Ezekiel
46
This chapter falls into three divisions:
and the people of the
land when engaged in solemn acts of worship;
how he may dispose of his portion or inheritance;
kitchens for the priests and for the people.
(vs. 1-15)
The supplementary directions contained in these verses
relate to the worship of
the
prince and the people on the sabbaths and the new
moons (vs. 1-7) and at
the
appointed feasts generally (vs. 5-15).
1 “Thus saith the Lord GOD; The
gate of the inner court that looketh
toward the east shall
be shut the six working days; but on the
sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the
new moon it shall
be opened.” Like
the preceding sections which introduced distinctly new
enactments in Ezekiel’s Torah (see ch.
44:9; 45:9, 18), this properly opens with a
Thus saith the Lord God, since
it refers to the worship that should be celebrated
at the gate of the
inner court which looketh toward the
east. Ewald, after the
Septuagint - (ἡ πύλη ἡ
ἐν τῇ
αὐλῇ τῇ ἐσωτέρᾳ
- hae pulae hae en tae aulae tae
esotera -
), changes the text so as to read the
outer court gate, and
understands the statement here made to be a qualification of that
contained
in
44:1-3. It is, however, the inner east gate to which the
present clause alludes, and the announcement made concerning it is
that,
like the outer east gate, it should be shut on the six working days;
literally, the six days of the business (compare I Samuel
20:19); but that,
unlike the outer east gate, it
should be opened on the sabbath (literally,
in
the day of the sabbath) and in the day
of the new moon, both of
which
days had been marked under the Law, and should in future continue to be
marked, by special sacrificial celebrations.
2 “And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that
gate
without, and shall stand
by the post of the gate, and the priests
shall prepare his
burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he
shall worship at the
threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth;
but the gate shall
not be shut until the evening.”
The reason for the opening of this inner east gate should
be that
the
prince might enter it as far as its threshold, and stand there worshipping
by
the posts of the gate, while his burnt offerings and his peace offerings
were being prepared by the priests, who, rather than the prince, were the
proper ministers for conducting the sacrificial ceremony. The
prince should
reach his station at the threshold of the inner gate, by the way of the
porch of that (or, the) gate
without; but whether this signified that he
should pass through the eastern gate of the outer court, and so
advance
towards the inner east gate, as Ewald, Keil, Kliefoth, and Plumptre assume,
or,
as Hengstenberg, Schroder,
and Smend suppose, that he should enter
the
inner gate by the way of the porch of the gate, i.e. from the outside,
from the outer court into which he had previously entered through either
the
north or the south outer gates, cannot be decided. In favor of the
former may be urged the consideration that it seems more natural
to apply
מִהוּצ to the outer gate than
to the outer court, since no, one could enter
the
inner gate except from the outer court, unless he were already in the
inner court; but in favor of the latter is:
expressly declares that the outer east gate should not be opened,
and that
no man should enter in by it, thus scarcely admitting
of an exception; and
“appointed feasts”
the prince and the people alike should enter the outer
court either by the north or the south gate, since, if any of
these “feasts”
fell upon a sabbath, this regulation
would not be practicable, if the prince
and the people were required to enter by different doors. The
question,
however, in itself is immaterial. The points of importance are
that the
prince should worship in the porch of the inner gate, and that,
on finishing
his worship, he should retire, and that the gate should not be
shut; until the
evening.
3 “Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door
of this
gate before the LORD
in the sabbaths and in the new moons.”
Likewise (or, and) to the people of the land should be
accorded permission to worship at this inner gate, only not like
the prince,
in
its porch, but at its door, yet on the same occasions as he, in the
sabbaths and in the new
moons. Kliefoth,
who takes “this gate” to
signify the outer gate, through which, according to his
interpretation of
v. 2 (see above), the prince should pass so as to reach the
inner east gate,
conceives the import of the present verse to be that, while the
prince
should be permitted on the sabbaths and
new moons to pass through the
eastern gate, the people “should
remain standing in front of the outer east
gate, and, looking
through it and the opened inner east gate, should pray
before Jehovah.” This, however, is unnatural, even on the hypothesis that
the
prince should pass through the outer east gate, and the view of Keil is
greatly preferable, that “this gate” was the inner east gate,
and that the
people should reach it (even if the prince did not) by entering
the outer
court through the north gate or the south.
The Daily Offering (vs. 1-3)
There is nothing inconsistent in the combination of special
solemnities
observed upon certain occasions with the regular daily worship.
They are
not
contradictory of, but complementary to, each other. If there is an
adaptation between annual festivals and one principle of human
nature,
there is an equal adaptation between another tendency of that
nature and
the
constantly recurring daily sacrifice of prayer and praise. Accordingly, in
this same chapter are found directions as to the yearly feasts and
instructions concerning the daily sacrifice. How just and reasonable is
this
latter provision for our religious life is apparent from:
The tokens of God’s goodness and
bounty, forbearance and grace, do not
come to us at long intervals. They
are incessantly bestowed. He
daily
loadeth us with benefits.
(Psalm 68:19) He giveth
us day by day our daily
bread. (Matthew
6:11) The mind that is at once observant
and sensitive is,
at the contemplation of renewed, unceasing favors, ready to exclaim,
“Every day will I
praise thee, and I will bless
thy Name for ever and ever.”
(Psalm 145:2)
WHICH FORGIVENESS HAS TO BE ASKED.
The offerings and
sacrifices of the temple included not only thank offerings, but sin
and
trespass offerings. The Israelite worshipper appeared before
Jehovah as a
penitent supplicating forbearance and pardon. There is no human
worshipper who has not occasion to come into the presence of the
God of
holiness with shame and confusion of face. Daily transgressions
and
omissions call for daily acts of
humiliation and daily entreaties for mercy.
The self-righteous may conceal
from themselves this fact, and the
hypocritical may seek to conceal it from God. But those who know
themselves, and are sincere in their devotions, will implore the clemency
and the forgiveness promised by the righteous Sovereign to
those who seek
reconciliation through THE MEDIATION
OF THE DIVINE REDEEMER!
NEEDED, AND WHICH HAVE
TO BE SOUGHT FROM GOD.
Devotion is primarily the
offering of the heart, its love and grateful praise,
to God. But it includes also the seeking of blessings which
it is His
prerogative to bestow. There is no day which does not bring with it
duties
that can be properly
fulfilled only with Divine assistance,
trials which can
only be passed through securely and beneficially
through the direction
which God’s Holy Spirit alone can vouchsafe. If this is so, how reasonable
is the provision for daily communion with God! Thus only can we be
assured of that grace which will enable us so to pass through
the discipline
of earth that it may be the means of meeting us for THE SERVICE AND
JOYS OF HEAVEN!
The Consecration of Time (vs. 1-3)
God has mercifully imparted to human life a pleasant
variety. It might have
been, especially as the result of transgression, a dull monotony. It might
have been day without night; a continuous season, neither summer nor
winter; working days in perpetual succession. But as in nature He
has given
to
us the delightfu1 spectacle of mountain and valley, land and water; as in
the
circumstance and experience of life we have youth, manhood and old
age; so also we have secular days and sacred. (I
Recommend Thomas Cole’s
Voyages of Life @ http://www.explorethomascole.org/tour/items/73/series/
for
contemplation. CY – 2017)
RELIGION. Sun
and moon and stars not only serve as luminaries of our
earth, they are appointed as signs. They signify unseen and
spiritual
realities. The sun speaks to us of another Fount of light — the Sun of
Righteousness, who illuminates man’s soul. (Malachi
4:2) The moon,
with her many phases, serves as an emblem of the Church,
receiving her
light and heat from the Sun. Every mountain appeals to us to
rise above
the common level of a mortal’s life. Every flower points to spiritual
beauty
and usefulness, while it
preaches likewise a lesson of man’s brief opportunity.
So when the gate that looked
towards the east was opened, it was that the
worshippers might be moved and lifted heavenward, by the sight of the
rising sun. This privilege was repeated on the day when the new
moon
appeared. Incarnate as we are in flesh and blood, we need to learn
from
every quarter lessons of spiritual moment. God deigns to
instruct us by the
service of a thousand, teachers. If our eyes are open wide we may
learn
gospel lessons on every side.
SEASONS. He
came near to Jacob in a special manner by the vision at
with his friend. Especially He has ordained the sabbath as a time when He
will commune with men. Even ignorant men have discovered that
rest of
body and intellect one day in seven is a benefit to the man and to the
nation. But without doubt
God sees a deeper reason for the institution of
the sabbath than do we. Certain it
is that in the olden time He regarded the
observance of the sabbath as emphatically
the maintenance of men’s
covenant with Him. The violation of the sabbath obtained His withering
frown. And the intrinsic value of the day is as great now,
although its
violation be not followed by the summary punishment of God. The sabbath
day is peculiarly a day “in which He may be found.” Having
spread the
banquet for human souls, the King comes near to see His guests.
INNER DOOR OF THE HEART MUST
BE OPENED. The hindrance to
intimate fellowship with God is on our side. On God’s side there is
eager
willingness. “We are not straitened in Him.” He
is prepared to make His
presence a joyous reality as much as ever He did to saints in the
olden time.
We may walk with Him as Enoch
did (Genesis 5:24), if we will. We may have
communications with Him as Abraham did, if we
will. The hindrance is in
our own will. If only the door of the heart be unbarred, if
only our
strongest affections wait on the threshold to give Him welcome, He
will
meet with us, and give us all the comforts of His friendship.
Other guests
are often entertained, such as vain ambitions, animal
inclinations, worldly
cares, evil companionships, and we are ashamed to bring in the
heavenly
King. Alas! too often the door is
locked on the inside.
exerts an influence either for evil or for good over multitudes.
His example
is especially contagious. If he is sincerely pious, he can
induce many to
serve the Lord. But even the prince may not bring the sacrifice
near to
God. His rank and office are limited by Divine authority. In
the service of
the sanctuary he may not be supreme. Even the king must draw
nigh to
God through
the offices of the priest. The priest
likewise renders useful
service to multitudes. He speaks for them to God. He conveys
substantial
good from God to them. So every
man, in proportion to his faith and piety
and prayerfulness, may win over others to the side of virtue
— to the side
of God. Each of us occupies a center, and by a holy character we
can draw,
by the magnetic power of love Godward,
men and women from a wide
circumference. As “one sinner destroyeth
much good” (Ecclesiastes 9:18),
so one saint may save alive a myriad of his fellow-men.
THRESHOLD OF THE
material nature, that we can get no further than the margin of the
eternal
kingdom. We can see the great realities “only through a glass darkly.”
(I Corinthians 13:12) Yet we make them more obscure:
Ø
by our spiritual laziness
and
Ø
our undue attachment to earthly
pursuits.
Above everything, candor and
openness of soul are needed to allow the light
of truth to stream in. We
can make earthly and carnal all the sensibilities
of
our souls by the habitual
neglect of God’s presence. (“To
be carnally
minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace.” Romans 8:6)
But if we wish honestly and
earnestly to know God more, and to have friendly
relations with Him, we can. The
open door of the heart will be a welcome
to God well understood.
The People’s Worship (v.3)
Although there was an elaborate hierarchical system in the
Hebrew
religion, care was taken that the people generally should take an
important
part in the service. They were not admitted to the most sacred parts of the
temple enclosure, but they were expected to come up to the temple
and
share in its worship.
under the Law, much more is it looked for in the gospel dispensation,
according to which all the Lord’s people are priests, and all are
admitted to
the most holy place through the rent veil God has personal
dealings with
each soul, and it is right for each soul to come up before him
in grateful
adoration. The service in which the
people do not take part cannot be said
to be of much use to them. It is true that there is value in
intercession, and
we should all plead one for another. Still, we cannot grant
to any priest a
power of attorney to execute our religious contracts in our
stead.
joy on earth can be more rich and full.
“Lord, how
delightful ‘tis to see
A whole assembly worship thee!”
The dreariness of Sunday just
arises from the fact that so many people who
go to church really take no part in the service. It must be wearisome to sit
as spectator of a feast of which one does not partake. But when once a
living interest is taken in the worship, and the spectator
becomes a guest at
the table, the whole character of the scene is changed, and the
joy of
worship is experienced. Then it is possible to say, “How amiable are thy
tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! my
soul longeth, yea, even fainteth
for the
courts of the Lord;” and “I was glad
when they said unto me, Let us go
into the house of the Lord.”
be possible to make it all that we would desire in form and
external
expression. Indeed, popular worship can never reach the standard of
fastidious aestheticism. In trying to satisfy the refined taste of one or two
cultured persons, we may simply destroy the means of
worship for the
majority of a congregation. In that case the service,
while it reaches the
perfection of art, loses its spiritual character and degenerates into a
mere
musical performance. We should
always bear in mind the practical end of
worship, always see that it is in touch with the people and
expresses and
helps the devotion of the congregation generally. The church should be the
people’s home of worship, not the shrine of a privileged
aristocracy. Christ
was one of the people.
MAY BE MADE POPULAR. There is considerable danger of running into
this opposite extreme in the effort to attract and interest the
indifferent.
But then the whole object is
defeated. We may get the people and amuse
them for a while, but what is the use of doing so if we sacrifice the great
end of assembling together — the reverent adoration of the holy
God?
Fine art may be sacrificed, but spiritual
reality must be retained. Religion,
the essence of which is reverence, cannot be helped
by mere vulgarity.
The people’s worship must be worship.
Worship (v. 3)
The prophet, having described by anticipation the sacred
city and temple,
having represented the several duties of prince, priest, and
people, having
given regulations for sacrifices and festivals, now proceeds to
depict the
sacred services for which all this preparation has been
undertaken. The
rulers of the nation, the ministers of religion, and the people
of the land are
beheld uniting in the solemn function of spiritual worship. This is the
loftiest exercise of the Church, whether upon earth or in heaven.
The
worship of the individual soul yields in beauty and in grandeur to
that
sacrifice of worship in which
multitudes, willingly, gratefully, and joyfully
unite. (“And I
beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about
the throne and the beasts and the elders: and
the number of them was
ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands
of thousands;
Saying with a loud voice, Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to
receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and
strength, and honor,
and glory, and blessing.” Revelation 5:11-12)
existed between
worshipped gods many and lords many, the chosen people worshipped
Jehovah, and Him alone. In the
and holy in former times are remembered with gratitude and
veneration,
worship, in the strict
and proper sense of the term, is reserved for
the
SUPREME and ETERNAL, who shares
his honor with none beside.
His glorious perfections demand
the homage and adoration of His intelligent
creatures; and the more His
character is studied, the more will it appear
worthy of all the admiration and reverence which can be brought
into
HIS SACRED
PRESENCE!.
The great and the small, the
young and the old, the learned and the lay, are
all qualified to present to the Eternal the spiritual
tribute which is His due.
For it is in virtue of their
humanity, their participation in human nature,
experience, and powers, and not in virtue of any peculiar
possession or
acquisition, that they are summoned to unite in the worship
of
their
CREATOR! The idea of
the prophet was one in a high degree expanded and
comprehensive; yet even this fell short of the great reality as
apprehended
by the Apocalyptic seer.
true that this spiritual doctrine is especially that of
Christianity, of the New
Testament. But the attentive reader of the Psalms and prophecies of
the old
covenant is aware that the enlightened Hebrews were superior to a
merely
formal and mechanical view of worship. Sacrifices and offerings
were
known and felt to be of no avail unless
they expressed the deep and sincere
emotions of the inner nature. Thus it must ever be; He who
is a Spirit must
be worshipped in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
THE NATURE AND NEED OF THE WORSHIPPERS.
Ø
There must be acknowledgment of the Divine attributes,
contemplated with reverence.
Ø
There must be humiliation and confession of sin.
Ø
There must be the presentation of the due offering of gratitude
TO HIM FROM WHOM
ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!
Ø
There must be petitions and
intercessions for needed good.
WITH THE INDIVIDUAL WORSHIPPER AND HIS
CIRCUMSTANCES.
It is narrow bigotry to insist upon one form of
spiritual service or of uttered adoration and prayer. There are
occasions
upon which worship may be spontaneous and ejaculatory; and
other
occasions upon which it may be elaborate, artistic, and protracted.
The
worship of the individual who is momentarily touched by what is
beautiful
in nature, or impressive in the Word of God, is as acceptable
as the liturgy
of a cathedral service, or as the fervent service of praise
in which
expression may be given to a
nation’s gratitude for signal favors.
CONTINUOUS. The
text speaks of the “new moons” and the “sabbaths”
as opportunities for solemn and public services of devotion.
Yet we read a
little later of the daily offering. The truth is that there is no season when
worship is unsuitable on the part of man or unacceptable to God. Yet
there is wisdom in the appointment both of regular and of
special seasons
and occasions of worship. None can worship God too much, or too
reverently, or too fervently.
“From
every place beneath the skies
Let the
Creator’s praise arise!
Let the
Redeemer’s Name be sung
In every land, by every tongue!”
4 “And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto
the LORD in
the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram
without blemish. 5 And the meat offering shall be an ephah
for a ram,
and the meat
offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin
of oil to an ephah.” These two verses describe the sacrifices the prince should
offer unto the Lord on the
sabbaths.
Mosaic Law, or so-called
priests’ code, demanded two yearling lambs
(Numbers
28:9).
the lambs as he shall
be able to give; literally, a
gift of his hand — not a
handful, but, as v. 7 explains, what his hand can attain unto
(compare
Leviticus 14:31; 25:26), i.e.
as much as he can, with a hin of oil to an
ephah, for
which again the Law required two-tenths of an ephah
of fine
flour mingled with oil ( Numbers 28:9).
6 “And in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock
without blemish, and six
lambs, and a ram: they shall be without
blemish. 7 And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock,
and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand
shall
attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah.” Verses
6-7 specify the
corresponding sacrifices for the new moons.
ram, with which may
be compared the two bullocks, one ram, and seven
lambs of the Mosaic Torah (Numbers 28:11-15).
the ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto
(compare
v 5; and the similar expressions in Leviticus 5:7, 11; 12:8),
with a hin of oil to
an ephah. This also is less than that which had been
demanded by the Law, viz. three-tenths of an ephah
of fine flour mingled
with oil for each bullock, two-tenths for the ram and one-tenth
for every
lamb (Numbers 28:11-15). The Torah of Ezekiel omits the sin
offering
of a he-goat, which had a place in the Torah of Moses.
8 “And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way
of the
porch of that gate,
and he shall go forth by the way thereof.”
This
begins an ordinance relative to the mode of conducting worship at
the
appointed festivals (v. 9; compare ch. 36:38; 45:17;
Leviticus 23:2;
Hosea 12:9), by indicating first how the prince should
enter and depart from
the
temple. According to Kliefoth and Keil,
the prince’s entrance and departure
should be by the way of the porch of the
outer, according to Hengstenberg,
Smend, and Currey, of the inner, east
gate (see on v. 2).
9 “But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD
in
the solemn feasts,
he that entereth in by the way of the north gate
to worship shall go
out by the way of the south gate; and he that
entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth
by the way of
the north gate: he
shall not return by the way of the gate whereby
he came in, but
shall go forth over against it.”
But
when the people of the land shall come before the Lord.
As the preceding verse referred to the prince’s entrance
into and departure
from the inner gate, this was intended to regulate the movements of the
prince’s subjects when they should enter the outer court at any of
the festal
seasons — not the high festivals alone, such as the Passover and
the Feast
of
Tabernacles, which are usually denominated חַגּים, but the ordinary
appointed feasts (מוְעֲדִים), including, besides the high festivals, the
sabbaths and the new moons and such other religions celebrations as
were
or
should be prescribed in the new Torah. In order to prevent confusion,
and
that all might be conducted with propriety (compare I Corinthians
14:40), no one should depart by the gate through which he
had entered,
but
by the opposite, i.e. he who had entered by the north gate should retire
through the south gate, and vice versa. Hengstenberg
thinks the reason for
this regulation “cannot be sought in the endeavor to avoid a throng,” since
“in that case it must have been
ordained that all should go in by the same
gate and go out by the opposite one;” it must, he holds, have been “a
theological one,” viz. “to signify that
each should go out of the sanctuary
another man than he came in.”
The Soul’s Growth in Goodness (v. 9)
The wisdom of God has been clearly evinced in the spiritual
training of the
human family. The forbidden fruit was the wisest test that God
could
impose on Adam. The simple sacrifice of a lamb was the fittest
training of
men’s souls during the patriarchal age. And as the race
developed from
infancy into youth, and from youth to manhood, God’s methods for
unfolding and maturing the spiritual nature have been singularly
appropriate. The highest good man can obtain is the development of his
spirit — the expansion of his highest powers. To this end all
religious
worship is designed to contribute.
see development from a simple germ to highest perfection. For
high
reasons God does not produce perfected natures at a single stroke.
Even
this unconscious earth passed through long stages of
preparation before it
was fit for human habitation. The rose does not reach
perfection except by
patient culture. Everything about
us is in transition, and is moving onward
in a course of development. Art is not yet perfected. Our bodily nature
begins with a microscopic germ, and slowly develops towards
maturity. If
anything is plainly revealed in Scripture, it is this — that the
life of the soul
begins at the lowest point and is
intended to reach the highest. We do
not
begin our earthly career with robust faith in the unseen God,
nor yet with a
sensitive conscience, nor yet with strong aspirations after moral
excellence.
All this is the result of
research and self-discipline and prayer. Clearly there
is an intimate analogy between all the varieties of life
known to us. With
respect to the grain there is first the
seed, then the blade, then stalk, then
ear, then full corn in the ear. (Mark
4:28) With
respect to the body there is
babyhood, infancy, youth, manhood, maturity. And the life of the
soul begins
with a thought, a feeling, a wish, a prayer. It begins in the
understanding, passes
into the conscience, touches the emotions, moves the desires,
constrains the will,
molds the life. It begins in feebleness and develops into
world-controlling
power. Probably the main reason for this is that the spiritual
life, to have any beauty or excellence, must be the
spontaneous desire and
endeavor of the man himself. If, by the constitution of his nature, a man
must be holy and
benevolent, there would be no merit in holiness, no worth
in benevolence. Therefore scope is given to a man, greater or
lesser, to
foster the young germ of spiritual life, and to develop it unto the noblest
perfection. This is our supreme
business during OUR MORTAL CAREER!
PUBLIC WORSHIP.
The temple in the olden time, and Christian
sanctuaries now, are designed by God for this end. (The greatest temple
is the soul where God doeth “dwell with us!” Matthew 1:23 - CY – 2017)
Ø
Instruction is provided. In the former ages this was
furnished in the
form of rite and emblem; now, almost entirely, by oral
utterance. There
is conveyed information respecting God:
o His nature,
o His kingdom,
o His will,
o His doings and,
information respecting man:
o his nature,
o his fall,
o his redemption,
o his possible elevation to purity, and
o his
destinies in a future state.
Ø
Access to God is allowed.
o
Self-inspection is
encouraged.
o
Interior sin, in
inclination and desire, is detected.
o
The eye is
turned inward upon the soul.
o
The best
sensibilities of the heart are strengthened and expanded.
o
A vision of
holiness is obtained.
o
New aspirations
begin to bud.
o
The sacred
influence of God is felt upon the soul.
o
True prayer is
stimulated.
Ø
Right habits are confirmed. Every man is more
or less influenced by his
fellow-man, so contact with holy men produces salutary impressions
upon
every sensitive mind. The forceful presentation of truth upon
the moral
nature tends to elevate it. Convictions of religious duty are
inwrought.
Regard for
God’s revelation and for God’s will is deepened. Resolution to
follow a right course is often formed. The energies of the soul
are braced
up for high endeavor. Familiarity with God and with eternal
things is
increased. As a plant grows and buds under the influence of the
vernal sun,
so a man’s soul unfolds amid the surroundings of public
worship.
Ø
A Divine influence is present.
BY EVERY VISIT TO THE SANCTUARY. This is the main truth taught
in this verse. Men were not allowed, in the second temple, to
retrace their
steps. They might not depart
by the same path as that by which they
approached the altar.
Without doubt this was ordained in order to leave an
impressive lesson on their minds. The law yet remains. It is written
on
man’s spiritual constitution. It is written in the very structure
of the temple.
No man leaves
God’s house precisely the same man as he
went in. He is
either worse or better for his visit. If he has yielded in any measure to the
claims of God, he is the better. If he has resisted them afresh, HE IS THE
WORSE!
Ø
Let us contemplate the foolish man.
o
If
he enter by the gate of self-righteousness he will in all probability
leave by the gate of insensibility. His soul will be hardened under the
process. The sun that melts wax hardens clay.
o
If he
enter by the gate of unbelief he will leave by the gate of despair.
Foregone
conclusions fasten like a bandage upon the eyes. THE ROOT
OF BLINDNESS IS
A PERVERSE WILL! The
man without God
is
without hope. (“....without Christ......having
no hope, and
without
God in the world:” –
Ephesians 2:11)
o
If he
enter by the gate of formal custom he will leave by the gate of
bondage. His
carnal fetters will have been more firmly riveted by the
visit.
Ø
Let us contemplate the wise man — the beneficial
visit.
o
He who enters by the
gate of inquiry leaves by the gate of
knowledge.
o
He who enters by the
gate of penitence leaves by the gate of
peace.
o
He who enters by the
gate of prayer leaves by the gate of
triumph.
o
He who enters by the
gate of consecration leaves by the gate
of immortal hope.
10 “And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in,
shall go in;
and when they go
forth, shall go forth.” The regulation seems to teach
that in such observances at least the
prince should stand on a level with the
people, and both enter and retire by the same door as they.
Distinction and Equality in the
We have here a distinction drawn between one citizen and
all the rest. The
prince was to enter by the way of the porch of the east gate and
stand by
the
post of the gate, “at the porch of the inner court,” while the people
were to stand at a distance, at the outer gate (vs. 2-3); yet on other
occasions the prince and the people together were to enter in and to
go
forth together without regard to social distinction (v. 10). We
are thus
invited to consider that, in the coming kingdom, of which this
whole vision
was
prophetic, there were to be both distinction and equality. And we have
both.
Christ there are:
Ø Higher posts in the Church to be occupied by a few; there have been (or
are)
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, deacons, etc.; and
there is
a sense in which these have a priority of position over the ordinary
members
of the Church.
Ø Higher order of service to be rendered by some. While every citizen of
the
essential
principles in daily action in every sphere, it is given to some to
commend
the saving truth by powerful and persuasive utterances, or by
unanswerable and imperishable literature; and yet again it is given to others
to
contribute still nobler service by suffering, or even dying, “for the
sake
of the Lord Jesus” and in confirmation of the truth (see Acts
5:41;
Philippians
1:29; Revelation 7:13-14).
Ø Longer period of service granted to some than given to others.
o
There
are those who are called and blessed from childhood to old age,
who serve
Christ and His cause through all the stages of human life,
with the
gathered wisdom of long and varied experience.
o
There
are those who have not heard the Divine summons until the
greater
part of life is over, and these can only bring their wasted and
rapidly
declining faculties to the altar of holy service. Yet is there
essential:
Ø All must enter at the same gate. To one and all alike, however favored
or
however denied, JESUS
CHRIST IS THE ONE OPEN DOOR
by which
to enter (John 10:7).
Ø All must advance by the same spiritual
course — by means of
watchfulness and prayer and holy usefulness, by
learning of God, by
gaining from God, by working for God.
Ø All must give account of the Christian life, and the use they have made
of their the opportunity (Luke 19:12-26; II Corinthians 5:10).
Ø All will be judged on principles of
perfect equity
(Matthew 25:20-23;
Luke 12:48; II Corinthians 8:12).
The Prince in the Midst of Them (v. 10)
The center of the glory of restored
prince appeared, however, who was able to accomplish the
expectations of
prophecy until the advent of Jesus Christ. He is “the Prince in the midst
of His people.”
Ø
He is one of them. The Jew’s Prince was a Jew, not a foreigner. Christ is
“the Firstborn among many
brethren.” He is a true Man, the Son of
man. He has been over
the Christian course, and has Himself lived the
pattern Christian life.
Ø
He is their Head. Christ stoops to save, but He rises again to rule. Even
during His earthly humiliation He plainly took the lead among His
disciples. Now He is seated
on His throne in heaven, reigning over
His Church.
ministry He dwelt among men. Unlike John the Baptist, who retired
to the
solitude of the wilderness and to whom people had to come by
leaving
their homes, Jesus went about through the towns and villages of
eating and drinking with all sorts and conditions of men.
Although He is no
longer visible, we have His
assurance that He will be always with His true
disciples (Matthew 28:20). Christ
does not simply visit His people in
moments of great need; He is always with them. He does not
select some
choice followers for His companionship, to the
neglect of the great body
of His people, like a prince who enjoys himself with his
courtiers and
takes little or no notice of the bulk of the
nation. Jesus is in the midst
of His people, right in the center of the population of the
kingdom of
heaven.
people go in, i.e. to the temple, the Prince shall go in.
The Prince must
worship with His people. Prince and peasant must bow together
before
their common Lord. Every purely human prince needs to confess
his sins as
a penitent and to utter the publican’s prayer, “God be merciful to me a
sinner!” Christ the sinless cannot take part in our confession
except by
sympathy. But He is with us
throughout our worship. Christian worship at
its highest is communion with Christ. In that most sacred act of worship,
the Lord’s Supper, we seek especially for the living presence
of Christ. For
surely every Protestant must admit that there is a real Presence
— not in
the bread or wine — but in the hearts of Christ’s worshipping
people.
the people go forth their Prince is to accompany them. It
would be sad if
Christ only met His people in
their worship. He is more needed in work, in
temptation, in trouble. Christ is
with us in the world as well as in the
Church. He does not confine His sympathy to ecclesiastical
circles. But
when we have some hard task to accomplish or some severe trial
to face
His presence may be especially looked for. The good leader will be in the
thick of the fight, cheering his soldiers just where the battle
is hottest. Our
Captain of salvation accompanies
us in the holy war against sin. If courage
fails, this should be our cheering thought — the Prince is
in the midst of
us!
11 “And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering
shall be
an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah
to a ram, and to the lambs as
he is able to give,
and an hin of oil to an ephah.” This
specifies the meat (or,
meal) offering which
should be presented
in
the feasts (חַגּים), or high festivals, as the Passover and Feast of
Tabernacles, and in the solemnities (מועֲדִים), or appointed feasts
generally, viz. an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah
to a ram, and to
the lambs as he is
able to give (comp. vs. 5, 7), with
a hin of oil to an
ephah. This
is the same meat offering as was appointed for the new moons
(see v. 7), but slightly different
in quantity from, though the same in
principle as, that stipulated for the seven days of the Passover (ch. 45:24).
Feasts and Solemnities (v. 11)
In all religions there are instituted festivals and public
functions, which
serve to manifest and to sustain the religious life of the
community. This
was
especially the case with Judaism, which prescribed many stated
solemnities. Even the Christian religion has its appointed sacraments,
and,
in
addition to these, which were instituted by the Divine Founder, the
Church has at various periods set apart
times and seasons for certain public
observances, participation in which has been found conducive to
religious
earnestness and vitality, as well as to ecclesiastical prosperity.
HARMONIZING WITH THE VERY NATURE OF THE HUMAN
MIND. It is not
in human nature to proceed in one undeviating and
monotonous course. Life is best lived when the regular and stated
order of
things is varied by occasional diversities. As in ordinary
existence, so in the
religious life, it is well that there should be variety, and that
men should be
invited to special engagements of a spiritual nature, whether of humiliation
or of rejoicing, whether commemorative or anticipatory. Men do not cease
to be men because they are Christians, and
Christianity is not only
compatible with, it is promoted by, special sacred festivals, fasts,
and other
observances.
BY THE NATURE OF DIVINE
INTERPOSITIONS WHICH ARE
OCCASIONAL AND SPECIAL. The Jews had, in the course of their
national history, experienced wonderful interventions of Divine
mercy upon
their behalf. And it is evident that the solemnities, which
formed so
beautiful a feature of the Jewish religion, were for the most part designed
to celebrate the great things which God had done for His
chosen people.
The treatment of the nation by
God had not been of a uniform and regular
character; and it was natural that there should be a correspondence
between the national history and the national religion, between
what
Jehovah had effected on behalf
of His chosen people, and what that people
did in acknowledgment of the Divine mercy. Similarly with our
Christmas,
Easter, and Whitsuntide; we
celebrate the special mercy of God in the
advent, the death, and the resurrection of our Savior, and in the
fulfillment
of “the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4),
in the
outpouring of the
Holy Spirit.
BY THE SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS WHO NEED TO BE
IMPRESSED BY THE SAME
GREAT SPIRITUAL TRUTHS. With
reference to the Jewish Passover, we are expressly assured that one
purpose of its observance was to train the rising generation in
the reverent
memory of the signal favors of God. When the son of the household
asked,
“What mean ye by
this service?” the answer was given
that it
commemorated the loving-kindness and faithfulness of the God of the
Hebrews, who had
delivered his chosen people from destruction and
assured to them His lasting protection. How much more powerfully was
such a lesson taught by such ordinances than by words! The
youthful mind
is especially impressed by sacred solemnities, and by their
observance
provision is made that the attention of
successive generations shall be
directed to the glorious truth that GOD HAS VISITED and REDEEMED
HIS PEOPLE.
12 “Now when the prince shall prepare a voluntary burnt
offering or
peace offerings
voluntarily unto the LORD, one shall then open
him the gate that looketh toward the east, and he shall prepare his
burnt offering and his
peace offerings, as he did on the sabbath
day: then he shall
go forth; and after his going forth one shall shut
the gate.” This
determines the procedure in case of the prince resolving to offer
privately, on his own account, a voluntary burnt offering or peace
offering; better, a free-will offering (נְדָבָה), a sacrifice prompted by the
heart of the offerer, as opposed to
one legally enjoined (Exodus 35:29;
Leviticus 22:23), which might be either a burnt or a
peace offering. In
this case the east inner gate should be opened to him as on the sabbath
days (see v. 1), but, differently from what occurred on the sabbath, it
should not remain open till the evening (v. 2), but should be
shut
immediately the prince’s offering was done.
The Optional and the Obligatory in the
1. Here are minute and
positive prescriptions, requiring exact conformity
and
allowing no deviation. The burnt offering was to be six lambs and one
ram
— no more and no less (v. 4). In the day of the new moon — at that
particular time — the offering was to include a young bullock (v. 6).
They who entered in by the north gate were to go out by the
south gate,
and
vice versa (v. 9). These (and other) instructions were in full and
careful detail, and there was to be no
departure from them.
2. On the other hand,
the prince might, at certain hours and on occasion,
bring an offering that was purely “voluntary;” one that was
“voluntarily”
presented unto the Lord (v. 12). Room was left for spontaneity, even
in
the
midst of these very specific requirements. In the
Christ we have these two orders of service — the obligatory
and the
optional, the plainly and positively enjoined, and the voluntary;
and that
Christian life is not complete which is lacking in either.
which are indispensable there are:
Ø
At its entrance:
o
humility (or penitence); and
o
faith, that living faith in Jesus Christ which includes the acceptance
of
Him as THE SAVIOUR OF THE SOUL and THE LORD OF
THE
LIFE!
Ø
Throughout its course:
o
worship,
or the approach of the human spirit to the Divine in prayer,
in thanksgiving, in consecration;
o
obedience,
or the conformity of conduct to those precepts which
are
an essential part of Christian morals;
o
love,
including not only the “love of the
brethren,” or a special
attachment to those who are the friends and
followers of
Jesus
Christ, but also a genuine pity for those who are far from
Him
and need to be brought nigh,
and a practical determination
to seek and to win
these erring souls.
necessary in our Christian life.
Ø
In the particulars of our worship. We have one main principle binding
upon all men everywhere (“God is a Spirit and they that worship Him
must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.” John
4:24), but it is left to
our individual choice — to our own judgment and conscience —
at
what times, in what forms, within what buildings, with what
kind of
human ministry, we shall draw nigh to God in true and pure
devotion.
Ø
In the minutiae of obedience. What shall be the rules and the regulations
we shall lay down for the observance of the great principles
of purity, of
temperance, of equity, of veracity, of reverential speech, of
courtesy., —
these are not to be found in any Christian directory; they are
to be
decided upon m the sanctuary of every consecrated spirit and of
every cultivated conscience.
Ø
In the measure and methods of loving service. What proportion of our
income, what amount of our time, what order of personal effort,
we
shall devote to the cause of Christ and in the interest of our
fellow-men,
— this
rests with every individual Christian man to decide. These must
be, in some sense and degree, “voluntary offerings.”
A Free-Will Offering (v. 12)
There were certain sacrifices and offerings which the pious
Jew was bound
to
present. To omit compliance with certain regulations upon these
observances would have been disloyalty. But there were other offerings
which were optional, which were left to the feelings and to the
circumstances of the worshipper. They were only brought when there was
an
especially lively sense of the Lord’s goodness, and an especial desire to
express consecration and devotion. Gifts prompted by gratitude and
love
are
the only gifts which are of value in the sight of Him
who searcheth and
looketh upon the hearers.
MAN. Man’s nature is
distinguished by the glorious prerogative of liberty.
There is for him no moral
excellence or beauty in constraint. The heart is
free, and it is the only gift which in God’s sight is precious
(“My
son, give
me thine heart.” – Proverbs 23:26); all other gifts have value so far only
as they are the expression of the love and loyalty of the
spiritual nature.
Whatever is dedicated to God of
the worshipper’s freewill is a human
and a worthy offering, such as a being with man’s prerogative
of liberty
may justly offer.
religions sometimes extort from devotees, by the motive of
terror, gifts and
offerings services and sacrifices which would otherwise be withheld.
They
must be fictitious’ deities that are represented as gratified
with such
offerings as these. But the character of God is such as assures us
of His
willingness to receive what is freely and cheerfully presented. Not
that he
can be enriched by anything that His creatures can present.
They acknowledge — ““All
things come of thee, and of thine
own have
we given thee.” (But
all is precious to Him that reveals a loyal, loving,
and grateful heart.
13 “Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt
offering unto the LORD of a lamb
of the first year
without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every morning.
14 And thou shalt prepare a meat
offering for it every morning, the
sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of an hin
of oil, to temper
with the fine flour;
a meat offering continually by a perpetual
ordinance unto the
LORD. 15 Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and
the meat offering,
and the oil, every morning for a continual burnt offering.”
These verses supply closing instructions for the daily
sacrifice. The daily
burnt offering should be a
lamb of the first year;
literally, a son of his
year; whereas the Law of Moses required a lamb twice a day
(Exodus
29:38-42; Numbers 28:1-8). The daily meat (or, meal)
offering to
accompany this should be the
sixth part of an ephah, instead of a tenth as
under Moses, and the
third part of a hin of oil, instead of a fourth as (from
prescribed by the earlier legislation, to temper with —
לָרֹס (from
רָסַס - a
word peculiar to Ezekiel), to moisten or mix with — the fine flour. These
sacrifices should be offered every
morning; literally, morning
by morning;
but
not every evening as in the Mosaic Law. This difference was not
accidental, but intentional, though why in the new order of things
the
evening sacrifice should have been omitted does not appear. Currey thinks
Ezekiel did not intend to enumerate all the sacrifices of
the Law, but only a
few
of them, and that, though not mentioned, the evening sacrifice may
have been designed to be retained. The presentation of these sacrifices was
not
to be the special duty of the prince, but should devolve upon the
community as a whole, who are now addressed as “thou” (vs. 13-14)
and
“they”
(v. 15), and who should act in its fulfillment through their priests.
The Morning Sacrifice (v. 13)
especially worship is fitting. It is
sad to begin the day without prayer. But
the fresh morning devotion has a preciousness of its own. (The Psalmist
was on target when he cried “O God, thou art my God, early will I seek
thee,
my soul thirsteth for thee, my
flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land,
where no water is” – Psalm 63:1 – CY –
2009)
Ø
Then we awake from sleep. It is happy indeed to
wake to some good
thought of God. He has preserved us through the long hours of
darkness. New strength has come by refreshing rest, and this is
God’s gift. Therefore grateful thoughts should rise with morning
worship.
Ø
Then we commence a new day. Has the fig tree
been fruitless hitherto?
Yet in his long-suffering
patience the Master has not cut it down. Here is
another opportunity for fruit-bearing. Shall this new one be
wasted as
were so many of bygone days?
“Lo! here hath been dawning
Another blue day:
Think, wilt
thou let it
Slip useless away?
Out of
eternity
This new day is born;
Into
eternity
At night will return.
“Behold it aforetime
No eye ever did; (How Profound!)
So soon it
forever
From all eyes is hid.”
(Carlyle.)
may think we have dedicated our lives to God. Yet we need to
renew the
dedication — to dedicate our days
as well as our years. Every day brings
its fresh duties, and these need the grace of Christ, that
they may be rightly
discharged. Every day also brings its new temptations. We cannot
live
today in the grace of yesterday. The manna fell daily to feed
the Israelites
in the wilderness, and it would not bear keeping for the
morrow. Christ
teaches us to pray for daily bread: “Give us this day our daily bread.”
SACRIFICE. The
Israelites dedicated each day with morning burnt
offerings. Although we have outgrown the necessity of using these
symbolical offerings, we can never outgrow the requirement of sacrifice. It
is well to begin the day in the spirit of sacrifice. First there should be the
desire to slay all sin and renounce all bad habits. Then comes
the positive
self-denial and cross-bearing for the sake of Christ. Is there any new
sacrifice of love that may be offered on the new day? Throughout the
day
this thought should pervade the mind of the Christian: “I am a
servant of
Christ. It is my part today to
study my Master’s will, and live for His
glory.”
see any great event. But it will be a day spent for God, in
lowly service,
perhaps, yet in holy living. Such a day is one sure stepping-stone
towards
heaven.
The Essence of Religion (vs. 13-15)
Inasmuch as true religion is a daily help and solace to men,
it was needful
to
impress this upon the minds of the Jews by a daily sacrifice. In order to
obtain the highest good from God, we must dedicate our whole self to
God. It is in giving that we
receive. Our interests and God’s interests are
not distinct; they are identical. Yet this is a difficult
lesson for men to learn.
They persist in judging that time taken from secular
pursuits is time
misspent; that money removed from material fructification is
property
waste. Surely God does not need our poor gifts. And if He
accepts them, it
is
in order that they may be made channels of blessing to the worshipper.
The essence of religion is hearty self-sacrifice.
The burnt offering was wholly
consumed. Outward and formal acts of
worship do not constitute acceptable religion. The ceremony may
only be
the show and not the substance, the shell without the kernel,
the body
without the soul, the channel without a living stream of love. If
love be the
central germ of piety, then love constrains the dedication to God
of all I am
— all I
have. Such dedication is only reasonable. (Paul said, “I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service.” -
Romans 12:1) I cannot lay my
finger on any organ of my body,
or on any virtue in my soul, or on any item of my substance,
which does
not belong to God by right; hence in complete consecration I
only fulfill
my obligation; I give no more than is due. God has given to
His children
all He has — He has not withheld His Son; Paul again says, “He
that
spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how
shall
He not with Him
also freely give us all things.” (Romans
8:32) therefore
the obligation is intensified. No lesser repayment of the debt
would be
complete. Self-dedication is God-like. As when a man carries his
gold to
the royal mint that it may become current coin for exchange,
he receives it
back with the image and superscription of the sovereign upon
it; so, when
we give ourselves wholly to God, we get a nobler self; God’s image is
super-added. We’re most our own when most completely His.
The burnt offering was to be
repeated “every morning.” The surrender of
self to God is not an isolated act done once for all. It means the
continuous
habitude of the soul. As
we open our shutters every morning or withdraw
our blinds in order to let in the light, so every morning we need to open all
the doorways of the soul afresh to give access to God. The tempter is ever
at hand to induce us to forget God; our fleshly nature
asserts itself —
thrusts itself in between us and God; therefore there is daily need to renew
our sacred vows. As
the fields are refreshed every summer morning by
another baptism of dew, so may
our souls be refreshed by new communion
with God. Each day
God wisely requires fresh service; we cannot withhold
it. Each day will bring
new cares, new toils, new opportunities for making
God known; therefore
we require new strength. Each day God
has some
new blessing to convey: we should be ever ready to receive it.
Self-
devotement should be repeated with THE DAWN OF EVERY DAY!
As new as
God’s gifts to us should be our dedication to Him.
lamb was required to be “without blemish.” This was a daily
and emphatic
reminder that God expected, for
His society and His service, a perfect
character. Better still, this
was a tacit promise that God would, by his
gracious expedients, make us perfect. (“The Lord will perfect that which
concerneth me.” (Psalm 138:8) We
aspire after perfection. We are
ashamed of our imperfections. And
we give ourselves up to God, that, by
His creative Spirit, He may
mold us unto perfection. This is our confident
hope that perfect trust may lead to perfect holiness. By daily
consecration
of every thought and feeling and purpose, we shall step by
step attain the
likeness of our Savior. This is God’s purpose, and it cannot be
frustrated.
The daily offering consisted of
a “lamb.”
Why this particular sacrifice was
commanded can have but one explanation; viz. that our earliest years
should be consecrated to God. While religion in
its final end is sublime, in
its essential principle it is simple enough. It is love — love
to the worthiest
Being, and a child has
capacity to love. God takes especial interest in
children. When Jesus took
into His arms young infants and blessed them, He
said substantially, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father!”
Inasmuch
as God regards things which are not as yet as though they
were, He smiles
with Fatherly complacency on faith in embryo — on the tiny buds
of
character not yet unfolded. (What
about the unborn aborted child? “They
.....
burn their sons with fire......which
I commanded not, nor spake it,
neither came it into my mind.”
Jeremiah 19:5 – CY – 2017) The first
breath of prayer ascends to heaven more fragrant than temple
incense.
“Thou shalt prepare.” As
considerable pains were required to prepare the
burnt offering, so thought and self-inspection are required for acts
of piety.
To gain advantage and enjoyment
from worship, we must bring to the
exercise concentration of mind, tender feeling, intelligent
expectation,
steadfast trust. The farmer has to plough and pulverize his soil
before he
casts in his seed, and, unless our hearts have their furrows
open, the seed of
truth will disappear as soon as sown. The eye must be trained in
order to
gain vision; the hand must be trained in order to dexterous
industry; so too
the soul must be trained in order to enjoy high communion with God.
Desultory (lacking a plan,
purpose or enthusiasm) talk is not prayer; for
prayer is the outgoing of the whole man Godward.
Vs. 16-18. —
Instructions for the prince as to how he should deal with
his
property are summarized in three regulations, introduced by the solemn
formula of “Thus saith the
Lord” (compare v. 1; ch. 45:9).
16 “Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his
sons, the inheritance
thereof shall be his sons’; it shall be their
possession by inheritance.” The first regulation. The prince might dispose of
a
portion of his royal property (see
ch.45:7-8) by presenting part of it as
a gift
to any of his sons. In this case what was gifted should belong to his son or
sons in perpetuity, should be his or theirs as his or their possession by
inheritance; it should never
again revert to the prince.
17 “But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his
servants, then it
shall be his to the
year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince:
but his inheritance
shall be his sons’ for them.”
The second regulation. Should the
prince, however, bestow a
portion of his inheritance on one of his servants, what was thus
bestowed
should not belong to that servant in perpetuity, but should be
regarded
simply as a temporary loan which should be his till the year of liberty,
הֲדְּרור שְׁנַת, i.e. the year of free flowing general — compare
Exodus
30:23, מָראּדּרור, pure myrrh (Authorized Version) or flowing myrrh
(Revised Version) — hence the year
of release; after which it should return
to
the prince. Smend thinks Ezekiel could hardly have
had in view the year
of
jubilee (Leviticus 25:10; 27:24), else he would not have employed
the
term “liberty,” which Jeremiah (Jeremiah 34:8, 15, 17) uses to
denote the freedom regained by Hebrew bondmen in the seventh year
(Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12). But:
reversion of property, and to this rather than to that Ezekiel
refers.
in it both slaves were emancipated and property was
liberated. And
either Exodus or Deuteronomy, the latter of which in particular
speaks of
“the year of release”
(שְׁםנת הַשְּׂמִטָּה), but adheres closely to the style of
Leviticus,
which, in fact, it presupposes. שְׁנַת הַדְּרור can only signify the
year of the release, i.e. the well-known year of
emancipation. The last
clause should be rendered, as in the Revised Version, “As for his
inheritance (generally), it shall be for his sons,” or, as Keil translates, “Only
his inheritance it is,” i.e. the prince’s; “as for his
sons, it shall be for them.”
The Son and the Servant (vs. 16-17)
The Jewish Law made careful provision to prevent the
alienation of land
from the families to which it originally belonged. The son might inherit
permanently; but the servant could only receive a gift of land for a
time,
which would cease at the year of jubilee. Here was a marked
distinction
between the privileges of sonship and
those of service. Now
attention to this distinction from another point of view, when
contrasting,
the
gospel with the Law. There is a religion of worship, and one of service.
This is the case with the
spiritual experience of Christianity.
Ø
The Christian is a son.
o
He is begotten by
God.
o
He is adopted by
God.
o
He owns Christ
for his Brother.
o
He is admitted into
God’s presence as a child at home.
o
He has the
liberty of a son and his privileges.
“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him.” (Psalm 25:14)
God makes His
counsels known to true Christians.
Ø
The son’s inheritance is permanent.
o
For
life, the grace of
God given to the true Christian child will not
desert
him in after-years if he still looks for it and follows its guidance.
God does not
treat His people as the favorites of a day, whom a prince
pampers
while the whim is on him, and then capriciously flings aside;
His favor is enduring like His eternal
love.
o
After
death. The Christian
inheritance is but tasted on earth; the better
part
of it awaits us beyond the grave. It is like the inheritance of
small part
of which was on the coast of the
to be
crossed before the main portion could be reached. “Godliness is
profitable
unto all things, having promise of the life that now is,
and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). We do not resign our
Christian
inheritance when we lie down to die; on the contrary,
then
we prepare
to enter into the Promised Land in
all its length and breadth.
Ø
The promises of the
Mosaic religion were for this world, as
Bishop
Warburton proved with redundancy of argument, in his famous
book on
the ‘ Divine Legation of Moses’ Therefore the Jew stood
below the
Christian in regard to his prospects of future good. But
there are far lower
lives of servitude than that of the pious Jew.
Ø
Christ spoke of the slavery
of sin (John 8:34). Now, this degraded
servitude has its rewards. Sin gives gifts to its slaves.
But they are not
enduring possessions.
Ø
The bondage of
worldliness holds many men. This thraldom
promises
great rewards. Riches and pleasures come in its train. The chains are
forged of gold, and at first the weight of them is not felt.
But the rewards
of sin and worldliness are of brief
duration. Their fruits may be sweet at
first, but the after-taste of
them is unendurably bitter. Even if no
disappointment is met on
earth, the
worldly inheritance must be
resigned at death. The slave
of sin and the world can carry none
of his treasures with him to the unseen
future.
18 “Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s
inheritance by
oppression, to thrust them
out of their possession; but he shall give
his sons inheritance
out of his own possession: that my people be
not scattered every
man from his possession.”
The third regulation. The prince in
all cases should endow his
sons (or others) out of his own, and not out of his subjects’ possessions,
of
which they have been violently robbed. A good rule for other
princes
besides this, and for owners of property in general.
Earthly Sovereignty not Absolute (vs. 16-18)
Great temptations surround kings, inducing them to tyranny.
Their own
will is enveloped within military force. Obsequious (obedient to a servile
degree) flatterers pander to royal power. For self-interest,
soldiers usually
take sides with the prince. Hence a
first lesson for princes to learn is that
right is superior to might.
The voice of justice is the voice of God.
earthly king holds absolute sway over his subjects. In truth, the
mightiest
monarch is only a vassal-king. He rules in the place of God. He has to
listen to the summons, “Thus saith the
Lord.” He is appointed to
administer the laws of God. He is amenable to a superior authority,
and
must render an account of his rule at the judgment-bar of heaven. To no
king has God transferred the right of absolute rule. The term
of a tyrant’s
rule is entirely at the disposal of God. At any moment the King
of kings
can terminate a prince’s rule, and require a report of his
doings. (As
Belshazzar – Daniel 5:25-28 – CY - 2017) At the very height of a
boastful tyranny he has often suffered an humiliating fall. A
prince is
simply a superior servant.
not absolute master of his subjects, neither is he absolute
master of his
possessions. Even a king has no freehold in his property. It is held
under
lease. He has only a life-enjoyment in it. Death dissolves all
earthly
covenants. If he has sons, they are his heirs. By the indisputable
law of God
they have a right in reversion. As the prince had full
enjoyment of his
estates during his mortal life, so his sons shall have
undiminished
enjoyment of the estates during their life. By no principle of law
or justice
can a prince claim to extract from the ancestral estates more
than a life-
enjoyment, nor encumber his estates for successors. He must learn to
identify himself with his children, to treat them as part and
parcel of
himself. Checks on
selfishness God everywhere imposes. In the
household
of God sonship carries with it
complete heirship.
Obligations among men are
mutual. Kingship has duties as well as rights. If
subjects are under obligation to serve and support their ‘prince,
so too
princes are under obligation to protect the lives and property of
their
subjects. Rightly understood, the
prosperity of the people is identical with
the prosperity of the king. The throne cannot be strong if the people are
impoverished. The king and his
people are united by a common bond of
interest. The invasion
of his subjects’ rights is suicide to his authority —
suicide to kingship. “No man liveth
unto himself.” (Romans 14:7)
A selfish and avaricious
policy is moral madness. No other
principle is so
favorable to prosperity and joy as wise
benevolence.
man is more dependent upon the service of others, no man so
dependent,
as a prince. His time and strength are as limited as any
other man’s, yet the
demands of duty are enormous. For his personal needs he requires
servants; for his family wants he requires servants; and for every
department of public government he requires servants. In proportion
to the
value of the services, remuneration must be made. If the prince
be
accounted mean or parsimonious, he will lose dignity, reputation,
and
influence. (Even Sitting Bull was known among his people for his
generosity. CY – 2017) Yet his generous
impulses must never be allowed
to violate principles of justice. He must never encroach on
others’ possessions
to discharge a personal debt. Yet, alas! this
has often been done! Kings stand
among the greatest criminals. Secret service to the king has been
paid in
stolen coin. Yet restitution must
some day be made, for God is always on
the side of righteousness. And to every prince he says, “Be just before you
are generous.”
A Warning to the Great (v. 18)
and supreme ruler of
exalted position. Yet he is responsible to God, and his duty is
definitely
marked out for him. Even the most
“irresponsible” ruler of a despotic state
cannot escape from responsibility in the sight of Heaven. Prince as well as
peasant will have to give account of himself before
the judgment-seat of
God. Moreover,
God directs and controls the movements of the most
powerful earthly magnates. He who said to the sea, “Hitherto shalt
thou
come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed”
(Job 38:11), “put
His hooks” in the proud ruler of
who enjoy the largest scope and who own the widest possessions
must
come to the confines of their territory. The biggest park has
its fence.
Now, a common temptation is to
despise the best things within a man’s
right, in envy for what
lies beyond them. Thus, with all the
wealth of the
royal demesne, Ahab is sick with covetousness for Naboth’s vineyard
(1 Kings 21:4). The possession
of considerable power aggravates the
temptation of the great to go beyond their rights. It is difficult
for the
despot to avoid degenerating into a tyrant.
PEOPLE. The danger of power passing over to tyranny is the
besetting
temptation of persons in influential positions. This danger alone
raises a
question as to the wisdom of entrusting overmuch power
even to the best
men. In the abstract, an
irresistible paternal government might seem to be
likely to secure the greatest good of a nation. But for this to
be satisfactory
we must not only endue the ruler with supreme wisdom, we must
also
eliminate from his character every atom of selfishness.
OTHER PEOPLE.
They have unique privileges, but these are bestowed in
the form of a solemn trust. God is no respecter of persons. He
cares for all
His children. He is the people’s God, and the Friend of the poor. They
who
can find no earthly protector may look to Heaven for
deliverance, for He
who heard the cry of the Hebrews when they groaned under the oppression
of the Egyptian bondage, and saved them from Pharaoh and his
host, is
still
mighty to help the needy.
GREAT SHOULD LEAD ALL TO TRUST HIM. If God only favored the
so-called privileged classes, the multitude might well turn aside
from
religion in despair. But since
God has ever been on the side of the
oppressed, and has ever cared for the people, it is foolish to
distrust him,
and ungrateful to disregard his goodness. Whatever else the great may
seize upon, they cannot take away the poor man’s religion. Here
is a prize
of permanent possession. It would be
well if all knew and loved the God
who cares for all.
Losing and Keeping the Inheritance (v. 18)
The subject of this commandment is “the inalienable nature
of the prince’s
possession, and the sacred regard he must pay to the peoples’” its
object
was
to legislate so that “no temptation might exist to spoil the people of
their proper inheritances, as had been too often done in the
days that were
past.” By the words of the text we are brought in contact with:
legislation contemplated keeping the land in the occupancy of the same
tribe and of the same family from generation to generation. It
was not in
the power of the occupier to sell it or to will it away from
the family; and
although it might be mortgaged, it reverted to the original
possessor (or his
family) at the year of jubilee. (Every 50 years) The ideal was that of all the
families of the nation being interested and engaged in the happy,
honorable,
and fruitfulemployment of
agriculture. In this case there would be no super-
abounding wealth on the one hand, and no degrading poverty on the
other
hand; while every Israelite would have the deepest interest in
preserving the
integrity of his country’s freedom, and would be contributing to its
wealth.
Such an ideal as this is
hopelessly impossible in such a time as this, but in a
primitive and pastoral age it was one calculated to secure the
largest
possible measure of:
Ø
individual
happiness,
Ø
domestic comfort, and
Ø
national prosperity.
Such a provision must have been
attended with great difficulties in the way
of realization. Dissipation on the one hand and avarice on
the other would
almost inevitably lead to loss and to appropriation. And there is
no doubt
they did. As time went by the land became lost to the families
to whom it
was originally apportioned (Joshua 19:51). And when the time came
for the great and sad deportation to other lands, the entire
arrangement
was broken up; finally
the Jews were “scattered, every man from his
possession;” and, dispersed among the
Gentiles, they became the least
pastoral or agricultural, and the most trading and financing, of
any people
on the earth. Where, then, does this prediction find:
substance, in:
Ø
Provision for the
material well-being of the people of the land. As the
result of Christian principle acting at both ends of the body
politic,
elevating the character and therefore the condition of those at the
bottom, and leading those at the top to devote their resources
and
employ their (legislative and other) opportunities in the
interest of the
people, there will gradually ensue a wide distribution of comfort
and
prosperity. Abject poverty and superfluous possession will give place
to universal competence, education, morality, piety — in fact,
NATIONAL WELL-BEING! Many
forces will have to contribute
to this result, and it may be a long time coming, but it
must be the
issue of a true and practical Christianity. There are other “inheritances”
beside that of land and wealth which need to be preserved, and
which
a Christian family or a Christian Church should devoutly
determine to
maintain. There must
be:
o
The perpetuation of
the fair heritage of an honorable name,
a reputation for family goodness or wisdom that has come
down many generations.
o
The preservation of
the precious deposit of SACRED TRUTH!
V.
19-24. — The sacrificial kitchens for the priests
and for the people.
This passage has been transferred by Ewald
to Ezekiel 42, and inserted
after v. 14; but the Exposition will show it must have
originally stood
where it is.
19 “After he brought me through the entry, which was at the
side of the
gate, into the holy
chambers of the priests, which looked toward
the north: and,
behold, there was a place on the two sides westward.”
After (or, and) he — i.e. the measuring man,
who had hitherto
acted as the prophet’s conductor — brought me through the entry,
which was at the side
of the gate. This was the inner north gate, from
which the prophet had been conducted to the front of the house
in order to
receive the sacrificial Torah (ch.
44:4), and to which, when this
was
finished, he had been seemingly led back. From this gate, then, he was
taken by his guide along the entry or passage (ch. 42:9), which ran
towards and extended in front of the holy chambers of (or, for) the
priests, which looked
toward the north, and which had
already been
described (ch. 42:1-14). Arrived at the
western corner of the
chambers, he perceived a
place on the two sides — or, on the hinder part
(Revised Version) — westward. The translation in the Authorized Version
was
obviously suggested by the dual form יַדְכָּתַיִם, which properly
signifies “on both sides” but when applied to the tabernacle (Exodus
26:23) or temple (I Kings 6:16), always describes the back
part or rear.
That a similar “place” existed on the south side is
more than probable;
though Smend thinks there was not a
“place” on the south. The Septuagint
omits the words after “place,” and supplies κεχωρισμένος – kechorismenos –
separated. Keil finds in the description here given of the passage
towards the
holy chambers a proof that this section could not have stood originally
after
ch. 42:14, as in that case no such description would have
been
needed. Nor would the language in ch.
47:1, “and he brought me
back,” have been
required or appropriate had the prophet not in the mean
while changed his place, which he does to visit the holy chambers.
20 “Then said he unto me, This is the
place where the priests shall boil
the trespass
offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the
meat offering; that
they bear them not out into the utter court, to
sanctify the
people.” The “place” was designed as a kitchen
where the priests
should boil
the trespass and the sin offerings and bake the meat (or, meal)
offering, i.e. cook
the portions of the sacrifices they should eat in their official
capacity (see ch. 42:13). The Law of
Moses (Leviticus 8:31) required the flesh
to
be boiled (and probably also the flour to be baked) at the tabernacle door.
The last clause, that
they, i.e. the priests, bear
them,
i.e. the offerings, not out into the utter (or, outer) court, to sanctify the
people, is by most interpreters understood in the sense of ch. 44:19 (which see).
To this, however, Kliefoth
objects that the conception of deriving ceremonial
sanctity from contact with such offerings is completely strange to
the
Old Testament (see Haggai 2:12), andaccordingly
he connects the words.
“to sanctify the people,” with the “baking” and “boiling” of the
preceding
clause.
21 “Then he brought me forth into the utter court, and caused
me to
pass by the four
corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner
of the court there
was a court. 22 In the four corners of
the court there
were courts joined of
forty cubits long and thirty broad: these four corners
were of one measure.”
The prophet next observed, as his guide
led him round
the outer
area, that in every corner of the
court there was a court —
literally, a court in a corner of the court, a court in a
corner of the court
— and that these were courts joined of forty cubits long and
thirty
broad. The word “joined” קְטֻרות) has been variously translated: by
Gesenins (see ‘Hebrews Lex.,’ sub voce),
as “vaulted” or “roofed,” with
which Hitzig seems to agree; by the
Septuagint, whom Bottcher and Ewald
follow, μικρά - mikra - equal
to contracts; by Kliefoth, “uncovered;” by
Havernick, “firm,” “strongly
built;” by Smend, “separated;” by
Hengstenberg and Schroder, after the
Talmudists (fumum exhalantia),
“smoking” or “made with chimneys”
(Authorized Version margin); but is
probably best rendered by the Revised Version, Keil,
Currey, after
Gesenius (‘Thesaurus,’ p. 1213), “enclosed,” meaning muris cineta et
januis elausa. According to the last clause of v. 22, these four corners
were of one measure; or, one measure was to the four cut-away places,
i.e. corners, מְהֻקְצָעות
being the hoph. participle of קָצַע, “to cut off.”
This last word is omitted in the Septuagint and the
Vulgate, Hitzig, and Smend,
the
puncta extraordinaria
showing that the Massorites regarded it as
suspicious.
23 “And there was a row of building round about in them, round
about
them four, and it was
made with boiling places under the rows round about.”
And there was a
row of building round about in them; but
whether טור
meant
a
“wall,” “fence,” or “enclosure,” as Gesenius,
Havernick, and Ewald
translate,
or
“row,” “series,” “a shelf of brickwork
which had several separate shelves
under which the
cooking-hearths were placed,” as Keil explains, the obvious
intention was to describe the range of boiling places which were built along
the
inside walls of these corner courts, as the next verse states.
24 “Then said he unto me, These are
the places of them that boil,
where the ministers of
the house shall boil the sacrifice of the
people.” These are the places (literally,
houses) of them that boil —
hence kitchens — where
the ministers of the house (or, temple) — e.g.
the
Levites (see ch. 44:11-12) — shall boil the sacrifice of the
people; i.e. the portions of the people’s offerings which
fall to be
consumed by the priests.
"Excerpted text Copyright AGES
Library, LLC. All
rights reserved.
Materials are reproduced by
permission."
This material can be found at:
http://www.adultbibleclass.com
If this exposition is helpful, please share
with others.