Harsh words from God.
The scriptures can contain difficult words that can shock us. The following verses from the Old Testament book of Ezekiel are no exception, as God’s anger is kindled against a disobedient Israel.
You built yourself a high place at the head of every street and made your beauty abominable, and you spread your legs to every passer-by to multiply your harlotry. You also played the harlot with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, and you multiplied your harlotry to provoke Me to anger. Behold now, I have stretched out My hand against you and cut off your rations. And I gave you up to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd way. - Ezekiel 16:25-27 (LSB)
These verses’ graphic and intimate nature may surprise many, but they are from our Holy Bible. It boldly demonstrates God’s disgust with the sin and betrayal of His people Israel. Who freely gave in to their sin and disobedience and transformed themselves from a people God set apart from the world as beautiful and sacred into an abominable thing that provoked the anger of God.
We all can be very rebellious people, but we find in the Bible that God's character is consistent in the most challenging circumstances. We may disobey God, but he consistently demonstrates that he is faithful and loyal to every covenant. Even when we rebel against him, God is always faithful to his promise to be our only Redeemer and exposes his heart to us if we are willing to repent and follow his ways. Any student of the Old Testament knows that there have been many occasions when God had to deal severely with the sin of His chosen people. We see God’s longsuffering nature toward us later in that same chapter of Ezekiel, as we often see throughout the scriptures when he declares:
“Nevertheless, I Myself will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your ways and feel dishonor when you receive your sisters, both your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. Thus I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am Yahweh, so that you may remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your dishonor, when I have atoned for you for all that you have done,” declares Lord Yahweh. - Ezekiel 16:60-63 (LSB)
No other god created by men or demons can match the heart of the one and only God of the Bible. What other religion in the world puts forth a god that knows the rebellious nature of man and yet still stands at your door and knocks (Revelation 3:20 (LSB)) with a heart open to forgive you? Even in our dishonor, God has atoned for our actions through his Son a desires a relationship with you.
Click here to learn what it means to be free of God’s judgment and become a believer in God’s atoning work on the cross through his Son, Jesus Christ.
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