The Pattern
Thank you for continuing on our journey through Ezekiel. Today, we read chapters 14–16. In 1849, French author Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote, “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”—“The more things change, the more they remain the same”. Yogi Berra put it differently: “It’s déjà vu all over again.” (1)(2)

I grew up in the 1960s, and after the “summer of love” and Woodstock, I entered my teenage years in the 1970s. Free love and experimentation were our calling cards. We thought we were pushing the limits, living in freedom. Now I look around and see where it all led—and I would feel shame for starting a revolution that should never have begun. But I don’t. This is a pattern we’ve seen throughout history, long before Ezekiel wrote these words about the people of Judah.

There’s a cyclical rhythm to human rebellion:
Bondage → Faith → Courage → Liberty → Abundance → Complacency → Apathy → Dependence → Bondage again (3)
It doesn’t follow a fixed timeline—just like a “100-year flood,” which has a 1% chance of occurring in any year. In places like Passau, Germany, such floods have occurred as frequently as every 37 years or as rarely as every 192. The pattern repeats, even if the intervals vary.(4)(5)
Adultery of Nations
When we read about the lewdness and nakedness of Judah in Ezekiel 16, we’re reading an analogy. Their “prostitution” was not just sexual—it was political and spiritual. They sought alliances with Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon instead of relying on God (Ezekiel 16:26–29).

Art and literature reflect this pattern. Homer’s epics wrestle with moral failure. Socrates, in 5th-century BCE Athens, railed against relativism and moral decay. France in the late 18th century, Victorian England a century later—each saw moral decline masked by cultural brilliance (6)(7)(8).

And Pompeii? My former brother-in-law once showed me photos from the ruins, uncovered after Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Erotic art and indulgent lifestyles characterized the city. It wasn’t new. Nor was it unique to Ezekiel’s day. (9)
God’s Limits
What we often see—like with Pompeii—is that God will not tolerate sin forever. Just as Weimar Germany’s cultural liberation preceded the rise of fascism and WWII, and just as Rome’s bread-and-circuses culture preceded its collapse, there is always a period of divine patience. But when repentance doesn’t come, judgment does. (10) (11)
“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!’” — Ezekiel 14:6, NIV
Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were present, they could only save themselves (Ezekiel 14:14). Ezekiel knew many he loved would perish. It was heartbreaking—but it was just.
Salvation Is Personal
As a preacher, I’ve had the privilege of leading people to Christ. But I cannot save anyone. Only Jesus can. He will not save people because they attend church or tithe. You can wear all the “I heart Jesus” shirts you want and slap a fish emblem on your Toyota—it won’t save you (Ezekiel 16:52–53).

Jesus offers salvation to anyone who repents and places their faith in Him. But it’s not a decision someone else can make for you. Repentance means turning from sin and turning to Christ. Our greatest sin? Worshiping ourselves. We decide what’s true for us. That’s a fallacy perpetuated by celebrities like Taylor Swift, who promote self-defined morality. (12)

But if Jesus is Lord, He must rule. He wrote His commands down—and He writes them on our hearts. He knows whether we mean it (Ezekiel 14:3).
The Spirit Is Willing
Are you ready to forsake the sins that separate you from God? Is your heart willing, but your flesh weak? (Matthew 26:41). You’re on the right path. If you ask Him, He will give you the gift of faithfulness (Galatians 5:25)—the strength to overcome your flesh and surrender to Him.
Tomorrow, we will read Ezekiel 17-20.
Bibliography

Karr, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse. Les Guêpes. Paris: 1849.

Berra, Yogi. The Yogi Book: “I Really Didn’t Say Everything I Said!” New York: Workman Publishing, 1998.

Barton, David. The Cycle of Nations. Aledo, TX: Wall Builders Press, 2008.

U.S. Geological Survey. “Floods and Recurrence Intervals.” Accessed August 21, 2025. https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/floods-and-recurrence-intervals.

Wikipedia contributors. “100-Year Flood.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last modified August 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100-year_flood.

David, Jacques-Louis. The Death of Marat, 1793. Oil on canvas. Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels.

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. London: Ward, Lock & Co., 1890.

Plato. Republic. Translated by G.M.A. Grube. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 1992.

Beard, Mary. Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town. London: Profile Books, 2008.

Evans, Richard J. The Coming of the Third Reich. New York: Penguin Books, 2003.

Gibbon, Edward. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: Strahan & Cadell, 1776.

The Guardian. “Taylor Swift’s Political Activism.” Last modified July 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jul/17/taylor-swift-political-activism.