Ezekiel was quite the word smith as he described Israel’s spiritual adultery and unfaithfulness to the Lord. In this single chapter, he used more than one word for harlot, two different words for lover, and more than one word for nakedness. He also wrote more than one word for alienated and judgment. Add all this to chapter 16 (which we spent three long weeks reading, with a break in between for Christmas joy!), and we see how seriously God takes unfaithfulness. He devotes pages and pages to it in His Word. Israel’s unfaithfulness and spiritual adultery is a theme in Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Hosea, and Malachi.
Read Ezekiel 23:1-4.
- The Lord told Ezekiel to write an illustration of Israel’s spiritual adultery by describing two sisters who became prostitutes.
- In the parable, the sisters engaged in their trade in Egypt.
- Once God delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt, Scripture often refers to Egypt as a metaphor for slavery.
- The sisters were enticed by pleasure.
- Their prostitution took the form of improper relationships with other nations and their gods.1
- God named the sisters and stated clearly who they represent: Samaria, the capital city of Israel, and Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah.2.
- He claimed both sisters and their offspring.
What improper relations do you imagine Israel had with other nations and their gods while in Egypt as a young nation?
What is the relationship between slavery and pleasure?
Read Ezekiel 23:5-8.
- The older sister, Samaria, engaged in prostitution while she still belonged to the Lord.
- She lusted after and desired the lifestyle of foreign, pagan nations.
- She sought a relationship with the Assyrians, who were handsome warriors.
- In giving herself to Assyria, she abandoned the Lord’s plan.
- Samaria worshiped Assyria’s pagan gods and refused to forsake her idols.
- She began her idolatrous and adulterous practices while in slavery in Egypt.
- Earlier in chapter 16, the Lord described Israel’s vile sin of idolatry as an adulterous wife.
What is the significance that Israel’s idolatrous practices began in Egypt?
Why did Israel seek an alliance with Assyria?
Read Ezekiel 23:9-10.
- God has always given His people free choice.
- He allowed Samaria to lust after and pursue Assyria.
- He gave her over to Assyria’s military strength.
- They stripped her wealth, carried away her sons and daughters, and destroyed her.
- Assyria revealed Israel’s shame and exposed her spiritual adultery.
- As mentioned earlier in Ezekiel, Israel’s name spread throughout the nations, not always in a good way.3
- The punishment inflicted upon her was the “actual enactments of justice on God’s people”4 for breaking His covenant law.
Who inflicted punishment on Samaria, God or Assyria?
How would you describe God’s covenant law alluded to here?
What is significant about God’s role in this scene?
The logical place to break this chapter into sections leaves us with a shorter passage this week. The next section describes Jerusalem, the younger sister.
Where is the hope in this passage?
- For those who follow a Lenten or church year calendar, today is Maundy Thursday, the day when Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples. After the meal, He gave them a new commandment, to love one another as He loved them. How does God love us?
- How many stories did the Lord tell through Ezekiel’s pen to warn Israel before the captivity?
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6).
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:21-23).
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
We read in verse 9 that God gave Samaria what she wanted—she had a choice.
We have a choice to turn away from the sin that entices and repent, accept and trust in Jesus’ sacrifice and forgiveness offered, and follow God’s truly best path for our life.
To paraphrase Linus: ‘and that, Charlie Brown, is what Easter is all about.’
May God provide us all blessed treasures from His Word to bring deep joy and increase our faith!
Happy Easter!
- Warren Baker, D.R.E., Eugene Carpenter, Ph.D. The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003) 297
- Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/ezekiel/23-4.htm (Amplified Bible)
- Baker, 1157
- Ibid., 1186