How can we avoid the spiritual pitfalls described in Ezekiel 23:40 today? Setting the Scene “Furthermore, you sisters sent messengers for men to come from afar, and when they arrived, you washed yourself, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry.” (Ezekiel 23:40) In one terse line, God exposes Judah’s deliberate self-presentation to foreign lovers—an image of spiritual infidelity. The sisters (Oholah and Oholibah) are Israel and Judah; their cosmetics and jewelry picture calculated seduction, not innocent adornment. The warning rings across time: don’t package yourself for idolatry. Core Pitfalls Uncovered • Initiating compromise—“sent messengers for men to come” • Self-beautification to impress the world—“washed yourself, painted your eyes” • Pursuit of alliances that replace trust in God—“adorned yourself with jewelry” • Willful blindness to inevitable fallout (see vv. 45–49 for judgment that follows) Modern Parallels • Courting cultural approval at the expense of biblical conviction • Tweaking the gospel to sound fashionable or non-confrontational • Building strategic partnerships that dilute clear obedience (business, politics, entertainment) • Turning worship into a performance to attract rather than to honor God Practical Steps to Stand Firm Guard the gateway of desire – Settle who you belong to: “Do you not know that your bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) – Track motives: ask often, “Whose applause am I after?” (Galatians 1:10) Anchor identity in Christ, not cosmetics – Internal adornment over external polish (1 Peter 3:3-4) – Fast from media that pressures you to re-brand yourself for acceptance Practice holy separation without isolation – Reject unequal yokes (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) – Engage neighbors in love, yet keep spiritual lines bright Stay word-saturated – Daily Scripture intake guards against subtle drift (Psalm 119:11) – Memorize texts that expose worldly lures (1 John 2:15-17) Maintain a repentant posture – Invite God’s searchlight: “Search me, O God... See if there is any offensive way in me.” (Psalm 139:23-24) – Confess quickly when the Spirit flags compromise Strengthen accountable relationships – ”Two are better than one… a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) – Permit trusted believers to question your alliances and image management Scriptures That Reinforce the Call • James 4:4 – Friendship with the world means enmity with God • Romans 12:2 – Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, not conformed to this age • Revelation 3:15-18 – Lukewarm faith nauseates Christ; buy refined gold from Him • Psalm 1 – Blessing flows from refusing ungodly counsel and delighting in the Law Closing Encouragement The sisters of Ezekiel 23 teach us that spiritual adultery seldom starts with loud rebellion; it starts with a flirtatious glance and a dab of eye paint. Fix your gaze on the Groom who “loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). His covenant love outshines every false glitter—and keeps us from sending any more dangerous invitations. |
    |