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This passage speaks to God's love and redemption of the nation of Israel, but it also speaks to how God loves us as individuals, too (for more on how God deals with His people as both a "me" and a "we," check out this post).
Let's take a look at this passage, starting with verse 4:
"And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord 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."
This passage starts out on a very graphic note. It unabashedly describes us in our fallen, natural state, likening us to a bloodied newborn baby who has been discarded in a field and left for dead.
Let's take a look at this passage, starting with verse 4:
"And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord 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."
This passage starts out on a very graphic note. It unabashedly describes us in our fallen, natural state, likening us to a bloodied newborn baby who has been discarded in a field and left for dead.
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This imagery is shocking, and it makes my stomach turn, but if we are honest with ourselves and take in the whole counsel of Scripture, we will discover that this description is a very accurate one:
- we are dirty and unclean...sinful and depraved
- we are naked...an image that is always associated with shame, in the Garden, on the Cross.
- we are orphaned...rejected, lost, and outside the family of God
- we are helpless...unable to do anything for ourselves
- we are hopeless...no one has compassion or pities us in this state
- we are abhorred...this is a strong word meaning hated and despised, and is the same word used in the Psalms to describe how much God hates sinners (see Psalm 5).
Fortunately the tone of the passage changes as God enters into the picture. Continue with me, picking up with verse 6:
“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."
God sees us wallowing in our blood and His word over us is "Live!" He does not leave us for dead, but breaths new life into us and allows us to thrive and grow and develop into maturity. This imagery depicts the common grace that He shows to all people. He is compassionate, offering love and life and hope to all.
Some time goes by and the Scripture says God passes by us again:
“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. Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God." --Ezekiel 16:8-14
This time we see God covering our nakedness with His garment and entering into a covenant with us. He washes us and anoints us with oil. These are symbolic gestures that speak to the forgiveness of sin and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This depicts the covenantal, saving grace God extends to believers in Him, forgiving them and adopting them as sons. God offers His inheritance and riches to us through Christ, and we see this dramatically unfold as God is pictured as clothing this woman--His bride, the Church, us as believers corporately as well as individually--with exquisite clothing and jewels, fine linen, embroidered cloth, silk, gold rings, bracelets and necklaces. He gives her precious delicacies to eat like honey and fine flour and oil, and the Scripture goes on to state that she "advanced to royalty." What a sublime picture of being adopted as a child of God and becoming an heir to His throne! What a long way she has come: from being an abandoned, bloody, helpless infant cast aside in a field, to a royal beauty...the very bride of Christ!
“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. Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God." --Ezekiel 16:8-14
This time we see God covering our nakedness with His garment and entering into a covenant with us. He washes us and anoints us with oil. These are symbolic gestures that speak to the forgiveness of sin and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This depicts the covenantal, saving grace God extends to believers in Him, forgiving them and adopting them as sons. God offers His inheritance and riches to us through Christ, and we see this dramatically unfold as God is pictured as clothing this woman--His bride, the Church, us as believers corporately as well as individually--with exquisite clothing and jewels, fine linen, embroidered cloth, silk, gold rings, bracelets and necklaces. He gives her precious delicacies to eat like honey and fine flour and oil, and the Scripture goes on to state that she "advanced to royalty." What a sublime picture of being adopted as a child of God and becoming an heir to His throne! What a long way she has come: from being an abandoned, bloody, helpless infant cast aside in a field, to a royal beauty...the very bride of Christ!
THAT is the love the Father has for us, dear one. Do you take the time to understand this love and stand strong in that throughout your day? If you are like me, you probably don't. Oh, how we both need to remind ourselves of this truth today! I pray that these graphic images would sear their way into our hearts and minds, even if they are very raw and uncomfortable in soooo many ways. You are--I am--that dirty, rejected, abandoned infant without hope...and yet, through Christ, we are made into the royal bride of Christ, loved, anointed, and utterly transformed. Fellow believer, let us walk in light of that identity today! I think we will find it will make all the difference.
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