Eze 16:26-29 | KingComments | STEP | The evil that Jerusalem practices knows no end ( ). The Lord GOD ( Adonai Yahweh ) pronounces a twofold “woe” over it, so abominable is it to Him. Jerusalem continues idolatry and builds a shrine for herself and makes high place for herself in every square ( ). She not only uses already existing high places, but adds new ones at will. High places are built at the tops of every street, in order to shamelessly indulge in fornication in a spiritual sense ( ). Jerusalem is an attractive trading partner, which abominably abuses her attractiveness to establish relations with other peoples. She goes deep into corruption to curry favor with others. She also goes wide into corruption, for from her harlotries she excludes no one. The LORD lists some of the main harlotries. Jerusalem plays the harlot “with the Egyptians”, that is, she adopts the gods of the Egyptians and serves them ( ). This started in the time of King Solomon. Possibly this also refers to the political movement in Israel that took refuge in Egypt and imitated Egyptian customs. The heavily built stature of the Egyptians may have been something for Jerusalem to envy. This is how she wants to look and impress. Jerusalem is importing Egyptian culture, as it were. That is a slap in the face to the LORD, Who wants to dwell in Jerusalem and has redeemed His people from Egypt. Jerusalem provokes Him to anger with her penchant for Egypt. We, too, must realize that we dishonor the Lord greatly when we give things of the world a place in our lives again. He has rescued us “from this present evil age” ( ). How would we somehow seek again that from which He has rescued us and make room in our lives to seek our support from it? We are then like a dog that has returned to its own vomit or a sow that, after washing, returns to the mire to wallow in it again ( ). If we do so, we provoke Him to anger and He will have to discipline us. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful” ( ), meaning faithful to Himself, which means that He will stand against us in His faithfulness if we go a way of unfaithfulness. The LORD stretches out His hand in judgment against Jerusalem and diminishes her portion of food by allowing the enemy to gain control of the land and consequently of the harvest ( ). In the time of the judges, it is primarily the Philistines whom the LORD uses to discipline His people ( ; ). They are Israel’s hereditary enemies at that time and still are. Even they are ashamed of Jerusalem’s lewd conduct. By “the daughters of the Philistines” are meant the cities of the Philistines. After yielding to the idolatry of Egypt, Jerusalem plays the harlot “with the Assyrians”, that is, she embraces the idols of Assyria ( ). These idols are brought into Jerusalem by King Ahaz and King Manasseh ( ). Jerusalem is truly insatiable in her desire for idolatry. Playing the harlot with the Assyrians also refers to the party seeking political and military support from the king of Assyria ( ; ). After Assyria has fallen away as a world power and Babylon holds the world power, Jerusalem seeks trade relations with Chaldea, which is Babylon ( ). That opens the door for the entry of Babylonian idolatry. And it sounds like a horrible refrain, that even by this she is not satisfied with idolatry.

‏ Ezekiel 16:26-29

Jerusalem Continues to Sin

The evil that Jerusalem practices knows no end (Eze 16:23). The Lord GOD (Adonai Yahweh) pronounces a twofold “woe” over it, so abominable is it to Him. Jerusalem continues idolatry and builds a shrine for herself and makes high place for herself in every square (Eze 16:24). She not only uses already existing high places, but adds new ones at will.

High places are built at the tops of every street, in order to shamelessly indulge in fornication in a spiritual sense (Eze 16:25). Jerusalem is an attractive trading partner, which abominably abuses her attractiveness to establish relations with other peoples. She goes deep into corruption to curry favor with others. She also goes wide into corruption, for from her harlotries she excludes no one.

The LORD lists some of the main harlotries. Jerusalem plays the harlot “with the Egyptians”, that is, she adopts the gods of the Egyptians and serves them (Eze 16:26). This started in the time of King Solomon. Possibly this also refers to the political movement in Israel that took refuge in Egypt and imitated Egyptian customs. The heavily built stature of the Egyptians may have been something for Jerusalem to envy. This is how she wants to look and impress. Jerusalem is importing Egyptian culture, as it were. That is a slap in the face to the LORD, Who wants to dwell in Jerusalem and has redeemed His people from Egypt. Jerusalem provokes Him to anger with her penchant for Egypt.

We, too, must realize that we dishonor the Lord greatly when we give things of the world a place in our lives again. He has rescued us “from this present evil age” (Gal 1:4). How would we somehow seek again that from which He has rescued us and make room in our lives to seek our support from it? We are then like a dog that has returned to its own vomit or a sow that, after washing, returns to the mire to wallow in it again (2Pet 2:22). If we do so, we provoke Him to anger and He will have to discipline us. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful” (2Tim 2:13), meaning faithful to Himself, which means that He will stand against us in His faithfulness if we go a way of unfaithfulness.

The LORD stretches out His hand in judgment against Jerusalem and diminishes her portion of food by allowing the enemy to gain control of the land and consequently of the harvest (Eze 16:27). In the time of the judges, it is primarily the Philistines whom the LORD uses to discipline His people (Jdg 10:7 ; Jdg 15:11; 1Sam 4:1-10). They are Israel’s hereditary enemies at that time and still are. Even they are ashamed of Jerusalem’s lewd conduct. By “the daughters of the Philistines” are meant the cities of the Philistines.

After yielding to the idolatry of Egypt, Jerusalem plays the harlot “with the Assyrians”, that is, she embraces the idols of Assyria (Eze 16:28). These idols are brought into Jerusalem by King Ahaz and King Manasseh (2Kgs 16:7 ; 2Kgs 21:3). Jerusalem is truly insatiable in her desire for idolatry. Playing the harlot with the Assyrians also refers to the party seeking political and military support from the king of Assyria (2Chr 28:16; Hos 5:13 ; Hos 7:11).

After Assyria has fallen away as a world power and Babylon holds the world power, Jerusalem seeks trade relations with Chaldea, which is Babylon (Eze 16:29). That opens the door for the entry of Babylonian idolatry. And it sounds like a horrible refrain, that even by this she is not satisfied with idolatry.