127 - Two idolatrous Sisters

No Modesty Here

A note of introduction to this post: as I said earlier, Ezekiel is very graphic in his language. If graphic is what you want, read this chapter in the Bible; I try to keep my posts fit for family reading.

There were two women, the daughters of one mother. The two women were Israel, the Northern Kingdom, and Judah, the Southern Kingdom; figuratively speaking they were both daughters (off-spring) of one mother, namely Sarah (Abraham's wife).   Their names were Oholah,(which means, "her tabernacle") the oldest, and Oholibah, (which means, "my tabernacle is in her") her sister. ... Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah. Ezekiel 23:2-4. 

From the time Israel separated from Judah, right after the death of Solomon, she set up her own places of worship; her own Oholah - tabernacle.  their worship, and places of worship, were of their own appointing, namely, their calves at Dan and Bethel; God had nothing to do with them, there he did not dwell. Gill.  Now the Lord calls it "her tabernacle" not His own.  But the tabernacle in Jerusalem; the one built by Solomon, is called "my tabernacle" by the Lord. For more on this subject, I suggest:                                                           http://spaceshiptheology.blogspot.com/2015/05/66-kingdom-splits-in-two.html

Oholah ... lusted after her lovers, ... her Assyrian neighbours, ...  she defiled herself with all their idols.  Throughout the Bible, the picture of adultery and fornication is used to show people's careless attitude towards Jehovah.  North America, born on Christian principles and beliefs, has turned her back on her first love; in biblical terms, this is called adultery and fornication.

Israel desired to worship as the Assyrians worshipped Therefore I (Jehovah) have given her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians on whom she lusted. ... They (the Assyrians) took her sons and her daughters and killed her (Israel) with the sword. 23:5-10.  The fall of the northern tribes happened in 722 BCE.

And her sister Oholibah (the two southern tribes, known as Judah,) saw, she was more corrupt ... than she, Oholah, and her fornications were greater than her sister's whoredom.   One way was to both of them.  As one went so went the other, except that she (Judah) added to her fornications. 

What North America Lusts For

She saw men carved on the wall; images of the Chaldeans engraved with vermilion, girded with girdles on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like rulers, like the sons of Babylon in Chaldea, the land of their birth (Abraham and Sarah were originally from Ur of the Chaldees, neighbours of Babylon); and she lusted after them.  

Judah saw the pictures and so lusted for the actual persons.  What people see will certainly influence how they act and that is why Christians may not, must not watch everything that "Hollywood" tells us is so spectacular.  Keep in mind that we are here not speaking so much of physical corruption as of the spiritual coldness that has invaded modern churches.  Watching almost any of the modern movies will certainly drive away our awareness of Christ living in us.

The Contemporary English Bible politely continues this thought; Jehovah says, My soul was alienated from her just as My soul was alienated from her sister.  And she lusted on her lovers, who were famous for their sexual powers.  

So, O Oholibah, the Lord Jehovah says this: Behold, I will raise up against you your lovers.  and I will bring them against you from all around;  You, the Christian Church, wanted to worship the way non-Christians worship, in theatres and sports stadiums, so don't be surprised at what your reward will be at the judgement seat of Christ. 23:11-20  

They (the sins we crave) came (follow us) into my temple that same day, and that made it unfit as a place to worship me.  Many modern churches have adopted the glamour of "Holywood".  The hope is that more people will come to church because of that.  Maybe more do come but the place is unfit for the worship of Jehovah!  They have even stopped respecting the Sabbath.  Can't we see the Christian Church in these statements? 

I, the LORD God, gave your sister (Israel) a large, deep cup filled with my anger (they were captured by Assyria). And when you (Judah)drink from that cup, you will be mocked and insulted. ... because that cup is filled with horror and ruin. But you must drink every drop! The temple and Jerusalem will be destroyed. You will either be killed or become slaves to those whom you lusted for.

They have committed murder by sacrificing my own children as offerings to idols.  We think, how horrible!  But how many North American children have been sacrificed, psychologically damaged beyond repair, by their parents to the gods of pleasure and financial well-being?

The rest of this chapter carries on in the same graphic tone; the meaning is too plain to need any comment.