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"Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah"

Text: Ezekiel 23:4

A PARABLE OF TWO SISTERS

Once again, the Lord resorted to using a parable to address Israel. This parable may appear to be very personal and even demeaning. But this parable nevertheless contained startling truths!

“The word of the Lord came again to me, saying:
‘Son of man, there were two women,
The daughters of one mother.
They committed harlotry in Egypt,
They committed harlotry in their youth;
Their breasts were there embraced,
Their virgin bosom was there pressed.
Their names: Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister;
They were Mine,
And they bore sons and daughters.
As for their names,
Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.'”
Ezekiel 23:1-4

1. One mother

This was a reference to Israel.

2. Two daughters

a) The elder daughter was called Oholah (sometimes spelled as “Aholah”).

i) The meaning is “her own tent”.

ii) Israel chose to erect her own tent instead of residing in the tent God gave.

iii) Samaria was the capital of the Northern kingdom of Israel.

iv) Samaria had chosen to worship the golden calves of Egypt.

v) The sin of idolatry may be traced to the time when Israel was in Egypt.

vi) Idolatry also involved sexual immorality in the ancient days.

b) Oholibah

i) This was a reference to Judah.

ii) The name also spoke of being in a tent.

iii) Jerusalem was still God’s tent when the kingdom of Israel split into two.

iv) Unfortunately, Jerusalem did not remain faithful to the Lord.

v) In time, Jerusalem also became idolatrous.