Ezekiel 16:20-29: a reflection

20“‘“Moreover you have taken your sons and your daughters, whom you have borne to me, and you have sacrificed these to them to be devoured. Was your prostitution a small matter, 21that you have slain my children and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire to them? 22In all your abominations and your prostitution you have not remembered the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, and were wallowing in your blood. 23“‘“It has happened after all your wickedness—woe, woe to you!” says the Lord GOD— 24“that you have built for yourselves a vaulted place, and have made yourselves a lofty place in every street. 25You have built your lofty place at the head of every way, and have made your beauty an abomination, and have opened your feet to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your prostitution. 26You have also committed sexual immorality with the Egyptians, your neighbors, great of flesh; and have multiplied your prostitution, to provoke me to anger. 27See therefore, I have stretched out my hand over you, and have diminished your portion, and delivered you to the will of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd way. 28You have played the prostitute also with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; yes, you have played the prostitute with them, and yet you weren’t satisfied. 29You have moreover multiplied your prostitution to the land of merchants, to Chaldea; and yet you weren’t satisfied with this.

In a searching indictment of his people's unfaithfulness, God names a striking futility in their pursuit of idols and false loves: again and again, they chased after them, and yet you weren't satisfied. They multiplied their pursuits, turning from one to another, insatiable; and still they were not satisfied. The pursuit of these things could not fill them; the more they chased, the emptier they remained. Their idolatry was not only wrong but futile, an insatiable chasing after what could never satisfy the soul, leaving them always wanting more and never filled.

Notice the insatiable emptiness of the pursuit: they were never satisfied. They chased after their idols and false loves, and multiplied the chase, turning from one to another; but none of it satisfied them. The more they pursued, the emptier they remained; their appetite was never filled, only inflamed. This is the futility of chasing what cannot satisfy the soul: it never fills, only leaves us wanting more. The soul made for God is not satisfied by idols and false loves, however many we chase; the pursuit is insatiable precisely because these things cannot fill the emptiness only God can fill. They chased and chased, and were never satisfied.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can chase after what can never satisfy the soul, and be left always wanting. We can pursue things, pleasures, possessions, achievements, loves, hoping they will satisfy us, and find that they never do; the more we chase, the emptier we remain, insatiable, as those who chased their idols and were never satisfied. The soul made for God is not filled by these; only God can satisfy the deepest emptiness. Do not chase after what can never satisfy your soul, multiplying pursuits that leave you always wanting; only God can fill the emptiness these things cannot. Turn from the insatiable chasing of what can never satisfy your soul, and seek the God who alone can fill the deep emptiness, as those who chased their idols were never satisfied; for the soul made for God is not filled by lesser things, however many we pursue, and only in God does the insatiable chasing find rest and the deep emptiness find its satisfaction.

Lord, in a searching indictment of your people's unfaithfulness, you name a striking futility in their pursuit of idols and false loves: again and again, they chased after them, and yet you weren't satisfied. They multiplied their pursuits, turning from one to another, insatiable; and still they were not satisfied. The pursuit of these things could not fill them; the more they chased, the emptier they remained. Their idolatry was not only wrong but futile, an insatiable chasing after what could never satisfy the soul. Show me the insatiable emptiness of the pursuit: they were never satisfied. They chased after their idols and false loves, and multiplied the chase; but none of it satisfied them. The more they pursued, the emptier they remained; their appetite was never filled, only inflamed. This is the futility of chasing what cannot satisfy the soul: it never fills, only leaves us wanting more. The soul made for you is not satisfied by idols and false loves, however many we chase. Take that to my heart, for I too can chase after what can never satisfy my soul, and be left always wanting. I can pursue things, pleasures, possessions, achievements, loves, hoping they will satisfy me, and find that they never do; the more I chase, the emptier I remain. Only you can satisfy the deepest emptiness. Keep me from chasing after what can never satisfy my soul, multiplying pursuits that leave me always wanting; help me turn from the insatiable chasing and seek you, Lord, who alone can fill the deep emptiness these things cannot.