If someone asked you, "What's your favorite book of the Bible?" your first answer would probably not be "Ezekiel!" But in Ezekiel 16, I stumbled upon a message that left me in worship.

It's a story about a baby girl from a foreign, godless nation, who is thrown out into the field, squirming in her blood, left to die. But God comes along, cuts her umbilical cord, washes off the blood, nurtures her to health, and when the child comes of age, marries her, dresses her in beautiful apparel, adorns her with rich jewelry, advances her to royalty, and makes her famous (Eze 16:1-14).

This little child is Israel. She too came from foreign nations. Before Israel became a nation, she had to come from somewhere, and that somewhere was from Canaanites who practiced child sacrifice and other abominations I wouldn't type here (Eze 16:3). But so true to His nature, God loved her anyways, and said, "Live! Live!" (Eze 16:6). God multiplied her into a great nation during her time in Egypt (Eze 16:6-7), spread His skirt over her (a vernacular for marriage, Eze 16:8) which happened when He delivered her from Egypt and made a covenant with her at Mt. Sinai (Exo 19), made her wealthy as He grew her into a mighty nation (Eze 16:9-13), and made her famous among the nations under King David and Solomon (Eze 16:14). 

But the story does not end in happily ever after. God says, "But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by who might be willing" (Eze 16:15). Israel went from pure bride to hooker harlot. Like a man who cares for and commits to his wife, God committed Himself unconditionally to Israel. But like a wife who turns against her husband and sells her body to every man available, Israel committed spiritual adultery by worshipping other gods. 

The very nations whose gods Israel served, God turned against her and used to bring her into exile as punishment for her unfaithfulness (Eze 16:35-43).

Stepping back I cannot ignore the lesson in this text: when one trusts the gift instead of the Giver, all righteousness crumbles. "But you trusted in your beauty" says God (Eze 16:15). The very beauty God granted her became her god and greased the chute to her downfall. Did not mighty and gorgeous Lucifer do the same? 

But this is not just an ancient text of long ago. Its lesson sits right here. It is seductively easy to trust our money, spiritual gifts, family, fame, occupation, education, health, or social networks instead of God who gave us these blessings. The moment these gifts become our identity instead of the Giver of those gifts, we have broken the first two of the Ten Commandments and have committed spiritual adultery. 

But God's amazing love is not conditioned by our performance. He did not leave Israel in exile. When she humbled herself and repented of her adultery, He brought her back home, restored her to her land, and through her, brought forth Jesus Christ, the Messiah. On the cross, Jesus drank the cup of judgment that should have passed to our lips. On the cross, He who never turned against God was punished as if He was the spiritual adulterer. He who is most beautiful and perfect became hideously ugly for us. 

But how does one find his idol? That thing that keeps you anxious. That thing that keep you falling. That thing that consumes your thoughts or ambitions. That thing that distracts you from whole-hearted devotion to God. That's your idol. But when Jesus Christ becomes your one passion and pleasure, all gifts He grants you become tools of worship instead of pits of idolatry. Fellow idolater, admit your idol, grind it to powder (Ex 32:20), receive God's gift of forgiveness made possible by Jesus' death, and be restored to the One who loves you unconditionally.