Ezekiel chapter 16

vs 51

Oh, that's not good. It boggles the mind really how Israel could fall so far. The apple of God's eye, his chosen people, and yet they manage to stray and become worse than the peoples around her. I guess it's like the rebellious kids of church pastors. Although I can't say I know any, I'm getting that picture entirely from TV.

vs 52

So now Israel should be upset about its disgrace, and bearing it with sorrow, because where she should have been the righteous one, whom people should have looked to to see how to live properly, instead she has become so wanton that people look to non-godly people for a good role model!

vs 53

This is an interesting verse. The NASB and KJV talk about God restoring the "captivity" of these places, whereas the (T)NIV talks about restoring the "fortunes", obviously meaning fairly different things. At least, I don't see the overlap - but then, I don't know the history of Samaria and Sodom really, do I? The history of Israel I know a bit more about, and restoring their captivity would obviously mean a reference back to Egypt, which is exactly what's going to happen to them - they're going back into captivity.

vs 54

So it's not good fortune being returned. It's bad fortune, the kind of fortune that makes Israel bear their shame and disgrace for all they have done against God.

vs 55

Oooh, so Israel returns to being a slave, and I guess Sodom and Samaria return to being bad examples? Probably mostly because people can't turn and point to Israel, because it's no longer a nation after it gets captured and exiled.

vs 56

"Hey, have you met my sister Sodom? She likes to be totally immoral and is basically vile." Yeah, not the sort of thing you say at a church function.

vs 57

Now this nation, who used to talk about how God was with them, and would protect them and enlarge their territory, and how they were basically better than the other nations because they were God's treasured possession, have been uncovered over the centuries to be just like everyone else - or even worse.

vs 58

I suppose some adulteresses can hide their lewdness, but Israel certainly can't. In fact, just think about the fact that I'm reading about how horribly sinful they are right here in their own holy book. That's been immortalised for them forever. Yay.

vs 59

I don't know what happens to covenant breakers. According to my lessons, the reasons covenants were marked with blood was because it was like saying, "This is what will happen to you if you break this covenant." So that's obviously not going to go well for Jerusalem. In the vassal-suzerain covenantal idea, I suppose the suzerain just punishes you, or conquers you and flattens you to the ground.

vs 60

Only God would do that, and I don't say that lightly. What other covenant does humanity make that we would not break with someone who was so terrible, so infidelous, so selfish and despicable? I mean, I can't even say it's like a marriage covenant, because I think most people would have divorced Israel long ago.

vs 61

What an interesting statement. Back in the day, of course, Israel was its own little kingdom and ruled over the surrounding mini-nations. But I don't think God is promising that again, because he's saying it won't be on the same terms. Now, the sisters of Israel will become her daughters - I wonder if God means spiritually, as in when he calls the nations to himself through Christ?

vs 62

This is the good bit. The bad bit is everything that God has promised leading up to this bit.

vs 63

Israel - or what was left of them - really did change, too. I mean, no, they did not become God's perfect poeple. But something did change for them after their exile. Just like they changed during the 400 years of silence, the intertestamental period. I'd be humiliated if I were described in these terms, for sure.