Ezekiel 16

Ezekiel 16:1

N. The Parable of Jerusalem’s Marriage (Chap. 16)16:1-7 The LORD here traces the history of Jerusalem, as a type of the people. It began as a foundling child, unwashed and unwanted. The Lord had pity on her and cared for her lovingly, and she grew, matured, and became very beautiful. 16:8-22 When she came to young womanhood, Jehovah betrothed Himself to her, purified her for marriage, lavished kindnesses upon her, and adorned her. But because she trusted in her own beauty, she turned from Him to idols, becoming a harlot . . . to everyone who passed by. 16:23-34 Instead of trusting in the Lord, she played the prostitute to such Gentiles as the Egyptians, the Assyrians, and the traders of Chaldea. As someone has said, “She outheathened the heathen.” She was unlike the usual harlot in that she hired others to sin with her! Who would do something like that? Is it possible that the harlot will pay the man? That she will give her precious possessions away? And yet many who say they follow the Lord give up their precious rewards and inheritance above, spend their money and time on worldly pleasures instead of laying up treasures in heaven. They compromise with the world and lose eternal reward and blessing. This is called spiritual adultery, and whoever is engaged in it pays a high price. 16:35-43 The judgment on her filthiness was that she would be destroyed by the Gentile nations which she solicited as lovers for hire. Those who turn from God like an unfaithful lover and make compromises with the world will be destroyed by the world they wanted to befriend. This is a solemn warning to us (cf. Jam_4:4-10). 16:44-52 The abominations committed by Jerusalem (Judah) were worse than those of her heathen predecessors, the Hittites, Amorites, Samaria, or Sodom. Sexual perversion was only one of Sodom’s sins. The iniquity of Sodom also included fullness of food and abundance of idleness. This reads only too much like a description of modern Christendom! Feinberg comments: Notice how pride was singled out as the root of Sodom’s sin when her abominations were traced to their source. God had blessed her abundantly with fullness of bread (Gen_13:10), but she monopolized these blessings for her own pleasures and basked in prosperous ease. Provision for her own needs made her insensible to the needs of others; she had no social conscience. Then she committed the abominations and enormities which are linked inseparably with her name. God took her away with a final blow when He saw it (Gen_18:21). 16:53-58 In grace, God will restore Sodom and Samaria and Jerusalem in a day yet future. Verse 53 describes the restoration of cities but in no way suggests the eventual salvation of the wicked dead. 16:59-63 He will establish an everlasting covenant with His people, and Judah will be ashamed that she ever forsook the Lord for idols. This is an unconditional covenant of blessing with the patriarchs which the Lord will fulfill in the future. John Newton was right when he wrote that the bright glories of God’s grace above His other wonders shine.