An Almost Cinderella Story

Ezekiel 16:49-52

The Brothers Grimm are famous for their fairy tales. What is less known is that their tales are not light-hearted with happy endings. They are dark and a far cry from the Disney versions we are accustomed to today.

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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. 50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good. 51 Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done. 52 Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.

Ezekiel 16:49-52

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Can you say "Ouch"! Ezekiel 16 is a scathing account of the idolatry of Israel. Any Jew hearing these words probably wanted to either cry in repentance, or kill Ezekiel. This would not have been a fun or encouraging message to hear.

Ezekiel tells a Cinderella type story of a baby who was abandoned at birth and left laying naked and bloody in the elements. A stranger passing by spots the baby and has compassion on her. He adopts her and raises her in a loving home.

As time passes, and the child matures into a women, the man married her. This would not have been shocking for that culture. He pampered her with fine clothes and jewelry to show his love and fidelity to her. She, on the other hand, did not reciprocate his love and fidelity. She prostituted herself out to everyone around.

The image here is of God choosing Israel from among all the peoples to be his chosen people. He loved and blessed them, but they worshiped idols from all the pagan cultures around them. In our text today, God says that Israel was worse than all the nations around her. Because of her sins, she justified the idolatry of Samaria and Sodom. That is why I say "Ouch!"

The same is true for the church today. When we engage in the same sinful activities as the world around us, they feel justified in their actions. When we do this, we lose our influence. We lose our witness.

It was for this reason that Israel went into captivity. God would not have been just if he had judged Samaria and Sodom but not Israel. Peter said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34). Had God ignored Israel's unrepentant sins, this would not have been true. How much more is this true for those of us who are called by His Son's name: Christians?

Father, help me to live a life of fidelity and obedience to you. May I not lose sight of your goodness, grace, and mercy in your calling me to salvation. May I not lose my influence and testimony by living a life that justifies the actions of sinners by living like them.