January 25, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Ezekiel? Here’s today’s reading:
Ezekiel 16 (NIV)
Jerusalem as an Adulterous Wife
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices 3 and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite............Continue Reading
63″Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”
Oh Man!! For a chapter saw raw, gritty, and hard to read description of Jerusalem God ends with restoration.
Reading this chapter was like reading the script of an inappropriate movie. The debauchery and the blatant disregard Jerusalem showed God after ALL He had provided. The way they had turned their back on the covenant He had made with them and the way they let sin run wild in their hearts is just so sad! and yet still God says I will be here to restore you when you finally come back to Me. A powerful reminder that we are never too far gone to come back to the cross, to be forgiven, and to turn our lives around and follow God!
Hard to read about Gods chosen people how far they fell. Worse than Samaria. Sacrifice their own children to foreign gods. Unbelievable. God showed himself in so many ways for years to them. Stubborn obstinate people. Even the philistines were shocked by their behavior. This is hard to believe they went this far. Don’t enjoy reading this. But here is the almighty telling. He would not break his promise. Turn back to him He would forgive them and return his covenant. The greatest covenant Jesus death and resurrection. Forgiving all of all sins. Repent and turn to him!
Here
God describes the people of Judah like His daughter, and in spite of all that He did to provide for her and keep her safe and righteous, she defied God and used the very things He provide for her to sin against Him. Her disobedience was willful and intentional as she looked for love in all the wrong places. Rather then staying close to God, she prostituted herself with other nations and their practices. Whereas she was supposed to be salt to them, she allowed herself to be influenced by them. It is sad for them to be compared to Sodom in regards to the nature and extent of their sinfulness. And God really has no choice but to discipline her and set His heart and actions against her, otherwise He would be condoning her actions. And yet even in the midst of describing the depth of her detestable practices in stark terms, He also mentions His desire and efforts to redeem her and restore her to the place where she should have been….He promises the same to Sodom as well….so even in the darkest of places of human sinfulness, God always shines a light, providing a way back to Him!!!
Was very hard to read. This was not what God had in mind for his people. It showed God going from caring and loving with all he supplied for his people. Then in disbelief that this was happening in such a vile and disgusting way . Then his anger, punishment, and wrath to the severest degree. Yet still after all they have done he finds compassion offering a way back.
Ezekiel 16
Ezekiel 16
Even though the people of Judah will suffer for the consequences for their actions, the Lord will remember the covenant he made with them. Because he is a loving God full of compassion, he offers them restoration when they turn back to him.
Ezekiel 16
I was thinking of how shameful this whole chapter is and the behavior of Jerusalem, and how we are very “hush hush” about the scandalous behavior of many today….who would like their behavior to remain secret. We don’t talk about it and protect them. God doesn’t protect their pride. He uncovers their debauchery!
Made me think of Ephesians 5: 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”