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<p>After the ten tribes were carried into captivity, and that kingdom was made quite desolate, the remains of it by degrees incorporated with the kingdom of Judah, and gained a settlement (many of them) in Jerusalem; so that the <i>two sisters</i> had in effect become <i>one</i> again; and therefore, in these verses, the prophet takes those to task jointly who were thus conjoined: “<i>Wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah</i> together? <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.36" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.36">Ezek. 23:36</a>. Wilt thou go about to frame an excuse for them? Thou seest the matter is so bad as not to bear an excuse.” Or, rather, “Thou shalt now be employed, in God’s name, to <i>judge them</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.20.4" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.20.4">Ezek. 20:4</a>. The matter is rather worse than better since the union.”</p>
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<p class="tab-1">I. Let them be made to see the sins they are guilty of: <i>Declare unto them</i> openly and boldly <i>their abominations</i>. 1. They have been guilty of gross idolatry, here called <i>adultery. With their idols they have committed adultery</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.37" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.37">Ezek. 23:37</a>), have broken their marriage-covenant with God, have lusted after the gratifications of a carnal sensual mind in the worship of God. This is the first and worst of the abominations he is to charge them with. 2. They have committed the most barbarous murders, in sacrificing their children to Moloch, a sin so unnatural that they deserve to hear of it upon all occasions: <i>Blood is in their hands</i>, innocent blood, the blood of their own children, which they have <i>caused to pass through the fire</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.37" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.37">Ezek. 23:37</a>), not that they might be dedicated to the idols, but that they might be devoured, a sign that they loved their idols better than that which was dearest to them in the world. 3. They have profaned the sacred things with which God had dignified and distinguished them: This <i>they have done unto me</i>, this indignity, this injury, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.38" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.38">Ezek. 23:38</a>. Every contempt put upon that which is holy reflects upon him who is the fountain of holiness, and from a relation to whom whatever is called holy has its denomination. God had set up his sanctuary among them, but they defiled it, by making it a house of merchandise, a den of thieves; nay, and much worse; there they set up their idols and worshipped them, and there they shed the blood of God’s prophets. God had revealed to them his holy sabbaths, but they profaned them, by doing all manner of servile work therein, or perhaps by sports and recreations on that day, not only practised, but allowed and encouraged by authority. They <i>defiled the sanctuary</i> on <i>the same day</i> that they <i>profaned the sabbath</i>. To defile the sanctuary was bad enough on any day, but to do it on the sabbath day was an aggravation. We commonly say, <i>The better day the better deed</i>; but here, the better day the worse deed. God takes notice of the circumstances of sin which add to the guilt. He shows (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.39" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.39">Ezek. 23:39</a>) what was their profanation both of the sanctuary and of the sabbath. <i>They slew their children</i>, and sacrificed them <i>to their idols</i>, to the great dishonour both of God and of human nature; and then came, on <i>the same day</i>, their hands imbrued with the blood of their children and their clothes stained with it, to attend in <i>God’s sanctuary</i>, not to ask pardon for what they had done, but to present themselves before him, as other Israelites did, expecting acceptance with him, notwithstanding these villanies which they were guilty of; as if God either did not know their wickedness or did not hate it. Thus they <i>profaned the sanctuary</i>, as if that were a protection to the worst of malefactors; for thus they did <i>in the midst of his house</i>. Note, It is a profanation of God’s solemn ordinances when those that are grossly and openly profane and vicious impudently and impenitently so intrude upon the services and privileges of them. <i>Give not that which is holy unto dogs. Friend, how camest thou in hither</i>? 4. They have courted foreign alliances, been proud of them, and reposed a confidence in them. This also is represented by the sin of adultery, for it was a departure from God, not only <i>to whom</i> alone they ought to pay their homage and not to idols, but <i>in</i> whom alone they ought to put their trust, and not in creatures. Israel was a peculiar people, must <i>dwell alone</i> and not be <i>reckoned among the nations</i>; and they profane their crown, and lay their honour in the dust, when they covet to be like them or in <i>league</i> with them. But thi
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<p class="tab-1">II. Let them be made to foresee the judgments that are coming upon them for these sins (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.45" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.45">Ezek. 23:45</a>): <i>The righteous men, they shall judge them</i>. Some make the instruments of their destruction to be the righteous men that shall judge them. The Assyrians that destroyed Samaria, the Chaldeans that destroyed Jerusalem, those were comparatively righteous, had a sense of justice between man and man and justly resented the treachery of the Jewish nation; however, they executed God’s judgments, which, we are sure, are all righteous. Others understand it of the prophets, whose office it was, in God’s name, to judge them and pass sentence upon them. Or we may take it as an appeal to all righteous men, to all that have a sense of equity; they shall all judge concerning these cities, and agree in their verdict, that forasmuch as they have been notoriously guilty of adultery and murder, and the guilt is national, therefore they ought to suffer the pains and penalties which by law are inflicted upon women in their personal capacity that shed blood and are adulteresses. Righteous men will say, “Why should bloody filthy cities escape any better than bloody filthy persons? <i>Judge, I pray thee</i>,” <a class="bibleref" title="Isa.5.3" href="/passage/?search=Isa.5.3">Isa. 5:3</a>. This judgment being given by the righteous men, the righteous God will award execution. See here, 1. What the execution will be, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.46,Ezek.23.47" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.46,Ezek.23.47"><span class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.46">Ezek. 23:46</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.47">47</span></a>. The same as before, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.23" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.23">Ezek. 23:23</a> God will <i>bring a company</i> of enemies <i>upon them</i>, who shall be made to serve his holy purposes even when they are serving their own sinful appetites and passions. These enemies shall easily prevail, for God will <i>give them</i> into their hands <i>to be removed and spoiled</i>; this company shall <i>stone them with stones</i> as malefactors, shall <i>single them out</i> and <i>dispatch them with their swords</i>; and, as was sometimes done in severe executions (witness that of Achan), they shall <i>slay their children and burn their houses</i>. 2. What will be the effects of it. (1.) Thus they shall suffer for their sins: Their <i>lewdness shall be recompensed upon them</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.49" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.49">Ezek. 23:49</a>); and they shall <i>bear the sins of their idols</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.35,Ezek.23.39" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.35,Ezek.23.39"><span class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.35">Ezek. 23:35</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.39">39</span></a>. Thus God will assert the honour of his broken law and injured government, and let the world know what a just and jealous God he is. (2.) Thus they shall be broken off from their sins: <i>I will cause lewdness to cease out of the land</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.27,Ezek.23.48" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.27,Ezek.23.48"><span class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.27">Ezek. 23:27</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.48">48</span></a>. The destruction of God’s city, like the death of God’s saints, shall do that for them which ordinances and providences before could not do; it shall quite take away their sin, so that Jerusalem shall rise out of its ashes a new lump, as gold comes out of the furnace purified from its dross. (3.) Thus other cities and nations will have fair warning given them to keep themselves from idols. That <i>all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness</i>. This is the end of the punishment of malefactors, that they may be made examples to others, who will <i>see and fear. Smite the scorner and the simple will beware</i>. The judgments of God upon some are designed to teach others, and happy are those who receive instruction fr
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