Unfortunately, the actual condition of Israel was very poor. If we read the long record in Ezekiel from chapter two to chapter twenty-four, we may feel like weeping over Israel’s pitiful condition.
The people of Israel were God’s elect, but they became rebels against God. Many times in these twenty-three chapters God said that Israel was a rebellious nation, a rebellious house. In 2:3 the Lord said to Ezekiel, “Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me.” In verses 5 and 6 God referred to them as “a rebellious house,” and in verse 7 He said that “they are most rebellious.” They were God’s elect, but they had become rebels against God.
The people of Israel were God’s vine, but they became briars and thorns (2:6). A vine should produce grapes as fruit to eat and for making wine. Instead of producing grapes, Israel became briars and thorns. They became a pricking, injuring, and damaging plant which yielded no fruit and no wine. God’s elect became rebels, and God’s vine became briars and thorns.
Moreover, although the people of Israel were God’s bride, they became a harlot. They had a “whorish heart” and they went “a whoring after their idols” (6:9). What a miserable situation! In chapters sixteen and twenty-three God said that His heart was broken because of their whorish heart. As a dear Husband, God was grieved because His people had become a whorish wife.
According to the record in Ezekiel, what became of Israel as God’s flock? In 2:6 we see that God’s flock became scorpions. As God’s flock they should have been sheep producing meat to nourish people and wool to warm people. But they became scorpions, and with scorpions there is no producing, only stinging.
Ezekiel 22:18 says, “Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.” This reveals that Israel, God’s precious treasure, had become dross, the waste material that remains after gold and silver have been refined. As God’s elect, they became rebels; as God’s vine, they became briars and thorns; as God’s bride, they became a harlot; as God’s flock, they became scorpions; and as God’s treasure of gold and silver, they became dross.
This picture of Israel can be applied to the situation of today’s Christianity. In their standing Christians are God’s elect, but many have become rebels against God. Instead of being a vine, they have become briars and thorns. Instead of being a wife, they have become a harlot. According to Revelation 17 and 18 today’s Christianity is not a bride but a great harlot with many daughter harlots. Thus, today’s Christianity is altogether a whoredom. Moreover, among Christians what we see today is not a flock producing meat and wool for others but stinging scorpions. Finally, although some Christians today may be a treasure to God, most have become dross.