Ezekiel 9:3-6 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house… 1. The Lord looks upon the world with a discriminating eye; some He looks upon to be marked, and some to be left unmarked. His eye distinguisheth between the precious and the vile (Psalm 34:15, 16). 2. When the Lord proceeds to judgment of cities, churches, people, kingdoms, He doth it judiciously, considerately. He doth not pour out wrath from heaven at all adventures, let it light where and upon whom it will; but He makes inquiry who are fit to be punished, and who are to be spared. 3. In the worst times God hath some who are faithful, and serve Him. God had His Huss, , and Luther, in times bad enough. 4. The number of men to be saved in Jerusalem is few. 5. The Lord hath a special care of His saints when dreadful and destroying judgments are coming upon others. (1) From the person employed to do it, and that is the Lord Christ, who was the man with the inkhorn by His side. When God shall employ not a prophet, not an angel, but His own dear Son, to do this work, to mark the godly, it is argument of tender care towards them. (2) He must "go through the midst of the city," and look into every place, make an exact search, and find them out wherever they were hid; God would not have Him neglect any place, lest He should pass by any saint. (3) He must surely mark them. You shall sign them with a sign, that is, certainly sign them; the doubling of the word in the original notes God's intention and care to have it done. (4) From the persons sealed — (i) Men. It is put indefinitely, not confined to noble, wise, rich, learned, but any condition of men that were godly; any poor man, any servant, any child, any little one, let their grace be never so mean, if they had any grace at all, they should have the seal as well as the best.(ii) Mourners. 6. It is the Lord Christ who is the marker of the saints. 7. God and Christ are not ashamed of theirs in the worst times and greatest dangers. 8. The faithful are so far from complying with the wickedness of the times, that they sigh and cry for the abominations thereof. (W. Greenhill, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; |
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