Ezekiel 23:4 (KJV)
And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
Though sometimes parables and prophecies are difficult to interpret, this one is plain enough. The capitals of the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom were Samaria and Jerusalem.
- God said that they were sisters
- God said they had the same mother, origin
- God said that they were both His
We’d like to claim that those who depart from us, proving that they were not of us, are neither of God. It would be untrue.
This does not mean that they are right to depart. Samaria, and the Israel she represented, was wrong. Wrong in leaving the royal family from which Jesus would come. Wrong in creating their own place and system of worship. Wrong in the leaders they had. They were wrong in the alliances they made.
Neither does it mean they would not be judged. God chastens His own. They were wrong, but they were His.
I think we should be more concerned with Jerusalem. Though she remained faithful to the seed God promised would bring forth the Saviour, it’s evident that their flesh was the same, and God says, worse than their sister.
The truth is that we can stay where we are supposed to b,e but remove our hearts farther from God than the others. It’s worse because we ought to know better.
Rather than judging the departed, we need to guard our hearts to maintain a right walk with the Lord.
To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.
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Ezekiel 23:4 We Ought to Know Better
