Ezekiel 23:11-21 – Stay faithful and committed to God

The sad description God had of Judah in Ezekiel 23:11-21 was that she was worse than Israel, her northern sister. Oholah was bad, Oholibah was worse. Although late to their wild living, Judah degenerated further than Israel, her older sibling. Judah saw all that Israel had done and was rightly judged for all her misconduct toward God, yet she did not restrain herself. She copied the wickedness of Israel. She was also attracted by the might of Assyria. Like Oholah, Oholibah also played the harlot with Assyria.  They both took the same route.

But Judah did not stop her from fooling around with Assyria. She went even further.  Verse 14 said that when Judah saw some mural on the wall depicting the Babylonian army in all its grandeur, her fascination for Babylon started. That led her to pursue her fascination. She then sent messengers to woo the Babylonians who gladly accepted the invitation, came, and had a fling with Judah and engaged in her idolatry. After a time of fling, she became disgusted with Babylon. Meanwhile, God also became appalled and disgusted with Judah as He did Israel for what she had done.   

 

With her disgust for Babylon, Judah then courted Egypt. Not satisfied with just recalling their past with Egypt, she once again went after her. In graphic sexual description, God referred to Judah's escapade with Egypt in the past. Now Judah once again yearned for those past elation that she had experienced with Egypt in the past.  

 

History showed that Judah tried to court Assyria with her unsolicited help to deal with Egypt. In 2 Kings 23, King Josiah needlessly tried to meddle in the conflict Pharoah Neco had with Assyria in the battle at Carchemish. In that incident, Josiah was shot by an arrow and later died in Jerusalem. That did not stop her escapade with Assyria, she also courted Babylon and had a fling with her. Then when she became dissatisfied with Babylon, Judah turned to Egypt.

 

God alone is trustworthy. Yet Judah in her waywardness had shown herself unfaithful. She vacillated from one partner to another seeking security. She had chosen to violate her covenant promise. When we fail to stay focused and faithful to God, there is a tendency for us to grasp at the straw and rely on what is unreliable and untrustworthy. We must stay faithful to God and not pivot to trust any other.