his hand hee would not let his power fall upon them to crush them in peeces but wrought for his name and their safety If wee have our Buts and Notwithstandings importing rebellion ingratitude and disobedience the Lord hath his Buts and Neverthelesses importing mercy patience and loving kindnesse Vers 23 I lifted up my hand unto them also in the wildernesse that I would scatter them among the Heathen and disperse them through the Countries 24 Because they had not executed my Judgements but had despised my Statutes and had polluted my Sabbaths and their eyes were after their fathers Idols In these two verses you may see 1 A commination backt with an oath in the 23. v. 2 The Reason thereof in the 24. I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness Of this Gesture used in swearing you heard before v. 5 6. but where it was done will hardly bee found in Moses writings that God thus lift up his hand and threatned to disperse them some thing like hereunto see in Deut. 4.26 27. ch 28.25.36 37 64. chap. 31.21 22 23 24 25 26. Lev. 26.33 in those places the Lord threatens to scatter them and David tells you hee lift up his hand to do it Psalm 106.26 27. he lift up his hand against them to overthrow them in the wilderness to overthrow their seed also among the nations and to scatter them in the lands Maldonate makes the lifting up the hand here to be in way of threatning not of swearing That I would scatter them among c. Of their scattering and dispersion was spoken in the 5 6 and 12. chapters Because they had not executed my Judgements Some referre these words and the rest in the verse to the time after their entrance into Canaan if then they should not keep Gods judgements and do them hee having performed his Promise unto them hee would scatter and disperse them among the Nations but because the verse speaks of the time past wee must also look at what was done as well as what was to do The Children before mentioned had rebelled and did not keep the judgements of God to do them they polluted his Sabbaths and defiled themselves with their Idols whereupon God thought to have destroyed them in the wildernesse but spared them for his Name sake that the Egyptians and Nations might not blaspheme and pollute his name but knowing that when hee had possest them of Canaan that their children would do as they had done hee lifts up his hand and threatens their driving out of that Land again and dispersion in the Countries and so makes their sinne the principium and fundamentum of their Posterities ruine Their eyes were after
sonnes and their daughters and burn up their houses with fire 48 Thus will I cause lewdnesse to cease out of the land that all women may bee taught not to do after your lewdness 49 And they shall recompense your lewdnesse upon you and yee shall bear the sinnes of your Idols and yee shall know that I am the Lord God In these verses the judgements of God upon those Harlots are further set out and amplified with the events thereof 1 They shall bee punished like adulteresses and murtheresses v. 45. 2 They shall be carried into captivity and spoiled v. 46. 3 They their Sons and daughters shall bee stoned and slain v. 47. and their houses burnt ibid. The Events or effects are 1 Cessation of lewdnesse v. 48. 2 Instruction of other women to take heed of doing the like ibid. 3 Conviction of the equity of Gods dealings v. 49. 45 And the righteous men The Assyrians and Babylonians who destroyed Samaria and Jerusalem are called righteous or just men not that they were so really but comparatively they are stiled so in respect of the Jews they were such Ezek. 5.6 7. chap. 16.27 47. who exceeded the Nations in wickednesse or because they were Gods instruments to execute his just judgements upon them especially for their perfidiousnesse with those Nations They shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses and after the manner of women that shed bloud Adulteresses were punished with death under the Law Lev. 20.10 Deut. 22.22 and the death was stoning John 8.5 7. else Christ would not have commissioned them to have thrown stones at the woman if they had been faultlesse themselves and as these were to dye for their uncleannesse so were those that shed blood Of these words see chap. 16.38 46 I will bring up a company upon them I brought up an Army against Samaria and destroyed it and so I will do with Jerusalem I will bring the Babylonians upon her who shall spoil her by stoning slaughtering burning and removing her into Captivity No enemies can stirre out of their countrey to mischief others till the Lord call and bring them and when hee doth so sad effects follow they lay all waste making Cities heaps and pleasant Lands wildernesses Of this 46. and 47. vers see chap 16.40 41. 48 Then will I cause lewdnesse to cease out of the land When the Lord should have accomplished his judgements upon these Harlots when Aholah and Aholibah should be destroyed then idolatry should cease and be no more in the Land then sacrificing their children to idols and shedding of blood should be no more heard of Gods judgements will silence wickednesse and take away evil from the land That all women may bee taught not to do after your lewdness By Women here understand Cities Provinces Nations which seeing the just judgements of God upon these whorish women Aholah and Aholibah might learn to beware of such sinnes and not to go out from God having once given up themselves to him least they draw such severe and shamefull punishments upon themselves Obs Gods Judgements are teaching things hee brought dreadful judgements upon Aholah and Aholibah that all women might bee taught thereby Gideon by thorns and bryers taught the men of Succoth Judges 8.16 and God by his peircing judgements teaches the Nations hee punisheth one City that others may take warning There is no judgement of God upon any City Nation or people but it speaks and teaches Micah 6.9 hear ye the rod it hath a voice a teaching voice 1 It Teaches all who are guilty of the same sinnes and not visited with the same judgements to admire the long suffering and goodnesse of God towards them 2 It Teaches those presently to consider their waies turn to the Lord by repentance who are guilty of such sins least the Lord being now in a way of judgement should break out also upon them and make them examples of his justice 3 It Teaches others to fear and fly from such practises as bring such destructive judgements When Samaria and Jerusalem shall be destroyed by dreadful judgements for their confidence in armes of flesh by confederating with other nations for their idolatry cruelty prophaneness and perfidiousnesse will not other Cities fear to do the like will not every City learn to see what is the reward of wickedness in the sufferings of others This Gods judgements teach sinners to do that so they may consult for their credit and safety 49 And they shall recompense your lewdnesse upon you The Hebrew is And they shall put your filthinesse and lewdthinesse upon you that is the Nations and Cities round about shall concur with the Babylonians to punish you for your wickednesse to bring upon you the merit of your sinnes or thus they shall approve of what the Lord doth in destroying of you saying all is the fruit and just recompense of your own doings And ye shall bear the sins of your idols Their Idols did not sin but they sinned with their Idols and the fruit of those sins they must eat the punishment due to them they must bear there is a near connexion between sinne and punishment they have the same names so v. 35. Obs Gods proceeding with sinners in judgement righteously brings them to acknowledge the equity of his dealing with them when the just punishment of your lewdnesse and idolatry shall bee upon you ye shall know that I am the Lord God who observed all your waies who waited long for your repentance who have dealt justly with you in all the evils I have brought upon you you cannot but justify me and condemn your selves CHAP. XXIV Vers 1 Again in the ninth year in the tenth month in the tenth day of the month the word of the Lord came unto me saying 2 Son of man write thee the name of the day even of this same day the King of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day 3 And utter a parable unto the rebellious house and say unto them thus saith the Lord God set on a pot set it on and also pour water into it 4 Gather the peices thereof into it even every good peice the thigh and the shoulder fill it with the choice bones 5 Take the choice of the flock and burn also the bones under it and make it boyle well and let him seeth the bones of it therein THis Chapter is conceived to bee the last prophesy against the Kingdome of Judah before the final destruction thereof which with the great Calamity thereof is set out under the type of a boyling pot and the death of the Prophets wife In the Chapter is contained a double prophesy 1 That of the boyling pot and the interpretation thereof to the 15. v. 2 That of Ezekiels wife dying suddainly his not mourning for her and the explication thereof from the 15. ver to the end In the verses before us we have 1 The Time of this prophesy v. 1 2 The Occasion ver 2. which was the
in their own phansies shifts evasions they have till their iniquity bee discovered and judgement surprizeth them Psalm 36.2 that wretched art they have of putting off the evil day of shifting the threats and judgements of God undoes them and many pretious souls are too well skilled in this wretched art and work of putting off the Promises and Mercies of God from themselves which greatly prejudice their Peace and Comforts and gratifies the enemy of their souls Those make conscience of their waies that desire to bee purged and wait on God in the use of means they lye not under these threats but are under many gratious Promises especially that Psalm 145.19 hee will fulfill the desire of them that fear him Obs 2 Those professe themselves Gods People may bee such sinners as that God resolves their destruction excluding all hope of mercy Jerusalem which was the Lords City and the People of it his had so sinned that God would irrevocably destroy both it and them I the Lord have spoken it it shall come to passe and I will do it I will not go back neither will I spare c. God was fully set upon it and therefore peremptorily cuts off all hope of mercy Jerem. 16.5 I have taken away my peace from this people saith the Lord even loving kindnesse and mercy Asaphti collegi I have gone up and down and gathered up my peace my kindnesses and mercies and carried them away from this people what hope was then left for them both the great and the small shall dye in this land Gods heart was so against them that Moses and Samuel could not incline it towards them if they should intreat for them chap 15.1 and therefore saith God cast them out of my sight I have no pitty no mercy for them Ezek. 9.30 As for mee mine eie shall not spare neither will I have pitty if God would not spare them who would if he would not have pitty on them who could they were hopeless their case was desperate chap. 5.8 11. Behold I am against thee I will not have any pitty Jer. 11.11 I will bring evil upon them which they shall not bee able to escape Obs 3 When God cuts off hope of mercy and brings sinners into a forelorn condition the fault is in their own not the Lords it s their own doings their own waies which bring irrevocable judgements upon them according to thy waies and according to thy doings shall they judge thee thou hast been irrevocable in thy sinnes and I am irrevocable in my judgements thou hast gone on to commit great iniquities and I am going on to execute answerable punishments I could not prevail with thee to desist from sinning and thou shalt not prevail with mee to desist from destroying thou by thine obstinacy madest me without hope of thy amendment and now by my threatnings I have made thee hopelesse of any mercy Jerusalem might thank her self that shee was brought to so desperate a condition Jerem. 13.22 if thou say in thine heart wherefore come these things upon mee why must I bee besiedged why must Plague Famine and Sword devour my Children why must I bee burnt to ashes and have no mercy shewed mee The Answer is for the greatness of thine iniquity and what that iniquity is you have specified cha 16.11 12. they forsook God worshipped other gods walked after the imaginations of their own hearts and did worse than their fathers they sinned till there was no remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 Jerusalem with her children provoked God so that his glory his Truth his Name his Prophets must have suffered if they had been spared therefore the Lions roared upon Israel yelled and made his Land waste when his Cities were burnt and without inhabitant what said God Jerem. 2.15.17 hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast forsaken God Vers 15. Also the word of the Lord came unto me saying 16 Sonne of man behold I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroak yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep neither shall thy tears run down 17 Forbear to cry make no mourning for the dead bind the tire of thine head upon thee and put on thy shooes upon thy feet and cover not thy lips and eat not the bread of men 18 So I spake unto the People in the morning and at even my wife dyed and I did in the morning as I was commanded The second general Part of the Chapter begins here being a Prophesy declaring the destruction of Temple and City represented under the Type of the suddain death of Ezekiels wife This Type is in the words read the interpretation is in the words following The parts of these verses are 1 The Divine Authority for this Type and for what is commanded and done thereupon v. 15. 2 The Narration of the Type ver 16. Son of man behold I take away from thee the desire c. 3 Several Commands laid upon the Prophet v. 16 17. 4 The Execution of the Type v. 18. 15 The word of the Lord came unto me The false Prophets ran when they were not sent and spake when they had no word but Ezekiel was sent cha 2.3 and hee had a word from God when hee spake hee durst not bee the mouth of God to others untill the Lord had opened his mouth to him the spirit of Prophesy brought the word to him and then moved him to utter it to others 16 Son of Man Hee saith not man of God or Sonne of God but Son of Adam for so the Original is that is son of him was made of the earth that had an earthly beginning Ezekiel thou art a weak worthlesse Creature that ere long must away to the earth from whence thou camest see thy heart do not swell with the Prophetical honour I have put upon thee the many appearances of my spirit unto thee nor bee thou refractary that I put thee upon hard services or command thee hard things when thy Father Adam disobeyed mee I turned him out of Paradise obey therefore my voice and do what I command thee therein shalt thou show thy self a Sonne of God Behold I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes By Desire of thine eyes is meant Ezekiels wife v. 18. The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The desires of thine eyes This Expression The desire of the Eyes Rem charam significat it imports a thing very dear to one and what is dearer to men than their wives There bee many things to indear a woman to her husband 1 She was made for man 1 Cor. 11.9 The man was not created for the woman but the woman for the man shee was made an help meet for man Gen. 2.18 2 She is a gift of God Prov. 19.14 3 She is joyned to man by a divine Ordinance and is made one with him thereby Gen. 2.24 Matth. 19.5 1 Cor. 6.16 Ephes 5.31 4 Shee is the glory of Man 1 Cor. 11.7 man represents
Herodotus calls Apries and is the Pharaoh here meant Egypt It is a famous Region of Africa so called either from Aegyptus the son of Belus or from the blacknesse of the river Nilus which formerly was called Sichor that is black The Grecians understanding this they in their language called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies black whence in time the land came to bee called Egypt Martinius In the Old Testament it is alwaies called the land of Misraim from Misraim the son of Ham for of this Misraim came the Egyptians It is a land very fruitful Publicum orbis horreum The Granary of the world Macrobius gives it this honour to bee the mother of Arts it had famous schools especially at Alexandria but abounded with superstition and idolatry The Egyptians were the first saith Polydore Virgil that set up Altars Temples Images Lib 1. de rerum inventione c. 5. and sacrificed to idol gods and taught strangers to do so Prophesy against him and against all Egypt These words shew the latitude and extent of his Prophesy it was not to bee against the King alone or his Nobles but against them and all the people He was to Prophesy against great and small Obs 1 The Lord would have men mind the time when he sets his Prophets on work and that punctually the year Moneth and day are here recorded when he gave out his word to Ezekiel that the same might bee observed by all it concerned The Jews trusted much to Egypt and the Kings thereof The Egyptians were haughty and self-confident now God records the time of his Commissioning Ezekiel to Prophesy against the King of Egypt and the Egyptians that the Jews hearing of their ruine destinated from such a time they might rely no longer upon them and that the Egyptians might consider what to do being in such eminent danger for their treachery to the Jews and confidence in what they had Obs 2 That the servants of God must impartially dispense the word committed unto them Set thy face against Pharaoh King of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt Hee must neither fear nor flatter any of what condition or rank soever but declare the mind of God and denounce his judgements indifferently towards all When Prophets and the Sons of Prophets have to do with great ones they are apt to bee discouraged and to faulter in their work which they ought not to do considering God who sends them is greater than the greatest Jeremy had something of this nature in him and therefore see how God rouses him and steels his spirit chap. 1.17 18. Gird up thy loines and arise and speak unto them all that I command thee bee not dismaied at their faces least I confound thee before them for behold I have made thee this day a defenced City and an iron pillar and brazen walls against the whole land against the Kings of Judah against the Princes thereof against the Priests thereof and against the people of the land and they shall fight against thee Jeremy had high and low all sorts of men yea all men against him yet he must dispense the truth and all the truth impartially not fearing the faces of any least he should be confounded 3 Behold I am against thee Pharaoh King of Egypt The words may bee read Behold I am above thee thou art above others and thinkest none to bee above thy self but I am above thee and being above thee in power and greatnesse I am against thee for thy wickednesse I that am God the King of Kings that shake heaven and earth at my pleasure that tumble down Kings from their thrones and seats I even I am against thee The great dragon that lyeth in the midst of his Rivers The Hebrew word for Dragon is Tannin which Lamen 4.3 is rendred a Sea-monster in Job 7.12 a whale in Isa 51.9 a Dragon and so here it notes monstrous and great creatures in the Sea or at Land and according to the subject matter it is to bee understood of the Whale Dragon or Crocodile The Septuagint Montanus Vulgar Vatablus and our English have it Dragon Junius Piscator and Lavater a great Whale Some Interpreters make it the Crocodile which is like a Dragon or Serpent and lives in the Egyptian fens and waters chiefly in the river of Nile and may not unfitly bee called the Whale or Dragon thereof Pharaoh is likened unto this Dragon or Crocodile 1 The Crocodile is the chiefest and greatest of all that moved in the Egyptian waters no fish no Serpent comparable to it so Pharaoh was the chiefest and greatest among all the Egyptians 2 The Crocodile is cruel and ravenous seeking his prey both in the waters Dentium unguium immanitate armatum est animal Franzius and on the land being armed with sharpe claws and teeth and some of them can swallow an entire heifer as Sands reports in his travailes So the Egyptian Pharaohs were cruel and ravenous Did not Pharaoh command the mid-wives to kill all the Males of the Hebrews at their birth and when they would not do it did not he charge his people to drown them Exod. 1. and did hee not seek his prey in the red Sea when hee pursued the Israelites going through it 3 The Crocodile is subtle and useth cunning waies to get his prey he will lye as if asleep and dead with his mouth open to deceive the birds and passengers Sometimes also hee fills his mouth with water and spouts it out in the way where beasts and men do pass that so it being slippery they may fall Franzius in Historia animalum and become a prey to him So the Egyptian Pharaohs were subtle and used much cunning to make a prey of the people especially the Jews Exod. 1.10 Come let us deal wisely with them and how cunning was hee in calling forth his Magitians to dis-credit the Miracles of Moses and Aaron chap. 7. 8. That lyeth in the midst of his Rivers The Hebrew for Rivers is jeorim and notes such as are made by the Art and help of man cut out of some great river for to water the land In Egypt they had seldome any rain but cut Rivers out of Nilus by which the land was watered according to that Deut. 11.10 where Canaan is said not to bee like Egypt where they sowed their seed and watered it with the foot that is they digged trenches and little rivers and so watered Egypt by the help of their feet but Canaan was watered from heaven The Dragons or Crocodiles lay lurking in these securely and so did Pharaoh in his Kingdom which was full of artificial Rivers My River is mine own I have made it for my self The words in the Hebrew sound thus Mihi fluvius meus ego feci me To mee is my River and I have made my self The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mine are the Rivers and I have made them that is mine is Nilus
and all the aquaeducts or rivulets cut out of it but if wee take the words as they bee in the Original the sense may bee this To mee is my River it s instead of clouds rain heaven God I have Nilus which makes my land as fruitful comfortable and beneficial unto mee as all those do the lands of others if they owe ought to them I owe as much to Nilus If wee take the words as translated My River is mine own that is it s so mine that none can take it from mee or hinder mee of the benefit of it here he shewed his Pride Arrogancy and vain-confidence for God had in a former Pharaohs time made Nilus uselesse unto them in Egypt Gen. 41.55 when the seven years famine was and hee could do it again Those words I have made it for my self must not be sensed as if hee made Nilus for that had its being and flowings many hundred years before and the spring of it lay unfound out but the meaning is I have by my power wisdome and industry made it advantagious to my self and people I have inriched them and my self thereby and so furnished and secured my Kingdome by means of it that I shall neither stand in need of Apriae hec dicitur fuisse sententia ne deum quidem ullum posse ipsum de regno suo dejicere adeo firme sibi ipsi constabilivisse illud videbatur Herodot in Euterpe nor fear any Herodotus saith of this King whom hee calls Apries that it was his usual saying no God could move him out of his Kingdome he had so established it Obs 1 God is an open and profest enemy unto wicked Kings Hee proclaims war against them bee they never so great Behold I am against thee Pharaoh King of Egypt Few are the Kings which abuse not their authority they lift up themselves oppresse the people oppose the interest of God and therefore hee is a declared adversary unto them Jer. 25.18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. You may see what a multitude of Kings the Lord sends the cup of fury unto and draws out the sword against there was scarcely one good King at that time upon the face of the earth God was against them all It s a dreadful thing for any King to have God denounce war against him hee must needs bee conquered and brought to nothing for God is the Lord of Hosts armed with such power and Majesty as that there is no withstanding him Isa 40.10 Hee bringeth Princes to nothing when they are wicked hee will not spare them though they bee as great as Whales as Cruel as Dragons and as cunning as Crocodiles Obs 2 Wicked Kings are resemblances of Satan Pharaoh is here called the Great Dragon and so is Satan Rev. 12.9 The Great Dragon was cast out that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan Dragons are dreadful subtle and cruel so are Tyrants so is the Devil The former Pharaohs were Dragons and so called Psal 74.13 Isa 51.9 they were enemies to the people of God so are all wicked Kings so is Satan What were all the persecuting Emperours but Dragons they were lively representations of the Devil that Great red Dragon and so are all that tread in their steps Obs 3 Princes abounding with outward things grow secure arrogant and confident Pharaoh lay as a Dragon in the midst of his Rivers hee was secure fed upon the prey and said arrogantly enough and with too much confidence my River is mine own I have water sufficient in Nilus for the watering of Egypt I need beg no rain of God let him give his rain to whom hee will and I am so well fortified by my Rivers that I fear no power to dispossess me thereof I am happy and who can make mee miserable Here you have the true picture and character of this Egyptian Pharaoh and in him of all wicked Kings who in their prosperity forgot God promise much safety to themselves and trust in an arm of flesh 4 But I will put hooks in thy Chaws Here beginnes Gods judgements upon this confident King God would deal with him as men do with some great fish when the hook is in his jaws they draw him out of the waters to the dry land where hee dies So God would by an occasion draw Pharaoh out of Egypt into another land and with him a great Army of the Egyptians where they should all perish The occasion was this as Junius relates it out of Herodotus Adiciam or Ariciam King of the Lybians had put himself under the protection of the King of Egypt because the Cyreneans had invaded some part of Lybia and had spoiled King Aricranes of his Government hereupon Pharaoh was provoked to lead out an Army in Agrum Cyreniacum which was the hook God put in his chaws The word for Hooks is Chachim from Choach a Thorne and metaphorically an hook such as men bait to catch fish withall Job 41.1 Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook the whale was too big to be taken with such an Hook though other fishes were not God had a hook to take and draw out the Egyptian Dragon I will cause the fish of thy River to stick unto thy scales Pharaoh being likened unto the Crocodile or Sea-Dragon here his Princes Nobles and people are called fish and likened unto them for their multitude and dispersion into all parts and aptnesse to bee devoured one by another These should adhere unto Pharaoh as the scales do unto a fish Hee had called Nilus his River and it s said here The fish of thy River The word for scales is kaskkesheth from kashah which signifies difficult and the radical letters are doubled propter vehementem geminationem squamarum which do so tenatiously cleave together Avenarius that its very hard to pierce them The scales of Pharaoh were the Armes that hee bare 1 Sam. 17.5 the coat of male which Goliah had on was shiron kaskassim lorica squamarum a brigandine or coat of scales that is made like the scales of a fish Such an one its probable Pharaoh had on and all his people in their armes suitable followed him I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy Rivers Hee thought himself so secure in Egypt as that no danger no mischief could befall him Egypt is so fenced by nature having the Sea on one side the vast desert on the other on the right hand such craggy mountaines and on the left such Fennes as that it s judged inaccessible but however it was in it self yet God saith here I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy Rivers I will draw thee out into thine enemies land and there thou shalt fall 5 And I will leave thee thrown into the Wilderness The Hebrew is I will leave thee in the wildernesse Natash signifies to cast off so to leave as to have no care of what is left God would bring this proud confident King into the Cyrenean