Eze 16:37-41 | KingComments | STEP | The word of the LORD comes to the city ( ). The LORD addresses her by the name she deserves, that of “harlot”. Then He pronounces His judgment. First He gives another brief list of her disgusting deeds that necessitate this judgment ( ). They are the sins of fornication and human sacrifice. He will gather together her lovers, the nations with whom Jerusalem allied and from whom she served idols, and also all who remained or became her enemies again ( ). It will become a great army of enemies that will move against her to humiliate her deeply. The enemies will deal with her as with harlots and adulteresses who are put to shame in nakedness ( ). “The blood of wrath” means that Jerusalem will be punished with death. She has shed blood by bringing human sacrifices and for this her blood will be shed ( ). In the wake of adultery, idolatry, she committed murder. Adultery and murder often go hand in hand. We even see it with King David, who, after his adultery with Bathsheba, has her husband Uriah murdered. The LORD’s “jealousy”, that is His jealousy caused by the adultery, the breaking of the covenant, will repay their unfaithfulness and murders. He will give the city into the power of the nations whose idols she has served ( ). He will deliver her to the Babylonians. In this world empire all the other nations conquered by Babylon are represented. They will strip the city of clothes and jewelry and leave her naked and bare, that is broken down to the ground. Thus she will become again as before, in the time of her origin, when the LORD found her ( ; cf. ). The enemies will come against Judah and Jerusalem as a mob and will cause death and destruction around them ( ). The stoning she will suffer is a punishment for adulterous women ( ; ). That stoning will literally take place when the inhabitants of the city are buried and crushed under the falling rubble during the siege and capture. The houses they will burn ( ). “Many women” will see it happen before their eyes as a deterrent example not to play the harlot. The “many women” are a picture of cities and nations that will see the destruction of Jerusalem. Then harlotry will be wiped out. There will be no more desire to play the harlot. No one will want to have anything to do with her anymore. The attractiveness of the city has changed to repulsiveness. The city is also so destitute that it can no longer pay a harlot’s wages and therefore can no longer buy lovers. Then the fury of the LORD will rest upon them and He will be pacified and angry no more ( ). His anger has calmed down. So we find mentioned in the preceding verses three punishments that a harlot can receive in Israel and that are applied to Jerusalem. 1. First, she will be left naked and bare and thus exposed to the reproach of the bystanders ( ). 2. Next, she is stoned to death ( ). 3. Finally, she is burned with fire ( ). Once again the LORD explains why He must do all this to her ( ). He has brought her way of wandering and infidelity down on her own head. She has not remembered the days of her youth, when He so took care of her, nor served Him with gratitude. Instead, she has appalled Him, deeply shaken Him. His acts of judgment are for the purpose that she will cease from her abominations, that is her idolatry, and that she will no longer behave shamefully.