Page 162 - NOTES ON EZEKIEL

156 NOTES ON EZEKIEL.
even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord Jeho­
vah/’ (Ver. 17-32.)
The heart of the pious Jew, who knew from God the
judgments of the nations before and why they came,
was not to be insensible, still less to insult their fallen foe
and snare, old and recent. The Christian feels for men in
view of eternity, but, thank God, he is charged with the
gospel, with the ministry of reconciliation founded on
the atonement of Him who once was here revealing
God in perfect grace, but despised and rejected of men,
most of all and most guiltily by the Jews themselves.
Here it is the judgment that sweeps off the earth after
long patience and sends down the vain-glorious to the
pit. There lie the fairest, without a token of relation­
ship to God, “ with the uncircumcised.” There in abject
weakness and humiliation lie Assyria, Elam, Meshech
and Tubal (though with a peculiarity to be explained
more fully in chapters xxxviii. xxxix.), Edom, Zidon
and others north of Palestine, ashamed of that might of
which they were erst so proud, bearing their confusion
w ith those that go down to the pit. Jehovah’s terror
abides, and for those most who most inflicted terror here
with the sword. What can be more graphic? Whose
irony so keen as the prophet’s ?

CHAPTER XXXIII.

T he prophet now returns to speak of Israel, their shep­
herds, and their mountains, their restoration, national
revival, and re-union under one head, the Beloved,
their Prince for ever, when the last enemy before the