“Remember
The teachings
Of my servant Moses!
Remember
The statutes,
The ordinances,
That I commanded him,
At Horeb
For all Israel!”
The Israelites were to remember the teachings of Yahweh’s servant, the law of Moses. They were to remember all his statutes and ordinances, because Yahweh had commanded him to do so at Mount Horeb or Mount Sinai. These commandments were for all the people of Israel.
“‘Ever since the days of your ancestors,
You have turned aside
From my statutes.
You have not kept them.
Return to me!
Then I will return to you.’
Says Yahweh of hosts.
But you say.
‘How shall we return?’”
Yahweh, via Malachi, told the Israelites that they were like their ancestors, since they had not kept his statutes. They needed to return to Yahweh. However, they responded that they did not know how to return to Yahweh.
“I will give you
A new heart.
I will put within you,
A new spirit.
I will remove
From your body
The heart of stone.
I will give you
A heart of flesh.
I will put
My Spirit
Within you.
I will make you
Follow
My statutes.
You will be careful
To observe
My ordinances.”
Yahweh was going to help the returning Israelites, by giving them a new heart and a new spirit. He was going to remove their old hearts of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. Yahweh was going to infuse them with his Holy Spirit. Thus, they would follow his statutes and observe carefully all his ordinances.
“Then I thought
I would pour out
My wrath upon them.
I would spend
My anger
Against them
In the wilderness.
But I withheld
My hand.
I acted for the sake
Of my name.
Thus it should not be
Profaned
In the sight
Of the nations,
In whose sight
I had brought them out.
Moreover,
I swore to them
In the wilderness
That I would scatter them
Among the nations.
I would disperse them
Through the countries.
Because they had not
Executed
My ordinances.
They had rejected
My statutes.
They had profaned
My Sabbath.
Their eyes
Were set
On their ancestor’s idols.”
Yahweh’s reaction was pretty much the same as in the former rebellions. Yahweh immediately thought about destroying them in his anger. However, as earlier, he changed his mind for the sake of his name that he did not want profaned in the sight of all the other countries that had seen him bring them out of Egypt. Thus he swore to them in the wilderness that he would scatter them among the nations, instead of refusing to take them out of Egypt or refusing to take them to the Promise Land. This was a prediction of the exile that was due to their failure to keep his statutes, ordinances, and the Sabbath. They also still yearned for their ancestor’s idols.
“I,
Yahweh,
Am your God!
Follow my statutes!
Be careful
To observe my ordinances!
Hallow my Sabbath!
Thus it may be
A sign
Between me
And you.
Thus you may know
That I,
Yahweh,
Am your God!”
Here there is no doubt as Ezekiel has Yahweh begin and end with this phrase that he, Yahweh, is their God. Therefore they have to follow his statutes, his observances, and keep his Sabbath. The Sabbath has become the sign between Yahweh and his people.
“Moreover
I swore to them
In the wilderness
That I would not
Bring them
Into the land
That I had given them.
That is a land flowing
With milk and honey,
The most glorious of all lands.
Because they rejected
My ordinances.
They did observe
My statutes.
They profaned
My Sabbath.
Their heart went
After their idols.”
Yahweh swore to them in the wilderness that he was not going to bring them into the land that he had given them, that land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands. They had rejected his ordinances. They did not observe his statutes. They profaned the Sabbath. Their hearts went after their former idols. Things did not look good for these wilderness wanderers.
“Have you forgotten
The crimes
Of your ancestors,
Of the kings of Judah?
Have you forgotten
The crimes of their wives,
Your own crimes,
The crimes of your wives?
They committed them
In the land of Judah,
In the streets of Jerusalem.
They have shown
No contrition,
No fear,
Even to this day.
They have not walked
In my law,
In my statutes
That I set before you,
Before your ancestors.”
Yahweh, via Jeremiah, wanted to know if they had amnesia. They seem to have forgotten the crimes of their ancestors, the kings of Judah. They have forgotten the crimes of the royal wives, their own crimes, and those of their wives that were committed in Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem. They have never shown any kind of contrition for their transgressions. They have not feared Yahweh, since they do not walk in his law or his statutes that were given to their ancestors.
“Praise Yahweh!
O Jerusalem!
Praise your God!
O Zion!
He strengthens the bars of your gates.
He blesses your sons within you.
He grants peace in your borders.
He fills you with the finest of wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth.
His word runs swiftly.
He gives snow like wool.
He scatters frost like ashes.
He hurls down hail like crumbs.
Who can stand before his cold?
He sends out his word.
He melts them.
He makes his wind blow.
He makes the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob.
He declares his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
He has not dealt thus with any other nation.
They do not know his ordinances.
Praise Yahweh!”
The end of this alleluia psalm naturally has the phrase “praise Yahweh,” another way of saying the Hebrew “Hallelujah.” This section begins and ends with that phrase. This is a long description of what Yahweh is doing in the current time to help Israel with the use of the present tense. He keeps the bars strong on the gates into the town. He blesses them with children. He grants them peace at home. He fills them with a good harvest of wheat. Yahweh commands the whole earth. His word controls the climate as snow, frost, and hail follow his command. He sends out his wind to make the snow melt and the waters flow in the various rivers. He has given his word, his statutes, and his ordinances to Jacob or Israel. No other nation is like Israel. Notice that this is not the Mosaic code but the ordinances of Jacob.
Tav
“Let my cry come before you!
Yahweh!
Give me understanding
According to your word!
Let my supplication come before you!
Deliver me
According to your word!
My lips will pour forth praise.
Because you teach me your statutes.
My tongue will sing of your promise.
All your commandments are right.
Let your hand be ready to help me!
I have chosen your precepts.
I long for your salvation.
Yahweh!
Your law is my delight!
Let me live!
Thus I may praise you.
Let your ordinances help me!
I have gone astray
Like a lost sheep.
Seek out your servant!
I do not forget your commandments.”
This long psalm concludes with the last or twenty-second consonant letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Tav. This psalmist wanted to live and be saved. He, on his part, would not forget the commandments of Yahweh. He wanted his cry to come before Yahweh. He wanted to understand the word and law of Yahweh. He, on his part, would give praise to Yahweh with his lips and tongue. He will sing of his praises because Yahweh has taught him his statutes and commandments. All he wanted was help in salvation. He delighted in the law. Thus his ordinances would help him. However, the psalmist admitted that even though he had gone astray like a lost sheep, he still had not forgotten Yahweh’s commandments. Thus we have a fitting end to this long psalm about the importance and beauty of the law.
“I will establish his line forever.
I will establish his throne as long as the heavens endure.
If his children forsake my law,
If they do not walk according to my ordinances,
If they violate my statutes,
If they do not keep my commandments,
Then I will punish their transgression with the rod.
I will punish their iniquity with scourges.
But I will not remove from him my steadfast love.
I will not be false to my faithfulness.
I will not violate my covenant.
I will not alter the word that went forth from my lips.
Once and for all
I have sworn by my holiness.
I will not lie to David.
His line shall continue forever.
His throne shall endure before me like the sun.
It shall be established forever like the moon.
It shall be an enduring witness in the skies.”
Selah
The throne of David is not just for him, but his descendants. His line of descendants will last until the heavens disappear. However, this is not an unconditional gift. There are conditions. If his children do certain things they will receive the rod and be scourged. They should not forsake God’s law. They have to walk according to his ordinances. They cannot violate his statutes. They should keep his commandments. This punishment to those who do not follow the laws and ordinances will not be permanent. They will always have the steadfast love of God and his covenant. God would keep his word that he gave to David. He would not lie. The line of David will continue forever just like the sun and the moon in the skies. This section ends with the musical interlude meditative pause of Selah.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 