Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

30 August 2024

Reading From Ezekiel 16-17

“Therefore, you prostitute, listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have poured out your lust and exposed yourself in prostitution to all your lovers, and because you have worshiped detestable idols, and because you have slaughtered your children as sacrifices to your gods, this is what I am going to do. I will gather together all your allies—the lovers with whom you have sinned, both those you loved and those you hated—and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can stare at you. I will punish you for your murder and adultery. I will cover you with blood in my jealous fury. Then I will give you to these many nations who are your lovers, and they will destroy you. They will knock down your pagan shrines and the altars to your idols. They will strip you and take your beautiful jewels, leaving you stark naked. They will band together in a mob to stone you and cut you up with swords. They will burn your homes and punish you in front of many women. I will stop your prostitution and end your payments to your many lovers.”

–Ezekiel 16:35-41

     The relationship between Yahweh and His people is spoken of throughout Scripture as a marriage with God as the Groom and His people His Bride.  The opening of this prophetic message pictures the Lord rescuing her from squalid conditions, cleansing and clothing her with jewels and fine linen.  He then exchanged marriage vows with her, symbolic language referring to the Old Covenant. 

     God is always faithful to His promises, but unfortunately His people are not.  The graphic terms used to describe their unfaithfulness is both disgusting and heartbreaking.  Any idolatry is sin, but the Canaanite gods and goddesses Israel had entangled themselves with were horrifying.  Public fornication and infanticide were religious rituals in these pagan religions.  Israelite royalty and subjects alike intermarried with worshippers of these idols and altars for them were built in the towns of Judah and Israel.  This entrenched idolatry in Israelite culture and, as we see in our modern times, it is extraordinarily difficult to stem the tide of ungodly cultural influences.

     Even in the midst of this deplorable state, the Lord God held forth hope for not only Judah, but surrounding nations.  He promises that the people would be brought back to their homeland and that their fortunes would be restored.  Eventually, His promise of redemption, restoration and blessing would come through Jesus Christ and fill the whole Earth with His love and message.  Everyone who has chosen to follow Him in faith is part of that fulfillment.  We actively participate in this prophetic fulfillment by allowing God to work through us to obey the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. 

“Lord Jesus, thank You for taking Your people from the miry clay and setting our feet upon You, the Rock of our salvation.  You have cleansed us spiritually with Your blood and clothed us with robes of righteousness.  I pray that we would return Your love and show our love by obedience and faithfulness to Your precepts.  Reveal more and more of Your truth to us and lead us in the Way everlasting.  In the strong and mighty Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

I will restore to you the years
    that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
    my great army, which I sent among you.

“You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
    and praise the name of the Lord your God,
    who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.

–Joel 2:25-26

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
    save me, and I shall be saved,
    for you are my praise.

 –Jeremiah 17:14