Ezekiel 16 is really a fascinating portion of Scripture. If these truly are the words of Almighty God . . . and they are because God tells Ezekiel to deliver these words with a “Thus says the Lord GOD” . . . if these are the words of God, then what does it tell you about the heart of God? They are the words of a spurned lover . . . words of adoration . . . words of betrayal . . . words of righteous anger and judgment . . . and tender words of hope. Oh, how God loves Jerusalem . . . not the brick and mortar . . . not the buildings and structures . . . but Jerusalem the people of God.

This love story begins at Jerusalem’s birth . . . conceived and delivered by an Amorite / Hittite union. But from her nativity, Jerusalem was neglected . . . abused at birth . . . left in the open field to die . . . but God passed by and saw her struggling in her own blood and said to her, “Live!” (16:3-6). And so, God caused Jerusalem to thrive . . . growing into a beautiful young woman. And at the time when young women look for love, God spread His wing over her . . . swore an oath to her . . . entered into a covenant with her . . . and thus, Jerusalem became His (16:7-8). Oh glorious wedding day! Truly the first day of the rest of her life.

And God doted on her . . . washed her with water . . . thoroughly washing off the blood of her past . . . anointing her with oil . . . setting her apart, in her beauty, as His own. He clothed her with the finest clothes . . . he adorned her with beautiful jewelry . . . showered her with gold and silver . . . placed before her gourmet delicacies for her delight. She was exceedingly beautiful . . . fit for royalty . . . her fame going throughout the nations because of her beauty . . . a beauty which was perfect through the splendor God had bestowed on her . . . thus says the Lord GOD. (16:9-14)

“But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it.” (16:15).

Ugh! What betrayal. This beautiful, chaste, young bride . . . loved like crazy by her husband . . . given the best of the best . . . flaunts her beauty . . . leverages the resources freely given to her . . . and pursues other lovers. She uses the garments given her as bedding for her illicit activities . . . she fashion idols out of the gold and silver gifted to her . . . she takes the delicacies presented as a love offering to her and burns them as sweet incense to these images which would seek to take God’s rightful place in her life (16:16-19).

And move in they do. Drawing her into wicked and depraved practices . . . even to the point of taking the sons and daughters she had born to God and sacrificing them . . . causing them to pass through the fire . . . as an offering to the adulterous idols which had taken her heart. She had completely forgotten where she had come from . . . “in all your abominations and acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, struggling in your blood” (16:22). How sad.

And you read on in Ezekiel 16 and it gets worse (16:23-34) . . . and God’s hurt and anger is so evident . . . but so is His continuing love and faithfulness. He would judge her for her brazen harlotry . . . she would know the consequences of pursuing others while despising the husband of her youth by breaking the oath of their covenant (16:58-59). But nevertheless, God would remember His covenant . . . and would renew His vows . . . and once again woo her back into covenant relationship with Himself . . . “when I provide you an atonement for all you have done” (16:60-63) . . . says the Lord GOD.

Oh, what insight to the heart of the Father . . . the pain He feels when those who are His take what He has graced them with and use it to pursue others . . . the patient yet persistent determination He has to contend for His bride — chastening her as needed, that she might come to her senses and return to His house . . . the unconditional faithfulness He exhibits concerning His word and promise and desire toward those He has called to His banqueting table . . . providing atonement through the blood of His Son . . . that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and restores us to the blessed relationship He desires us to have with Him.

Oh blessed heart of God! To Him be all glory . . . amen!