The Gospel According to Ezekiel, Chapter 23 (Part 1 of 2)

Two Sisters, Two Harlots

To examine the contents of the 23rd chapter of the book of Ezekiel, we see something very similar to the awkward chapter we studied in chapter 16, with all the horrific and graphic language of Jerusalem pictured as an adulterous wife. She took God's blessings and used them as bedspreads to prostitute upon. We were clear of such graphic language until this chapter.

God brings us back into graphic language referring to two cities specifically: Samaria and Jerusalem. These two nations are illustrated as adulterous women who look to others for pleasure. This is nothing more than an illustration of the spiritual horror of idolatry. God uses very strong, graphic language to show what idolatry looks like spiritually. It's not just building an idol out of gold, wood, hay, or straw. All sin is idolatry, and the spiritual implications are this vile picture God presents. You immediately understand why this is worthy of judgment. It's not just the sin, ruin, and misery of sin, but the graphic picture of unfaithfulness toward God.

This passage grants us tools for our lives. As God expresses His judgment on these two cities, He details what they were doing and not doing. We can understand what we should do and avoid in our Christian lives.

The word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of Man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother, and they played the harlot in Egypt. They played the harlot in their youth; their breasts were pressed, and their virgin bosoms were handled. Their names were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.” (Ezekiel 23:1-4)

God explains this illustration, parabolic language used throughout Ezekiel. Samaria is a sister of Jerusalem. These women, these nations, belonged to God, but through harlotry and desire for sin, they incurred significant problems.

Samaria is listed as the elder, though historically younger than Jerusalem. The idea is that Samaria was bigger in size. God uses this language to refer to their idolatry. The Hebrew names Oholah and Oholibah refer to a cultic tent where people engaged in pagan worship, idolatry, including child sacrifices and prostitution. Even their names reflect their sinful practices. They are known for sin.

Lusting After Assyria

Samaria looked upon Assyria, one of the most violent nations ever. Nineveh, its capital, stacked heads of conquered foes on spikes outside the city. Assyria was a plague, consuming nations with violence. Even allies had to endure violent initiation as vassal states, including mutilation for rulers.

Yet Samaria lusted after Assyrian culture, rituals, paganism, and warfare. Jerusalem saw Samaria's sins and judgment, yet tried to outdo her, lusting after the same violence.

This is significant. A nation set apart to follow God looks at godless nations—whose gods cannot speak, walk, or converse—and says, “That's what I want to be like.” They even looked to the Chaldeans (Babylon) and wanted to synchronize their cultures, adopting an eclectic mentality for joy and satisfaction.

The faithful in the Old Testament looked to citizenship in heaven as valuable. Abraham entered the promised land not as permanent dwelling, but demonstrating desire for the heavenly city where God reigns, the soul-satisfying reality.

These all died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth... for they were longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13, 16)

Samaria and Jerusalem brought problems by adopting surrounding cultures instead of living uniquely with a God who speaks. God is not interested in an ununique people, a bride stained by sin. He creates a particular people who are His alone, not whoring after other masters.

Picture a faithful wife versus a faithless one. Jesus redeems a bride solely His.

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe. (Hebrews 12:28)

We are citizens of an unshakeable kingdom, grateful for what God has done.

Oholah played the harlot while she was Mine; she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians, her neighbors, who were clothed in purple, governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses... She bestowed her harlotries on them, all of them the choicest men of Assyria, with all whom she lusted; with all their idols she defiled herself. She did not forsake her harlotries from the time in Egypt, for in her youth men had lain with her and they had handled her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her. (Ezekiel 23:5-8)

Forsake Harlotries: Divorce Sin

Israel came out of Egypt but carried problems from there—sin and idolatry. Egypt represents the former life of slavery, bondage, and worldly pleasures. Taken out but not repenting leads to further, worse sin.

Sin left unchecked grows and festers. Even the law exposes sin's multiplication (Romans). If not forsaking harlotries is worthy of judgment, forsaking them is worthy of eternal life. The Hebrew term means "abandon" or "divorce."

Don't "work on" sin like you work on a marriage. The greatest tool against temptation is to abandon it entirely—divorce it. Joseph fled Potiphar's wife: he bailed, hightailed it out. Resist by removing yourself from the situation.

Praise God, no temptation is beyond endurance; He provides escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). Divorce sin like ending a destructive marriage—destroy the sinful relationships. When new temptations come, you know: bail, repent, do a 180.

Israel should have plundered Egypt's spoils but left sin behind.

Therefore I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted. They uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, but they slew her with the sword; thus she became a byword among women, and they executed judgments on her. Now her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was more corrupt in her lust than she, and her harlotries were more than the harlotries of her sister. (Ezekiel 23:9-11)

Jerusalem saw Samaria's judgment, yet increased her harlotries, lusting after portrayed Chaldean images, sending messages to them. Babylonians defiled her; she grew disgusted with them, but God was disgusted with her—as with her sister.

She lusted after their paramours, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses... Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom because of the breasts of your youth. (Ezekiel 23:20-21)

Given Over to Sin as Judgment

Sin haunts: they lust after Assyrians, so God gives them over to sin (Romans 1 style)—their pursuit becomes judgment. As an unbeliever, pursuing sin invites God's use of it to punish.

Like a child grabbing a hot pan, burning teaches. Sin impresses, but as believers, we know God uses sin for judgment.

Jerusalem defiled herself, blamed lovers, but God saw all. No sin hides from Him. She grew disgusted with lovers, but God turned away in revulsion at idolatry's grossness.

They will set themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their customs... I will set My jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in wrath. They will remove your nose and your ears; and your survivors will fall by the sword... Thus I will make your lewdness and your harlotry brought from the land of Egypt to cease from you... Behold, I will give you into the hand of those whom you hate, into the hand of those from whom you were alienated. (Ezekiel 23:22-28)

Judgment reverses in redemption: attacks on redeemed Jerusalem become firewood, for good (as in Gog/Magog). God works all for good for lovers of God, for bad (judgment) for haters.

You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand. Thus says the Lord God, ‘You will drink your sister’s cup, Which is deep and wide. You will be laughed at and held in derision; It contains much. You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, The cup of horror and desolation, The cup of your sister Samaria. You will drink it and drain it.’ (Ezekiel 23:31-34)

Drink the deep, wide cup of wrath fully. Result: given over to idolatry pursued, seeing sin's terribleness without repenting, handed to the revolting.

Sin is ruin, misery, root of every problem. God's judgment always accomplishes its purpose.

Then I said concerning her who was worn out by adulteries, “Will they now commit adultery with her when she is thus worn out?” (Ezekiel 23:43)

She wore herself out with adultery, idolatry—debauchery, destroying moral purity, leading to numbness.

Implications of Continual Participation in Sin

Sin that goes so far and so deep, knowing no bounds, reveals principles that carry over into our salvation. There are moments when we exist in continual participation in sin, which causes a person to grow in neglect of God. Living in neglect of God has huge implications for sensitivity toward sin and leads to a lack of concern or empathy toward God on an ongoing basis.

As we examine this text, we must ask ourselves: How much affection do we have for God? Do we harbor any affection toward Him at all? Do we have a growing concern that we don't love God as much as we should, that we're not paying enough attention or acknowledging Him as we should? These are the immediate implications of the text.

Ezekiel 23:49: "You will know that I am the Lord."

Acknowledging that God is God means recognizing He is in control and determines what we do in our lives. Continual participation in sin grants numbness toward sin.

Numbness Toward Sin

One significant issue in struggling with ongoing sin is a lack of sensitivity to what the sin is actually doing. This results from neglect of God.

Ezekiel 23:35: "Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back."

Continual participation in sin creates numbness that has no problem with sin existing in our life. We can suppress the conscience God has given, ignoring that something is wrong. We don't need a full theological treatise to know it's wrong—if we sense something is wrong, we must stop. The New Testament teaches that if your conscience is against something, don't do it.

If we continually cast aside that caution, sin grows and festers, and we lose sensitivity toward it.

The Right Response: Abandon Sin and Embrace Devotion to God

Once we identify these problems, the right response is to abandon those issues—to abandon the harlotries and re-embrace devotion and commitment to God.

The purpose of God expressing these judgments, recorded for us today, is that we know He is God and acknowledge Him. This means submission, devotion, commitment, enjoyment, worship, and gratitude toward Him—a life of devotion and service.

"Then you will know that I am the Lord your God."

God's Perspective on Idolatry

God has painted the picture of what idolatry looks like—to Him. Wisdom is God's people seeing things through His perspective. Idolatry isn't just occasional sinful pleasures or "oops" moments that God forgives without concern. This is God's expression of sin and idolatry, using the most graphic language in Scripture—more graphic than Song of Songs.

That picture conveys the hurt of cheating or an adulterous affair, but it's far worse. Seeing sin as God sees it should grow the beauty of God in our lives, fostering a lifestyle committed and devoted to Him.