BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

Ezekiel’s accusations reach a fever pitch in today’s reading. Innocent blood stains Jerusalem’s streets. Its stench lingers over the city like a foul smog. Its priests, princes, and prophets prey on the vulnerable, wringing out the poor for profit and crushing immigrants under their feet.

Ezekiel tries to startle the Israelites into recognizing the horrific state of their city with another graphic allegory. This time, he compares Samaria and Jerusalem to two promiscuous sisters.

For Ezekiel, Jerusalem’s covenant adultery goes hand-in-hand with bloodshed. Throughout today’s reading, the prophet emphasizes the connection between the people’s rejection of Yahweh and their mistreatment of Yahweh’s image bearers. Idol worship leads to incest and usury, deception and desecration, bribes and breaking the Sabbath, extortion and oppression.

Ezekiel’s intense accusations come with equally vivid warnings of judgment. Yahweh is about to unsheathe a sharp sword against Jerusalem. The people of Israel will be melted down like dross in a furnace and scoured like a filthy cauldron over a blazing fire. The adulterous Southern Kingdom failed to learn from her northern sister’s mistakes, so she will share her sister’s fate. Yahweh will give her into the hands of the foreign armies (she thought) she so desperately wanted.

The most heartbreaking image comes at the end of today’s reading. Ezekiel’s wife dies. Yahweh tells the prophet not to mourn for her in public. Ezekiel’s shocking response to the loss of his beloved wife points to the Israelites’ response to the loss of Jerusalem. Soon, their corrupted, bloodstained city will fall. Only agonized silence will remain in its wake.

Reflection Questions

• Compare Ezekiel 23 to Ezekiel 16. What does Yahweh say will happen to Samaria in Ezekiel 16? How does this shape your interpretation of Ezekiel 23?
• Today’s reading brings you to the end of the section of Ezekiel focused on judgment for Israel. Take a moment to compare the introduction of this section (Ezek. 12:1-16) and its conclusion (Ezek. 24:15-27). What does Ezekiel do in each story? How do the people respond? How do these hyperlinks help you understand the literary design of Ezekiel?