Year 9, Day 149: Ezekiel 23

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Ezekiel 23 is another straightforward chapter.  In this chapter God gives us a story of two women – representing Judah and Israel – who are accused of whoring themselves among the nations.  What exactly does this mean?  It means that they allow themselves to become intimate with their ways.  They invite foreign traditions into their own life.  They invite foreign gods into their worship.  They invite foreign protect into their plan for safety.  The begin to rely on the people in their life far more than they rely upon God.

I think it is the last bit that offends God the most.  There are lots of things that foreigners do that are different than what I do.  Should I do some of them – things which I am careful to make sure do not offend God – why should God care that I do them?  However, should I begin to worship these foreign ways and replace God’s ways with them, then I am in trouble.  When I turn to those foreign ideas in my times of trouble instead of turning to God, it shows that my heart is no longer His.

At first, this chapter seems like a chapter that is about God hoping the Hebrew people had become isolationist.  It feels like God wanted them to set up a protective wall and stay pure.  But that isn’t the case.  Remember, the Hebrew people were supposed to be God’s example of relationship with the world!  The Hebrew people were supposed to be a light into the world.  It’s impossible to be a light into the world if you never open yourself up to the world.

Therefore, it isn’t the openness of the people that has offended God, it is that the openness of the people has led to the Hebrew people replacing God with the world.  When the Hebrew people needing protection, instead of relying upon God they turned to pacts with Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon.  In order to be more likeable, the Hebrew people adopted their ways and their customs, worshipping their gods, too!  They sold their position of being a light into the world and instead became like the world.  God isn’t so much offended by what they are doing as how they traded their relationship with Him in order to do it.

This is why God uses the word whoring.  They are going about it inappropriately and making it personal.  Instead of coming alongside people and teaching them about God, they are giving up God to come alongside people.  It’s their motivation that is corrupt.  The problem is in their hearts.

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