June 17 Betrayal

Ezekiel 23:1-7 The word of the Lord came to me: 2  "Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. 3 They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms handled. 4 Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. 5 "Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors 6 clothed in purple, governors and commanders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. 7 She bestowed her whoring upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them, and she defiled herself with all the idols of everyone after whom she lusted...11 "Her sister Oholibah saw this, and she became more corrupt than her sister in her lust and in her whoring, which was worse than that of her sister. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and commanders, warriors clothed in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men...22 Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I will stir up against you your lovers from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side."

AS our culture sadly debates the sacredness of marriage - "Is marriage necessary?" "Who can be married?" - we must remember that God's words throughout Scripture tell us clearly, "Marriage is God's created union between a man and a woman." Indeed, marriage is so precious in God's plan for our joy and harmony with him and with one another, he uses the marriage relationship to describe Jesus' relationship with the. Hear this great promise in Revelation 19:7-8 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8  it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. What joy to know God's eternal plan is to come to us as a loving, honoring husband to his bride. He will clothe us in the bridal gown of his purity!

    How tragic, it is then, to read of God's first chosen bride, Israel, removing God's fine linens of his holiness. They have rejected their husband to turn in gross unfaithfulness to deadly lovers who will abuse them and then destroy them. The images of immorality, betrayal and death in Samaria's (Israel) and Jerusalem's (Judah) cultures are heartbreaking. How tragic that a people chosen by God turn their hearts that they would lust after anyone or anything else but the most holy husband of all. Oh church of Jesus Christ, are you faithful to your husband?

Prayer: Lord God Almighty, I pray I am clothed in Jesus' blood. That this salvation is my fine linen and you will protect me from the stains of betrayal. In the Spirit's power I pray, amen.