You became tired of your lovers, but I am going to hand you over to those men you now hate. (Ezekiel 23:28)The Bible isn't always pretty. In this expanded passage, God likens the capital cities of Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah) to sisters who have both engaged in prostitution. Their sin is that they have sold themselves to other nations and those nations' idols, without any regard for their relationship with the Lord God, who rightfully should have been their one and only. God, the wounded husband, announces: You want to chase after your lovers? You can have them. You think this is a Harlequin romance? Just wait until you see the shameful way they treat you! He spotlights the Assyrians (they destroyed Samaria in 722 BC) and the Babylonians (they destroyed Judah in 587/6 BC), painting them as the handsome young men being flirted with by the two shameless sisters.
So, what lesson can we learn from a 6th century BC prophet and two sister/nation prostitutes?
We can choose our actions, but we cannot choose the consequences of those actions. When we grab hold of sin, we should remember that it also grabs hold of us - and it has a strong grip. Just because we're ready to let go of it, doesn't mean it will let go of us.
What sin are you flirting with? Is someone whispering in your ear that a little flirting never hurt anyone? Hmmm, I wonder who that could be... Satan?
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