Today's reading from the One Year Bible Chronological Reading Plan is:
EZEKIEL 22:17-23:49 2 KINGS 24:20-25:2 JEREMIAH 52:3-5 JEREMIAH 39:1 EZEKIEL 24:1-14
" 'I the LORD have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign LORD.' "
Ezekiel 24:14
This verse made me think of how a parent gets at times. When you have just had it and you resolve that the line is drawn, this kid need to learn such and such and you are not going to let them get away with it anymore. You are not going to give into letting it slide. Of course, God is perfect righteousness, we are not and the struggle to parent properly will never be what we want it to and will always take us to our knees. Still, I recognize a bit of God's "I've had it" in this final verse from the passage today. It's actually quite scary to read. Don't you think?
Oholah and Oholibah- Samaria and Jerusalem; Ongoing Discontent
God made a covenant (symbolized by marital language) to these two. The children from there were considered the children of that covenant. The language of this story really punches the reader with the emotions God really has about his people and what they have done. It's uncomfortable, convicting and heart breaking when one reminds oneself that these women symbolize his passionate love. Thus, the imagery of the wife. It's the same old story but more intense this time.
Think about it. While in the wilderness, what were we hit with the people doing over and over? Complaining, and being discontent. Back then it was "little stuff" like food and water, the basic essentials. They struggled over and over to trust God for His provision and be happy with what he did give them.
Now, the story of the two sisters shows us the level of depravity the people have gone and the depth of their adultery.
The sexual imagery is intense, and in fact, it is said to be the most pornographic chapter in the bible. Probably not one you want your husband to read at family time. Yet the shocking imagery is to show the intensity of lust. The lovers virility symbolizes their strength and military might. Instead of trusting the God of their covenant to fight for them with slings and stones and men of little might, they are craving the connection to power. The sexual imagery is to give us a taste of the intensity of their lust for this when God is on the other side wanting that simple yet satisfying intimacy with His people. It's loud and obvious and a huge blow to Him as their God. In order to gain this military might they have to "go to bed" as the saying goes, with these foreigners. They have to sacrifice their devotion, intimacy and communion with God to attain it, and they decide it's worth that price. Just as an adulterous woman would decide it was worth breaking communion with her husband to give herself to her lust for a man.
These women now had to take on the religion of their lovers, the political views, and worse of all, the battles they fought. The lovers are fighting for power, and selfish gain, and the sisters have to fight right along side them. These are not the motivations of the Holy God of Israel, but of bloodsheding men. That is why the passage says that their is blood on their hands. When God sent them to kill, it was for HIS purposes and it was therefore a righteous war.
Trust in another power, another provision, another might are all problems in this story. Trust enough to give up oneself in the most intimate ways. Mind, body and soul are given over. All which God wanted for himself and he wants from all of us.
I think Ezekiel will tie in well with Hosea and I think some of us will be having flashbacks when we get there. The journey of these people gets seemingly worse before it gets better, but it allows us to see the passion of God for his people and the heartache we can cause him with our idolatrous hearts and minds and even bodies.
Tomorrow's passage:
Ezekiel 24:15-25:17; Jeremiah 34:1-22; Jeremiah 21:1-14; Ezekiel 29:1-16; Ezekiel 30:20-31:18
1 comment:
The parenting analogy does ring true. God is much slower to anger and has far more compassion than we do, but His justice also far outweighs our own. Coming under His wrath when He's "had it" is a scary thought indeed!
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