It was my observation while moving through Ezekiel that Chapter 23 provides a clear view of history from God’s perspective, inserting the moral dilemma of spiritual infidelity into the course of human actions. In this passage, we find both the corporate attitude of the people and the tragic outcomes of their choices fully explored. This is a very sad chapter, and it can be quite difficult to read if you have struggled personally with these things.
During the eras of Isaiah and Ezekiel, the Hebrews divided themselves into two separate kingdoms: Israel and Judah. The ten tribes of Israel had a population of approximately 450,000, while the two tribes of Judah had a population of roughly 100,000. Throughout the text, we see vivid metaphors of spiritual infidelity—likened to prostitution—as the root cause of their transgressions, using their respective capital cities as focal points for why the residents are ultimately brought to justice. This essay explores that narrative in four parts: first, by introducing the moral dilemma of both Israel and Judah; second, the story of Israel (Samaria); third, the story of Judah (Jerusalem); and fourth, the ultimate cause of their joint destruction. Let us begin at the beginning.
Ezekiel 23:2-4 says: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land, their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed. The older [daughter] was named Oholah, and her [younger] sister was Oholibah. They were mine [my daughters] and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.” (NIV)
The elder sister, representing the ten tribes of Israel centered in Samaria, is called Oholah, which means “her own tent.” This name fits because they broke away and did not use the designated temple for worship. The younger sister, representing the two tribes of Judah centered in Jerusalem, is named Oholibah, meaning “my temple is in her,” because those tribes still had direct access to the temple of God.
This tragic image of a woman betraying her husband is not new to the prophetic books; we find it deeply explored in Hosea, written nearly two hundred years prior to the message of Ezekiel (see Hosea 1-3). We have also seen the historical flirting of Israel and Judah with their pagan neighbors—namely Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon. These compromising political and spiritual relationships were heavily chastised by earlier prophets (see Amos 5:18-27; Hosea 7:8-15; Isaiah 14; Jeremiah 19:7-15). The spiritual infidelity detailed in this chapter was central to each of those historical failures.
We also find this half-hearted behavior addressed later in Zechariah 7:5, which says: “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?’” (NIV).
The Hebrews have a long, documented history of offering mere lip service to the God of this universe. This specific cycle of spiritual infidelity dates all the way back to the wilderness, when the spies returned from Canaan with a faithless, negative report about the Promised Land. We read in Numbers 14:1 that the people cried out in dismay and wept aloud all night long. The Hebrews became intensely resistant and afraid.
Responding to their spiritual infidelity, Elohim replied: “How long is this going to go on, all this grumbling against me by this evil-infested community? I’ve had my fill of complaints from these grumbling Israelites. Tell them, As I live—God’s decree—here’s what I’m going to do: Your corpses are going to litter the wilderness—every one of you twenty years and older… this whole generation of grumblers and grousers. Not one of you will enter the land and make your home there, the firmly and solemnly promised land, except for Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.” (Numbers 14:26-30, MSG)
As you may recall, after the death of King Solomon, the nation formally split into two kingdoms with two separate capitals: Samaria and Jerusalem. The stubborn obstinacy of the Hebrews had been in place for as long as they had been engaged in worshiping the one true living God. To help us understand the deep, cutting effect of sin, Elohim forces us to see the absolute worst of ourselves. It is a message that is incredibly hard to accept. Here, spiritual infidelity is presented in the basest, most shocking terms possible simply to capture our wandering attention. The focus of the message zeroes in on these two women, who are clearly identified by God as surrogates for Israel and Judah—the daughters of one mother.
When they were still united as one nation, their initial spiritual infidelity was committed with Egypt. Once they split into two separate kingdoms, they spread their affections to many surrounding pagan nations. Make no mistake, spiritual infidelity is the most grievous of all our human troubles. It actively wars against our soul, pulls us into thick darkness, infatuates our natural weaknesses, and twists our thoughts until we think good is harsh and bad is just right. It renders us odious in the sight of a holy God. This poison always starts in the hidden spiritual realm, and then inevitably migrates into our physical reality.
This is a profoundly difficult subject. The historical troubles of Israel and Judah were extreme, proving that spiritual infidelity is no small thing. Rejecting a God who is so fiercely willing to forgive and restore is difficult to comprehend. Yet, we still see that same rejection playing out all around us every single day. Elohim’s mercy is a wondrous thing. May we all choose to stay in His safe, holy place.
I choose Jesus.