God redeems us through Jesus Christ as we stand against spiritual wickedness

Ezekiel 16:55-57

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“When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and your daughters will return to your former state.” Ezekiel 16:55

In the previous verse, we read where Sodom, Samaria, and Israel will all be in the same “boat” relating to their release from captivity to the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. After their release, they all returned to their worldly freedom. This represents every person in this world, Jewish or non-Jewish, who are freed from captivity to sin and inherit eternal life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Through Jesus Christ, we return to the former sinless state of God’s creation, like that of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before their fall. That happens when we are resurrected from the grave with a new eternal body, “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 A spiritual body does not mean ghosts, as our Lord Jesus showed, “But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a ghost. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” Luke 24:37-39 This is also described in Ezekiel 37:1-14.

“For your sister Sodom was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride, before your wickedness was uncovered. As at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria and all those around her, and of the daughters of the Philistines, who despise you everywhere.” Ezekiel 16:56-57

Nowadays, we think of a “byword” as being a description of something notorious. In the pride and wickedness of the Israelites, not a word was spoken against Sodom nor against the spiritual wickedness all around them. The Israelites were far from God, and the Ten Commandments were no longer their moral guide to be able to separate their own behavior from those around them. In fact, the Israelites became worse than Sodom, Syria, Philistia etc. The Israelites were not able to use the wickedness around them as an example of what not to be. Before the wickedness of Israel was uncovered, the Syrians and all those around Israel were disapproved of by the Israelites.

Today, the Israelis of the State of Israel are living in that same circumstance. Their pride is their Jewish culture as they refused to humble themselves to serve Jesus Christ. They live in their spiritual wickedness since turning away from the will of God for them to accept Jesus as their Savior. They are not able to rightfully criticize those of the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, etc. since they are worse than their neighbors. The Israelis are not able to speak of the need to live in the will of God, nor to speak of the need for the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ, nor to speak of the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

There was a time, before the rejection of Jesus Christ, when the Jewish people were the standard bearers of God’s word to the world around them. Through them came the Ten Commandments, thousands of years ago. Not anymore and the fury of God’s judgment is against them. Today, the Jewish people are despised by Syria, the Gaza Strip, Iran, and quite frankly everywhere around the world. Even here in America, the Jewish people are hated, with riots and protests against them on American streets and in American universities.

Before the wickedness of the Jewish people in rejecting Jesus Christ, there were many Israelites who were faithful to God. The Holy Spirit gives us examples of Israelites who believed God and changed the world by their faith. A list of their world-changing faith is found in Hebrews 11. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must be among those “…choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” Hebrews 11:25-26

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11