The Hateful OT God... really?

I know this looks like a long post, but it's really not.

It's just a lot of verses that I wanted to share. I'm only going to say a little. So don't be afraid that when you start reading this blog that I'm rambling on and on. I'm not... just listen.

So I'm reading the One Year Bible. I'm in Ezekiel. Most of the time when people are reading through the Old Testament (OT) the image of God they begin to perceive is a hateful and vengeful God that just wants to kill everyone. Rem

ember, what you are reading was not written TO you. It was written TO God's chosen people of the OT. So unfortunately for us today, there is not as much detail we would like. Detail like... "What the heck did God's people do to incredibly piss Him off so bad?!?"

Well... if you read long enough you will find a great explanation of why God was so wrathful. Like this beautiful simile that God gave Ezekiel to share with his people, Jerusalem. A simile of how God's people have treated Him.

I'm beginning in Ezekiel chapter 16, in the middle of verse 8 through verse 43, then verses 60-63. I KNOW IT'S LONG! But please read it! And let me know what you think!

And remember... God is giving a simile of Jerusalem's waywardness.

God begins the chapter by

describing Jerusalem as a new-born infant left in a field to die, who nobody wanted. God found her (Jerusalem), brought her in, raised her to health, and made her is own...

"...I took care of you, dressed you and protected you. I promised you my love and entered the covenant of marriage with you. I, God, th

e Master

, gave my word. You became mine. 9 I gave you a good bath, washing off all that old blood, and anointed you with aromatic oils.

10 I dressed you in a colorful gown and put leather sandals on your feet. I gave you linen blouses and a fashionable wardrobe of expensive clothing. 11 I adorned you with jewelry: I placed bracelets on your wrists, fitted you out with a necklace, 12 emerald rings, sapphire earrings, and a diamond tia

ra. 13 You were provided with everything precious and beautiful: with exquisite clothes and elegant food, garnished with honey

and oil. You were absolutely stunning. You were a queen! 14 You became world-famous, a legendary beauty brought to perfection by my adornments. Decree of God, the Master.

15 "'But your beauty went to your head and you became a common whore, grabbing anyone coming down the street and taking him into your bed.

16 You took your fine dresses and made "tents" of them, using them as brothels in which you practiced your trade. This kind of thing should never happen, never. What a Sick Soul! 17 "'And then you took all that fine jewelry I gave you, my gold and my silver, and made pornographic images of them for your brothels.18 You decorated your beds with fashionable silks and cottons, and perfumed them with my aromatic oils and incense. 19 And then you set out the wonderful foods I provided - the fresh breads and fruits, with fine herbs and spices, which were my gifts to you - and you served them as delicacies in your whorehouses. That's what happened, says God, the

Master. 20 "'And then you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had given birth to as my children, and you killed them, sacrificing them to idols. Wasn't it bad enough that you had become a whore? 21 And now you're a murderer, killing my children and sacrificing them to

idols. 22 "'Not once during these years of outrageous obscenities and whorings did you remember your infancy, when you were naked and exposed, a blood-smeared newborn. 23 "'And then to top off all your evil acts, you built your bold brothels in every town square. Doom! Doom to you, says God, the Master! 24 At every major intersection you built your bold brothels and exposed your sluttish sex, spreading your legs for everyone who passed by. 25 "'And then you went international with your whoring. 26 You fornicated with the Egyptians, seeking them out in their sex orgies. The more promiscuous you became, the angrier I got.

27 Finally, I intervened, reduced your borders and turned you over to the rapacity of your enemies. Even the Philistine women - can y

ou believe it? - were shocked at your sluttish life. 28 "'You went on to fornicate with the Assyrians. Your appetite was insatiable. But still you weren't satisfied. 29 You took on the Babylonians, a country of businessmen, and still you weren't satisfied. 30 "'What a sick soul! Doing all this stuff - the champion whore! 31 You built your bold brothels at every major intersection, opened up your whorehouses in every neighborhood, but you were different from regular whores in that you wouldn't accept a fee. 32 "'Wives who are unfaithful to their husbands accept gifts from their lovers. 33 And men commonly pay their whores. But you pay your lovers! You bribe men from all over to come to bed with you! 34 You're just the opposite of the regular whores who get paid for sex. Instead, you pay men for their favors! You even pervert whoredom!

35 "'Therefore, whore, listen to God's Message: 36 I, God, the Master, say, Because you've been unrestrained in your promiscuity, stripped down for every lover, flaunting your sex, and because of your pornographic idols and all the slaughtered children you offered to them, 37 therefore, because of all this, I'm going to get all your lovers together, all those you've used for your own pleasure, the ones you loved and the ones you loathed. I'll assemble them as a courtroom of spectators around you. In broad daylight I'll strip you naked before them - they'll see what you really look like. 38 Then I'll sentence you to the punishment for an adulterous woman and a murderous woman. I'll give you a taste of my wrath! 39 "'I'll gather all your lovers around you and turn you over to them. They'll tear down your bold brothels and sex shrines. They'll rip off your clothes, take your jewels, and leave you naked and exposed. Then 40 they'll call for a mass meeting. The mob will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. 41 They'll burn down your houses. A massive judgment - with all the women watching! 42 By then my anger will be played out. My jealousy will subside. 43 "'Because you didn't remember what happened when you were young but made me angry with all this behavior, I'll make you pay for your waywardness...

60 All the same, I'll remember the covenant I made with you when you were young and I'll make a new covenant with you that will last forever. 61 You'll remember your sorry past and be properly contrite when you receive back your sisters, both the older and the younger. I'll give them to you as daughters, but not as participants in your covenant.

62 I'll firmly establish my covenant with you and you'll know that I am God.

63 You'll remember your past life and face the shame of it, but when I make atonement for you,

make everything right after

all you've done, it will leave you

speechless.'" Decree of God, the Master