Ezekiel 22:1-5: a reflection

1Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying, 2“You, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city? Then cause her to know all her abominations. 3You shall say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “A city that sheds blood within herself, that her time may come, and that makes idols against herself to defile her! 4You have become guilty in your blood that you have shed, and are defiled in your idols which you have made! You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mocking to all the countries. 5Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you infamous one, full of tumult.

The word of the LORD comes against Jerusalem, naming two kinds of defilement that had brought it to reckoning: A city that sheds blood within herself, and that makes idols against herself to defile her. Two categories of sin are named: the shedding of blood, wrong against people, and the making of idols, wrong against God. Both defiled the city; sin against neighbor and sin against God alike brought guilt. The city was called to know its abominations, to face honestly the wrongs, against people and against God, that had defiled it.

Notice the two kinds of wrong named, and the call to reckon honestly with them. The city had sinned against people, shedding blood, and against God, making idols; both defiled it, and both were to be honestly faced. Sin is not only against God in worship, nor only against people in conduct; both dimensions defile, and both must be reckoned with. The city was called to know all her abominations, to face them honestly rather than hiding from them. There was no facing the one dimension while ignoring the other; both the wrongs against God and the wrongs against neighbor defiled and required honest reckoning.

That is worth taking to heart, for our sins against others and against God alike defile us, and both call for honest reckoning. We can attend to one dimension while ignoring the other, careful about our worship while careless toward people, or ethical toward people while neglecting God; but both wrongs against God and wrongs against neighbor defile us, as they defiled the city. Both require honest reckoning, not hiding from them. Do not attend to your duty toward God while neglecting your conduct toward people, or the reverse; both defile, and both call for honest reckoning. Reckon honestly with your sins against both God and neighbor, not hiding from either, as the city was called to know all its abominations, both the blood it shed and the idols it made; for wrongs against people and wrongs against God alike defile us, and a true reckoning faces both rather than attending to one while ignoring the other.

Lord, the word of the LORD comes against Jerusalem, naming two kinds of defilement that had brought it to reckoning: a city that sheds blood within herself, and that makes idols against herself to defile her. Two categories of sin are named: the shedding of blood, wrong against people, and the making of idols, wrong against you. Both defiled the city; sin against neighbor and sin against you alike brought guilt. The city was called to know its abominations, to face honestly the wrongs that had defiled it. Show me the two kinds of wrong named, and the call to reckon honestly with them. The city had sinned against people and against you; both defiled it, and both were to be honestly faced. Sin is not only against you in worship, nor only against people in conduct; both dimensions defile. The city was called to know all her abominations, to face them honestly rather than hiding. There was no facing the one dimension while ignoring the other. Take that to my heart, for my sins against others and against you alike defile me, and both call for honest reckoning. I can attend to one dimension while ignoring the other, careful about my worship while careless toward people, or ethical toward people while neglecting you; but both defile me. Keep me from attending to my duty toward you while neglecting my conduct toward people, or the reverse; both defile, Lord. Help me reckon honestly with my sins against both you and neighbor, not hiding from either, as the city was called to know all its abominations.