A Bitter Harvest

Eze 16:31 In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire; 
Eze 16:32 But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!

Jerusalem was as a harlot and an adulterous wife who paid others to sin with her. She was given over to her lusts and desires without regard to her covenant of marriage to the LORD God. This mindset may be applied to our own nation giving other countries money that we borrow with no thought of paying it back. The leaders are playing a dangerous game, leaving God out of our national life. The LORD brings blessings or judgements. The LORD had to judge Jerusalem because they had foresaken him. We all began with faith in the LORD, but generations come thinking they are entitled to blessings while they continue in evil ways without the fear of the LORD. Judgement follows, if we give in to the sin that waits at the door. Remember what the LORD said to Cain, who ignored the LORD and went ahead to kill his brother.

Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Eze 16:33 They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.

hirest : shachad - to give a present, bribe, ransom, offer gifts

Hos 8:8 Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.
Hos 8:9 For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.
Hos 8:10 Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

Eze 16:34 And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.

contrary : hephek; opposite, a difference, reversed, contrariness, perversity

whoredoms : taznuwth - fornication, harlotry

Eze 16:35 Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD:
Eze 16:36 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;

filthiness : nĕchosheth - copper, bronze; lust, harlotry, unreliable...gold was used for money, brass money had less value...like our money that has no value in itself.

Brazen : shameless, bold

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

Exo 30:18 Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.

The laver was made from the polished looking glasses of the women. The mirror is symbolic of coming to God's word, a mirror to our souls and the water of the word for cleansing. Filthiness of flesh and the filthiness of sins must be removed before coming to the LORD. Jesus is our Brass laver, in the spirit.

Brass is also symbolic of judgement; the judgement of sins

Deu 28:22 The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
Deu 28:23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. 

Eze 16:37 Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.

thy lovers — the Chaldeans and the Assyrians. The law of retribution is the more signally exemplified by God employing, as His instruments of judgment on Israel, those very nations whose alliance and idols Israel had so eagerly sought, besides giving her up to those who had been always her enemies. “God will make him, who leaves God for the world, disgraced even in the eyes of the world, and indeed the more so the nearer he formerly stood to Himself” [Hengstenberg]

Lam 1:8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

Eze 16:38 And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.

The usual punishment for adultery was death.

Lev 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Stoning was the usual way to kill an adulterer.

Joh 8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
Joh 8:4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
Joh 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
Joh 8:6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
Joh 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Jesus was not sent to judge, but to save lives.


Luk 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. 

Idols would be torn down

Eze 16:39 And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.

Death by stoning and swords

Eze 16:40 They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.

Burning homes was a judgement

Jdg 12:1 And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire. 


Eze 16:41 And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.
Eze 16:42 So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.

When the idols are cast down, the people killed and taken into slavery, the health gone; then the judge shall rest, the LORD will be quiet, his anger appeased.

Eze 16:43 Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.

fretted : ragaz - disturbed, agitated, disquieted...grieved

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

They were not repentant, so they had to be judged. They turned from God to worship other gods and they caused their own children to be sacrificed...breaking the first two commandments.

Mat 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.


Is our nation headed for judgement?


* ignoring the word of God?

* teaching evil things to our children?

* making laws against God's laws?

*removing all references to God?

* denying God as creator?

*sacrificing babies?

If things continue as they are God must judge America. Perhaps we are seeing his judgement now. We do not have to be counted with those who seek their own ways. Make wise choices and obey God. Trust in Jesus and come out from among those who do evil. Touch not the unclean things. Speak words and do those things that glorify God. Amen