So the Lord is going to punish Israel. But why? Well, the Lord tells Ezekiel a little story to try and help the Israelite understand how badly they sinned in chapter 16. It's something like a love story.

The tale begins with an unwanted baby (Israel) being left to die in the wilderness, umbilical cord uncut and everything. The Narrator (God) walks by this baby, left to die in her own blood, and says to her "Live! Live!" He bathes the baby and helps the baby to flourish.

The baby grew up to be a beautiful woman, and the Narrator walks by her again and, seeing that she was all grown up, clothed her and entered into a covenant with her, marrying her. Then he gave her many fine gifts.

But... The woman made beautiful with the fine clothes and jewelry her husband gave her used it to attract other men to her, and then lavished the perfumes food given to her on them to get them to... do stuff with her. 

Yet that was not all! The woman took the children she had with her husband and offered them to the fire!!!

And this is why God is so angry with Israel. He provided for them and nurtured them and lavished them with gifts and children- only for them to cheat on him with other gods, even sacrificing their own infants to the fires of Molech!

This is why He will send His wrath upon them.  However, there is still hope despite it all, for He promises them ""For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant,  yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant...I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord,  that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God."

God is indeed merciful. For if He can forgive an adulterous, idolatrous, murderous people, He can surely forgive us- if we only turn to Him as He calls Israel and all of humanity to. If we can only turn to the One Who the Faithful One Who died for His faithless bride, Who was slaughtered by those He came to die for, and Who sought out those Who abandoned Him for lesser, meaner things.

-Signature by XxEthereal_AngelxX