In the last message, Yahweh compared the people of Jerusalem to a useless vine. Now He describes the nation as a woman.

He tells the whole tale in an allegorical form, describing the nation as an abandoned newborn lying on the ground and covered in blood. He rescued the unwanted baby and provided for her. And when she reached adulthood He marries her and lavishes her with the finery of a queen.

This is the part where most love stories and princess tales end with “and they lived happily ever after.” Not so this story.

This bride is utterly self-absorbed. She doesn’t even notice her husband. She downplays all that He did for her and thinks she arrived at success all by herself.

😐 Wow. Really not liking this chick.

Neither is Yahweh.

Then there’s the cheating and prostitution. These are metaphors for idolatry which is spiritual adultery.

Sinai was like the wedding of Yahweh and Israel. They entered a covenant to basically love, honor, and cherish, and keep only unto each other til death do them part.

😐 But Israel didn’t keep only unto Yahweh.

Exactly. And it gets bad. Really bad. She sacrifices Yahweh’s children to her lovers.

In the “cheating lover” story trope, usually the angry spouse gets revenge on the unfaithful partner. It’s a theme that has been popular in American songs for a long time. Think Frankie and Johnny, Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood, and Goodbye Earl by The Dixie Chicks. In Israel’s case, there is a twist. “The other men” will be the ones who do the deed and nobody will go to the electric chair for it.

The story is a way to help the exiles understand why the invasions of Babylon have happened and why the destruction of Jerusalem is an appropriate punishment.

It kind of reminds me of the prophet Nathan telling David the story about the rich man stealing the poor man’s sheep so David would realize what he had done with Bathsheba.

When people have long-justified their sinful thoughts and actions, sometimes the only way to get the truth into their minds is to sneak in through the back door with a story.

😐 How hard headed do ya have to be to not get this memo?

Very. Very hard headed and hard hearted.

The adulterous wife story helps the exiles reframe their understanding of their national history and their own role in it. I’m sure it’s easier for us to see because we’re so far removed and we can see the whole landscape of their history at once. They were living it out one hour and day at a time. They grew up in a culture that saw Yahweh as one option on a buffet of gods. That was normal. Violence and oppression were normal. Idols – normal. Sexual “freedom” – normal. Occult rituals and magic and interpreting omens – all normal. Little value for human life- normal.

Ezekiel is tasked with trying to get through to these people that none of this is supposed to be “normal” or ok. The cheating wife story takes about a thousand years of Israel’s history and compresses it into a relatable narrative. It boils down the relationship between Yahweh and Israel so they can grasp how it looks from Yahweh’s perspective. It helps them understand how they fell so far.

What boggles my mind is THIS:

“And I will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭16‬:‭62‬-‭63‬ ‭NLT‬‬

That. Is. Incredible!

No one could be worse than Israel. God even said that Sodom and Samaria were saints by comparison! And He is going to forgive all that they have done. Amazing!

No one else is that kind. No one.

As we read these chapters it kinda feels like Yahweh is Anne Sullivan and Israel is Helen Keller. He is trying every possible way to help them understand the world around them as it really is.

He has had Ezekiel make models and act it out in various ways. He has taken Ezekiel into the spiritual realm and shown him hidden things. He has used a vine metaphor and now a cheating woman allegory. In the next chapters He will try a riddle and then a proverb. Something’s gotta work.