The Broken Heart of a Lover

“But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red, with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea. As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.  Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.  When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt.  There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.” (Ezekiel 23:14-21 NIV)

I don’t know how it happened.  I admit Ezekiel is not a book that I have spent a lot of time reading over my years as a follower of Jesus, but I have read it, a number of times.  But when I read this passage a few days ago, it didn’t sound familiar.  I wondered how could I have glossed over previously this little nugget—“there she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses”?!  I was once again reminded how earthy and direct the Lord’s language can be.

Often I think we consider God some kind of cosmic prude, who is uncomfortable with the ways of the world with which we are so familiar. We can’t envision Him speaking in the type of coarse language we might use.  Perhaps this passage can put an end to this sort of thinking.  
The Lord seems to speak in such direct terms when idolatry is at issue. In this case, Israel longed to be like other nations.  They had sought to form an alliance with Assyria, and when the terms proved too demanding, they then turned to Egypt.  Both nations had their own gods and evil practices, such as sacrificing children.  Israel turned her eyes away from the Lord and lusted for attention from these nations.  

Have you ever been in a relationship where your deep devotion has been betrayed?  If so, like me, you know the deep hurt that results. This was the position the Lord was in with Israel.  He had shown her deep devotion, rescuing her from slavery in Egypt, providing her with her own land and blessing her with material wealth and worldly stature.  Yet, she spurned His devotion out of lust for another.  This is a love story gone bad, and God revealed His broken heart in the most graphic language.  

We live in a different time now.  God no longer makes covenants with nations, but with individuals.  But His heart is no less devoted.  He longs for us to have an exclusive relationship with Him.  Yet, there are others lurking about who threaten the relationship, things in this life that seek to stir up our lust and to steal our devotion to the Lord.  

Today, consider if there are individuals or things in your life that you are lusting after, which are drawing you away from the Lord.  The graphic language He uses in reference to Israel’s betrayal can give you a sense of how deep His devotion is to you and how hurt He is when it is spurned for something else.  

© Jim Musser 2016