Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the LORD.
The verse declares God's judgment on Judah and Israel for their apostasy, portraying their sins under the figure of a lewd woman to expose their wickedness and bearing of guilt before the Lord. Their lewdness and abominations were breaking covenant with God by turning from Him to join surrounding nations and Babylon, worshiping their gods through backsliding, worldly conformity and idolatry. A lewd and licentious woman is the Bible symbol of a corrupt, fallen and apostate church, in contrast to a virtuous woman who represents a pure church. The great harlot Babylon is therefore not earthly government or abstract evil but a corrupt professedly religious body, distinct from the kings of the earth though unlawfully united with them. As the Jewish church espoused to the Lord became a harlot through unlawful friendship with the world, so God's church becomes a harlot when it turns from Him and joins itself to the world, and its fall is rejection by God before its final destruction.
Setting and Sin Rebuked
Ezekiel 16 is a strong parable rebuking the apostasy of Judah and Israel. It portrays Judah's awful sins under the figure of a lewd woman. It thereby shows the awful wickedness of sin while earnestly pleading for God's people to turn back to Him. The rebuke rests on a covenant relationship in which the Lord's people became His, but they broke the covenant, departed from the Lord, and relied on another, revealing their wickedness.
Their lewdness and abominations were apostasy in act, for Jerusalem was unfaithful to God by joining the surrounding nations and worshiping their gods, pictured as a woman playing the harlot with many lovers. As a people bound to God and espoused to the Lord, Israel became unfaithful by turning from Him to follow the world and Babylon and by casting off His precepts. That departure came through backsliding, conformity to the world, and idolatry. God calls such union of His church with the world fornication and adultery, treating it as sin and abomination for which she bears guilt and responsibility. It is unlawful friendship with the world that makes the espoused church a harlot, mixing heaven with earth and righteousness with sin.
Symbol of Corrupt Church
A lewd woman is the Bible symbol of a corrupt or apostate church, while a virtuous woman represents a pure church. The corrupt, licentious woman portrays a corrupt, fallen, apostate church. Lewdness and abominations borne in unfaithfulness mean spiritual unfaithfulness. A harlot is therefore the symbol of a corrupt church.
The great harlot Babylon is not the earthly power of human government nor an abstract evil, but a corrupt, professedly religious body. She is distinct from the kings of the earth though unlawfully united with them. Babylon represents the corrupt, worldly church broadly, not merely one religious body. The Jewish church was espoused to the Lord but became a harlot through unfaithfulness to God, through apostasy and unlawful friendship with the world. That harlotry parallels the harlotry of the corrupt church symbolized by Babylon.
God's church becomes a harlot when it turns from Him and joins itself to the world. The fall of the Jewish church as a harlot was rejection by God. Its destruction came later, after that rejection. Israel's old apostasy in this account serves as a prototype for a church that rejects God's message and seeks help from earthly powers instead of the Lord.
The verse declares God's judgment on Judah and Israel for their apostasy, portraying their sins under the figure of a lewd woman to expose their wickedness and bearing of guilt before the Lord. Their lewdness and abominations were breaking covenant with God by turning from Him to join surrounding nations and Babylon, worshiping their gods through backsliding, worldly conformity and idolatry. A lewd and licentious woman is the Bible symbol of a corrupt, fallen and apostate church, in contrast to a virtuous woman who represents a pure church. The great harlot Babylon is therefore not earthly government or abstract evil but a corrupt professedly religious body, distinct from the kings of the earth though unlawfully united with them. As the Jewish church espoused to the Lord became a harlot through unlawful friendship with the world, so God's church becomes a harlot when it turns from Him and joins itself to the world, and its fall is rejection by God before its final destruction.
Setting and Sin Rebuked
Ezekiel 16 is a strong parable rebuking the apostasy of Judah and Israel. It portrays Judah's awful sins under the figure of a lewd woman. It thereby shows the awful wickedness of sin while earnestly pleading for God's people to turn back to Him. The rebuke rests on a covenant relationship in which the Lord's people became His, but they broke the covenant, departed from the Lord, and relied on another, revealing their wickedness.
Their lewdness and abominations were apostasy in act, for Jerusalem was unfaithful to God by joining the surrounding nations and worshiping their gods, pictured as a woman playing the harlot with many lovers. As a people bound to God and espoused to the Lord, Israel became unfaithful by turning from Him to follow the world and Babylon and by casting off His precepts. That departure came through backsliding, conformity to the world, and idolatry. God calls such union of His church with the world fornication and adultery, treating it as sin and abomination for which she bears guilt and responsibility. It is unlawful friendship with the world that makes the espoused church a harlot, mixing heaven with earth and righteousness with sin.
Symbol of Corrupt Church
A lewd woman is the Bible symbol of a corrupt or apostate church, while a virtuous woman represents a pure church. The corrupt, licentious woman portrays a corrupt, fallen, apostate church. Lewdness and abominations borne in unfaithfulness mean spiritual unfaithfulness. A harlot is therefore the symbol of a corrupt church.
The great harlot Babylon is not the earthly power of human government nor an abstract evil, but a corrupt, professedly religious body. She is distinct from the kings of the earth though unlawfully united with them. Babylon represents the corrupt, worldly church broadly, not merely one religious body. The Jewish church was espoused to the Lord but became a harlot through unfaithfulness to God, through apostasy and unlawful friendship with the world. That harlotry parallels the harlotry of the corrupt church symbolized by Babylon.
God's church becomes a harlot when it turns from Him and joins itself to the world. The fall of the Jewish church as a harlot was rejection by God. Its destruction came later, after that rejection. Israel's old apostasy in this account serves as a prototype for a church that rejects God's message and seeks help from earthly powers instead of the Lord.