Ezekiel 23:1 – “This message came to me from the Lord: ‘Son of man, once there were two sisters who were daughters of the same mother…'”
God has some R-rated metaphors in the Bible, and this chapter is one of them. I highlighted the first verse for two reasons. First, so that we could note the phrasing, “once there were two sisters…,” showing that it is allegorical literature (a metaphor as opposed to a historically true story). Second, all the other verses are inappropriate.
This complex story of two sisters who prostituted themselves represents two cities in the two kingdoms of Israel (Samaria in Israel and Jerusalem in the kingdom of Judah). Israel had divided into northern and southern kingdoms. As we know, they have stopped following God and have traded him for other religions found in the nearby nations.
Here’s your freedom for today:
You don’t have to sell your soul for a good time.
It might be a bit much to read this chapter, but ultimately we find ourselves in a very similar place. As Americans, we don’t even understand all the ways we have sold our souls for convenience, money, or power. Our economy was built on the oppression of slavery, and we continue to buy mass quantities of products built overseas by extremely poor and underpaid workers. That’s only one example. I am challenged to consider the ways in which I have turned from the heart of God for what seems like “no big deal” because everyone around me is doing the same thing. Not many people think about oppression when they buy a cell phone, laptop, or pair of shoes. What worldly systems are tempting you to sell your soul?