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May 7th - Chapter Sixteen

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May 7th - Chapter Sixteen Empty May 7th - Chapter Sixteen

Post by James Fri May 08, 2015 10:22 am

Chapter sixteen portrays the bridegroom as Israel, one who walks in debauchery as an adulterer, also in the form of idolatry.
This reminds me of the story of Hosea, as he was called to pursue after Gomer - a promiscuous woman (Hosea 1:2).
Also, verses nine to 14 speaks about how God blessed Israel with get riches and blessings, even God calls Israel a queen, His queen (v.13).
Furthermore God shows on to share that the beauty and fame were used to become a prostitute.
All the LORD's previous gifts were used by Jerusalem in prostituting herself, misusing and taking for granted the blessings given by God.
The jewelry, food, children - were all used to satisfy their stomachs, seeking after lust and promiscuity and after engaging prostitution with other nations, God states that we were not satisfied after engaging with Egypt, Philistine, Assyria, and Babylon.

Verse 34 really sums up our relationship with sin, how we are SLAVES to sin.
"So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you."
We seek after sin and we serve sin - sin does not serve us anyway.
A prostitute's job or incentive is payment but Israel's state at that time and our depravity was just the same as a prostitute, but as one who pays the customers instead.
No payment is given to us, rather we give payment which is our lives (wages of sin is death, all have fallen short of God's glory).

This speaks volumes to me and convicts me because God has blessed us in every way possible and we find ourselves either worshiping His creation or using it for the wrong purposes.
Just like Israel's current state in Ezekiel 16, we are prostitutes who seek perversion while we GIVE payment.
Our gratification is our own effort and cost, sin does not serve us.
And as Christ has won us over by the blood of the Cross, we are slaves to righteousness as we're bought with a price.

It's as if God has literally brought us out of slavery (again...).
Will we turn back to Egypt and bid ourselves as slaves once again and again?
Or rather receive and count every blessing from God to enjoy and glorify Him and only Him?

James
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May 7th - Chapter Sixteen Empty Re: May 7th - Chapter Sixteen

Post by StephenRYUUUU Fri May 15, 2015 12:49 pm

Ezekiel 16, God uses the example of Israel as this lost child that He brought up in His liking.  At the start of this chapter God speaks about how Israel was like an abandoned child, not loved, abandoned, and left for dead.  Yet God has compassion for them and brings them as His own (Verse 8... "You became mine."  God loves them and He describes the gifts and mercy He gives to them.  Providing all these blessings and bringing them up to be a queen, one of high status.  So we see how God brings this abandoned nation, gives them life (verse 6) and then blesses them with His love to become what He describes as a queen, someone who is of value in the world.  (Brings them out of Egypt and gives them a new life).  

But then we see where it begins to turn.  Verse 15: But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute.  You lavished your favours on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his."  We see how the Israelites began to trust in themselves and in the gifts/blessings God gave them, rather than God Himself.  They begin to use the gifts that God gave them for evil things that strayed them far away from God.  

They used their garments to make gaudy high places (Verse 16), Jewellery for male idols to engage in prostitution and offered embroidered clothes and oil and incense to them, as well as the food.  They gave their sons and daughters to the idols as well.  

When I read this, it really shows how the Israelites used all these blessings that God had given them to worship and serve these false idols.  They used their city to make temples for idols, used their monetary wealth to make these idols and then engage in "prostitution" (Selling themselves to these idols).  And then begin to give all that God has given to them to these idols.  I really do think that when God mentions that they even offered their sons and daughters, that the Israelites really did sacrifice their sons and daughters to their false idols.  Yet, the Israelites do not remember their up bringing in which God saved them.  

Then they began to become prostitutes to other nations.  Verses 32-34 sums up how they acted; strangers over the husband, gifts to strangers (bribing), no one comes to them for favours, but they are willingly, giving themselves and their gifts to anyone.  

God declares that He will punish them by allowing for other nations to attack.  Then God's jealous anger will be of no more and He will be calm.  

The Israelites were so detestable and sinful that it made their surrounding nations look as if they were righteous.  Yet God does not destroy them completely.  If God can make an abandoned nation have new life, He can definitely take it away.  Yet, He still chooses to let them live and after He gives punishment to them, they will remember and be ashamed of their actions and know who the one true God is.  

This example of God's chosen people as His wife, His bride really is an example that speaks how intimate and close He is with us.  Yet, when we receive all these blessings and gifts and use them for the wrong intentions: worshipping false idols, using the very gifts to serve idols over Him, how jealous and angry would God be.  I think this not only applies to the Israelites in Ezekiel's time but also Christians today, as God took us in, gave us new life and blessed us to worship and serve Him.  Yet, so often we serve the world.  Verses 32-34 reminds me of how the world is not serving and paying for us in any way, yet we just want to keep on giving into this world by giving it all we have. But God does not completely destroy us, He sent His only son to forgive our tremendous sins.  Really makes me think that we so easily trust and put treasures and values into this world, yet storing our treasures into heaven will be so much greater. God is so much greater than the things of the world, so let's continue to serve the one true God!  

Really feel convicted after reading this chapter yet I really enjoyed it.

StephenRYUUUU

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