Have you ever been in a rut where things are constantly going wrong and it seems like the whole world is against you. Maybe it is your relationships that is to blame.
- Discovering relationship killers
— We can loose connection with God through sin
The Glory departs from the temple:
Ez. 10:4:: the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’s glory.
Ez. 10:18:: the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim.
Ez. 11:23:: the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.
The idea here is the charriot of God contains his throne above the charriot and is driven by cherubim and the wheels within a wheel. The glory here departs from the temple yet pauses over the threshold for a time before departing from the threshold. One might assume the glory being over the cherubim as that it went to the throne of God. But why did the glory of God depart the temple?
In chapter 11 we are told Ezekiel gains vision of 25 men by the door of the east gate.
Ez. 11:2:: Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel in this city
Ezekiel saw idolatry, sexual immorality, and social injustices like oppressing the poor and mistreating widows and orphans. He also witnessed the worship of foreign gods, women weeping for the god Tammuz, men worshiping the sun, and the construction of altars to false deities within the temple
— Divorce is not final but it is often violent
God gave Israel a bill of divorcement:
I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also (Jeremiah 3:18)
Yet in verse 12 God says ‘Return backsliding Israel’ and again in verse 18:
“Return, O backsliding children,” says the LORD; “for I am married to you (Jeremiah 3:14)
Judah is called treacherous in verses 8 & 10. She is compared to Israel and deemed worse because she only returned to the LORD in pretense. Religion can create as false sense of relationship. We pretend to be faithful thru ceremonies and false proclomations. It it the heart of man that the LORD seeks.
All God asks is that you admit your iniquity, your pagan worship of strangers by presentation of charms under every green tree (vs. 13). The hebrew does not really say charm but rather favors. This could include many things including sexual intercourse. The bible many times equates spiritual harlotry to pagan practices.
If Israel was to return to Jehovah then God was willing to take them back. Likewise, when we return to the Lord he wants to take us back. This is so simple, yet profound.
the LORD God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence (Mal. 2:16)
The book of Malachi was probably written during the Persian empire, after Israel was taken to Babylon, after Zerubbabel returned with a group and also Ezra a much smaller group and about the time Nehemiah returned to rebuild the walls. History suggests this as about the time of the third wave of deportees returning after Zerubbabel around 538 BC and Ezra in 458 BC. The third wave shows God’s divorcement was not final but was to be reconciled after many years of seperation.
For Judah has profaned the LORD’s holy institution which He loves: he has married the daughter of a foreign god (Mal. 2:11b)
It is spiritual adultery the Lord speaks about mainly in Jeremiah and Malachi. For the LORD is your husband, even the husband of your youth. Yet when your allegience goes to another it is considered spiritual harlotry, even adultery, by the LORD.
Violence comes about as a result of divorce. When the children of Israel and Judah were send away to foreign lands there was forced displacement. Many were hurt or even killed during this exodus. In America you might remember what is called the Trail of Tears that the Cherokee Indians experienced in relocation from the Appalacian Mountains to what is Oklahoma today. Many died during the forced displacement of sickness, disease, and fatigue. In more recent years forced displacement have been violent like the Jews from Gaza in 2005-2006 and Palestinians within Gaza during the last few years. Even in a civil divorce today many times children get displaced and violence erupts when a family is broken apart. Violence can result in trauma, especially with young children.
With the LORD however, divorce is not the end. He is the God of reconciliation.
God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19).
So whatever you have done, whether actual pagan worship with idols and trees or worshipped the world and all that is within it, you can come back to God for he is ready to receive you back. Divorce is not final with God but other things can hurt or destroy short of cutting off all communication.
— Things that hamper or impede relationship
When it comes to the LORD then He is a jealous God. He wants us to have no idols in our lives that hinder pure devotion and relationshp with him. But there are many things that can halt progressing further in a relationship and even strain the relationshp to the breaking point. Remember, if Israel could receive a divorce then we are no different.
I like the NLT here because it says ‘can anything’:
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (Rom. 8:35 NLT)
Why is that important? The ‘who can seperate us’ translation obviously has one major flaw! Relationship is two-way. If we seperated ourselves from Christ’s love then the relationshp is only one direction. A list a few verses later might include the who which is to include angels and principalities and powers:
I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38-39).
What we have to conquor is the flesh. That is self. Even angels cannot seperate us from his love, and that includes the Devil! I still maintain that one I can seperate myself from God’s love in Christ our Messiah. Yet let’s look at the end of Eli’s tenure as high priest. It says in…
1 Sam. 3:1:: the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.
If we go back to the 2nd chapter we can see a clue why there was no great revelation. Eli’s sons were wicked and the Lord had already seen a replacement for Eli’s line through young Samuel.
In this case the love of God today Eli’s family was cut off. Another was to take his place. Just as Judas betrayed Yeshua, so will another take his place. So we can end God’s love for our family just as Eli honored his sons more that the LORD (1 Sam. 2:29). This seems counter-intuitive to the Christian message: God’s love never ceases. How about some old testament verses relating to this idea:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;his mercies never come to an end (Lam. 3:22)
For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed (Isaiah 54:10)
Consider this idea. Did God ever cease loving Yeshua? If not then why did he have to die a cruel death on the cross? Then could not our death, even the death of our plans and dreams be a part of his greater plan? There have been an estimated 70 million martyrs in the Christian faith. Hopni and Phineas, Eli’s sons were cut off but God had another plan. God can cut off your children too. Hopefully not your biological or adopted children, but children you have had in you planning and dreams.
So in a nutshell, continued sin in the area of your children (plans) might come about if you permit sin to reign in your family (career/lifestyle). The sons of Eli would do three detestible things at Shiloh:
1 – They lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
2 – They would put a fork into a still boiling sacrifice to take whatever they wanted.
3 – They would take meat for roasting before burning off the fat
Having sexual relations with woman who came to offer sacrifice is unlawful. This is like a priest or preacher asking someone’s wife or a virgin member for sex to offer up religious ceremonies. We should only be having sex with the wife of our youth (Prov. 5:18), that way our love life will be blessed. One man, one woman (1 Tim. 3:2 and Titus 1:6). Woman who come to the temple, or for that matter who attend church, are not open game for the leaders of the facility. This can lead to all sorts of problems, not to mention sexually transmitted diseases.
The idea of thrusting your fork into a boiling pot of meat (for like a peace offering or a tresspass and sin offering: Ez. 46:20) circumventes the proper order of which priests eat the sacrifice. Going first as youth is somewhat like what was happening in Corinth with some not waiting for all to gather and then to consume the Lord’s supper. It says in 1 Cor. 11:30 that because of this ‘some are weak and sick among you, and many sleep (die)’. This is also a very selfish act, putting our needs ahead of our seniors and those who have oversight over our development. The priests family did get to enjoy the meal together at a communal meal. Perhaps Eli had completely abandoned patriarchial duties as high priest by this point in time.
It might be a stretch, but there is a Gemara about a prophet called Zechariah who lived at the time of the destruction of the first temple. In this story the prophet’s blood was found boiling. Could it also be possible that Eli’s sons never drained the blood before boiling? There is no inkling of this in the story but they are called Sons of Beliel. Pagans did at times drink blood.
Fat was to be burned off before the offering not consumed (also the blood drained per Deut 12 & Lev. 17). Eli’s children consumed fat. I understand that is often the tastiest’ part of a steak/stew. But it was against God’s divine order. Ok, I’m not trying to say eating a steak with some fat on it is an abomination in God’s sight. But it was a divine ordinance at the time of Eli to not do that. It was a very selfish act and improper. We can get God’s divine order through his teachings, both those of the Old Covenent and that as explained by Christ himself. Fat itself can represent abundance and plenty but also excess and indulgence. There is a fine line between having an abundance from the Lord and having an abundance apart from the Lord. You have probably heard the expression ‘keeping up with the Jones’. This can lead to coveting and indulgence. For such were the sons of Eli.
The bible is also clear about unrighteous behavior and works of the flesh keeping us from seeing the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9 & Gal. 5:19-21). I won’t go to the idea that these things will keep you from heaven, which is possible. What I will say here is that the kingdom of heaven is here, it is within you (Luke 17:21). When you continually violate God’s laws and his ways there are repercussions. Our relationship with the Divine is cut off. It may not even be a willful thing. It might even be from ignorance.
So eating the flesh and drink the blood of Christ was unlawful for any person to do; blood was to be drained off first and only priests at the properly prepared meat. No wonder many abandoned Christ after he spoke figuratively about doing this very thing (John 6:53). His blood has life for life is in the blood. His flesh is the divine sacrifice: properly prepared and eaten in a communal setting.
What form of worship do you give to pagan dieties unknowlingly. Do you worship money, fame, power, or some form of pagan entity? Return to God and he will take you back, oh forsaken spouse. Don’t leave it to your posterity to be reconciled.
Let me leave you on a high point: The believers triumphed over Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony (Rev. 12:11). Let us speak life (l’chaim) and l’chaim more abundantly.
Sources:
https://www.thetorah.com/article/ezekiels-vision-of-god-and-the-chariot
https://steinsaltz.org/daf/sanhedrin96/
https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/SacrificeandtheOldTestament#section3.1