20221007

Samaria’s shame
Ezekiel 23:1-10 (JDV)
Ezekiel 23:1 The word of Yahveh happened to me again. This is what it said:
Ezekiel 23:2 “Son of Adam, there were two women, daughters of the same mother,
Ezekiel 23:3 who acted like prostitutes in Egypt, behaving promiscuously in their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin nipples caressed.
Ezekiel 23:4 The older one was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They became mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah represents Samaria and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 23:5 “Oholah committed fornication even though she was mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians: warriors
Ezekiel 23:6 dressed in blue, rulers and governors, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on steeds.
Ezekiel 23:7 She offered her sexual favors to them; all of them were the best of Assyria. She defiled herself with all those she lusted after and with all their idols.
Ezekiel 23:8 She didn’t give up her obscenity that began in Egypt, when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin nipples, and poured out their lust on her.
Ezekiel 23:9 Therefore, I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians she lusted for.
Ezekiel 23:10 They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. Since they enacted judgment against her, she became notorious among women.
Samaria’s shame
This is another one of those PG passages in Scripture. Samaria had lusted after the young studs of Assyria. She had allowed herself to be used until that was all she was.
LORD, may our desire be for you and your word. Purge from us the lust for other things.