Wherefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers, etc. The aspect of the sin of Israel which is most conspicuous in this chapter is not their idolatry so much as their contracting political alliances which were forbidden by God. "The imagery," as Fausset remarks, "is similar to that in Ezekiel 16.; but here the reference is not, as there, so much to the breach of the spiritual marriage-covenant with God by the people's idolatries, as by their worldly spirit, and their trusting to alliances with the heathen for safety, rather than to God." Our text suggests two observations -

I. DETERMINED PERSISTENCE IN SIN LEADS GOD TO ALLOW THE SINNER TO TAKE HIS OWN COURSE. The Israelites would trust in Egypt or in Assyria rather than in the Lord their God. Remonstrances against political alliances with heathen nations, or conformity to their religious observances, with warnings of the consequences of so doing, had been addressed to them in vain. Exhortations to trust in Jehovah alone had proved fruitless. All moral means had been employed to secure their fidelity to their duty and their God, but without avail. Wherefore the Lord "delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted." The Israelites would have their own way, and God at length allowed them to take it (cf. Psalm 81:11, 12). There are some today in whom we fear the same process is at work. Here is a man who makes riches the object of his supreme concern. Money is the god in which he trusts, and to which he is devoted. His great and constant efforts are made in order to acquire and retain riches. Remonstrances and rebukes for the course he is pursuing are unheeded by him. Exhortations and encouragements to cherish a different and nobler ambition, to trust a worthy object, and to live to God, are addressed to him in vain. He will go on in his own way. And at length God allows him to take his course, and live for money. The same thing takes place with others who make a god of pleasure, or who will trust supremely in their own sagacity and judgment, or whose grand ambition and ruling purpose is to attain conspicuous position or commanding power. If they are invincibly determined to follow their own course, God allows them to do so. The case is thus forcibly stated by Dr. Joseph Parker: "A man sets his mind on standing on some high place; he points to a pillar, and says that if he could ascend to its summit he would see from that lofty elevation glimpses of heaven, and he determines that he will stand upon that summit, whatever hazards he may incur. At length God grants him his request; and when the man has ascended to the eminence which he coveted, what does he find? Sand, sand, sand! Mile on mile of sand - sand for mile on mile! And now he wishes to descend; but bow to get down is his great difficulty. There may be no way down but that which involves suicide. Yet the man was determined to reach that elevation; nothing could stand between him and his wish; he urged God to grant him his request; with importunate desire he besought that he might have his own way; and there is no punishment heavier than that which falls upon any man when God allows him to take his own course." God does much to lead men to forsake sin and follow holiness; he gave his own beloved Son as a sacrifice for the abolition of sin and the salvation of the sinner; he is working for these ends by many and powerful agencies; for these objects he will do everything that he can, everything that is consistent with his own holiness and with the moral constitution which he has given to man. But one thing he will not do - he will not compel men to forsake their own evil ways and walk in his way of holiness. And if men were forced into righteousness of action, what would such righteousness be worth? The obedience which is not willing is mechanical, not moral. The goodness which is not hearty is in the sight of God but a dead and hypocritical form.

II. THE PUNISHMENT OF SIN GENERALLY ARISES OUT OF THE SIN ITSELF. "Wherefore I delivered her up into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted." "The cause which at last brought destruction on Israel was that the King of Assyria found conspiracies in Hosea, who was intriguing with Egypt at the same time that he acknowledged himself a tributary to Assyria (2 Kings 17:4)." Says Matthew Henry, "The neighboring nations, whose idolatries she had conformed to and whose friendship she had confided in, and in both had affronted God, are now made use of as the instruments of her destruction. The Assyrians, on whom she doted, soon spied out the nakedness of the land, discovered her blind side, on which to attack her, stripped her of all her ornaments and all her defenses, and so uncovered her, and made her naked and bare, carried her sons and daughters into captivity, slew her with the sword, and quite destroyed that kingdom and put an end to it .... And that the Assyrians, whom they had been so fond of, should be employed in executing judgments upon them, was very remarkable, and shows how God, in a way of righteous judgment, often makes that a scourge to sinners which they have inordinately set their hearts upon. The devil will for ever be a tormentor to those impenitent sinners who now hearken to him and comply with him as a tempter." "God excites those against us for punishment to please whom we had sinned." Scott says truly, "God commonly employs tempters to punish those who listen to them." And Shakespeare -

"Heaven is most just, and of our pleasant vices
Makes instruments to scourge us." In the righteous government of God punishment is not arbitrarily annexed to sin: it grows out of the sin. As Hesiod observes, "The seeds of our own punishment are sown at the same time we commit sin." "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap," etc. (Galatians 6:7, 8). If men will trust in riches or rank, in pleasure or power; if they will live for these things, their life will bear its appropriate fruit. These their gods will prove their ruin. Their hopes will be utterly disappointed, their lives deplorably impoverished and degraded, and their souls lost. Let us take heed to the object of our trust. "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is," etc. (Jeremiah 17:7, 8). - W.J.

We propose to speak concerning the special instruction which the prophet received to intimate her state. It was not communicated to him as a secret, or whispered in the ears of a few select friends. A commission is prefixed, by, which he was commanded to proclaim the state of the land in the public ear: "Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained on in the day of indignation." On several considerations this solemn formality was necessary.

1. It was necessary on account of the stiffness and haughtiness of the people. In the temper of every backsliding church pride is a reigning corruption; but among the peculiar people, it appears at that time to have risen to the highest elevation of vanity and guilt. Blown up by lying divinations, and full of extravagant notions of their own importance, they persuaded themselves that peculiar privileges could not be forfeited, nor an everlasting possession alienated and transferred. But the Lord, having declared by the mouth of Jeremiah that He would mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem, sent fresh instructions unto Ezekiel in Babylon to carry on the approaches, and to invest and storm the stronghold of the national pride.

2. This solemn formality was necessary on account of the depravation of national manners, and the inefficacy of means which had been used to retrieve national honour. Kings, princes, and judges, priests, prophets, and people, despised exhortation and warning, and humbled not themselves under correction and chastisement. In this state of depravation and impurity the day of indignation found the land, and its filthiness increasing, and hardening under the heart, Ezekiel, a little after the delivery of the message sent him in the text, added Ezekiel 24:12-14.

3. This solemn formality was necessary to justify the violent measures that were to be adopted for removing the barrenness and filth of the land. Milder expedients to correct the depravity and recover the glory of the nation being used without effect, violent measures became necessary, and were actually pursued. Lamentations 2:6. Under church and state the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning kindled and devoured together the thorns and the briars in both. These measures of justice and violence were communicated to Ezekiel, in a message which stands recorded before the text (Ezekiel 22:18-22).

4. The solemn formality of a special message concerning the state of the land in the day of indignation was necessary, to contrast the singularity of her mercies with the singularity of her sins. Terms and expressions very uncommon are used concerning their sufferings. Proverb, by-word, derision, scorn, reproach, taunt, hissing, laugh stock, astonishment, curse are bitter expressions which frequently occur, and have a dreadful reality in their history. Now, from the justice and equity of the Lord their God we may infer that people, whom in His wrath He made a derision to the world, had made themselves a scandal and abhorrence to the world by their crimes.

5. This solemn formality was necessary to stop the mouths of that murmuring and gainsaying people, and to cut off occasion of complaining as if they had been surprised or taken unawares. The corrupt and filthy state of the land, which was become a nuisance to the world, had been set forth in the plainest language, and as it resisted ordinary means of cleansing, an example was necessary for the honour of the God of the land, the God of the whole earth; but before He made the example, this instruction is sent to Ezekiel, "Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed," etc.Application —

1. After hearing the state of the land of Judah described, are ye highly elevated? Believers, the glory of the Most High over all the earth, breaking forth in the execution of judgment upon the land of Judah in the day of His indignation, is the glory of our God. In His glory "our God is a consuming fire"; and in His glory our "God is love"!

2. After reading and hearing the state of the land of Judah in the day of indignation, are ye deeply humbled? Next to Gethsemane and Golgotha, where sin and wrath met upon the Son of God, stand the city of Jerusalem and the land of Judah, where iniquity set its throne, and wrath poured itself into the cup of fury full of mixture. About this humbling monument we will walk, and view it on every side, looking upon Him whom we have pierced, and whom "God hath made to be sin or us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

3. After reading and hearing the state of the land of Judah in the day of indignation, are ye rejoicing in hope? With Israelites, Gentiles are now fellow heirs, and of the same body, partakers of the promises of God in Christ by the Gospel, and drink the waters of the river whose streams made Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy. The river of consolation flowing out of the promises of Messiah, the heat of indignation could not dry up. Flowing through the blood and fire and ashes of Jerusalem, it deepened and widened, and filled its course, till at last it run over the mountains of Jerusalem, spread itself into the valleys of the Gentiles, and in deserts and wildernesses poured into families and churches the water of life.

4. After reading and hearing the state of the land of Judah in the day of indignation, are we trembling with fear? To infidels and atheists, to sinners in Zion and hypocrites in heart, wrath is an object of fearful and certain apprehension. Against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness, it is revealed, and unless they hide themselves in the Saviour, even Jesus who delivered us from the wrath to come, it will fall, either in this or the other world, or in both, in a destroying storm.

5. After reading and hearing the state of the land of Judah in the day of indignation, are ye established in the faith of the providence of God? By the judgment which He executeth the Lord is known, and known not only to live but to reign.

6. After reading and hearing the state of the land of Judah in the day of indignation, are we prepared unto every good work? Exhortations to good works were disregarded by that gainsaying and perverse race of evil-doers. Show yourselves to be men of spirit and business, men full of faith and of good works. If a day of indignation be coming, where should we be found? Under the righteousness of Christ, and at our business. Do ye look for it? what manner of persons ought ye to be in holy conversation and godliness?

(A. Shanks.)