Thought from today’s Bible reading from Ezekiel 16-17.
“But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by who might be willing. You took some of your clothes, made for yourself high places of various colors and played the harlot on them, which should never come about nor happen. You also took your beautiful jewels made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images that you might play the harlot with them. […] Moreover, you took your sons and daughters whom you had borne to Me and sacrificed them to idols to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter? You slaughtered My children and offered them up to idols by causing them to pass through the fire” (Ezekiel 16:15-21).
The people of Jerusalem had become completely entangled in idolatry to the point in which they were even sacrificing their own children. How could they get to such a point? They forgot their past.
“Besides all your abominations and harlotries you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare and squirming in your blood” (Ezekiel 16:22).
The vision from God to Ezekiel depicted the people as a helpless newborn that had been “thrown out into the open field” and left to die (Ezekiel 16:4-6). The only reason they survived was because God took pity upon them and saved them. But they forgot the grace that had been extended to them and rebelled against God. They increased their sin and were eventually punished by God, the One who initially saved them.
Though this is talking about a nation that God had chosen to be His people, there are lessons for us to learn from this. Our salvation is only possible because of the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8). However, we must obey God if we want to take advantage of His salvation (Ephesians 2:10; Hebrews 5:9).
Unfortunately, some fall away and depart from the Lord after initially obeying Him (Hebrews 6:4-6). They forget how miserable of a condition they were in previously. Without God, we have no hope (Ephesians 2:12). Without His grace, we are helpless (Romans 5:6).
Let us not turn back to our former ways and our former condition. If we do, then “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of jugdment and the fury of fire which will consume the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27). Let us remember our former condition outside of Christ and be grateful for our current condition in Christ so that we can serve the Lord acceptably.
Tomorrow’s reading: Ezekiel 18-19
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
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