Ezekiel's Shocking Allegory and the Promise of Renewal
August 16, 2024 - Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 63
In today's excerpts from Ezekiel, we hear an allegory of Jerusalem as the unfaithful wife of God. Ezekiel draws on previous prophets, particularly Hosea, who pictured God's relationship with Israel as a relationship between husband and wife. However, Ezekiel's allegory is more graphic and shocking than what we find in Hosea.
The first surprise comes in verse 3. The Book of Genesis states that Abraham and his family originated in Mesopotamia. This is confirmed by the confession of faith that we find in the Book of Joshua: "Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods" (Joshua 24:2). Ezekiel, however, indicates that the origin of Israel was in the land of Canaan: "By origin and birth you are of the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite" (Ezekiel 16:3).
The second surprise comes when Ezekiel compares the beginning of Israel to an abandoned baby girl adopted by God and elevated to the status of a princess. The Book of Deuteronomy assesses Israel's humble beginnings: "You were the fewest of all peoples" (Deuteronomy 7:7). Their election to be God's treasured possession was an act of God's love, and their success and prosperity were acts of God's grace. But instead of showing gratitude, Israel turned away from the Lord and embraced idolatry. Such betrayal of God was compared by the prophets to adultery.
The third surprise is the comparison of Jerusalem to Samaria and Sodom. By the time Ezekiel was composing his prophecy, both cities did not exist, and the cause of their destruction is ascribed to their sinfulness. But instead of drawing a valuable lesson from their examples, Jerusalem surpassed them in sinfulness (see Ezekiel 16:44-52). Thus, the city was going to experience a fate similar to that of Samaria and Sodom.
But there is one more surprise awaiting the reader, and it comes in the form of good news: Sodom, Samaria, and Jerusalem are going to be renewed (see Ezekiel 16:53-56). We usually hear about the renewal of Jerusalem and all Israel, but to include Sodom in God's promise of renewal was daring on the part of Ezekiel: "Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state, and you and your daughters shall return to your former state" (Ezekiel 16:55). This passage led the great biblical scholar of antiquity, Origen, to marvel at God's goodness and mercy. In his view, once they were punished for their sins, they would not be punished a second time but would experience God's mercy.
The fate of Sodom, Samaria, and Jerusalem can symbolize the fate of many of us. Created by God in His image and likeness, we tarnish that image through sin and end up ashamed of ourselves. But like the prodigal son, when we reach the bottom of humiliation, we come to our senses and turn back to God. And He, in His love and mercy, welcomes us and raises us to a new state as God's adopted children, created in the image and likeness of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.