Ezekiel
23 reminds me of the country expression “Rode hard and put up wet”.
Originally this described a horse that was not cared for properly.
Horses that are not groomed, brushed or maintained quickly begin to
show signs of their poor treatment. This term has come to describe a
promiscuous woman that no longer even tries to look modest. Her
reputation and self-respect are beyond tarnished since she belongs to
nobody and anybody. Men fight not for her honor, or her affection,
but for their turn. Today’s chapter presents an analogy depicting
two sister, both “became
prostitutes in Egypt… from their youth“.
He notes the older is Samaria and the younger is Jerusalem. He says
both “were mine and gave birth
to sons and daughters“. He
says of the older, “She gave
herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled
herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after… She did
not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt“.
It seems clear that she could not use the excuse of slavery in her
past to explain her behavior today. God notes, “I
delivered her into the hands of her lovers… They stripped her
naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her“.
What about the younger sister? Did she learn from her observation?
“Her sister… saw this, yet in
her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister…
she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way“.
In
describing Jerusalem’s activities after Egypt, she took turns with
the Assyrians, the Babylonians and anyone else that came along. We
read, “After she had been
defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust“.
After describing the lewdness, God says of Jerusalem, “I
turned away from her in disgust“.
How did she react? “She
became more and more promiscuous.”
God had seen enough, “I will
stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from in
disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side“.
The girl who dances with all the boys becomes despised by all.
“They
will punish you according to their standards…
They will cut off your noses and
your ears… strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry.
So
I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in
Egypt“.
Understand that God wanted an
exclusive relationship with Jerusalem.
She rejected Him and played the field. After God removed His hand
of protection, the show horse became a nag. “They
will leave you stark naked, and the shame
of your prostitution will be
exposed… worn out by adultery“.
We see the contrast between the elegant bride God desired of Israel,
to “Now let them use her as a
prostitute, for that is all she is“.
Today the wisdom of God’s Word is systematically being ridiculed.
Almost anything except God is considered cool. But the chapter ends
with a warning, “You will
suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of
your sins of idolatry“. Is it
time for some spiritual grooming? Here is God’s wisdom, “Flee
from sexual immorality. All
other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins
sexually, sins against their own body.
Do
you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit…
you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your bodies”
(1 Corinthians 6). God paid the
penalty for your sin because you are worthy.