"Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered through the countries. Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, and by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols; they will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them (Ezekiel 6:8-10)."
Adultery is a sin that is terribly painful to bear. For example, adultery breaks the heart of the innocent wife whose trust in her unfaithful husband has been completely shattered. When the husband who has been unfaithful to his wedding vows acknowledges the sin he has done, his heart is wrecked with the guilt over the terrible wrong he has committed. Adultery is a heartbreaking sin!
Furthermore, the innocent spouse struggles with rage at what has been done to them. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon describes the rage of a husband whose wife has committed adultery: “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor, he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. For jealousy is a husband's fury; therefore, he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts” (Proverbs 6:32-35).
As the opening verses above indicate, God uses the pain caused by the sin of adultery to describe the pain He felt because of Israel’s sin against Him (Ezekiel 6:8-10). As a faithful husband, God had loved Israel, nourished her, and provided for her every need. He had delivered her from Egyptian bondage and provided for her a beautiful home in the Promised Land. However, Israel had forsaken her relationship with God and committed adultery by worshipping the idols of the other nations.
God describes for us the pain He felt because of this. The Lord states “…I was crushed by their adulterous heart” (Ezekiel 6:9). God’s heart was broken over the pain Israel brought upon Him by breaking her covenant with Him. Like a husband whose wife had turned to another lover, God becomes filled with wrath and would bring great calamity upon Israel: “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Pound your fists and stamp your feet, and say, “Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! For they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. He who is far off shall die by the pestilence, he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged shall die by the famine. Thus will I spend My fury upon them” ’ ” (Ezekiel 6:11-12).
We often think of our pain when others hurt us. Sometimes we even think of the pain we cause other people, but how often do we think of the pain we cause God because of our sin? In Ezekiel, God describes how He is “crushed by their adulterous heart” (Ezekiel 6:8) when His children forsake Him.
Today, I do not want to cause God pain because of my sin. God understands my struggle with sin and will faithfully forgive me when I turn back to Him in repentance (1 John 1:7-9). God does not demand perfection from me, but like a spouse He does expect me to be faithful to Him. I rejoice that God is always faithful to His commitments to me. He will never forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). Today, I will strive to remain faithful to Him!
“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelations 2:10).