Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Ezekiel
Book: Ezekiel
Chapter: 39
Overview:
The
Destruction of
Gog.
(1-10) Its extent.
(11-22) Israel
again favoured.
(23-29)
1-10 The
Lord will make the most careless and hardened
transgressors know his holy name, either
By his righteous
Anger,
or
By the riches of his
Mercy and
Grace. The weapons formed
against Zion shall not prosper. Though this
Prophecy is to be
fulfilled in the latter days, it is certain. From the language
used, it seems that the
Army of
Gog will be destroyed
By
Miracle.
11-22 How numerous the enemies which
God destroyed for the
defence of his people
Israel! Times of great deliverances should
be times of reformation. Every one should help the utmost he
can, toward cleansing the land from reproach.
Sin is an enemy
every
Man should strive against. Those engaged in public work,
especially of cleansing and reforming a land, ought to be men
who will go through with what they undertake, who will be always
employed. When good work is to be done, every one should further
it. Having received special favours from
God, let us cleanse
ourselves from all evil. It is a work which will require
persevering diligence, that search may be made into the secret
recesses of
Sin. The judgments of the
Lord, brought upon
Sin and
sinners, are a
Sacrifice to the
Justice of God, and a
Feast to
the
Faith and
Hope of
God's people. See how evil pursues
sinners, even after
Death. After all that ambitious and covetous
men do and look for, "a place of graves" is all the
Lord gives
them
On Earth, while their guilty souls are doomed to misery in
another world.
23-29 When the
Lord shall have
Mercy On the whole
House of
Israel,
By converting them to Christianity, and when they shall
have borne the shame of being cast off for their sins, then the
nations shall learn to know,
Worship, and serve him. Then
Israel
also shall know the
Lord, as revealed in and
By Christ. Past
events do not answer to these predictions. The pouring out of
the
Spirit is a
Pledge that
God's favour will continue. He will
hide his
Face No more from those
On whom he has poured out his
Spirit. When we pray that
God would never cast us from his
presence, we must as earnestly pray that, in order thereto, he
would never take his Holy
Spirit from us.