Ezekiel 23 portrays two adulterous sisters symbolising the divided nation of Israel. Oholah represents Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem, the capital of the southern kingdom in Israel. Both were once the Lord’s own, yet they turned away from Him.
Through imagery of unfaithfulness and prostitution, the chapter reveals how both kingdoms pursued alliances with surrounding nations and their idols, abandoning their covenant with God.
5 “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians warriors 6 clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. 7
She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after. 8 She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.
9 “Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. 10 They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.
Ezekiel 23:5-10
Oholah – Samaria, was attracted to the apparent power, wealth, and military strength of Assyria. While she still belonged to the Lord, she prostituted herself with foreign nations and defiled herself with their idols. Her spiritual adultery began early, rooted in Egypt, and continued unchecked. Oholah despised her covenant with God, He handed her over to the very lovers she desired.
As a result, the Assyrians turned against her. They stripped her naked—symbolising the loss of her glory—destroyed her people, and carried many into captivity. Samaria became a byword, an example of judgment, and punishment was inflicted upon her.
Yet Oholibah – Jerusalem, instead of learning from her sister’s fate, became even more corrupt. Though she saw what happened to Samaria, she followed the same path of lust and political and spiritual adultery. First with Assyria, then with Babylon. She openly pursued these alliances, defiling herself further and exposing her shame.
11 “Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. 12 She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men. 13 I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.
14 “But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red, 15 with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.
16 As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 17 Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. 18 When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.
Ezekiel 23:11-18
Both Samaria and Jerusalem desecrated the covenant, rejected God’s law, and played the harlot with the nations, the Lord withdrew His protection. He allowed those nations to act according to their own will. Having defiled themselves with idols, they were forced to bear the penalty of their lewdness and suffer the consequences of their idolatry.
Ezekiel 23 serves as a sobering warning. It calls us to examine ourselves: Are we honouring our covenant with God as disciples and saints, or are we giving our loyalty to other “lovers” that draw our hearts away from Him?
Signing off,
Faith With Petra 