King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Sunday, August 31, 2025
Chapters: Ezekiel 16-17
Message: Ezekiel: Judah The Adulteress
Hello My Friend,
As we continue in the reading of Ezekiel we learn that God compares Israel to a woman whom He has married and has committed adultery with idols. The same is true for any of God’s people who proclaim Him yet live the life of prostitutes, [1 Corinthians 6:15-18 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.]
Fornication is not just unmarried couples having sexual relations, it is anything done with the body that defiles it, this includes things like smoking, vaping, drinking, drugs, and self mutilation. God, went through a great deal to design human beings in a way that not only resembles Him, but mimics Him as well. What we feel is what God feels and He even went as far as to make Himself a human so that He can experience what life is like with the curse that we were born with, [Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.]
When the things of the world take precedence over God that is when His jealously comes out, and his dealings with Israel is an example of what He does with every nation that turns on Him. God, takes the people of Judah down memory lane as He describes the state Israel was in when they were slaves to Egypt. This is done under the parable of an exposed infant rescued from death and how He had raised her as His bride. Referring to Jerusalem as the birth of the nation of Israel, God, reminds them of how polluted they were in their own blood.
[Ezekiel 16:2-6 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite. 4 And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. 5 None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. 6 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.]
Years ago, and still in many regions, as soon as a child was born their spouses were chosen for them. Before God had given the children of Israel the land of Canaan, what we know today as Palestine, it was home to the Amorites and the Hittites, who were the heathens of the nation at that time. It was promised to Abraham that He would give this land to his children, [Genesis 12:6-7 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. 7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.]
This is a picture of the state of every human that is being created inside the womb of a woman from conception. Since we are all born from the curse of death that was passed down to all mankind from Adam we are polluted in our own blood from birth. However, since all souls are precious to God, He wants them to live, which is why sent His Son the way He did, [John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.]
Jerusalem was the metropolis of the nation of Judah, the place where the temple was built and the very place that God called His own. However, their sins were more abominable than the abominations of the heathens they took off the land. God, describes how unworthy she became of His favor and of the honor He had put upon her.
[Ezekiel 16:8-9,13,15 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine. 9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. 13 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. 15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.]
The covenant that God had given them was this, [Exodus 34:10-12,14 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. 11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: 14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:]
[Snare; Any thing by which one is entangled and brought into trouble.] The natural evils that we face are the very snares that we deal with because of sin. God is not opposed to us having jobs and working for the things we have need of as He does want us to be presence out in the world, but we are not of the world and need to not act like we are. Everything we receive comes from God and we need to make sure that we give Him the credit, if we do not then our pride will take over and things will get out of control, [Proverbs 16:18-19 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.]
Do you know the saying, “Give them an inch and they take a mile”? Believe it or not, that is how we get when we have gotten away with something. There is something about our sin nature that gives us a sense of boldness to try and test the limits once we know we have gotten away with something. This is also the very thing that brings us to take for granted the good graces that God has given us though our salvation. God, goes on to point out what happened when Israel abused what God had given them.
[Ezekiel 16:17-20 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them, 18 And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them. 19 My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD. 20 Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter,]
God is very angry that these people were using the very items that He had blessed them with to worship these idols. Forget about the fact that God had given them a land flowing with milk and honey that was now desolate and deserted, they were sacrificing their own babies to these false gods. Think about this in the sense of the thousands of abortions that are taking the lives of so many. And if one thinks that God is not angry at what they are doing, think again. That is innocent blood that they are shedding and He will not stand for it, [Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.]
Okay, so people make mistakes and some women have been put in positions that they felt that the only choice was to end their pregnancy, this is not innocent blood that God is angry about, it is the blatant disregard for life that does. Sin in itself comes from what is in the heart and sooner or later, God will call everyone out on what they heart reveals. God, goes on to describe how weak their heart has become.
[Ezekiel 16:30-33 How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman; 31 In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire; 32 But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband! 33 They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.]
[Unsatiable; Unsatisfied; insufficient.] The honest truth as to why so many Christians not only remain living in the world, but in the sins of it is because they are not satisfied with what they are given. Do not get me wrong, we all would like more than what we have sometimes, but we need to learn to be content with what we have right now. A weak heart will definitely bring the most faithful Christian down the deepest, darkest path, [Hebrews 13:4-5 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. 5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.]
Speaking of marriage, the union between a man and woman is considered the most sacred institution next to the union between Jesus and His convert. In fact, God, relates to His people as being married to Him and those who are unfaithful to Him as being an adulterous wife, and that makes Him very jealous. God, goes on to describe His jealousy toward Israel and why He will send judgment upon them.
[Ezekiel 16:37-39,41 Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. 38 And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy. 39 And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare. 41 And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.]
Do you see why I say that we are judged before we get to heaven? Once we get there, there is no death, pain, or sorrow from sin, but that does not mean that God wants us to live any way that we please. Life has so many trials and tribulations as it is without adding more sorrow to it by living our lives as harlots, [1 Corinthians 3:15-17 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.]
Sometimes God has to go through some extreme measures in order to get us to repent, but I tell you what, the just may fall seven times and get back up, but when we belong to God, He knows our heart and while it may be weak for a moment it does bounce back even stronger because the Holy Spirit is much stronger than our flesh, []
God, forgives and blesses us as long as we remain humble, but pride can kill us before we even get a chance to bask in our own glory. You see, while we are to be a presence in the world it is impossible for us to remain in the world and those who do will learn the hard way why we must separate ourselves from them. God, is now comparing Israel to Sodom and even Sodom was more righteous than them.
[Ezekiel 16:43,45-47,50 Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations. 45 Thou art thy mother’s daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which lothed their husbands and their children: your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite. 46 And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters. 47 Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways. 50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.]
It is interesting and quite sad of just how corrupt the Church has gotten, in fact, there are some religions that encourage idol worship as well as allow sinful practices, and even abortion. A church is supposed to be a hospital for people who are broken and sin sick, it is not supposed to be for the weak to bask in all their sin, [Luke 5:30-32 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? 31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.]
Again, we are not of the world, we are not supposed to be living like they do, we are to be the example of Christ not only in being the loving example, but just example as well. He established that everlasting covenant with us, and while He may chasten us, He will never forsake us. God, goes on to remind Israel of that fact.
[Ezekiel 16:60-63 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. 61 Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. 62 And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: 63 That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.]
That everlasting covenant is none other than eternal life through our faith in Jesus Christ. My goodness, there are some Christians more worldlier than the world, and for that reason, God judges His house first, [1 John 2:1-3 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our’s only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.]
As long as we stick close to Jesus we have nothing to worry about, even if we fall into sin, He will pick us back up, and we will even prosper through as we come to Him. The covenant Jesus made with us will always stand we still, we will still have everlasting life with Him. Through Ezekiel, and a parable about some eagles and trees, God reminds believers of what everlasting life is.
[Ezekiel 17:2-6 Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: 4 He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants. 5 He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree. 6 And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.]
This is actually an illustration of when Nebuchadnezzar came in and took Judah into Babylon and how even though God judged them. However, the deeper message is of course the vine, which we learned yesterday, it was a pruning so to speak to bring more fruit, [John 15:1-4 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.]
When God sent judgment upon Jerusalem to capture the Jews and bring them to Babylon in order to get the Jews out of the corruption and wickedness that was invading the city. Some people escaped and were intent on doing what they wanted. God, was not please and used Ezekiel to tell the people what was about to happen as the result of their breaking their covenant with Him.
[Ezekiel 17:7-10 There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation. 8 It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine. 9 Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof. 10 Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.]
This was in regards to Egypt and although tributary to Babylon, with the assistance which Zedekiah hoped to it from Nebuchadnezzar. It was not tyrannical oppression on the part of the Babylonian ruler which caused Zedekiah to revolt, but inordinate ambition, pride, and ingratitude. God, goes on to explain this.
[Ezekiel 17:12,14-16 Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon; 14 That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand. 15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered? 16 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.]
This is the form of an oath, where Nebuchadnezzar made Zedekiah and out the ingratitude that the current prince of Judah had toward the king of Babylon. Zedekiah’s revolt was an act of treachery, and was to be punished as it deserved. If the professors of faith deal treacherously with those of a false religion, their profession makes their sin worse and God will surely and severely punish them for it, [Mark 7:7-8,13 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.]
Nebuchadnezzar might have taken the last king of the family of David out of Jerusalem and even killed him, but that did not mean that God went back on the promise He made to David, [2 Samuel 7:12-16 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.]
God never forgot this promise to David, therefore He promises that he will also take seed from the family of David at the appointed time, plant it, and it will be the highest branch, [Ezekiel 17:22-24 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: 23 In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. 24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.]
Once again, we are reminded that Christ is the Vine and we are the branches, it also paves the way of the day that Messiah would come to save the people from their sins, [Matthew 1:18-21 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.]
Today’s Prayer: God, I know that I have done wrong in my life, but thanks to Your mercy, grace, and sending Your Son to pay my sin debt, all the wrong is now erased, never to be remembered. Jesus, with Your pure blood, I am not only born again, I am Your bride, and have become one with You. If there is one thing I am learning through these past few years it is that Your mercy endures. You are long suffering, so good to me, and I never want to take that for granted. Lord, Lead me and guide me, please continue to give me Your mercy and grace, take my life, You are in control of it, let it flourish and grow as You purge it. Keep my heart tender, and help me remove anything that is accursed. I love You, Lord and ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/ready-to-follow-jesus/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
Read The Bible: http://kingjamesbible.imfollowingjesus.com/
Visit I’m Following Jesus: https://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/welcome/
Like I’m Following Jesus On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byhisstrength
Copyright © 2025 I’m Following Jesus, All rights reserved.