PG 13

Ezekiel 16:1-2 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices

I hope you are shocked by some of the things that you see and hear. We live in a world where “shock value” is a real commodity, something to be strived for and often sought after. The “shock value” is what Hollywood and the media thrive on. And the boundaries are being pushed further and further every day.

We can choose to carefully select what we allow into our lives, but there will still be unexpected violations of conscience and sensibilites. There are legitimate reasons for shocking someone. Sometimes it is the only way to get their attention.

And I think that is what is going on in this section of Ezekiel. The LORD has tried repeatedly over centuries to get Israel to stay true to the Covenant, but they have continued to choose rebellion. Although the LORD rescues them, they seem to have a short attention span. They can’t seem remember beyond a few weeks.

They are delivered from Egypt and a few weeks later they are making a golden calf and worshipping it as the one who delivered them. They get thirsty and curse the leaders the LORD has appointed to lead. They complain about the food and want to go back to their old life. They are brought into the Promised Land after wandering in the desert for forty years, only to hide some of the loot and keep it for themselves.

Ezekiel has been tasked with getting the people’s attention, so he uses a shocking illustration of Israel’s rejection of the LORD’s love. He tells the story of a woman, unloved and unwanted from birth. But the woman is found, cared for and protected by the LORD. And even with this kind of care, the woman rejects that love and becomes a prostitute.

This story is shocking in its descriptions of these acts, maybe not shocking to our modern ears, but certainly shocking for ancient ears. But the truth of Israel’s idolatry is repeated plainly in this illustration. Israel was willing to worship anyone and anything that was not the LORD. The One who truly cared for her was rejected.

It is a sad state of affairs when a group of people, so loved and cared for, rejects the One loving and caring. Even in marriages today, there is at least shock when one partner cheats. But Israel didn’t even flinch. They flagrantly flaunted their violation of the Covenant.

And so the LORD sends them into exile. But the LORD still offers them hope. Seventy years later they will have the opportunity to return to the Promised Land.

We don’t have to wait seventy years to be restored. The LORD has paid the full payment for whatever rebellion we have participated in and stands ready with arms open. Our part is brokenness and humility. We come to Him and He accepts us and continues His work in us.