Page 76 - NOTES ON EZEKIEL

70 NOTES ON EZEKIEL.
hovali passed by, and saw her polluted with her blood
and said to her in her blood, Live; and this most em­
phatically. (Yer. 6.) Under His fostering culture she
grew up to womanhood, dressed and decked with the
most splendid ornaments; and Jehovah entered into
covenant with her and took her as His own. And she
who was made thus cleansed and beautiful and adorned,
prospered into a kingdom with a fame that went abroad
on account of the splendour which Jehovah put on her.
(Yer. 7—14.)
And what was the return? c< But thou didst trust
in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of
thy renown.” It is a sorrowful picture, and not more
sad than true. The beauty of Jerusalem was for every
passer by. (Ver. 15, 16.) “ And of thy garments thou
didst take and make for thyself high places with divers
colours” f or patches, as the expression of the prophet
may mean, in contempt of the hangings the Jewish
ladies wove for heathen gods and goddesses, Astarte in
particular]. The idolatrous uncleanness of Jerusalem
was beyond anything that had been or was to be.
And it was marked by this, that all the countless
favours of her divine husband (for such her Maker
was to her) she squandered on the filthy idols of the
heathen.
“ Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and
of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to
thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom
with them, and tookest thy broidered garments, and
coveredst them; and thou hast set mine oil and mine
incense before them. My meat also which I gave thee,
fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee>