| How Easily We Forget
It's amazing how differently we can see ourselves at times from how God sees us. God uses extremely graphic imagery in this chapter to leave no question about the shameful, unthankful, and unloving treatment His people had shown Him. Apart from God's divine intervention in their lives, Israel would never have been able to survive as a nation. They had as likely a chance as a newborn baby thrown out in a field to die. But rather than death as their end, God commanded life, and not just any kind of life. God took them and caused them to thrive, to become a glorious nation to whom He committed Himself in a covenant relationship likened to marriage (v. 4-9). There is a direct parallel to this in the life of every person who has been saved and spiritually reborn in Christ today. We were found by Christ when dead in our sins (Eph. 2:1-3), lost and headed toward eternal damnation. But Christ in His grace, while we were yet His enemies, reached out and saved us. And, just as God had done for Israel, so He does for each individual believer. He calls us to be His bride. In His love for us, He begins to bless us in every imaginable way (v. 10-14). Yet, also like Israel, we begin to trust in the things God has given us and often turn our backs on the One from whom comes every good and perfect gift (v. 15). Too often we begin to take the blessings God has given us and use them to serve other gods. Materialism, sexual pleasures, and prideful self-idolatry become our new "husband," our new gods (v. 15-21). The end result is that before long some of the most wicked people in this fallen world were once "Christians." The craving lusts of the flesh are never satisfied, and the endless pursuit to find satisfaction apart from God can make us more degenerate than all other people (v. 23-51). To varying degrees, this is the end result for all who forget what they were before God found them "struggling in their own blood" (v. 6). This pattern is one of the greatest proofs of how self absorbed our sinful depravity really is. The way we can so easily turn our backs on the God who has loved us so much is simply sick, especially when God so loves us that He uses the term adultery to describe what we do to Him. What's even more shocking is that God ultimately did not forsake Israel, even though they forsook Him. He goes so far as to still promise a future together with them—a future where all the sin and spiritual adultery against Him will be fully atoned for by Himself (v. 60-63). God is love. | |||
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Ezekiel 16:1-63 God's Love for Jerusalem1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, 3 and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: "Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. 5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born. 6 "And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' Yes, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' 7 I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare. 8 "When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine," says the Lord GOD. 9 "Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. 12 And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. 14 Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you," says the Lord GOD. Jerusalem's Harlotry15 "But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it. 16 You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored high places for yourself, and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be. 17 You have also taken your beautiful jewelry from My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images and played the harlot with them. 18 You took your embroidered garments and covered them, and you set My oil and My incense before them. 19 Also My food which I gave you—the pastry of fine flour, oil, and honey which I fed you—you set it before them as sweet incense; and so it was," says the Lord GOD. 20 "Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter, 21 that you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire? 22 And in all your abominations and acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, struggling in your blood. 23 "Then it was so, after all your wickedness—'Woe, woe to you!' says the Lord GOD— 24 that you also built for yourself a shrine, and made a high place for yourself in every street. 25 You built your high places at the head of every road, and made your beauty to be abhorred. You offered yourself to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your acts of harlotry. 26 You also committed harlotry with the Egyptians, your very fleshly neighbors, and increased your acts of harlotry to provoke Me to anger. 27 "Behold, therefore, I stretched out My hand against you, diminished your allotment, and gave you up to the will of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 28 You also played the harlot with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; indeed you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. 29 Moreover you multiplied your acts of harlotry as far as the land of the trader, Chaldea; and even then you were not satisfied. 30 "How degenerate is your heart!" says the Lord GOD, "seeing you do all these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot. Jerusalem's Adultery31 "You erected your shrine at the head of every road, and built your high place in every street. Yet you were not like a harlot, because you scorned payment. 32 You are an adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband. 33 Men make payment to all harlots, but you made your payments to all your lovers, and hired them to come to you from all around for your harlotry. 34 You are the opposite of other women in your harlotry, because no one solicited you to be a harlot. In that you gave payment but no payment was given you, therefore you are the opposite." Jerusalem's Lovers Will Abuse Her35 'Now then, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD! 36 Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because your filthiness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotry with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children which you gave to them, 37 surely, therefore, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved, and all those you hated; I will gather them from all around against you and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. 38 And I will judge you as women who break wedlock or shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy. 39 I will also give you into their hand, and they shall throw down your shrines and break down your high places. They shall also strip you of your clothes, take your beautiful jewelry, and leave you naked and bare. 40 "They shall also bring up an assembly against you, and they shall stone you with stones and thrust you through with their swords. 41 They shall burn your houses with fire, and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women; and I will make you cease playing the harlot, and you shall no longer hire lovers. 42 So I will lay to rest My fury toward you, and My jealousy shall depart from you. I will be quiet, and be angry no more. 43 Because you did not remember the days of your youth, but agitated Me with all these things, surely I will also recompense your deeds on your own head," says the Lord GOD. "And you shall not commit lewdness in addition to all your abominations. More Wicked than Samaria and Sodom44 "Indeed everyone who quotes proverbs will use this proverb against you: 'Like mother, like daughter!' 45 You are your mother's daughter, loathing husband and children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children; your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 46 "Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwells with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who dwells to the south of you, is Sodom and her daughters. 47 You did not walk in their ways nor act according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you became more corrupt than they in all your ways. 48 "As I live," says the Lord GOD, "neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit. 51 "Samaria did not commit half of your sins; but you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and have justified your sisters by all the abominations which you have done. 52 You who judged your sisters, bear your own shame also, because the sins which you committed were more abominable than theirs; they are more righteous than you. Yes, be disgraced also, and bear your own shame, because you justified your sisters. 53 "When I bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters, and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then I will also bring back the captives of your captivity among them, 54 that you may bear your own shame and be disgraced by all that you did when you comforted them. 55 When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and your daughters will return to your former state. 56 For your sister Sodom was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered. It was like the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria and all those around her, and of the daughters of the Philistines, who despise you everywhere. 58 You have paid for your lewdness and your abominations," says the LORD. 59 For thus says the Lord GOD: "I will deal with you as you have done, who despised the oath by breaking the covenant. An Everlasting Covenant60 "Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. 61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your older and your younger sisters; for I will give them to you for daughters, but not because of My covenant with you. 62 And I will establish My covenant with you. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, 63 that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done," says the Lord GOD.'" | |||
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| Ezekiel 16:1-63 v. 2 Jerusalem – Yerushalaim (Heb.), meaning "Foundation of peace," the chief city of Israel and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after Israel divided. v. 3 Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan – God is giving the people of Jerusalem a divine "put down" by relating them and their religious morals and practices to the Pagan peoples who lived in the land before them. Nativity – mowledeth (Heb.) lineage, native country; also offspring, family: begotten, born, issue, kindred, relatives. Canaan –The land formerly belonging to the Canaanite peoples given to the Hebrew people as the Promised Land. Amorite – One of the peoples of east Canaan beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite invasion from Egypt. Hittite – The nation descended from Heth, the second son of Canaan; once inhabitants of central Anatolia (modern Turkey), later in north Lebanon. v. 4 your navel cord was not cut – This phrase and the rest of the wording of this verse depicts an unwanted or discarded baby (v. 5). you were not rubbed with salt – A procedure used to dry and firm the skin of a newborn baby. v. 5 you were thrown out into the open field – This was the cruel practice of infanticide common in the ancient world. Deformed or unwanted babies were abandoned and left to die. v. 6 I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' – The Lord metaphorically illustrates the pitiful condition of Israel's ancestors when He found them. It was the Lord who had compassion on them and caused them to live. v. 7 I made you thrive like a plant in the field – Picturesque of a fast growing and healthy child. An ancient equivalent to saying, "You grew like a weed." Your breasts were formed, your hair grew – Descriptive of an adolescent female with developing breasts and the occurrence of pubic hair. naked and bare – In a state of destitution. v. 8 your time was the time of love – Old enough for marriage and marital love. I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness – Symbolic of the Lord entering into a marriage covenant with adolescent Israel (Ruth 3:9, Mal. 2:14). I swore an oath to you – The Lord pledged His faithfulness to her and entered into a marriage covenant with Israel. v. 9 I thoroughly washed off your blood – Graphic metaphor illustrating the Lord cleansing Israel from her menstrual uncleanness. oil – expensive perfume v. 10 I clothed you – The Lord symbolically describes how He cleaned young Israel up from her destitute and dirty state and provided her with affluent coverings. The clothing described is fit for a queen. sandals of badger skin – Quality leather. This same was used in the Tabernacle. v. 11 I adorned you – God gave her the very best of everything and treated her like royalty. Ornaments – adiy (Heb.) excellent finery; generally an outfit v. 12 a jewel in your nose – Not a piercing, but a outer clip attached to the nose (Gen. 24:47; Is. 3:21). a beautiful crown on your head – Suggestive of the Lord's abundant blessings under the reign of Solomon and David when Jerusalem became a magnificent city. v. 13 fine flour, honey, and oil – The Lord provided the choicest foods. Everything Israel could ever need or desire was lavished upon her by the Lord her generous husband. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty – The Lord found Israel in a state of depravation and elevated her to the status of a beautiful queen. v. 14 perfect through My splendor – The Lord reminds Israel that the elevated state of perfection and majesty she attained was only because of the honor and majesty He gave to her. v. 15 But you trusted in your own beauty – Israel forgot that the source of her beauty was the Lord and became conceited and proud. played the harlot – In symbolic language the Lord depicts Israel as a spiritual prostitute because of her unfaithfulness to the Lord, her husband. v. 16 adorned multicolored high places for yourself – A "high place" was an idolatrous place of worship usually erected upon a high hill or mountain. Like an unfaithful wife, Israel took the good things God had given her and used them to worship other gods. played the harlot on them – The Lord equates worshiping idols on the high places as playing the role of a spiritual prostitute. v. 17 male images – phallic symbols or pictures of naked men v. 18 you set My oil and My incense before them – Israel offered the special and precious gifts given to them by the Lord to these idols. v. 20 your sons and your daughters… sacrificed – The Israelites literally offered their children as human sacrifices unto the false idols. This Canaanite practice was strictly forbidden by the Lord (Lev. 18:21, 20:2-5; Deut. 12:31). v. 21 pass through the fire – To sacrifice their children to false idols by burning them. Often this was done by heating a metal image of the god Molech and placing the living child in the molten arms of this image to be burned alive (Lev. 18:21, 20:1-5; Deut. 18:10; 2 Kings 17:17, 21:6, 23:10). v. 23 Woe – owy (Heb.) a lamentation; a passionate cry of grief or despair v. 24 a shrine – place of idolatrous worship v. 25 You offered yourself to everyone who passed by – A depiction of Israel as much worse than merely an unfaithful wife, but a prostitute who offers herself up to anyone. v. 26 committed harlotry with the Egyptians – Israel's unfaithfulness was not limited to worshiping local deities. She also worshipped the gods of Egypt and sought their help and protection instead of God's. very fleshly – Gadel (Heb.), meaning large, great, or lustful and basar (Heb.), meaning flesh, body, or nakedness. The historical Hebrew usage here suggests oversized sex organs and exaggerated body parts. v. 27 diminished your allotment – As an act of chastisement against unfaithful Israel, the Lord began to diminish and remove His blessings toward her. gave you up to the will of those who hate you – One of the ways God chastened His unfaithful people was to allow them to be conquered by their enemies and brought into captivity. Philistines – An inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (perhaps Crete) to the western seacoast of Canaan. who were ashamed of your lewd behavior – Even the pagan nations were embarrassed and ashamed of Israel behavior. v. 28 Assyrians – Israel's unfaithfulness was expressed in running to Assyria rather than God for help in the spirit of idolatry. She also worshipped the gods of Assyria. you were insatiable – Israel's lust could never be satisfied. v. 29 Chaldea – territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf; the inhabitants of Chaldea, living on the lower Euphrates and Tigris v. 30 degenerate – amal (Gk.) to droop; by implication to be sick, to mourn: languish, be weak brazen – shalleteth (Heb.) domineering. God is comparing Israel to a boldface whorish woman. v. 32 You adulterous wife! – In very plain allegorical language the Lord accuses Israel of being worse than any prostitute who takes payment for her sexual favors, for Israel is opposite of them in that she pays here customers. v. 36 filthiness – nechosheth (Heb.) lust, harlotry abominable – tow'ebah (Heb.) a disgusting thing blood of your children – The life blood of their children who had been sacrificed unto idols. v. 37 uncover your nakedness to them – metaphorically to expose and embarrass them before their lovers v. 38 women who break wedlock or shed blood – The Law of Moses commanded that the punishment for adultery or murder must be death (Lev. 20:10, 24:21). v. 39 hand you over – The Lord will judge Israel by turning her very lovers against her and punishing her by their hands. v. 42 So I will lay to rest My fury toward you – After the Lord executes His punishment upon Israel by the hands of her lovers His wrath will then be satisfied for justice will be served. v. 43 agitated – ragaz (Heb.) tremble, quake, rage, quiver, be agitated, be excited, be perturbed. recompense – nathan (Heb.) to give, put, set. In this context this means that the Lord will fully repay Israel for their wickedness. commit lewdness – Commit deeds of unwholesomeness and profanity. v. 45 your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite – The Lord shames Israel with scorn by telling them that their moral standards are just like the pagan nations around them (v. 3). All of these pagan nations listed below were godless and immoral peoples. v. 46 Samaria – The region of northern Palestine associated with the northern kingdom of the ten tribes of Israel which split from the kingdom after the death of Solomon during the reign of his son Rehoboam and were ruled by Jeroboam. All of the Kings of Samaria were wicked. Sodom – A wicked Canaanite city, usually paired with Gomorrah, located in the area of the Dead Sea and the Jordan River. Both cities were destroyed by God in judgment. v. 49 iniquity – avon (Heb.) perversity, depravity, guilt pride – ga'own (Heb.) arrogance, excellency, majesty, pomp, proud, swelling fullness of food – a gluttonous and satisfied appetite abundance of idleness – This phrase means to have plenty of peace and rest. It is not an evil thing in itself. The evil was in that they did not help those who were not full of food and comfortable in life as the next phrase indicates. v. 50 haughty – Gabahh (Gk.) to be high, be exalted. To proud and selfish to help others. took them away – God destroyed the city of Sodom (Gen. 19:24). v. 53 When I bring back their captives – The Lord offers a very humbling word of comfort in that He promises if He forgives and restores the wicked city of Sodom then He will also restore Jerusalem. This is a figurative promise, because Sodom was never actually restored. v. 55 your sisters, Sodom – God was using sarcasm here. Sodom was known to be a very immoral city. It was a very shameful and disgraceful thing to be called a sibling to this wicked city. v. 56 byword – a well-known proverb of contempt v. 57 the reproach of the daughters of Syria… Philistines – The inhabitants of Syria and the inhabitant of Philistia were in constant rivalry with and contempt of Israel. v. 59 despised the oath by breaking the covenant – The Lord is referring to Israel breaking their covenant of marriage to their God and despising His oath to them. v. 60 Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you – The Lord promises here that He will be faithful to His covenant with them even though they have not been faithful. everlasting covenant – The Lord speaks of a better covenant yet to come. This is the covenant of the New Testament through the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Eze. 37:26; Is. 55:3; Jer. 31:31-34, 32:40). v. 61 but not because of My covenant with you – The Lord promises to eventually give above and beyond the promises of His original covenant with Israel. v. 62 Then you shall know that I am the Lord – This exact phrase is found 21 times in the book of Ezekiel. It reveals God's desire to be properly known by His people. "Then they shall know… " is found an additional 19 times. v. 63 atonement – kaphar (Heb.) to cover over, pacify, make propitiation, make reconciliation | |||
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No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born. And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' Yes, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' –Ezekiel 16:5-6 Jesus, we praise You, today, with our hearts and our lives. It is Your blood, Lord, and give us life today and life eternal. We thank You for choosing to pick us up from the open field and taking us as one of Your own. | |||
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How Easily We Forget~Bob Caldwell
