Ezekiel 16
With the LORD’s likening of Jerusalem’s behavior to harlotry, our reading today sounds a lot like Hosea. (By way of refresher, feel free to look back at the posts for June 6, June 7, and June 8.) The LORD sent Hosea to prophesy primarily to the Northern Kingdom of Israel (aka Samaria), who failed to heed the message, resulting in the destruction of Samaria by the Assyrians. Judah, represented by Jerusalem, has had plenty of time — well over a century — to consider Hosea’s message and the consequences of rejecting the LORD, yet Judah has continued to turn away from the LORD, going beyond the sin of Samaria, even beyond that of Sodom.
We might sit here now, 2,600 years later, and shake our heads at Judah’s foolishness and wickedness. We might be appalled at her descent into child sacrifice. (Ez. 16:20-21) What is she thinking?! How can she reject the obvious goodness and steadfast love of the LORD and actively seek out all these other “lovers” who know nothing of love and goodness? And yet, look around. This is not just ancient history. Can we not recognize that our nation is on a similar path? Or worse, how about the Church — or what purports to be the Church? For years, whole denominations have moved away from orthodoxy so that they now wholeheartedly embrace heresy. They may bear the name of Christ on the door, but there is little evidence of Truth within. Our own Saint Andrew’s Anglican Church was formed to remain faithful against such degeneracy. But what about within ourselves individually and personally? Do we yet turn to idols? Do we seek out other “lovers”? Do we refuse to relinquish secret sins? Do we say, “No!” to the Lord?
It’s time to give up the resistance campaign! Turn away all those other “lovers” and come back to the one true Lover of your soul. Surrender it all to the Lord, lay it all down at the foot of the Cross, and let Him make atonement.
Amen!