Ezekiel 12:21-28 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,… And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel? etc. I. THE WORD OF THE LORD DISCREDITED. 1. It was discredited in various degrees. (1) By some it was entirely disbelieved. "Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?" The reference in this proverb is to the predictions of the Divine judgments against Jerusalem and its inhabitants, which had been made by Jeremiah long ago. And the proverb is a jeering expression, indicating the opinion that these predictions had totally failed. These sceptics argued within themselves and amongst themselves, that because the fulfilment of the threatened judgment was delayed, the threatening itself was untrue. "The experience of God's forbearance had destroyed their apprehension of his truthfulness." This sinful misinterpretation of the Divine dealings is not confined to that generation or to that people. We discover the same presumptuous unbelief in Psalm 1:21, "These things hast thou done; and I kept silence," etc.; in Ecclesiastes 8:11, "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily," etc.; and in 2 Peter 3:3, 4, "There shall come in the last days scoffers," etc. What an abuse is this of the patience of the Lord God! What a base perversion of his forbearance and grace (cf. Romans 2:4-11; 2 Peter 3:9)! (2) By others the word of the Lord was discredited by indefinitely postponing its fulfilment. "Son of man, behold, the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off." These persons argued that, because the fulfilment of the threatenings of Jeremiah had been delayed so long, that fulfilment was yet far off. They concluded that the prophetic visions would not be realized in their time, and therefore they need not be troubled by them. 2. It was discredited in open expression. "Behold, the house of Israel say, The vision that he sooth is for many days," etc. (ver. 27). In the case of those who entirely discredited the word of the Lord by the prophet, the terms in which they expressed their disbelief had become proverbial. "What is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel?" etc. (ver. 22). This sentiment, common among the people, "had been expressed in a pointed sentence,... and straightway became popular as a watchword, which was taken up on every occasion against the true prophet." Their disbelief of the message of the Lord by his prophet, and their derision of that prophet, were not veiled, but openly paraded by the people. As Greenhill says, "This wicked speech was become a proverb; it passed through the mouths of all sorts, young, old, great small, learned, ignorant; it was in the city and country, a proverb in the land of Israel." Disbelief had grown daring and defiant. 3. This discredit was plausibly encouraged. False prophets, by means of vain visions and flattering divinations, had fostered disbelief of the stern announcements of Jeremiah, the true prophet of Jehovah (ver. 24). These men had prophesied smooth things to the credulous house of Israel - credulous, that is, of such announcements as harmonized with their inclinations. So Ahab believed the smooth-speaking false prophets to his own death, while he hated and imprisoned the faithful Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord Jehovah (1 Kings 22.). And the false prophets of Jeremiah's age encouraged the presumptuous security of the people until that security was shattered by disaster and ruin. II. THE WORD OF THE LORD VINDICATED BY HIMSELF. 1. By its continued proclamation. The people of Jerusalem probably thought by their disbelief and derision to put to silence the word of the Lord by Jeremiah his prophet. But God still speaks by him, and by Ezekiel also. "Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God," etc. (ver. 23). "I am the Lord: I will speak," etc. (ver. 25). "Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, etc. (ver. 28). In this way God speaks again and again to this unbelieving and rebellious people. He will not leave himself without faithful witnesses, who will speak his word even to the most sceptical and stubborn of men (cf. Ezekiel 2:8-7; 3:4-11). 2. By its fall and speedy fulfilment. The Lord here declares that: (1) His word should be fulfilled speedily. "Say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision .... I will speak, and. the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God.... There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God." And, as Hengstenberg says, "the announcement of the prophet has passed into fulfilment in a terrible manner. Scarcely five years elapsed when Jerusalem with its temple lay in ruins; and those who had filled their belly with the east wind of their proud hopes of the future were either lost or envied the dead." (2) His word should be fulfilled completely. "The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision." The full "contents of every prediction" would be brought to pass. The unbelieving and rebellious people probably thought that even if things came to the worst, they could not be so bad as in the prophetic representations, that Jeremiah had exaggerated the troubles that were coming upon the nation. But "the word of every vision" was at hand. No partial fulfilment was about to take place. Every word of prophetic prediction was to be realized. 3. By putting to silence the also prophets who had discredited it. "There shall no more be any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel." The events that were drawing so near would confound these prophesiers of smooth things. The complete fulfilment of the visions of the true prophet would effectually stop the mouths of the false ones. CONCLUSION. Our subject presents to us: 1. An assurance of the certainty often fulfilment of the Word of the Lord. (Cf. Numbers 23:19; Psalm 89:34; Matthew 5:18; Matthew 24:35; Luke 16:17; l Peter 1:23-25.) 2. Warning against unbelief of the Word of the Lord, and against the false security arising therefrom. The punishment denounced against sin will certainly be inflicted unless the sinner turn from his evil way. 3. Encouragement to trust the Word of the Lord. Its promises are true and. reliable. The hopes which it inspires are not delusive. "For how many soever be the promises of God, in him is the Yea: wherefore also through him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us." - W.J. Parallel Verses KJV: And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, |
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