| Back to Home Page | Back to
Book Index |
Ezekiel Chapter
Forty
Ezekiel 40
Chapter Contents
The Vision of the Temple.
Here is a vision, beginning at ch. 40, and continued to
the end of the book, ch. 48, which is justly looked upon to be one of the most
difficult portions in all the book of God. When we despair to be satisfied as
to any difficulty we meet with, let us bless God that our salvation does not
depend upon it, but that things necessary are plain enough; and let us wait
till God shall reveal even this unto us. This chapter describes two outward
courts of the temple. Whether the personage here mentioned was the Son of God,
or a created angel, is not clear. But Christ is both our Altar and our
Sacrifice, to whom we must look with faith in all approaches to God; and he is
Salvation in the midst of the earth, Psalm 74:12, to be looked unto from all
quarters.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Ezekiel》
Ezekiel 40
Verse 1
[1] In
the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in
the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was
smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me
thither.
Of our captivity — Of
those that were carried away into captivity with Jeconiah eleven years before
Jerusalem was burnt. And this falls in with the three thousand three hundred and
seventy fourth year of the world, about five hundred and seventy four years
before Christ's incarnation.
The beginning — In
the month Nisan.
The tenth day —
The day that the paschal lamb was to be taken up in order to the feast on the
tenth day.
Brought me — To
Jerusalem, the place where it did stand.
Verse 2
[2] In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me
upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.
In the visions of God — By this it appears it was not a corporeal transportation of the prophet.
The frame —
The portrait of a city.
On the south — On
the south of the mountain, where the prophet was set.
Verse 3
[3] And
he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like
the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed;
and he stood in the gate.
A man —
The same no doubt that appeared to the prophet, chap. 1:26, whose name is the branch, and who builds
the temple, Zechariah 6:12,13, whose colour was like
burnished brass; Revelation 1:15, which speaks glory and
strength.
A line — A
plumb-line, a mason's line to discover the rectitude of the building, or its
defects.
In the gate — In
the north gate, next toward the east.
Verse 5
[5] And
behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a
measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he
measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.
A wall —
This was that outmost wall, that compassed the whole mount Sion, upon whose top
the temple stood.
The man's hand —
Christ, hath, and keeps the reed in his own hand, as the only fit person to
take the measures of all.
A measuring reed — Or
cane, for this measuring rod was of those canes growing in that country, long,
and light, which architects made use of.
Six cubits long —
Each cubit consisting of eighteen inches in our common account.
An hand breadth —
Added to each six cubits.
The breadth —
The thickness of the walls, which were one reed, and one hand's breadth, or three
yards, and three inches thick.
Height —
And the height equal, taking the measure from the floor on the inside of the
wall.
Verse 6
[6] Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the
stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed
broad; and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad.
The east —
Either of one of the inner walls, or of the temple itself.
Went up —
'Till he was got up, he could not measure the threshold, which was at the top
of the stairs, and these were ten, if the measurer be supposed in the gate of
the house; or eight, if in the gate of the court of the priests; or seven, if
in the court of Israel; and each stair was half a cubit in height, too high for
him to take the measure of the threshold, if he did not go up the stairs.
The threshold — It
is probable he measured the lower threshold first, as next at hand.
The other threshold —
The upper threshold, or lintel of the gate, which was of equal dimensions with
the lower, three yards and three inches broad, or thick.
Verse 7
[7] And
every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the
little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of
the gate within was one reed.
Chamber —
Along the wall of the porch were chambers, three on one side, and three on the
other, each one reed square.
Five cubits — A
space of two yards and one half between each chamber, either filled with some
neat posts or pillars, or it may be quite void.
Within —
The inward and outward threshold, were of the same measures, and curiously
arched over head from side to side, and end to end, which was from east to
west.
Verse 8
[8] He
measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed.
The porch —
The posts which were joined together at the top by an arch, and so made the
portico.
Verse 9
[9] Then
measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two
cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward.
The porch —
Probably another porch, or another gate distinct from that, verse 6.
The posts —
These were half columns, that from the floor to the height of the wall jetted
out, as if one half of the column were in the wall, and the other without, and
the protuberance of this half column, was one cubit.
Verse 10
[10] And
the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on
that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on
this side and on that side.
Chambers —
These chambers were for the priests and Levites to lodge in during their
ministration.
Verse 11
[11] And
he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of
the gate, thirteen cubits.
Of the entry — It
is meant of the whole length of the entry, or walk through the porch, to which
they ascended by stairs of a semicircular form.
Verse 12
[12] The
space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space
was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this
side, and six cubits on that side.
The space —
The rails, which were set up at a cubit distance from the front of these little
chambers, on the outside for convenient placing of benches for the priests to sit
on.
The space —
Between the rails, and the chambers.
Verse 13
[13] He
measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of
another: the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door.
From the roof —
From the extremity of one little chamber on the north side of the gate, to the
extremity of the opposite chamber on the south side, and so one cubit and half
for the back wall of one chamber, and as much for the back wall of the other
chamber, with the length of the chambers, six cubits each, and ten for the
breadth of the gate, amounts to twenty five cubits.
Door against door — It
seems the doors of the chambers were two in each chamber in the east and west
parts, and so exactly set, that the doors being all open you had a clear prospect
through all the chambers to the temple.
Verse 14
[14] He
made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round
about the gate.
He made —
Measured, and thereby shewed what kind of posts they should be.
Threescore cubits —
Probably this refers to the height of this gate built up two stories above the
arch, and the posts in their height are only mentioned, but imply all the rest
of the building over the east gate.
Unto the post —
These high columns, on the inner front of this gate were so disposed, that the
last on each side was very near the first post, or pillar of the court on
either side of the gate, and so the posts and buildings laid on those posts
joined on each side of this gate.
Verse 15
[15] And
from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the
inner gate were fifty cubits.
And —
This verse seems to sum up all the dimensions; this gate, its porch, and
thickness of its walls, and so sum the cubits, six in the thickness of the
outer wall, eighteen in the three chambers, twenty in the spaces between the
chambers, and six cubits in the thickness in the inner wall of the porch.
Verse 16
[16] And
there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the
gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and windows were round about
inward: and upon each post were palm trees.
Narrow windows —
Windows narrowed inward to the middle.
Their posts —
The upper lintel of each door over which was a window.
To the arches —
Windows under the arches between post and post, to give light to the five
cubits space between chamber and chamber.
Round about —
These were on both sides of the porch within the gate, exactly alike.
Verse 17
[17] Then
brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a
pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the
pavement.
The outward court — So
called in regard of the more inward court, between that where he was, and the
temple itself; this court, was the second about the temple.
Chambers —
Not only lodging rooms for the priests, but also store-houses for tithes and
offerings.
A pavement — A
beautiful floor laid with checker works. The whole floor of this court was thus
paved.
Thirty chambers —
That is, fifteen on the south side of the gate, and fifteen on the north side,
built over the pavement.
Verse 18
[18] And
the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was
the lower pavement.
The pavement —
That mentioned, verse 17.
By the side —
That part which lay on each side of the gate, and from thence spread itself
toward the chambers, leaving a space of pavement of equal breadth with the
porch, or gate in the middle.
The length —
The length was measured fifty cubits.
The inner pavement —
The side pavement was laid somewhat lower than this middle pavement, not only
for state, but for the more convenient, keeping it clean; so the middle
pavement rose with a little convex surface.
Verse 19
[19] Then
he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront
of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward.
The breadth — Of
the whole ground between the inner front of one gate and porch, to the outer
front of the next gate more inward to the temple.
The lower gate —
Called so in respect to the next gate, which was on the higher ground.
The forefront — To
the outside front of the gate of the priests court, which was next to this gate
now measured, that is from the west front of the lower to the east front of the
upper gate.
The inner court —
This court from the west front of the lower gate, was one hundred cubits in
length to the east front of the gate of the inner court.
East-ward and north-ward — And so was the space from the south front of the court to the north
front. So the court was exactly square. Divers courts are here spoken of, which
may put us in mind, of the diversity of gifts, graces and offices in the
church: as also of the several degrees of glory in the courts and mansions of
heaven.
Verse 22
[22] And
their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure
of the gate that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven
steps; and the arches thereof were before them.
Before them —
Within the steps or gate.
Verse 23
[23] And
the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and
toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits.
Toward the east —
The east gate of the inner court was directly over against the east gate of the
outer court, and equally distant from each other.
Verse 26
[26] And
there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them:
and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the
posts thereof.
To it —
The floor, or square court.
Verse 28
[28] And
he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south
gate according to these measures;
Brought me —
From the south-gate of the outer court through the porch, and over the hundred
cubit pavement, to the south-gate of the inner court.
Verse 32
[32] And
he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate
according to these measures.
The inner court —
The court of the priests, which was next to the temple.
Verse 43
[43] And
within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and upon the tables was
the flesh of the offering.
Within —
Within the porch, where these tables stood.
Hooks —
Hooks on which the slaughtered sacrifice might be hanged, while they prepared
it farther.
Fastened — To
walls no doubt, near these tables.
Verse 45
[45] And
he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the
priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.
The keepers —
While, according to their courses, they had the charge of the house of God, and
attended on the service of it.
Verse 46
[46] And
the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers
of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi,
which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.
The keepers — To
preserve the fire perpetually on the altar.
Verse 48
[48] And
he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch,
five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the
gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side.
The breadth —
The whole breadth was eleven cubits, but the breadth of each leaf of this
folding-gate was three cubits, and they met, or shut on an upright post, set in
the middle of the gate space, and this was one cubit broad. And each leaf hung
on posts two cubits thick, which amount to eleven cubits.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Ezekiel》
40 Chapter 40
Verses 1-49
Verse 2-3
A measuring reed.
The measuring reed
It is a complex and mysterious thing,--this human life which it is
appointed us to live. At first glance it seems as if it were simply the
outflowing of ourselves from day to day, very much as water flows from a jar,
without effort or design or law of movement, Take the history of a day, or the
larger history of a life from the cradle to the grave; what subtle breaths of desire,
of affection and repulsion determine its movements! What accidents, casual
contacts, unexpected pressures of circumstance carve its outlines! Day by day
the tapestry is woven. We cannot stop the play of the loom. But what a
wilderness of aimless lines comes out in the fabric! What a blur of unfinished
patterns, overlying each other! What a tangle of broken threads! But a deeper
glance reveals to us the persistent and inexorable action of law in the shaping
of our life. Indeed it is easy to formulate a theory of life in which it seems
as if it were all law, nothing but law, law that crushed all freedom and
spontaneity out of life. This happens when you try to reduce life to a
department of physics. You find everywhere law; only the law lies not so much
in the life as in the things that press upon it and give it direction. The
water that flows from a jar falls and sparkles and runs on the ground with no
choice of its own. Every drop is the slave of law. So it seems when we look
upon life and treat it as a chapter of mechanics; as if it were simply the
product of the forces that beat upon it, as if the measure of the forces gave
the measure of the life, as if the colours and shapes it takes in its outflow
were all determined by the angle of the sunbeam that strikes it, and the lay of
the ground where it falls. It is evident that this conception of life is
inadequate and false. It is all the more dangerous, because it falls in with a
current fashion of thought and contains a half-truth. We read so much nowadays
of force and law, that it is natural to speak of the energy of life under these
terms; only, if we take our conceptions of force and law entirely from the
physical world, we reduce all the intricate and mysterious movement of life to
the irresponsible throbbings of a machine. The life which each of us is living
is neither a formless, accidental jumble of thoughts, words and deeds, which
link themselves together without any compelling force or law of combination;
nor is it the fixed and inevitable result of forces that lie outside the domain
of the will, and that beat resistlessly upon our life for good or evil. There
is both freedom and law in our life; freedom working within law, along the
lines of law. Every human life is a structure like that temple in the prophet’s
dream. It is built up stone by stone. And every stone has a meaning. It falls
into its place in obedience to a law. The design of the structure determines
the position of the stone. The building grows according to the law of the
design. But what determines the design? Here is where the element of choice
comes in. We can choose one design or another. But the design once chosen
determines the character of the building. It gives the law of measurement to
every stone and door post and pinnacle. It is like a man with a measuring reed
standing in the gate. Now there are certain things which, you will agree with
me, fall entirely within our choice, which have such power and influence in the
shaping of character that they become the measuring reeds of life. They give
the design on the lines of which the structure of the life is built. One of
these things is a man’s estimate of himself. What a man holds himself to be, he
tries to be, and in the long run becomes. If he count himself a cur, his life will
be a kennel, whatever money he may lavish on it and however richly he may
decorate it. If he recognise and hold himself true to a royalty of soul, his
life will be a palace. Though it have the dimensions of a hut, and the roof
cover but a single room, that room will be a throne chamber. Have you never
noticed how Christ, in His effort to lift men to higher levels of life, kept in
sight this law? Never was such dignity dreamed for human nature as He gave to
it. He called men God’s children. And all, that He might win them to a life
that had the purity and beauty of God in it, a life that should be worthy of
the sons of God. Christ recognised the law: man is the measure of his life. His
estimate of his own worth gives the quality of his daily deed and word. The law
runs from the sublime heights to which Christ carried it, to the beaten paths
where men pass to and fro on the business of the world. If you hold yourself
copper, your life will be copper. If you count yourself gold and diamond, your
life will be gold and diamond. You must first estimate yourself as something
cheap and mean, before you can sell yourself to a cheap and mean sin. But there
is another measuring reed of life. As he goes on with the years, every man
makes not only an estimate of himself, but also a philosophy of life. If we
choose to explain life as a selfish, brutal struggle for existence, as a dull,
lingering misery to be borne simply with patience or defiance, as a hunt for
pleasurable sensations, as a plot for the mastery of our fellows, as a school
for the education of character, as an opportunity of lighting up this earth
with something of the life that pulses in the heart of God; in every case, life
rises up and answers: “Yes, that is my explanation of myself. I can furnish
proofs of your theory. You have translated the cipher on my heart. Take me,
read me, treat me as you choose; I will supply you with plenty of facts to
substantiate your philosophy of me.” Life echoes back our own answer. She comes
to us and sits down by us and goes to and fro over our threshold, in the very
feature, step, and accent of our theory. The smallest details of life take tone
and colour from our creed. Our life makes a constant effort to adjust itself to
our theory. How can it be otherwise? Our theory is a measuring reed, with which
we stand in the gate, and which we apply to every stone and beam that go into
the structure of our life. Is it any wonder that the whole structure is simply
a sort of flower, which has blossomed on the stalk of our measuring reed? (W.
W. Battershall, D. D.)
Verse 4
To the intent that I might shew them unto thee.
A good intent
I. The purpose of
God to stain the pride of the glory of all flesh. We may gather some
instruction upon this from the 4th chapter of Daniel. The testimony that
Nebuchadnezzar himself bore at the last, seems to me to be very expressive, and
may be, as it were, put into the mouth of everyone that God has humbled. It is
truth that we all do need humbling by the power of God. Happy man you will be
if you are brought to nothing. It is one of the hardest things in the world to
be nothing--to be nothing but a sinner; not a good thought, not a good word,
not a good work, not a single grain or atom of goodness, but a thing of nought
altogether. Now God has purposed this; He has purposed to stain the pride of
the glory of all flesh; and He has purposed to do so first in mercy, and then
He will do so in wrath; that is, those that He does not deal so with in their
lifetime as to humble them down that they may receive His truth, He will deal
with in wrath at that last great, that tremendous day. Every man’s natural
spirit is a spirit of ignorance, a spirit of unbelief, a spirit of enmity
against God. Wherever true conviction enters, the soul is divided from the
spirit of ignorance, and the soul comes into the knowledge of its own
condition; the soul is divided from the spirit of unbelief, and comes into the
faith of the Gospel; the soul of the man, his immortal soul, is divided from
the native enmity of the spirit; for the natural spirit that is in us lusteth
to envy, desireth to envy; it is the very desire of it, the very essence of it.
Now when God begins His work it severs the soul from this spirit.
II. The purpose of
the Lord in bringing His people to receive the truth. If the Lord has thus
brought you down far enough, then I will name now the truths that you will be
glad to receive. The man that is from his own experience prepared to receive
that testimony certainly is not far from the kingdom of God; the man that is
prepared from his heart and soul to receive that testimony in the understanding
of it, in the love of it, and to abide thereby--there never was one so poor in
spirit, there never was one so humbled, there never was one so led, and at the
same time lost. If we are really brought down and know our nothingness, our
hearts are prepared to receive the testimony in the 1st chapter of Second
Timothy. The apostle knew the tendency; he knew that Timothy would get no
worldly honour; he knew it would make Timothy rather what they call
narrow-minded; he knew it would be offensive to many professors, but he says,
“Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, His prisoner,” as
I am a prisoner for that testimony. Now comes what the testimony is. “Who hath
saved us”--that is the first thing He did. Believest thou this? Art thou
brought down low enough to trace up thy salvation to this Divines this pure and
heavenly source? “And called us with an holy calling not according to our
works”--no--“but according to His own purpose and grace,” etc. There is a clear
epitome of the Gospel itself. Doth this offend you, or doth it please you? Are
you sorry such testimonies are on record? or can you set your seal to it, that
unless you are saved after that Divine order you never can be saved at all?
Then, if so, I may apply to you the words here, which the Lord spake to
Ezekiel,--“Son of man, behold with thine eyes.” So I say to you,--Behold with
your eyes; see after what a Divine, see after what a righteous, what a lovely,
what a gracious, what a merciful, what a glorious way God hath saved thee. “And
hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for
to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither.” So,
poor sinner, you may set your heart upon these truths, and you will never have
to take it away again.
III. The special
purpose of bringing Ezekiel to where he was brought, as meant in our text.
Ezekiel was brought to the river of God. First, its source--it came from under
the threshold, just the same as we read in the last chapter of the Revelation
of a river proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb. That river I take to
represent the Gospel in the life and blessedness thereof. That is one thing,
then--its source. The second is its increase--it went on increasing. And just
so the Gospel, in direct contrast, as we sometimes say to this life. For soma
of us are getting into the shades a Lit; and this is narrowing and that is
narrowing, and the time is drawing nigh when we shall say we have no pleasure
in this life. But, then, there is pleasure there--the river of God’s
pleasure--and those who drink of that river, “they shall still bring forth
fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing”! Bless the Lord for this.
And then mark also the power of this river. There is a lake on the southeastern
side of Judea, about forty-five miles long, and from perhaps twelve to fifteen
wide; that lake has nothing in it in a way of life. Nothing can live in it; it
is so bituminous, so nauseous, and so deadly, that nothing can live in it. Now
this river was to turn this lake into a fresh-water lake; for the river was to
come down into this Dead Sea, and the waters were to be healed. You can see
what that means, can you not? that the souls of men are in a state of death and
bitterness. And this water of the Dead Sea, all travellers tell us, is nasty to
the last degree to drink; you could hardly be put to a greater punishment than
to be obliged to drink half a pint of it; you would not forget it for a
twelvemonth. And just so the mind--the soul. Ah, could we see ourselves as God
sees us, could we see sin as He sees it, we should indeed stand aghast; for “the
heart is,” even beyond angelic comprehension, “deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked; who can know it?” Yet these waters were to heal this Dead
Sea, turn it into a fresh-water lake. Just so the Gospel comes, destroys the
bitterness, destroys all that is unpleasant, and turns the soul into that that
is pleasant, to holiness, to righteousness, as pleasant to God as it was before
unpleasant. There is another view of the river that I may just name, and that
is that on its banks were trees whose leaves faded not, and that brought forth
new fruit “according to their months.” Let these trees all of them represent
Jesus Christ, and let their leaves that never fade represent His promises; and
let the fruits that are perennial and immortal represent the blessings that
come to us by those promises. (J. Wells.)
Declare all that thou
seest to the house of Israel.--
Taught that we may teach
I. The
manifestations with which certain of God’s servants are favoured.
1. The Lord Jesus Christ does draw near in a very special manner to
some of His people. He will show Himself to any of you who seek Him. He will
unveil the beauties of His face to every eye that is ready to behold them.
There is never a heart that loves Him but He will manifest His love to that
heart. But, at the same time, He does favour some of His servants who live near
to Him, and who are called by Him to special service, with very remarkable
manifestations of His light and glory.
2. These revelations are not incessant. I suppose that no man is
always alike. John was in Patmos I know not how long; but he was “in the Spirit
on the Lord’s day” on one occasion, and he specially notes it. Days of heavenly
fellowship are red-letter days, to be remembered so long as memory holds her
seat.
3. Yes, and it is noteworthy that the occasion of these
manifestations was one of great distress. Saints have seen Jesus oftener on the
bed of pain than in robust health.
4. It appears, in this case, that the manifestation to Ezekiel was
made when he was put into an elevated condition. God has ways of lifting His
people right up, away, away, away from mortal joy or sorrow, care or wish, into
the spiritual realm. And then, when the mind has been lifted above its ordinary
level, and the faculties are brought up by some divine process into a receptive
state, He reveals Himself to us.
5. When He had elevated him thus it appears that He conducted him to
certain places, for He says, “For to the intent that I might shew them unto
thee art thou brought hither.” God’s children are brought in experience to
unusual places, on purpose that they may get clearer sights of the love and
grace and mercy of God in Christ than they could obtain elsewhere.
6. However, it is not outward circumstances that can affect the
Divine purpose, there must always be a movement of the Divine Spirit. In the
third verse you read, “He brought me there.” We never learn a truth inwardly
until God brings us to it. We may hear a truth, we ought to be careful that we
do not hear anything but the truth; but God must bring that truth home.
II. The
responsibility of these chosen men while they are thus favoured. When the
Spirit of God favours you with light, mind that you see; and, when there is a
sound of grace, mind that you hear. We tell our children to learn their lessons
“by heart.” If we put the full meaning into that expression, that is the way to
learn the things of God.
1. “See with thine eyes.” What are the eyes for but to see with? He
means this,--look, pry, search with your eyes. Looking to Christ will save you,
but it is looking into Christ that gives joy, peace, holiness, heaven.
2. “Hear with thine ears.” Well, a man cannot use his ears for
anything else, can he? Ay, but hear with your ears. Listen with all your might.
3. “Set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee.” Oh, but that is
the way to learn from God--by loving all that He says--feeling that, whatever
God says, it is the thing you want to know.
4. The Lord bids us do this towards all that He shall shew us. “Set
thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee!” We are to be impartial in our
study of the word, and to be universal in its reception.
III. What is God’s
reason for manifesting Himself to His servants? The object is this,--“Declare
thou all that thou seest to the house of Israel.” First, see it yourself, hear
it yourself, give your heart to it yourself, and then declare it to the house
of Israel. Dear brother, you cannot tell who it may be to whom you are to
speak, but this may be your guide: speak about what you have seen and heard to
those whom it concerns. Have you been in gloom of mind, and have you been
comforted? The first time you meet with a person in that condition, tell out
the comfort. Have you felt a great struggle of soul, and have you found rest?
Speak of your conflict to a neighbour who is passing through a like struggle.
Has God delivered you in the hour of sorrow? Tell that to the next sorrowing
person you meet. Ay, but still this is not all your duty. God has shown us His
precious word that we may tell it to the house of Israel. Now, the house of
Israel were a stiff-necked people, and when Ezekiel went to them, they cast him
aside, they would not listen. Yet, he was to go and teach the word to them. We
must not say, “I will not speak of Christ to such a one; he would reject it.”
Do it as a testimony against him, even if you know he will reject it. (C. H.
Spurgeon.)
And he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it.
The steps of the sanctuary
There are no such steps as these to be found anywhere in the
world. A step to honour, a step to riches, a step to worldly glory: these are
everywhere, but what are these to the steps by which men do ascend to the house
of the Lord! He, then, that entereth into the house of the Lord is an ascending
man; as it is said of Moses, he went up into the mount of God. It is ascending
to go into the house of God. The world believe not this; they think it is going
downwards to go up to the house of God. The steps, then, by which men go up
into the temple are, and ought to be, opposed to those which men take to their
lusts and empty glories. Hence such steps are said not only to decline from
God, but to take hold of the path to death and hell (Psalms 44:18; Proverbs 2:18). (John Bunyan.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》