God’s Love for Jerusalem

Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

“When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord God.

Men make payment to all harlots, but you made your payments to all your lovers, and hired them to come to you from all around for your harlotry.

Jerusalem’s Lovers Will Abuse Her

‘Now then, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord!

Thus says the Lord God: “Because your filthiness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotry with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children which you gave to them,

surely, therefore, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved, and all those you hated; I will gather them from all around against you and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness.

They shall burn your houses with fire, and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women; and I will make you cease playing the harlot, and you shall no longer hire lovers.

The Older Sister, Samaria

“Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine; And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring Assyrians,

“Therefore I have delivered her Into the hand of her lovers, Into the hand of the Assyrians, For whom she lusted.

“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.

Judgment on Jerusalem

“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:

So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.

Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.