Shocking | Wayfarer

“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”
Ezekiel 23:35 (NIV)

In this election year, the headlines and pundits have gone into overdrive in analyzing the United States’ relationships with the international community and certain individual nations. Foreign policy is a major issue. I have regularly read think pieces purporting that World War III is near. Lord, have mercy on us.

I have grown up reading and hearing a euphemism that addresses political alliances between nations. That euphemism is that one nation “is in bed with” another nation.

I’m no etymologist, but given today’s chapter, it’s obvious that the euphemism has roots in the ancient prophets like Ezekiel.

In today’s chapter, God through Ezekiel offers a raw and rather shocking metaphor regarding the unfaithfulness of the divided kingdoms of Israel (Samaria) and Judah (Jerusalem). They are presented as daughters of the same mother who become prostitutes, getting “in bed” with other nations. The language is neither subtle nor ambiguous, and it would certainly make my late mother blush. Ezekiel’s message is certainly worthy of a parental advisory as he describes one wantonly promiscuous “daughter” as lusting after her lovers, “whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.” (I’m sorry, who said the Bible is “boring?”)

It was, of course, the shock value that God was trying to leverage in giving this explicit message through Zeke. He was trying to get through to His people who, the chapter reports, were committing acts of child sacrifice in Solomon’s Temple, the temple dedicated to Him who demanded of His people that they look out for, protect, and provide for orphans, widows, and foreigners. To get through to their shockingly hard hearts, God is resorting to a shockingly hardcore metaphor.

So what does this have to do with me?

There are a couple of thoughts rattling around in my head and heart as I meditate on today’s chapter.

First, my 40+ years of being a follower of Jesus has taught me that God is not like the uptight “Church Lady” type caricature that the world likes to paint. Though I admit that certain self-proclaimed followers help to promote the notion. When Jesus talked about His willingness to leave the flock to rescue one last sheep, He was speaking of the great lengths to which He would go to get through to the lost. In Ezekiel’s message we learn that He’s willing to get downright crude, if necessary, to get through to deaf ears and the thick walls of a hardened heart.

Second, I continue to believe that Jesus’ teachings were specifically addressed to individuals and intended to direct a person’s interpersonal relationships and behaviors. They were not intended as prescriptions for international politics. When one confuses the two, things get wonky.

That said, it does not mean that God is not concerned about kingdoms and nations. The Great Story makes clear that He very much is concerned with kingdoms and nations. They play a crucial part in the Great Story, as today’s prophetic chapter makes clear. It is, however, a very different type of relationship. The Great Story makes clear that the nations and “kings of the earth” are currently under the dominion of the “Prince of this World” who, while standing condemned, will lead “the kings of the earth” into an ultimate conflict against God (Revelation 19:19).

So, where does that leave me?

In the quiet this morning I am reminded of the things that I control and the things that I don’t control. I control my thoughts, words, and behaviors. As a disciple of Jesus, this means following His instructions regarding those thoughts, words, and behaviors in my interpersonal relationships, my daily life, and my dutiful citizenship. It means that I am mindful and prayerful about current events and the individuals affected by them, being generous and active as I am able and led to do so. But it also means having faith with those things that I don’t control, and trusting God with the Story He is authoring with each passing day.

Speaking of which, it’s time to once again enter the fray. Have a great day, friend.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

“In those days, when there was no king in Israel….”
Judges 19:1a (NRSV)

The story in today’s chapter is one of those really challenging ones. It’s hard for a 21st century reader to wrap our heads around the every day realities of life in Judea 3,000 years ago. Life was brutal. Life expectancy was short. Societal systems were infantile in comparison to the present. And still, there are important themes the author is trying communicate.

The past two chapters have begun with the phrase “In those days, when there was no king in Israel….” That’s not random comment. It speaks directly to why this story is being told. This period of the Judges was one in which there was no system of strong central leadership. The further we get into this period of time, the more the people began to clamor for Israel to have a king of their own. The story of that political transition is told in the the book of Samuel.

The shocking and violent story of the Levite and the gang-raped woman became an event that sparked societal upheaval and unrest. In the same way that events in Ferguson, MO sparked intense societal reaction over the past year and a half, so the events of today’s chapter will be like the pebble that unleashes an avalanche.

The author knows that this is shocking, gut wrenching reading. It still shocks us today to imagine the brutal events as we read. That was the point of telling this story. “Do you see how bad things had gotten?” the story asks us. “Do you understand how evil and violent we become when lawlessness reigns?”

I find myself pulled in two different directions as I ponder the story in today’s chapter. I’m grateful to live in a time and society that is, by comparison, far better than the one described in Judges. I live in a place where law and order offer the opportunity to live a long, full life in relative peace and safety.

As the same time, the shocking events described and the societal firestorm it sparks are ancient reminders to me of very current realities. The more things change the more they stay the same. As “advanced” as our society has evolved, we continue to deal with core human problems of hatred, rage, prejudice, violence, sexual violence, misogyny, gang mentality, greed, and et cetera, and et cetera. Events similar to those we read about today were front page news from India just a short time ago.

The people in the book of Judges would grow to call for a king to make things better. People today are calling for a new president to make things better. Strong leadership can make things better for society, but it can’t change the human condition that lies at the very core of the societal problems. For that, I need a Savior and the transformation of heart, spirit and life that happens in relationship with Him.