What is the meaning of Ezekiel 23:48? So I will put an end to indecency in the land Ezekiel 23 paints Samaria and Jerusalem as two sisters who indulged in flagrant spiritual adultery. God’s opening words here show His decisive resolve: the lewdness they practiced will not be allowed to stand. • Divine judgment is not capricious; it is the righteous response to persistent sin (Leviticus 18:24–25; 2 Kings 17:7–18). • “Indecency” exposes sin for what it is—disgraceful, harmful, and corrupting (Isaiah 5:20). • By saying “in the land,” God announces a national cleansing, much like the sweeping purges promised in Zechariah 13:2: “I will remove the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered”. and all the women will be admonished The “women” represent onlookers—both the literal women of Judah and the surrounding nations—who would witness God’s judgment. • Admonishment includes warning, correction, and instruction (Proverbs 19:25). • God often turns one people’s downfall into a cautionary lesson for others (Deuteronomy 29:24–28; Jeremiah 44:9). • Paul applies the same principle to the church: “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us” (1 Corinthians 10:11). not to imitate your behavior The purpose of judgment is not merely retribution, but prevention. God wants witnesses to choose obedience over rebellion. • Imitation is powerful: we become like what we admire (Psalm 106:35–36). • Scripture urges God’s people to separate from corrupt patterns (Ephesians 5:7; 2 Corinthians 6:17). • Ezekiel’s audience—and we today—are called to learn from Judah’s failure so history does not repeat itself (Romans 15:4). summary Ezekiel 23:48 declares God’s intent to purge national sin, publicize the lesson, and deter future rebellion. The verse reassures believers of God’s holiness, warns against duplicating the sins that provoked judgment, and invites us to walk in distinct obedience so that others, seeing God’s work in us, will choose faithfulness rather than folly. |
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