Do not read if you think the Bible is just milquetoast, sweet and all about being nice. That isn’t the picture here. This truly is X-rated.
God has done everything possible to wake them up, using the most incendiary verbiage possible.
He says the Northern kingdom (Samaria) and the Southern kingdom (Judah) are like two hookers. They both lust ravenously over their lovers, especially the Assyrians. They seek out sexual favors from them both literally and metaphorically.
They started in Egypt with the men there. They prostituted themselves there when men fondled their breasts, toyed with their nipples and slept with them lustily.
As bad as the northern kingdom was, lusting over the Assyrians, the southern kingdom was worse. She increased her promiscuity.
“Yet she multiplied her acts of promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth when she acted like a prostitute in the land of Egypt and lusted after their lovers, whose sexual members were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions” (v. 19-20). Yes, this is about the male genitalia and the emissions.
God says he will turn her lovers against them.
“you must bear the consequences of your indecency and promiscuity” (v. 35).
They will be treated like the adulterers they are. How on earth could they get to the point where they slaughtered their children (Ezek 23:38-30)? And do the detestable acts that they did?
This is definitely not your church lady Bible chapter. It’s graphic and pornographic. What would it take them to wake up to repentance? A prophet of God saying things like this?
Nope.
Didn’t work.
People get to the point that the pleasure of their sin hardens their hearts. This is especially true with sexual sin. Once you engage in it, your theology begins to change to adapt to your behavior rather than your behavior conforming to God’s righteousness.
And the slaughter of children? Truly there is nothing new under the sun. The only thing that changes is how we justify it.
Wow. Sometimes I wonder what God would say in our times.
