It was my observation that the 23rd chapter of Ezekiel has an extraordinary message for the two kingdoms of the Hebrew people: Israel (Samaria) and Judah (Jerusalem). The ten tribes of Israel, forming the northern kingdom, clearly deserted the House of David centered in Judah, the southern kingdom. Yet, the one true living God stayed with them, providing some shelter even through the rebellious reign of Jeroboam. God patiently put up with their false idols competing for His attention and did not immediately cast them off.
However, we see a gradual, downhill decline of behavior. Oholah—the pseudonym given to Samaria—is playing the role of a harlot, engaging in deep spiritual infidelity defined by the worship of Baal (see 1 Kings 16:31). This false god is in direct competition with Jehovah (1 Kings 18:21). Baal acts as a vile snake, drawing Oholah deeper and deeper into trouble.
Oholah dotes on her worldly lovers because they appear wealthy, well-mannered, young, and handsome. She swooned at her powerful neighbors, especially the Assyrians who were close by. She admired the pageantry of their lifestyle, envied their sharp military skill, and eagerly courted a political alliance with them for protection—acting as if El Shaddai were not a dependable defender. This is the heart of Ezekiel’s message concerning Oholah.
Ezekiel 23:5-10 says: “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after. She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her. Therefore, I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.” (NIV)
This extreme infatuation with foreign systems of thought and pagan activities is profound. God is entirely clear as to what was actually happening. Historically, one of the Israeli kings, Menahem, paid one thousand talents of silver to the King of Assyria just to gain political support and secure his own influence (see 2 Kings 15:19). This doting on the leadership of Assyria and the absolute trust placed on a financial contribution was a prime example of this infidelity. It showed a complete lack of trust in El Shaddai. It is exactly the same for us today: when we dote on the things of this world, we place our ultimate confidence in them, and we are well on the way to a dangerous spiritual dependency.
In some cases, we can find Lucifer boasting of his control over our thoughts. He is highly pleased when we become comfortable with our spiritual dependencies. He knows that dark thoughts eventually lead to words, and those words inevitably lead to actions. Job intimately knew this snare and consciously stayed clear of it (see Job 31:1-8). I know this message is full of heavy metaphors. Take your time and ingest them, because the message truly matters. Lucifer will always try to be our tormentor. He will always look for our current Achilles’ heel. He actively searches for troubled hearts, watching for those of us who are distracted by the dire circumstances surrounding us.
After Solomon died, a bitter civil war proceeded as rival competitors fought for a throne. Eventually, the single nation of twelve tribes was divided into two distinct nations, yet the core spiritual problem persisted. The internal strife for supremacy never stopped. Even centuries later, after the Babylonian exile, the Samaritans tried to interfere with the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The Samaritans had become infatuated with the dark arts of witchcraft and sorcery. Continued feuding and violence occurred all the way down to the time of Jesus, as both sides stubbornly pursued their human weaknesses. As often happens between members of a family, these sibling struggles persisted for centuries.
What was completely missing from the formula was mercy and grace. There was little space left for forgiveness, given that the troubles had long since degraded into rage and bitterness. God’s children were an unruly lot. The profound sadness of God expressed in Ezekiel’s pages is deep. Yet, His divine justice would ultimately be rendered. His mercy was always available, but it was completely ignored.
As for me? I choose Jesus.