They will burn your homes and punish you in front of many women. I will stop your prostitution and end your payments to your many lovers. [Ezekiel 16.41]
What makes a prostitute "a prostitute"?
Or, what makes prostitution "prostitution"?
A prostitute accepts payment from someone who is not their spouse for services otherwise free to their spouse.
An unfaithful person gives payment to someone who is not their spouse for services otherwise free from their spouse.
The thing that connects the prostitute and the unfaithful person is the presence of payment (money) in the absence of covenant relationship (marriage).
Today's One Year Chronological Bible reading starts off with Ezekiel giving the following message from the LORD:
“Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests? [Ezekiel 14.3]
From this indictment, God takes Ezekiel down a path that likens Israel's sin of idolatry to prostitution (Ezekiel 16). The phrase, "idols in their hearts" can be understood contextually by the likeness of payments to your many lovers.
Although the entire Old Testament speaks to the recurring problem of idolatry, we should understand that Jesus addressed that very unfaithfulness described throughout the Bible in clear terms:
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]
Throughout history, man's dependence upon anything other than God for his needs is seen as unfaithfulness. In fact, today's OYCB reading reveals God's disdain with such unfaithfulness:
And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!” [Ezekiel 15.8]
We can reverse-engineer the passage above to rightly conclude that desolation, described in detail as the curses for disobedience found in Deuteronomy 28.15-68, is caused by idolatry. Unfaithfulness is disobedience to God.
If, as Jesus pointed out, God is our source for everything we need, then, for us to seek anything we need from any source other than God is unfaithfulness - it is idolatry. The end result is that God's people will experience every curse just like those who are not God's people (the world) even though, and at the same time because, they are making payments to prostitutes for those needs.
Even though man does not recognize his man-made idols as "idols," his major industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology all fit the Biblical description of idols in every way. They all fit Ezekiel's description of prostitution in every way - most damningly so however in the exchange of money for services. If it weren't for the fact that the godless world depends on finance, insurance, medicine and technology, it "might be possible" (although highly unlikely according to the Bible) that God would endorse and use those industries to meet His people's needs. But, the fact that "God's people" and the "world" both depend on these industries for their needs to be met, means "someone" is getting their needs met outside their covenant relationship (and, it's not the world because they are not in covenant relationship)!
The undeniable "smoking gun" in the scenario above is payment. God said, "I will stop your prostitution and end your payments to your many lovers." Finance, insurance, medicine and technology cannot and will not ever be separated from payments! They exist and continue because of the exchange of money for services.
Idolatry is prostitution against God. As God promised to meet our every need, it is prostitution to seek to have those needs met elsewhere.
Father, Your Word makes it simple and clear: You demand our undivided trust in You alone. Jesus confirmed it in demanding that we give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Him. May we be found following Jesus. So be it.
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