What is the meaning of Ezekiel 23:37? For they have committed adultery Think of the covenant between God and His people as a marriage (Exodus 34:15-16; Hosea 2:19-20). When Israel chased after foreign gods, the Lord called it “adultery.” Ezekiel is reminding Judah that spiritual unfaithfulness isn’t just a slip; it’s a willful betrayal of the One who rescued and cherished them. Like a spouse running off with another lover, the nation traded intimacy with the living God for empty rituals and promises that couldn’t satisfy (Jeremiah 3:6-10). and blood is on their hands Idolatry never stays “harmlessly spiritual.” It spills over into violence and injustice. Psalm 106:37-38 laments, “They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons… the land was polluted with blood.” The phrase “blood on their hands” underscores guilt so obvious it can’t be washed away (Isaiah 59:3). By turning from God’s law of love, Judah opened the door to every kind of cruelty, from oppression of the poor (Ezekiel 22:6-7) to outright murder. They have committed adultery with their idols Here the Lord repeats the charge for emphasis. Idolatry wasn’t occasional; it was persistent and passionate. High places dotted the land (2 Kings 17:10-11). Incense smoke rose to Baal and Asherah while the temple of the Lord sat neglected. The repetition drives home how deeply entrenched this false worship had become—more than a fling, it was a lifestyle (James 4:4 reminds believers today that friendship with the world still equals enmity with God). They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me This line hits like a thunderclap. Children are gifts from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). God says they “bore” these little ones to Him—proof that every life ultimately belongs to the Creator. Yet parents handed their own sons and daughters over to pagan altars (Jeremiah 19:5). The Lord’s shock is palpable: how could they destroy what He lovingly knit together? in the fire as food for their idols The gruesome practice of child sacrifice to Molech or similar deities involved fire (Leviticus 18:21; 2 Kings 16:3). Ezekiel calls it “food,” emphasizing the monstrous appetite of false gods. Unlike the Lord, who offers Himself for His people, idols demand that people offer themselves—or their children—for the idol. The contrast foreshadows the Gospel: whereas paganism consumes life, Christ gives His own life to save ours (John 10:10-11). summary Ezekiel 23:37 exposes the tragic spiral of unfaithfulness: spiritual adultery leads to bloodguilt, entrenched idolatry, and ultimately the unthinkable sacrifice of children. The verse is God’s indictment against a nation that traded covenant love for counterfeit worship. It warns every generation that idolatry, in any form, always costs more than we expect—ultimately demanding what is most precious—while our faithful God continually calls us back to wholehearted devotion and life. |
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