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Ezekiel 22,23 Wednesday, November 4

Ezekiel 22 Ezekiel 22:1-5 – judge the bloody city city shedding blood in her midst makes idols contrary to her interest, for defilement brought your day near come to your years near and far will mock you

2 Peter 3:9-13

Ezekiel 22:6,7 – rulers’ treatment of needy rulers treated father and mother lightly rulers oppressed alien rulers wronged fatherless and widow widows and orphans: Exodus 22:22 Deuteronomy 10:18 Deuteronomy 14:29 Deuteronomy 16:11,14 Deuteronomy 24:17-21 Deuteronomy 26:12,13 Deuteronomy 27:19 Job 24:3,21 Psalm 68:5 Psalm 94:6 Psalm 146:9 Proverbs 15:25 Isaiah 1:17,23 Isaiah 10:2 Jeremiah 7:6 Jeremiah 22:3 Jeremiah 49:11 Ezekiel 22:7 Zechariah 7:10 Malachi 3:5

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Ezekiel 22:8-12 – despised My holy things despised My holy things profaned My committed acts of lewdness committed abomination taken bribes injured neighbors for gain forgotten Me

Ezekiel 22:13-16 – dishonest gain smite My hand at dishonest gain can you endure? I, the Lord, have spoken and shall act profane yourself in the sight of the nations you will know that I am the Lord

Ezekiel 22:17-22 – dross has become dross to Me I shall gather you in My anger and in My wrath I shall lay you there and melt you

Ezekiel 22:23-31 – land not cleansed land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation conspiracy of her in her midst like roaring lion like wolves priests have done violence to My law priests have profaned My holy things made no distinction between holy and profane

"Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you may not die--it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations -- and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them through Moses." Leviticus 10:9-11 have not taught difference between unclean and clean people of land practiced oppression people of land committed robbery people of land wronged the poor and needy people of land oppressed sojourner without justice I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall I searched for a man among them who should stand in the gap before Me for the land 3

Psalm 106:23 but I found no one

Ezekiel 21

A story of two sisters A graphic depiction of the sins of Israel and Judah.

Ezekiel 23:1-4 The sisters introduced “In blunt, straightforward language, Ezekiel described how the people entered into sexual relations with other ‘lovers’ (foreign nations and their gods), beginning a lifetime of perversion and corruption. There can be no misunderstanding with this vivid language. The perversion and sinfulness of Israel began early and happened frequently. She became practiced in the art of prostitution.” - Petrillo - Oholah - - “her tent” Oholibah - - “my tent is in her”

Ezekiel 23:5-10 Oholah belonged to the Lord. She played the harlot and lusted after the Assyrians. The lifestyles of foreign nations appealed to Israel. The Assyrian army captured Samaria in 722 BC. What happened to Samaria should have been a lesson for Jerusalem

Ezekiel 23:11-21 The younger sister saw the deeds of the older. Instead of learning from them, she emulated and even exceeded them. Judah’s first acts of unfaithfulness followed after Israel’s in pursuing alliances with . Not satisfied with committing harlotries with Assyria, Judah lusted after Rather than trusting God for protection, Judah sought out an alliance with . Babylon was enriched while Judah was enslaved. Judah came to resent Babylon but rather than returning to God, she pursued .

Ezekiel 23:22-27 The first of four judgment oracles against Jerusalem. The nations once pursued now become enemies. The sins of Judah had surpassed the sins of Samaria. Judah’s punishment would be greater as well.

Ezekiel 23:28-31 The second oracle 4

God abandons Judah to the lovers she has chosen over Him. They would “deal with her in hatred.” She would be left “naked and bare.” She would return to her original condition before God’s intervention (16:7) Judah’s punishment is especially severe because she refused to learn from Israel’s mistakes. Ezekiel 23:32-34 The third oracle Judah believed that God would never allow the temple to fall. But her cup of judgment was deep and wide and contained much. She would not be allowed to partake lightly of God’s wrath, but must consume it all.

Ezekiel 23:35 The fourth oracle The final statement of Judah’s sin and impending judgment. She had forgotten God, cast Him aside, and turned her back on Him. Now it was time to bear her punishment.

Ezekiel 23:36-39 God asks Ezekiel to pass judgment on both sisters. Three charges are brought against them. 1. They have committed adultery 2. They have defiled God’s sanctuary 3. They profaned God’s sabbaths

Ezekiel 23:40-45 Further evidence of infidelity They presented themselves as prostitutes to lure in foreign countries with their idolatrous practices. They longed for the rewards of these relationships more than the blessings God had given.

Ezekiel 23:46-49 The judgment scene fits with a guilty verdict in a court case. The nations she had played the harlot with would be her executioners. God would cleanse the land through judgment. “Thus you will know that I am the Lord God.”

Questions: Why does God pronounce judgment against Jerusalem? What does it meant to “despise” God’s holy things? Why is it important to teach the difference between the unclean and the clean? What does it mean to “stand in the breach? Who is Oholah? Who is Oholibah? What is the comparison between the “two sisters”?