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LESSON 8 (February 19)
The God Whose Heart is
Grieved by Forsaken Covenants
The LORD God had made a covenant with and incredible promises to Abraham, the nation of Israel,
and King Daivd. But if you’re familiar with the “big picture” of the Old Testament, you know that
Abraham’s descendants were far from faithful to their covenant with God.
How did their unfaithfulness make the LORD feel?
While we cou
ld point to dozens of passages
—
especially from the Old Testament p
rophets
—
that provide an answer,
we find profound responses to that question in
Ezekiel and Hosea. Let’s start with one chapter in Ezekiel’s prophecy.
Again the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, make
known to Jerusalem her
abominations, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are
of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. And as
for your birth, on the day you were born your cor
d was not cut, nor were you washed with
water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied
you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born. (Ezek 16:1
-5)
“Abominations” is a strong word. What does it mean?
What or who does the LORD have in mind as he refers to “Jerusalem”?
What is the LORD talking about as he describes the “origin” and “birth” of “
Jerusalem”?
"And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed, and your hair
had grown; yet you were naked and bare.
“When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and
entered into a covenant
with you, declares the Lord GOD, and you became mine. (Ezek 16:6-8)
The LORD is clearly using powerfully vivid language in this section of Ezekiel’s prophecy.
What is he communicating? What was this covenant, and why describe it in this way?