Should This Matter?

It has been a long time since I have written on this site! I have been busy with all of the crazy changes taking place due to Covid-19. My Bible study through Ezekiel has been progressing much slower lately due too the increased demands on my time by my children. I am, however, refusing to give up Bible study altogether. I hope to get into a better routine once our new normal is set.

I am now reading in Ezekiel 23. This chapter is a great one! It is often reserved for personal study due to the seemingly ‘crude’ language used. However, I believe that this chapter, like chapter 16, uses the blunt language to get across the point that Israel and Judah had sinned egregiously against God. They did so knowingly.

As I always do, I will first provide a basic history behind this chapter. Ezekiel is a Jewish prophet/priest who is a captive in Babylon. His ministry is to his fellow captives who are anxiously waiting to see what the final fate of Judah will be. Judah is currently still standing as a type of vassal kingdom under the thumb of the powerful kingdom of Babylon. However, in a few short years, Zedekiah, the king of Judah, will reject God’s advice and rebel against the king of Babylon prompting him to besiege Jerusalem and destroy it. Like the prophet Jeremiah, who ministered in Jerusalem at this same time, Ezekiel warned against rebellion and urged Judah to accept her punishment of submission to Babylon. Ezekiel prophesied on the upcoming siege and destruction of Jerusalem providing the sin of the people as the cause of the destruction.

In chapter 23, like many of the previous chapters, Ezekiel outlines the sin of the people leading to this final destruction of Judah. Here, he uses an allegory of 2 sisters to explain the sin that plagued Judah. The two sisters, Aholah and Aholibah represent Samaria (the capital of the Northern kingdom of Israel) and Jerusalem (the capital of the Southern kingdom of Judah). Ezekiel describes the fall of Samaria first (Aholah) which had already happened by this time (about 100 years prior, to the Assyrian Empire). Instead of being true to God, Samaria committed harlotry with Assyria. She followed after Assyria’s strength and gods. As punishment, God gave Samaria over to her lover, Assyria. Samaria was invaded by Assyria and the majority of Jews were removed and placed elsewhere, never to return again. Next, Ezekiel turned to Judah who also committed harlotry with Assyria despite watching her older ‘sister’ Samaria fall to Assyria due to her sin. Then Judah turned to Chaldea (Babylon), and she committed harlotry with them too!

The point of this post is in verses 14-16. This little passage caught my eye because I, and many other Christians, certainly are guilty of the same sins as Judah.

Ezekiel 23:14-16

And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity; And as soon as she saw them with her yes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them in Chaldea.

This chapter is clearly rebuking the Jews for worshipping the gods of other nations. But, as this specific passage shows, the Jews not only worshipped other gods, but emulated other cultures as well. Judaea envoys to Chaldea as well as Chaldean envoys to Judah would have exposed the Jews to the Chaldean culture, fashion, and wealth.

2 Kings 20:12-19 describes one such Chaldean visit to Jerusalem. Hezekiah, although a godly king, acquiesced to the Chaldean ambassadors by showing them the riches of Judah. This mistake was a costly one, not only to Hezekiah personally, but to Judah as a whole. God promised that the treasures Hezekiah took such pride in would be carried away to Babylon. Babylon never forgot the riches that were shown to them that day.

The wealth of a large powerful nation would have been intoxicating to a small and relatively weak Judah. In her attempt to achieve that same power and respect, it would make sense that 1) she would emulate Babylon and 2) would see the gods of Babylon as powerful too. While these two points may appear separate, they ware really the same. The emulation is really just a form of idolatry.

We emulate who/what we worship!

I found it interesting that the fasination with Chaldea described in verse 15 focused a lot on the fashion of the Chaldeans. This is really what caught my eye. Fashion is one of those attributes that can define a person. For example, bell bottoms defined the 70’s and shoulder pads defined the 80’s. Famous artist, Prince had his distinct fashion look and so do many other artists. I could go on and on, but the point is that even today fashion plays a very important role in our lives.

Fashion is often an indication of social status. An outfit can garner attention. Your look can distinguish you from others. The Jews bowed to the fashion trends of Chaldea…so what is the big deal?

They wanted to be like Chaldea. They wanted their power and their wealth. Instead of acquiring it themselves, Judah settled for emulating Babylon. Judah adjusted her own culture to fit who they really wanted to be like.

But Judah had her own culture, or should have. She was the chosen people of God. Jerusalem held God’s temple! God had provided the laws that His chosen people were to live by. He gave them their culture, but they abandoned that for the wealth and power that they perceived the Babylonians had.

Ironically, that wealth and power of the Babylonians really didn’t last all that long. The height of the Babylonian empire really only lasted about 100 years. Babylon fell to the next empire. All the wealth couldn’t save them from the Media-Persian empire.

Do you desire to look like the world?

As Christians, we all come to a point where we want to fit in. That is just a human desire that we must control. Sometimes, it is hard to fit in with the people around us when they want to do things that are no godly. One of the easiest ways to feel like we ‘fit in’ is to adjust our fashion. We want to literally ‘look’ like those around us.

Maybe our desire is to look wealthy or powerful. Perhaps, we want attention. Our goal may be to belong to a group or distinguish ourselves from those around us. Fashion trends is one of the easiest ways to attain these goals.

Of course, a nice dress or shirt or outfit in and of themselves is not a bad thing. Those are nice things we can enjoy. However, the spiritual condition behind the desire for those things is the real issue.

We have someone we are to emulate: CHRIST. The Bible is clear that Christ is our example. He is the only one we should emulate.

Matthew 5:48

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

1 Corinthians 15:49

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Romans 8:29

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

2 Corinthians 3:18

But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The like wealth and power, fashion trends do not last long. Before we know it, a new trend arrives and the last one is forgotten.

It is easily to see that many who call themselves Christian now-a-days really don’t “look” Christian. In fact, it is hard to distinguish them from the world around them. Their music sounds the same, they strive to look the same, they speak the same way, and they modify their doctrine to believe the same. Their god is not Jesus but the world. They are guilty of idolatry. Their fashion sense, music style, or trendy idealism are merely outward expressions of the the status of their heart.

I am not here to give a list of what you can and cannot wear or how you should wear it. That is not the point. The actual fashion item, as long as it fits God’s law, doesn’t matter, but your heart does!

All of those worldly trends, whether it is fashion or music style or beliefs, will change over time. They will not last. Ultimately, they will all be destroyed when Christ returns. The one who will NOT change? Jesus!

So, go ahead and enjoy a nice outfit, but always be aware of who you belong to. We must strive to emulate CHRIST and not the world around us. If we misplace our worship, we will find ourselves in the same scenario as Judah: guilty of idolatry and deserving of judgment.

Matthew 6:19-21

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.