EZEKIEL 23=FOR
MVF Cheryl=and Bobby Boy=7-5-06=2025
EZEKIEL 23 =Oholah=and Oholibah
THE SINS AND JUDGMENT Of Oholah
(Samaria and THE KINGDOM of Israel)
LINES 1-4
2 SYMBOLIC SISTERS
Oholah=and Oholibah
TWO SISTERS=The daughter of=ONE MOTHER
Ie. Israel and
Judah
THE STORY of the two sisters=is a POWERFUL DESCRIPTION
Of how JUDAH=followed sinful Israel
They Committed Harlotry in Egypt
ISRAEL=UNFAITHFUL to Yahweh=from the start
Ie. Worshipping IDOLS
in Egypt
Their names=Oholah=the elder=and Oholibah=her sister
Oholah=Means her own tabernacle
Oholibah=means MY TABERNACLE=Is in her
(HOME to God’s temple and service)
The two sisters=BELONGED to Yahweh by=
Election=Redemption=and a MARRIAGE COVENANT
OHOLAH=Samaria=CAPITAL of Northern Kingdom of Israel
Oholibah=Jerusalem=The capital of Judea
LINES 5-8
The story of Oholah=the elder sister
Oholah=the HARLOT
Israel=IDOLATRY from the start
-FOLLOWED the gods of her NEIGHBOR=the Assyrians
-EZEKIEL=when you EXPRESS IDOLATRY=to your neighbors=
Your neighbors=CONQUER YOU
-Attracted to the ASSYRIANS=their neighbors=
In a fleshy-MATERIALISTIC way
She has=NEVER GIVEN UP=her harlotry to Egypt
GIVING HERSELF to idols=and other nations
LINES 9-10
JUDGMENT upon Oholah
Israel gave herself to FOREIGN GODS
NOW you MUST be conquered by them=and
LIVE under them
Ie. 722 BC=ASYRIAN
HUMILIATION of Samaria and Israel
-KILLED many with the sword=and took others captive
This was KNOWN to Ezekiel=and his listeners=and was a WELL
DESERVED PUNISHMENT
LINES 11-13
The sins and JUDGMENT of Oholibah
(Jerusalem and the KINGDOM of Judea)
-JERUSALEM=became much MORE CORRUPT=
Than her sister IN Samaria
-MORE LUSTFUL=than Samaria
Ie: EZEKIEL
revealed this in Ezekiel 23:16
THE SOUTHERN Kingdom of Egypt =LUSTS even more
FOR power=wealth=fame=and INFLUENCE=Just like Samaria
LINES 14-16
Oholibah(JERUSALEM)=
Surpasses the sins of Oholah(Samaria)
-Jerusalem=INCREASES the sins and REBELLION of Samaria
Jerusalem=went after THE MODERN CUSTOMS=and idols of Babylonia=Just
Like they previously did=with THE ASSYRIANS
God had CALLED Abraham=OUT OF BABYLONIA=
Now his descendants=were returning to it
Babylonia CONQUERED Judah too!
LINES 17-21
THE DISGUSTING IDOLATRY and immorality of Jerusalem
Ezekiel tells the THEME of=GROSS SEXUAL PROMISCUITY
Babylonian idols were=SEXUAL IN NATURE=PROSTITUTES=immorality
God alienated himself from Jerusalem=Like he previously did
From Samaria=HER SISTER
Ie. LIKE a faithful
husband
GOD’S RESPONSE=was to return her to=Jerusalem
(The IDOLATRY of her youth)
EZEKIEL USED shocking language=TO JOLT=
His jaded listeners and readers
Ie. LIKE the sexual
organs of donkeys and horses
LINES 22-27
JUDGMENT on Oholibah
The JUDGMENT against Jerusalem=was MUCH GREATER
For Oholibah meant=MY TABERNACLE IS IN HER
Ie=They had the BLESSINGS of the priests and the TEMPLE=
Their accountability=WAS MUCH GREATER
-They would come=AFTER Judah and Jerusalem=from every side
With instruments of war
(Wagons=horses=chariots=etc.)
-The ENEMY ARMIES=would strip Jerusalem=of its BEAUTIFUL
clothes and jewelry
-GOD would CLEANSE them=of their harlotry
Ie. PURGED and
forgotten
LINES 28-31
JERUSALEM handed over=to those who HATED HER
=There was NEVER REAL LOVE=between Jerusalem and the other
nations
-Jerusalem=would be given=to the ONES=who hated her
INSTEAD of love and glory=JERUSALEM would feel SHAME
Ie. NO BENEFIT in
idolatry=DEFILED by their idols
-As Israel and Samaria=did 100 years earlier=with The
ASSYRIANS
(Handed over for JUDGMENT)
LINES 32-35
DRINKING the cup of JUDGMENT=
RECEIVING THE PENALTY
of adultery
Drinking Samaria’s cup=Ie.
You shall DRINK your sister’s cup
-There would be=NO SYMPATHY from other nations
ONLY scorn and derision
Ie. ISRAEL would
drink the same cup as Jerusalem (Misery
and HATING THEMSELVES)
Jerusalem COMMITTED a great sin=They were WORTHY OF JUDGMENT
LINES 36-39
SOME of the specific sins
Oholah=Samaria
Oholibah=Jerusalem
-NOW GOD=will speak DIRECTLY=about their sin
Ie. ADULTERY=and
blood on their hands
-The SACRIFICE OF their children
-OFFER their children=even on SABBATH DAYS=Profane
LINES 40-45
THE COMFORTABLE HARLOTRY=of the lewd sisters
Ie=HARLOTRY=Unfaithfulness to GOD
UNFAITHFULNESS to Yahweh=Ie.=
Painted eyes=adorned themselves
-Worshipping idols=IN COMFORTABLE surroundings=with
SACRED incense and oil=from the TEMPLE
THE SISTERS=Used their sacred things=for their idolatry=
The people LOVED their idols
-Foreigners REWARDED their idolatry
But it TURNED them into tired=old=worn-out prostitutes=
NOW simply lewd women
Their UNFAITHFUNESS to God=made them age POORLY
=NO LONGER glamorous prostitutes=NOW
Adulterous=UNFAITHFUL=with blood on their hands
LINES 46-49
THE SISTERS=are judged as ADULTERESSES
=The armies came AGAINST THEM=Samaria and Jerusalem
PUNISHMENT for adultery=according to=THE LAW OF MOSES
Was EXECUTION
-CONQUEST and exile=would have a CLEANSING EFFECT=On
Jerusalem and Judea
GROSS ADULTERY=It would NEVER be the same problem again
THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE=was to REVEAL God=in his HOLY JUDGMENT
And his GRACIOUS RESTORATION
RPW=7-06-2025=1 to 3 PM
FOR MVF Cheryl and Bobby Boy
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