Ezekiel 23:1-49

Adultery and Idolatry are commonly compared in Scripture.  They both depict the breaking of a covenant and unfaithfulness.  Ezekiel describes Israel and Judah as two sisters married to the same man: God.  These two sisters were raised in Egypt where they were sexually abused as young girls.  This is an illustration of the fact that the nations who would eventually become Israel and Judah learned to worship idols while they were living in Egypt during the birth of the nation.  Despite this unfortunate beginning, God made a covenant with Israel and Judah making them His “wife.”  As a husband, God provided everything for His wife.  He gave provision, protection and passionate love.  However, Israel and Judah were not satisfied and longed for the affections of the other nations that surrounded them.  Any time we worship someone or something above the Lord; it is like we are committing adultery against the Lord.

THE IDOLATRY OF ISRAEL: Israel is called the older or greater of the two sisters because she had ten tribes.  The capital of Israel was Samaria and she was the first to be contaminated by the lusts of idolatry.  Israel was greatly influenced by the gods of the Assyrians and eventually became fully involved in the worship of the idols the Assyrians loved.  This is described as prostitution and lust. When we desire that which God prohibits, we are practicing idolatry.  Those who are committed under the covenant of marriage should only desire their spouse.  Israel failed to be faithful and worshiped at the altar of idols.  God punishes sin by turning us over to the natural consequences of our sin.  Since Israel was so enamored by the gods of the Assyrians God turned them over to the Assyrians who invaded Israel and took them as captives.  Sin will always leave us in chains.

THE IDOLATRY OF JUDAH: Judah is the younger sister or lesser sister because she only had two tribes.  The capital was Jerusalem but Judah did not learn from the mistakes of Israel.  Instead of watching the idolatry and consequences of idolatry in Israel and turning to a different path; Judah took the same path and ended up going further.  Judah not only idolized the gods of Assyrian, she also worshiped the gods of Babylon.  This is described as adultery with multiple lovers.  Judah did not go into idol worship as quickly as Israel but once she fell into idolatry she went even farther into this sin than Israel did.  God’s wrath and jealousy burned hot against this terrible sinfulness.  Judah too became the captive of the nation after whose gods she lusted.  When we willfully chose sin and ignore the warnings of the Lord we will be enslaved to those sins and God’s wrath will burn against us.

THE INDIGNATION OF GOD: God is a jealous God and is described in this text as husband whose wife has cheated on Him.  He was faithful and generous to His bride.  He set her free from the abusive relationships of the past and made her His own.  However, His bride was not satisfied by His love and was filled with lusts for all the men around her.  The nations of Israel and Judah were constantly attracted to the nations around them and allowed themselves to be influenced by their culture, thinking and religion.  God will not be mocked and His anger burned against this unfaithfulness.  He sent the nation into exile, burned the cities and slaughtered the majority of the people at the hands of the very nations Israel and Judah admired so much.  Our admiration should be for God and God alone.  The attraction of sin is tantalizing but the consequences are devastating and we must do all we can to faithfully worship the Lord and avoid the wrath of God.