Journal Through the Bible: Week 81 Saturday

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Ezekiel chapter 16

God described His relationship to Jerusalem as a a marital covenant. Jerusalem is described as the unfaithful wife that broke her vows and sacrificed her children for the sake of her partners in fornication.

Does God issue any commands?

• God commanded Ezekiel to cause Jerusalem to know her abominations of turning away from the God that rescued them from certain death or obscurity and becoming promiscuous with idols and idolatrous nations. He pronounced Jerusalem's sins to be worse than those of Sodom or Samaria.

Does God make any promises?

• God promised that Jerusalem would return to her original state of utter helplessness in the sight of all the nations with whom she committed fornication. Her riches would be stripped from her and her houses would be burnt. After this God's anger would abate.
• God said that everyone that used proverbs would say, "As is the mother, so is her daughter." In verse 3 He had said that Jerusalem was the daughter of an Hittite and He repeated it in verse 45.
• When God would bring again the captivity of Sodom and Samaria he would bring again the captives of Jerusalem.
• God promised that there would never be a reason to speak of Jerusalem's shame again once His anger was pacified.

Does this chapter teach anything about Jesus?

• Jerusalem is described here as the bride. The New Testament, specifically Revelation, described Jesus Christ as the Bridegroom. New Jerusalem comes down from Heaven adorned as the Bride of the Lamb.

Does this chapter teach anything about yet-future events?

• God said in verse 60 that even though Jerusalem had broken her covenant with Him, yet He would keep the covenant and make it an everlasting covenant.
• God said that Jerusalem would receive her sisters (Sodom and Samaria) because God would give them to her, but not by her covenant. This might be in reference to those of Sodom and Samaria that were redeemed by the blood of Jesus who would then be part of the New Jerusalem forever.