Ezekiel 16:44

Ezekiel 16:44 says, Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter. God said everyone who used proverbs would use this proverb against them, and that proverb was that the daughter was as the mother.    

Verse forty-five adds, 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.  God said that just as their mother had loathed her husband and committed adultery, so would the daughters.  We need to remember that God’s people are referred to as the bride of Christ, so this applied to all the people of Israel and not just to the women and girls I believe.  Matthew Henry says this also means that the people of Israel were no better than the Canaanites who lived in the land before them.  If we who profess ourselves to be a Christian nation do not put our faith in God or even acknowledge His existence, we are no better than any other nation, even those that worship other gods.   

Verse forty-six continues, 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.  God then compared them to the people of Samaria and Sodom.  Matthew Henry states that looking north, Samaria was to the left of Jerusalem and was called the elder sister because she was larger than Jerusalem and had once been a part of God’s people until they rejected Him. The people of Sodom would have been to their right and had never been a part of God’s kingdom, yet both were destroyed because of their failure to acknowledge God.  Even if we call ourselves a Christian nation, if we don’t obey God’s commandments and put our trust in Him, we are no better than any other nation.   

Verse forty-seven states, 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.  God said that even though the people of Jerusalem had not followed the ways of these two cities that they were corrupted more than them. The people of Jerusalem still lived according to God’s word and in obedience to Him for a time, but then they turned away from Him as though this were but a small thing.  Anytime we as Christians turn away from God, even if we see what we are doing as a small thing, we will soon be corrupted even more.   

Verse forty-eight adds, As I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.  God once again says that the people of Jerusalem were more corrupt than the people of Sodom, which had been destroyed for their iniquity.  The people of Jerusalem were still thinking that since they professed to be God’s people even if they were rejecting all His commandments that he would still give them victory over their enemies. As a so called Christian nation, we may think that God will always give us victory over our enemies even if we are not obedient to His word.   

Verse forty-nine continues, Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.  God then listed the sins of Sodom, pride, gluttony, and idleness, and added that they did not help the poor.  If we become filled with self-pride, content in the fact they we have an abundance to eat and become idle in doing what we are called to do by God, then we are no better than those who openly deny and defy God.  This leads to us not being concerned about the poor, seeing them as unworthy of our help or even our concern.   

Verse fifty concludes, And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.  God said the people of Sodom were haughty and committed abominations, therefore He did to them as He saw good.  We may become haughty thinking that since we proclaim ourselves to be God’s people while committing abominations against Him that He will never punish us, but He will one day do with us what He sees to be good, which will be everlasting punishment. 

Ezekiel 16:35

Ezekiel 16:35 says, Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord:  God called on the people of Israel, who He referred to as a harlot, to hear His word.  If people go away to everlasting punishment, it will never be because God didn’t call them to repentance.  If people are teaching anything other than God's word while professing to be a part of His people, they are being a spiritual harlot, but I believe that God will always make them aware of this.   

Verse thirty-six adds, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;  God then listed all the ways that the people of Israel had failed in keeping their covenant relationship with Him.  Their following of false god’s and worshipping idols had even led them to sacrificing their children to these idols.  Today, people follow many false gods and some even sacrifice their unborn children to the god of self-will and pleasure in life.   

Verse thirty-seven continues, 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.  God said He was going to gather all the ones that they had put their faith in around them and that their spiritual nakedness would be discovered.  God was very displeased with those who professed to be His people failing to live by His commandments.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are forever a part of His kingdom, but if we have called ourselves His people without doing so, one day we will be held accountable for our actions.   

Verse thirty-eight states, 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.  God said He was going to judge them as a woman who committed adultery was judged.  We might ask why He said a woman and not men and women, but we need to remember that the church is called the bride of Christ, so it would apply to everyone who professed to be a part of God’s kingdom and not just women.   

Verse thirty-nine adds, 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.  God said when He removed His protection from the people of Israel that they would lose everything and be left naked.  Those that they had looked to for protection, the Egyptians and the Assyrians, would be the ones to destroy them.  If we refuse God’s call to salvation, one day we will stand before Him spiritually naked.   

Verse forty continues, They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.  God said that the people of Israel were going to be killed in horrible ways.  Still, this destruction would be nothing compared to the everlasting punishment that awaits those who do not put their faith in God.    

Verse forty-one says, 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.  God said that their houses were going to be destroyed in the sight of many of the women, and God would cause them to quit playing the harlot.  When God’s final judgment comes, it will be in the sight of all who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and they will then know that God is God, but it will be too late to save them.  This is why it is so important that we proclaim to gospel to the world today.   

Verse forty-two adds, So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.  God said that once those who had disobey their covenant relationship with Him were destroyed that He would be quiet and would no longer be angry.  One day, those who are not a part God’s will be sent away to everlasting punishment and sin will be no more.  If we are a follower of Christ, we will never face this everlasting punishment and when God calls us to our heavenly home, sin will be no more.  Of course, we need live our lives today by faith and not allow sin back into our lives,  

Verse forty-three continues, 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.  God said that since they had not remained true to their covenant relationship with Him, having forgotten all about it, that He would pay them what their disobedience had earned them, which was everlasting separation from Him.  I believe these were the people who had never put their faith in God and not those who had but temporarily strayed away.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord but have then committed sin once again, we are still a part of God’s people, but we need to repent and ask His forgiveness.  If we haven’t, then we will face God based on our own righteousness, which will lead to everlasting separation from Him.