Devotional Index

February Devotional

Ezekiel 16

The destruction of human life through abortion, infanticide or other forms of child sacrifice in America is much like what happened in Judah as recorded in 2 Kings 21:1-18 where King Manasseh “made his son pass through the fire”(v.6) and “shed innocent blood very much, til he had filled Jerusalem from on end to another” (with innocent blood) (v16). In America, we destroy 3300 plus precious, innocent, helpless little babies through abortion each day. However, as with Judah in the Old Testament, God offers a mission of love, hope and forgiveness.

Ezekiel 16 declares the eternal love of God demonstrated to His people. Here, God specifically speaks to the city of Jerusalem. First, we see that God's love is demonstrated through His gentle care (v. 1-5). The first two verses begin this section with a command from God. “Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations.’ ” The word “to know” is a command by God to make Jerusalem acknowledge, admit or recognize her sin. The exiles were unconvinced that the Lord was truly going to judge them as Ezekiel had prophesied earlier in chapter 15.

Verse 4-5 state their beginning and the imagery that is used is of a child that is born. 4 As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. 5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born. “Customarily, when a child was born, the midwife cut the umbilical cord, rubbed the newborn child with salt, water, and oil, and then wrapped it in swaddling cloth for seven days. This was repeated every seven days for 40 days. The picture here is of a child abandoned by its mother and neglected by all from its birth. The identification of Israel with pagan parents was a most impressive way to mark their depraved and sinful nature.” These common customs were not afforded to Jerusalem. Jerusalem, like an unwanted child was ill treated and uncared for.

The language very plainly puts the treatment of Jerusalem in her infancy. “You were thrown out into the open field;” “this phrase describes ‘infanticide’ which was a widespread custom in the ancient near east used to eliminate unwanted children...The fact that the infant's parents ‘cast it out’ into a field has legal implications as well. They are renouncing all legal claims to the child and leaving it up to God and/or another person to ‘adopt’ and thus save the child's life.”

Secondly, we see that God's love is demonstrated through his tender pursuit (v. 6-14). Verse 6-7b read, And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful... “ God's kindness of undeserving Jerusalem was not to be a source of pride but a reminder of His bountiful grace, in which He takes the worthless and the unwanted, and not only calls out, Live! but makes the unlovely lovely! Every believer's life can and should give...such a gutter to glory testimony to the praise of the glory of God's grace.”

Verse 8-14 continues the glorious change and love that God bestowed upon Jerusalem. He adorned her with jewels, silk, gold, and silver. He lavished upon her His abounding goodness and love. The point of these details is to contrast the response that follows in verses 15-59. Here Jerusalem turns away from her beloved God and turns to her sinful ways; rejecting God's goodness and pursuing her own wickedness.

God's unending faithfulness is demonstrated (v. 60-63). “Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your older and your younger sisters; for I will give them to you for daughters, but not because of My covenant with you. And I will establish My covenant with you. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done says the Lord GOD.”

What a glorious picture of the loving nature of our great God. Ezekiel used this visual and horrific practice of infanticide to demonstrate the love of God. While others discard and despise, God reaches out in love. Romans 5:8-10 describe God's saving love through the person of Jesus Christ. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

In a society that promotes the values of death, God calls us, as His children, to spread forth the message of eternal life found in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Samuel Choi
Assistant Pastor, Twin City Baptist Church, Marinette