In the next part of this chapter, Ezekiel wrote about the younger sister, Jerusalem. A reader observed much repetition in Ezekiel’s message. Why?
The word of the Lord that came to Ezekiel described serious sin, with serious consequences. God’s Word tells the story of Israel’s repeated failure to walk in God’s ways. We also stray away from God and often fall into sin. Reminders, like sign posts, help us stay close to God and on His path. 
Read Ezekiel 23:11-16.
- The younger sister, Jerusalem, observed all Samaria’s actions, and her depravity was greater.
- Her sinful desires led to unfaithfulness, apostasy, and denouncing the Lord.1
- She lusted after the Assyrians and also defiled herself with adultery and idol worship.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world (1 John 2:15-16).
- Both sisters, Samaria and Jerusalem, took the same path in life.
- The Assyrians weren’t enough for the younger sister.
- Detestable engravings on the inner temple walls “enticed the people of Israel into apostasy.”2
- In Ezekiel 8:10, God showed Ezekiel the leaders of Israel, worshiping before these images.
- Samaria then sought further prostitution with Chaldeans from Babylon.
- She sent messengers to Babylon requesting their presence (we also saw this earlier in Ezekiel’s writing) to engage in lewd practices with them.
- Such messengers may have been sent on matters of diplomacy or business, but the word is often used to refer to an angel of the Lord.3
How do people lust after splendor, the elite, and other things of this world today?
Why do you think Ezekiel used this particular word to describe the messengers?
Read Ezekiel 23:17-21.
- Once the younger sister invited Babylon, they came and defiled her.
- Once defiled, she turned away in disgust.
- Because Jerusalem had no shame in her idolatrous acts and prostitution, the Lord also alienated her in disgust.
- The Lord turned away from both adulterous sisters.
“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, be setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility” (Ephesians 2:14-16).
- Israel continued to chase after pagan gods, as she did in Egypt.
- The wording suggests Israel understood these lovers were like a concubine, or a wife of second rank,4 less than her first and primary husband, the Lord. Revelation 2
- Even in Egypt, Israel pursued adultery and practiced lewdness.
- When they “longed for” their adulterous practices, they searched them out intentionally.
- Their lewdness was all-encompassing: wickedness and sinful “plans and purposes of mind which give rise to action.”5
“… each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:14-15).
- Their idolatry was directly connected to spiritual adultery.5
Why did the Lord alienate the two sisters, withdrawing from them?
How do sinful plans and intentions lead to purposeful action?
How might this passage point us to Jesus?
Read Ezekiel 23:22-27
- Therefore, Jerusalem, the Sovereign Lord declared this against you.
- God stirred up the foreign lovers Israel had alienated in disgust and hostility, and He brought them against her on every side.
- All the pagan nations came against Israel, governors and commanders and warriors and officers.
- They came against Israel with weapons and an army, surrounding them with shields.
- They gathered for “evil purposes” in battle.
- The Lord turned Israel over to them for condemnation and punishment.
- The foreign nations punished Israel according to their standards.
- Ezekiel wrote earlier that the pagans didn’t even practice all the abominations Israel committed!
- God directed His jealous anger toward Israel and allowed her enemies to lash out with fury.
- They cut at Israel with the sword.
- They carried off Israel’s sons and daughters.
- They consumed her with fire.
- They stripped her wealth.
- Those who were left—a remnant—would fall by the sword and be consumed by fire.
- We’ve read before in Ezekiel that even the remnant would be taken captive.
- God preserved a people for Himself even in the midst of His promised total destruction of Israel.
- When the Lord halted Jerusalem’s lewd practices, her devastation would be so complete she would not remember or long for Egypt again.
How might we experience consequences for sin according to the world’s standards?
Why do you think God allowed His remnant to go through Israel’s condemnation and exile?
Read Ezekiel 23:28-30.
- The Lord declared He would hand Israel over to her enemies, those she turned away from in disgust.
- They would deal with Israel in hatred.
- They took away everything Israel had worked for and built.
- They would abandon the country and leave it destitute and bare.
- They would expose her shame, disgrace, prostitution, and lewdness.
- Their adulterous acts and idolatry have brought upon them this punishment and devastation.
- God’s fury with Israel is a jealous anger in the face of their spiritual adultery.
- One hundred and fifty years earlier, God revealed His ultimate plans for His bride through the prophet Hosea.
“I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord. … I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people,’ and they will say, ‘You are my God’” (Hosea 2:19-20, 23).
- Even though Ezekiel’s message sounds like the end of the story for Israel, God declared it is not.
Why is the Lord a jealous God?
What hope do we have in this declaration of God’s character?
A reader suggested I summarize repetitive passages in Ezekiel, which I may consider next week to (finally!) finish chapter 23. Yesterday in a Bible study training session, the speaker read a relevant reminder,
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
May God equip us through this reading of His Word for the good work He has for us to do.
- Warren Baker, D.R.E., Eugene Carpenter, Ph.D. The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003), 803
- Ibid., 952-953
- Ibid., 613-614
- Ibid., 897-898
- Ibid., 293