Two Daughters of Idolatry

Pastor Joel Quick

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The New American Commentary: Ezekiel (5) Parable of the Two Sisters (23:1–49)

THE TWO SISTERS

The New American Commentary: Ezekiel (5) Parable of the Two Sisters (23:1–49)

This parable is about two daughters who are introduced in vv. 1–4. Several facts are presented about the two sisters in these opening remarks. First, they had the same mother (v. 2). This meant their rearing and opportunities were similar if not identical while in Egypt. Second, these sisters became prostitutes while in Egypt (v. 3). This was a reference to the roots of their idolatry that could be traced to their common experience in Egyptian bondage (v. 3). Third, their prostitution began in their youth (v. 3). Fourth, they had names that identified their character (v. 4). Fifth, they belonged to their father.

The New American Commentary: Ezekiel (5) Parable of the Two Sisters (23:1–49)

These two daughters represented the period of the divided kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom after 931 B.C. was Israel, and the capital was at Samaria. This kingdom-daughter was named Oholah, which means “her tent” (v. 4). This is a probable reference to a place of worship such as the pagan shrines so prevalent in the north. The other kingdom-daughter was Jerusalem, who was called Oholibah, meaning “my tent is in her” (v. 4). This name is a reminder that God had selected Jerusalem as the place for his “tent” (2 Sam 6:17; Ps 48:1–14) or place of worship.

The New American Commentary: Ezekiel (5) Parable of the Two Sisters (23:1–49)

Oholah’s record of prostitution with Assyria is summarized by describing how she lusted for the handsome young Assyrian warriors (vv. 5–6). Israel’s political prostitution was of particular concern to Hosea, and the same idea of harlotry was the basis of his message (Hos 5:13; 7:11; 8:9; 12:1).

A Marriage Covenant

Consider this story, which I believe illustrates the sacred exclusivity of our relationship with God better than any other example I can think of.

A young man named Justin has been dating Angela for a year. She’s beautiful in his eyes and possesses a magnificent personality. He’s deeply in love with her and knows she’s the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (pp. 76-77). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Justin plans the special evening. At the perfect moment, he gets on one knee and opens the tiny box to present her with a magnificent diamond engagement ring.

Angela’s completely overwhelmed. In shock, she covers her face and her tears of joy begin to flow. Overcome with emotion, she silently but passionately nods her head. When a little more composed, she lets out a cheerful, “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll marry you!”

The storybook wedding takes place a few months later. The honeymoon that follows is full of love, laughs, adventures, and dreaming together of their future. It’s everything a young man and woman could have wished for, and more.

Time passes, and Justin happily discovers that Angela is more amazing than he had thought. She likes adventure, loves having fun, and has a great sense of humor. She’s great with his family and gets along with most everyone. She’s smart, witty, and always seems to be one step ahead of him. She’s creative, artistic, and imaginative. Justin’s awed by the beautiful touches she consistently adds to their home. She’s a better chef than him and as a wonderful bonus, she’s neat and organized. Needless to say, he’s enjoying her contribution to their newly formed union. Their future looks very bright.

A few months into their marriage, once they’ve settled into the rhythm of married life, one evening Justin returns home from work. He anticipates finding Angela waiting for what’s become the traditional embrace and kiss. He searches for her—first the family room, then the kitchen, the back yard and finally the bedroom, where he finally finds her.

It appears she’s preparing to go out. Romantic music fills the room, along with what has become the familiar scent of her perfume. To Justin’s surprise she’s all made up and slipping into a beautiful outfit, one that she had worn in the past when he took her to a favorite favorite restaurant. Her back faces him so she hasn’t seen her husband walk in the room yet.

Justin panics: Oh no, did we have dinner plans for tonight that I forgot about? I should have stopped by the florist and gotten her a bouquet of roses! He breaks the silence with a cheerful but nervous greeting, “Hey, honey.”

A little startled, she happily responds, “Oh, hey babe.” He opens with a confession, “Okay, I guess I’ve forgotten something. Did we have plans tonight?”

She immediately replies, “Oh no, baby.” A bit confused and now rapidly assessing the situation, he concludes that she’s surprising him. He thinks, it must be a special evening at home or it’s a surprise out on the town.

By now she’s completely dressed and in her final stages of preparing for the evening. He compliments her: “Wow, you look gorgeous tonight!” “Thanks, darling,” she says. Justin, still without a clue as to where this is headed, asks, “Do you want me to dress up too?”

Angela, now a bit confused, responds, “You can if you want to.” Justin—still trying to make sense of the situation—counters, “Well, I need to look as good as you do. I don’t want to be in my work clothes when you’re all dressed up.”

At last, Angela, seeing through the awkward conversation, says, “Oh honey, I’m going out tonight.” “I know, that’s why I’m offering to dress up for you.” Now Justin is really confused. In an attempt to clear up everything, Angela says, “No, babe, I’m going out with Tony.

We’re going to get dinner, catch a movie, and check into the Fairmont Hotel. I should be back by midmorning.” “Who’s Tony?!”

Justin fires back. “He’s my boyfriend from high school,” she replies matter-of-factly. “What?! You can’t go out with him!” “Why not?” “Because we are married; we are committed to each other. We don’t date other people!” “Are you serious?” she retorts. “I have lots of guys I’m still close with. Do you think I’m going to abandon my relationships with them just because we are married?”

“Yes, that’s what married people do! They give themselves only and completely to the one they’re married to,” Justin answers, with hurt and anger in his voice. “Hold on, honey!” Angela says, in an attempt to bring both clarity and some calm to their first major disagreement.

“You are my favorite. I spend the majority of my time with you. I love you more than any of my old boyfriends. But you really can’t expect me to not see them any longer. I’ve been close with some of them for years, I still love them, and I want to enjoy time with them. What’s wrong with that?”

You can probably guess this didn’t end well.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 79). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

I know this story seems absurd, but in support of Angela’s argument, let me ask some questions: Isn’t Justin her favorite? Doesn’t she love him more than all her other boyfriends? Isn’t she passionate about their relationship? Doesn’t she spend the majority of her time with him? Isn’t she a great wife in so many ways?

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (pp. 79-80). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 80). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Think of it this way: Justin could have married a slob, someone who just didn’t care about the home and couldn’t cook. Someone who lacked motivation and simply didn’t add significance to their life together. Does he expect Angela to be perfect in every way? All he has to do is periodically share her with a few other men. He gets her ninety percent of the time. Why is he so upset?

Of course, to most people these are ridiculous questions. It seems Angela was never informed of the basics of marriage. She was not told it’s a covenant between a man and woman to stay solely committed to each other. She went into marriage thinking one thing and Justin another. To Angela her view seemed fun, beneficial, and practical. She would have a great life at home and still enjoy the benefits of other relationships. However, this view violates the covenant of holy matrimony.

Let’s amplify this truth in a simple way. When a woman puts on a beautiful white gown and walks down the aisle of a church or any location of a marriage ceremony, she is communicating something significant: She is saying goodbye to an intimate relationship with every other man on the face of the earth. She is terminating all past relationships with any boyfriends, as well as declaring there will not be any new relationships with any other lovers from this day forward. And the man waiting for her at the front of the aisle is saying the same thing.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 80). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (pp. 80-81). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 78). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

So let’s make it personal. How would you react if you ran into a situation similar to what Justin faced? Or what if the one you were planning to marry told you beforehand, during your engagement period, this would be their behavior once united to you? Would you still go through with the ceremony? I don’t think so. You’d blurt out, “No way!” Why would you be so adamant in your response? The simple answer is that you would not want to enter into a covenant on different terms. You’d resist pledging your entire life to the relationship while your spouse was not fully committed.

So you would never marry anyone under this condition or overlook this unacceptable behavior once married. Let’s be honest and ask, “Can we actually believe Jesus is coming back for a bride who is acting like Angela?” Pause for a moment and think about it. Our relationship with Him is compared to a husband and wife. Paul says:

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 80). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 78). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Ephesians 5:31–32 KJV 1900

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 80). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 81). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

From the beginning, God established the marriage covenant in order to illustrate our relationship with Him. Jesus is portrayed as the groom in the New Testament and the church as the bride of Christ. Why is it that we not only excuse but also at times even encourage Angela-type behavior with our Groom? The apostle James is quite clear in addressing this matter. He is speaking only to professing Christians in these verses:

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (pp. 81-82). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

James 4:3–5 KJV 1900

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

James 4:8–9 KJV 1900

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 81). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

These words are strong. In fact, in a day when unfaithfulness in relationships is quite common, they seem almost too drastic—even overstated.

I think we’ve all been guilty of this on one level or another. Young parents will often tell their child, “You do that again and you will be disciplined.” It possibly works the first or second time, but eventually the child challenges that statement again and discovers there’s no follow through. At that point, the child stops taking seriously his parent’s words. This same reaction occurs in schools, businesses, government, the press, and among friends and family members. Too often we take lightly the warnings that are meant to protect us.

Tragically, this same mentality also translates over to our heeding the warnings of Scripture. We must remember, God says what He means and He means what He says.

It’s important to remember that all Scripture is inspired by God (see ). So when we read what James writes, the One who is speaking is God Himself.

If we really take to heart what I’ve written here, it will cause us to tremble in a healthy way. A Christian whose loyalty is divided between God and the world is an adulterer. That’s a strong word. There are many sins a spouse can commit against his wife or her husband—gossip, lying, stealing, yelling, rudeness, and so forth. Each is detrimental to the relationship and shouldn’t be treated lightly, but none would be as severe as adultery. This is why Justin was so shocked and upset with Angela. He was betrayed on the highest level and she saw nothing wrong with her unfaithfulness.

The apostle James continues by saying that in being a spiritual adulterer, we make ourselves an enemy of God. This is terribly serious, and we are the ones who cause this. God has no desire for us to be His enemy because He deeply loves us. But when we give our love and affection to the things and ways of the world, we sign up to be God’s enemies. Can we take these words lightly? Can we pretend this statement of James isn’t in the New Testament and ignore it? James wasn’t the only one who wrote about this either. We’ll discover Paul, who among all the writers of the New Testament had the greatest revelation of God’s grace, also wrote along this line, as did the apostle of love, John. Peter and Jude did so as well. But most importantly, Jesus says these same things to the churches of Asia after His resurrection.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 82). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (pp. 82-83). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 83). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

James 4:4 KJV 1900

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

The words of the apostle James (“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?”)

First, God does not make Himself an enemy to us. Rather, we’re the ones who make ourselves His enemy.

God has no desire to be in opposition to people—His children at that, but He will not shy away from this conflict if we insist on aligning with the world. The Greek words for “enemy” in these occurrences are echthra and echthros, respectively. They are identical in meaning—the only difference is that the first is a noun and the second an adjective.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 85). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Did the English translators use too strong of a word? Is “enemy” more toned down in the original language? No, not really. One Greek dictionary uses these words as definitions: enemy, enmity, and hostility (CWSB). Another reads, “to live at enmity with someone” (BDAG), and yet another definition is: “the state of enmity with someone” (LOUW-NIDA). I’m showing definitions from three well-respected dictionaries to solidify the fact that there is no reason to choose some other word than “enemy” in this verse. It’s critical to know the seriousness of what is being said.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 85). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Idolatry Is Adultery

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 86). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

In the Old Testament, the declaration of Judah or Israel committing adultery against God was always connected to idolatry. Simply put, the people were unfaithful to God. When we think of idolatry, we think of building statues, altars, or temples for gods. However, when Jesus declared the people to be adulterous it was not about them worshiping an engraved image of another god.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 86). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Rather, they had asked Him to prove He was the Messiah by showing them a sign.

If we look at James’s declaration of God’s people being adulteresses, it also was not in regard to them building statues, altars, or temples. Interestingly, what James is referring to here is much the same activity Paul had to address with the church at Corinth—discriminating against brothers and sisters (); slandering or speaking negatively of others (); exhibiting envy, jealousy, and selfish ambition (); and desiring and pursuing their own pleasures (). These activities all point to adultery.

Is the continuity of Scripture broken at this point? Are God’s people being accused of committing adultery for something different than idolatry? The simple answer is, “Not at all.” It’s all connected and related. It’s at this point the modern church seemingly ignores the warnings of Jesus, Paul, James, and other writers of the New Testament. Simply put, we’re dumbing down idolatry to simply apply to statues, altars, and temples of worship to foreign gods. The truth is that idolatry is relevant to modern-day Western Christianity. In fact, our idolatry may be more widespread than it is in nations where temples, statues, and altars are built.

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 89). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

The World’s Motivation

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 89). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.

Let’s examine James’s bold statement. He empathically states that “you want only what will give you pleasure” and then links this motivation to aligning with “the world.” A line is drawn in the sand that is consistent throughout the New Testament. Simply put, the world is motivated by self-desire. John the apostle says it like this:

Bevere, John. Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength (p. 89). Messenger International. Kindle Edition.