H2021″The Adulteress Looking Down On Her Prostitute Sister”

I thought about writing this post in December but the title that I wanted to give it stopped me several times. In my mind the title should have been “The Adulteress Looking Down On Her Prostitute Sister” and for that reason I didn’t write it. It seemed vulgar to me. Then after New Years I decided to look up the Hebrew and Greek words connected to our current year of 2021. I still have a sense of hesitation in writing this today Jan. 15th but the thought of it won’t go away. I believe God was directing my thoughts as I always pray He does to write about things that helps me and perhaps others to get a better understanding of God’s ways and character. The following is what and why I want to write about two sisters, one is an adulteress and the other a prostitute.

In the MyDailyBible app that I read devotions from it goes through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in one year. Each day has readings from the old and new testaments, the prophets and psalms or proverbs. January 1st started with Genesis 1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” For that reason, the readings in the month of December are about the last days of the northern kingdom of Israel and about the southern kingdom of Judah. On Dec. 31, the last scriptures from the New Testament is Revelation 22:20-21 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen, Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

On Christmas day a reading from 2 Chronicles 30 really got my attention,

2 Chronicles 30:1,6 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel.
6 Then the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the king: “Children of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.

At this time the northern kingdom of Israel doesn’t exist anymore. They have been overrun, captured and hauled away by the Assyrians. Their last king Hoshea had reigned for 9 years.

2 Kings 18:9-12 Now it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. 10 And at the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away captive to Assyria, and put them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant and all that Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded; and they would neither hear nor do them.

If you pay attention when reading the Bible you will notice that often times the number 9 is a symbol of finality and connected to the “Judgment of God.” (Jesus died on the cross at the 9th hour.) (The Day of Atonement, when sins were judged began at sunset on the 9th day of the 7th month of Tishri.) The Fire of God’s Judgment fell on Elijah’s altar at the time of the “evening sacrifice.” Barns Notes on 1 Kgs. 18:36 says, At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice – i. e., probably “the ninth hour,” or three o’clock. Thus there might still remain about five hours of light, during which the other events of the day were accomplished.
9 is also linked to the “Divine Completeness of God” as in the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The number 10 in the Bible is linked to something being “complete/perfect.”
10+9=19 Complete Judgment??? After Israel divided into the southern and northern kingdoms of Judah and Israel they each had 19 kings until their total demise. (Judah also had 1 wicked queen) God’s true prophets warned of God’s Judgment against His rebellious “Godly” nation for hundreds of years.

When studying in November about Hoshea the last king of Israel’s northern kingdom I learned something that everyone should pay attention to. He tried to reform the religious ways of his kingdom by doing something no other king before him had done. He allowed the citizens of Israel to go to Jerusalem to celebrate and worship God at the temple of God the way Moses had told them to do. 2 Kings says this of Hoshea,

2 Kings 17:1-2 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 17:2
Benson Commentary – And whereas the kings of Israel had hitherto maintained guards upon the frontiers, to hinder their subjects from going to Jerusalem to worship, Hoshea took away those guards, and gave free liberty to all, to go and pay their adoration where the law had directed; and, therefore, when Hezekiah had invited all Israel to come to his passover, this prince permitted all that would to go:

Barnes – Not as the kings of Israel that were before him – The repentance of a nation like that of an individual, may be “too late.” God is long-suffering; but after national sins have reached a certain height, after admonitions and warnings have been repeatedly rejected, after lesser punishments have failed – judgment begins to fall. Forces have been set in motion, which nothing but a miracle could stop; and God does not see fit to work a miracle in such a case.

Most of the commentaries on 2 Kings 17:2 brings up the point that eventually the “cup, measure of sin” has become full and brings the time of judgment. Jesus warned the Pharisees of this principle,
Matthew 23:31-33 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

Hezekiah was one of the better kings of Judah. His reign coincided with that of Pekah and Hoshea’s reign over Israel. Hezekiah reinstituted the celebration of the Passover and directed the Levites and priests to follow the ways of God according to the Torah, the Five Books of Moses. While Hezekiah was a good king for the most part we need to remember the circumstances during his time as king. Hezekiah got to witness in living color the judgment of God as promised in the Torah falling on the northern kingdom of Israel. I believe it took Hezekiah’s “reverential fear of God” up a notch or two. Looking down the barrel of 185,000 Assyrian warriors at one point didn’t hurt his reverence for God either.

Judah, Hezekiah’s kingdom had the Holy Temple of God. Throughout their history some in Judah had chosen to follow the ways of God and worship Him the way Moses had recorded in the Torah. There was a “spiritual pride” in Judah because they knew that the worshiping of the 2 Golden Calves done in the northern kingdom of Israel was wrong. If you think about it, “Spiritual Pride” is still alive and well with us to this day. Judah’s spiritual pride in having God’s temple on their soil didn’t stop them from sinning in many ways against God both spiritually and physically. There were times in Judah’s history when none of the priests followed God’s ways. It’s even mentioned that a couple of times in Judah’s history “they found the book of the law of Moses.” Imagine that, the southern kingdom of Judah who looked down their noses with spiritual pride on the calf worshiping kingdom of Israel thought they were so much better than them. In Jesus’ day the spiritual pride of Judah was still going strong. Jews would travel extra miles not to journey through the land of Samaria. Jews didn’t even want the shadow of a Samaritan to fall on them.

That’s why after reading in November and December of the last days of the northern kingdom of Israel and about the southern kingdom of Judah’s spiritual pride I wanted to write a post titled “The Adulteress Looking Down On Her Prostitute Sister.” Then some time after New Years day 2021 I thought of looking up the Strong’s Concordance words for H2021 and G2021. My previous post is about G2021. Let me sum it up with these words, “Keep Your Eyes on Jesus and His Cross.”

When I looked up H2021 in Strong’s I saw God’s Hand moving in my life and knew His thoughts had inhabited my mind at times. Also, I am still wondering, “what does all this mean.”

As you can see H2021 is a unique word used only 1 time in the KJV Bible. When I think of a Chariot the first one that comes to mind is Elijah’s Fiery Chariot that brought him to Glory Land. That’s what I though when I read what the word associated with H2021 meant but I wanted to know more. How was this word used in the context of what Ezekiel was writing. It was then that I was overwhelmed with God’s Presence. It was like when one of those dot to dot pictures I did as a child came into focus and a more complete picture was understood in my mind.

Ezekiel 23 NKJV – Two Harlot Sisters
The word of the Lord came again to me, saying:

2 “Son of man, there were two women,
The daughters of one mother.
3 They committed harlotry in Egypt,
They committed harlotry in their youth;
Their breasts were there embraced,
Their virgin bosom was there pressed.
4 Their names: Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister;
They were Mine,
And they bore sons and daughters.
As for their names,
Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.

The Older Sister, Samaria
5 “Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine;
And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring Assyrians,
6 Who were clothed in purple,
Captains and rulers,
All of them desirable young men,
Horsemen riding on horses.
7 Thus she committed her harlotry with them,
All of them choice men of Assyria;
And with all for whom she lusted,
With all their idols, she defiled herself.
8 She has never given up her harlotry brought from Egypt,
For in her youth they had lain with her,
Pressed her virgin bosom,
And poured out their immorality upon her.

9 “Therefore I have delivered her
Into the hand of her lovers,
Into the hand of the Assyrians,
For whom she lusted.
10 They uncovered her nakedness,
Took away her sons and daughters,
And slew her with the sword;
She became a byword among women,
For they had executed judgment on her.

The Younger Sister, Jerusalem
11 “Now although her sister Oholibah saw this, she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister’s harlotry.

12 “She lusted for the neighboring Assyrians,
Captains and rulers,
Clothed most gorgeously,
Horsemen riding on horses,
All of them desirable young men.
13 Then I saw that she was defiled;
Both took the same way.
14 But she increased her harlotry;
She looked at men portrayed on the wall,
Images of Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion,
15 Girded with belts around their waists,
Flowing turbans on their heads,
All of them looking like captains,
In the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea,
The land of their nativity.
16 As soon as her eyes saw them,
She lusted for them
And sent messengers to them in Chaldea.

17 “Then the Babylonians came to her, into the bed of love,
And they defiled her with their immorality;
So she was defiled by them, and alienated herself from them.
18 She revealed her harlotry and uncovered her nakedness.
Then I alienated Myself from her,
As I had alienated Myself from her sister.

19 “Yet she multiplied her harlotry
In calling to remembrance the days of her youth,
When she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
20 For she lusted for her paramours,
Whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys,
And whose issue is like the issue of horses.
21 Thus you called to remembrance the lewdness of your youth,
When the Egyptians pressed your bosom
Because of your youthful breasts.

Judgment on Jerusalem
22 “Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord God:
‘Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you,
From whom you have alienated yourself,
And I will bring them against you from every side:
23 The Babylonians,
All the Chaldeans,
Pekod, Shoa, Koa,
All the Assyrians with them,
All of them desirable young men,
Governors and rulers,
Captains and men of renown,
All of them riding on horses.
24 And they shall come against you
With chariots, wagons, and war-horses,
With a horde of people.
They shall array against you
Buckler, shield, and helmet all around.

‘I will delegate judgment to them,
And they shall judge you according to their judgments.
25 I will set My jealousy against you,
And they shall deal furiously with you;
They shall remove your nose and your ears,
And your remnant shall fall by the sword;
They shall take your sons and your daughters,
And your remnant shall be devoured by fire.
26 They shall also strip you of your clothes
And take away your beautiful jewelry.

27 ‘Thus I will make you cease your lewdness and your harlotry
Brought from the land of Egypt,
So that you will not lift your eyes to them,
Nor remember Egypt anymore.’

28 “For thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hand of those you hate, into the hand of those from whom you alienated yourself. 29 They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry. 30 I will do these things to you because you have gone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols. 31 You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will put her cup in your hand.’

32 “Thus says the Lord God:

‘You shall drink of your sister’s cup,
The deep and wide one;
You shall be laughed to scorn
And held in derision;
It contains much.
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
The cup of horror and desolation,
The cup of your sister Samaria.
34 You shall drink and drain it,
You shall break its shards,
And tear at your own breasts;
For I have spoken,’
Says the Lord God.

35 “Therefore thus says the Lord God:

‘Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back,
Therefore you shall bear the penalty
Of your lewdness and your harlotry.’ ”

Both Sisters Judged
36 The Lord also said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. 37 For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them. 38 Moreover they have done this to Me: They have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and profaned My Sabbaths. 39 For after they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeed thus they have done in the midst of My house.

40 “Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you washed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. 41 You sat on a stately couch, with a table prepared before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil. 42 The sound of a carefree multitude was with her, and Sabeans were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort, who put bracelets on their wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 Then I said concerning her who had grown old in adulteries, ‘Will they commit harlotry with her now, and she with them?’ 44 Yet they went in to her, as men go in to a woman who plays the harlot; thus they went in to Oholah and Oholibah, the lewd women. 45 But righteous men will judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.

46 “For thus says the Lord God: ‘Bring up an assembly against them, give them up to trouble and plunder. 47 The assembly shall stone them with stones and execute them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire. 48 Thus I will cause lewdness to cease from the land, that all women may be taught not to practice your lewdness. 49 They shall repay you for your lewdness, and you shall pay for your idolatrous sins. Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.’ ”

Jesus Is The Aleph & The Tav, The Alpha & The Omega, The First & The Last
א ת Jesus Α Ω א ת Jesus Α Ω א ת Jesus Α Ω א ת Jesus Α Ω א ת Jesus Α Ω א ת Jesus Α Ω

You see, in the end it’s just as the Apostle Paul said,
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Yesterday, January 14th the MyDailyBible app reading was from Genesis chapter 15. The principle that God set forth when He spoke this to Abraham still stands today.
Genesis 15:15-16 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”