Chapter XXXVI
Ver. 1-38. Israel avenged of hek Foes, and restored, FIRST TO Inward Holiness, then to Outward Pkosperitv. The distinction between Israel and the heathen (as Edom) is, Israel has a covenant relation to God ensuring restoration after chastisement, so that the heathen's hope of getting possession of the elect people's Inheritance must fail, and themselves be made desolate
(V. 1-15). The reason for the chastisement of Israel was, Israel's sin and profanation of God's name (v. 16-21). God has good in store for Israel, for His own name's sake, to revive his people; first, by a spiritual renewal of their hearts, and, next, by an external restoration to prosperity
it forms a good transition to the next subject, viz^ the moral cause of the people's calamities, viz., their falls, or stumblings through sin. The latter ceasing, the former also shall cease. So the same expression follows in v. 15, "Neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more." 17. removed woman—(Leviticus 15. 19, &c.) 18^.19. The reason for their removal was their sin, which God's holiness could not let pass unpunished; just as a woman's legal uncleanness was the reason for her being separated from the congregation. HO, profaned my holy name, when they {the heathen) said to them (the Israelite!), These, &c.—The Israelites gave a handle of reproach to the heathen against God, who would naturally say. These who take usury, oppress, commit adultery, <SI:c., and who, in such an abject plight, are "gone forth" as exiles "out of his land," are specimens of what. Jehovah can or will
•I. 22-33). The result is, the heathen shall be impressed with the power and goodness of God manifested so palpably towards the restored people (u. 34-38). 1, iJ. monntalns of Israel—In contrast to "Mount Selr" of the previous prophecy. They are here personified; Israel's elevation is moral, not merely physical, as Edom's. Her bills are " the everlasting hills" of Jacob's prophecy (Genesis 49. 20). "The enemy" (Edom, the singled-out representative of all God's foes), with a shout of exultation, "Aha!" had claimed, as the nearest kinsman of Israel (the brother of their father Esau), his vacated inheritance, as much as to say, the so-called "everlasting" Inheritance of Israel and of the "hills," which typified the unmoved perpetuity of It (Psalm 125. 1, 2), has come to an end, in 39
efiect, for His people, and show what kind of a God thii so-called holy, omnipotent, covenaut-keeping God must
17i« Blegiiin(ji> of Qu el's Kingdom, EZEKIEL XXXVII. The Vision of Dry Bones Eevivified.
De! (Isaiah 52. 5; Romans 2. 24). 31. I had pJty for mine holy name—i. e., I felt pity lor it ; God's own name, so dishononied, was tlie primary object of His pitying concern ; then His people, secondarily, tlirougli Hisconwrn
a cedar " in the garden of God, Eden," ch. ,31. 8, 9), in original advantages, had been compared to " Eden, tlie garden of God"(ch. 28. 13), from which she liad fallen irrecoverably; so Israel, once desolate, is to be as " tlie garden of Kdeu") (Isaiah 51. 3), and is to be so unchangeably. 36. Lord . . . spoken ... do it—(Numbers 23. 1!).) 37. I will yet for this be inquired of—so as to grant it. On former occasions He had refused to be inquired of by Israel, because the inquirers were not in a fit condition of mind to receive a blessing (ch. 14. 3; 20. 3). But hereafter, as in the restoration from Babylon (Neheniiah 8., 9. ; Daniel 9. ;3-20,
for it. [Faikbaikn.] 'fZ. not . . . for your saUes—i. e., rot for any merit in you; for, on the contrary, on your part, there is every thing to call down continued severity
(cl. IX-uteronomy 9.5, 6). The sole and sure ground of liope was God's regard to "His own name," as the God of covenant grp.fe (Psalm 106. 45), which He must vindicate from the disliouour brought on it by the Jews, before the heathen. 23. sanctify—vindicate and manifest as holy, in opposition to the heathen reproaches of it brought on by the Jews' sins and their punishment (note, v. 20). sanc-
21, 2:}), God will prepare His people's hearts (it. '20) to pray aright for the blessings which He is about to give (l'.salm
102. 13-17, 20; Zechariah 12. 10-14; 13. 1). like a flock-r"- suming the image (ch. 34. 23, 31). 38. As tl»e holy flock— the great flock of choice animals for stxcrifice, brought up to Jerusalem at the three great yearly festivals, the passover, penlecost, and feast of the tabernacles.
tified in yo«—i. e.,in respect of you; I shall be regarded in their eyes as the Holy One, and righteous in my dealings towards you (eh. 20. 41 ; 28. 22). a*. Fulfilled primarily in the restoration from Babylon; ultimately to be so in the restoration "from all countries." !J5. The external restoration must be preceded by au internal one. The change in their condition must not be superficial, but must be based on a radical renewal of the heart. Then the heathen, understanding frojn the regenerated lives of God's people how holy God is, would perceive Israel's past troubles to have been only the necessary vindications of His righteousness. Thus God'S name would be "sanc-