It’s a love story gone bad. It’s a rags to riches . . . to rags story. Humble beginnings to exalted glory to treacherous betrayal. This parable found in the middle of Ezekiel’s prophetic writings really is quite moving . . . a bit disturbing . . . very depressing . . . and then . . . there’s a surprise ending.

The LORD is a storyteller in Ezekiel 16. In His tale we meet Jerusalem . . . conceived of a mixed marriage . . . an unwanted child . . . unloved from the day of birth . . . as a newborn, left in the blood of birth and cast out into a field . . .naked . . . loathed from the day she was born.

The LORD is part of the story. He sees Jerusalem wallowing in her blood and in His sovereign determination declares to her, “Live!” He makes her to thrive. So Jerusalem survives her birth and she grows up. Grows up into a real beauty. Matures into a woman ready to be loved. And the LORD comes upon her again, notices she is still naked and so, in the King’s grace, determines to spread His garment over her, to cover her nakedness, and to take her to be His own. He makes a promise to her . . . enters into covenant relationship . . . and she becomes His.

And this young beauty, living under the King’s care, grows up to become a real knock out! He bathes her . . . anoints her with oil . . . clothes her in embroidered cloth . . . adorns her with fine jewelry . . . and places a crown on her head. This blood smeared cast off in the field is now in the King’s court, adorned with gold and silver, wearing clothing of fine linen and silk. She is exceedingly beautiful . . . she is recognized royalty . . . her glory is recognized and known among the nations. All because of “the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord GOD.”

But . . . oh, what a terrible word, “but” . . . but she trusted in her beauty . . . and turned away from her Beautifier . . . and played the whore . . . becoming unfaithful because of her renown . . . lavishing her unfaithfulness on anyone who would have her . . . giving away her beauty to strangers. And, for the next page and a half, the Storyteller, the spurned lover, marvels at the extent of her harlotry . . . to the point where she’s not selling herself for money, as would be the common practice of a harlot, but instead bribes her lovers with her wealth and gifts . . . “How sick is your heart, declares the Lord GOD.”

The Storyteller . . . the spurned benefactor . . . the rejected King . . . then becomes the righteous Judge. And the wrath of a jealous God is poured out on His unfaithful bride. From beauty to barely recognizable . . . from the apple of the King’s eye to an object of reproach.

And then . . . the surprise ending . . .

. . . yet I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. . . . I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord GOD.  
                                                                              (Ezekiel 16:60, 62-63 ESV)

When I atone for all that you have done! Really? After such rejection . . . after such arrogant unfaithfulness . . . would God really determine to atone for His wayward bride’s treacherous sin? And if so, what price would need to be paid for such atonement . . . to wipe clean such a dark slate . . . to zero out such a debt-ridden account?

. . . while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly . . . God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us . . . while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son . . .   
                                                                            (Romans 5:6, 8, 10 ESV)

Praise God for surprise endings . . . for a rejected Storyteller who, in His abundant grace, determines to become a redeeming Savior.

O’ what a Savior!