[Samaria] engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians–warriors clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after. She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust upon her. Therefore I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.
Her sister [Jerusalem] saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. She too lusted after the Assyrians–governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men. I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way. But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red, with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea. As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled. Ezekiel 23:5-21
Everyone knows how insane it would be for a person to look fondly upon rape or sexual assault. And yet, this is exactly what we do when we savor lustful thoughts and secret sins. Unfortunately, we have amnesia just like Samaria and Jerusalem. We forget or refuse to acknowledge the damage done to us by our sinful choices. When faced with troubles on the way to the Promised Land, the Israelites were quick to recall the good food in Egypt. Of course this meant “forgetting” the fact that they had been enslaved for 400 years to the Egyptians. How could they be so foolish? Better yet, how can we, with the benefit of biblical narrative, be so foolish? We drink too much despite remembering our promises to never again get drunk. We eat for comfort knowing full well that guilt is not far behind. We look at pornography despite knowing that it is killing our spirit.
The Spartans are well known for their warrior spirit. But did you know of their distorted worship of the human body. The town elders would throw infant boys off cliffs if they did not meet certain health standards. At the age of seven, those that were allowed to live would be taken from their homes to be “trained” as warriors. This training was little more than severe emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Despite this abuse, each generation of warriors passed on the same abuse to others as if it were good. Even in the end, when the last of the Spartans knew they faced death in the morning, they could do nothing more than celebrate their bodies and wait for death.
Satan’s only power is to make garbage look appetizing. His job is to deceive, to produce counterfeits to make you think that something destructive is good. The book of Revelation depicts sin as a prostitute dressed in beautiful clothes and with gems. She carries a bejeweled goblet. At first (and maybe second) glance, she looks enticing. However, John gets close enough to see inside the goblet. It contains all the abominations of the world. Enough to make you sick to your stomach! Yet we go back because we fail to remember the truth and to repeat it to ourselves. Instead, we repeat lies that masquerade as sweet nothings in hopes that our fantasies would come true. In one episode of the Simpson’s, Homer offers a wonderful illustration of this foolish approach to life. He refuses to stop eating a sandwich that is clearly making him sick. Though he turns green, he returns to it as soon as he has strength. “Hmmmm, sandwich.”
As a counselor, I see the consequences of infidelity, of drug abuse, of bitterness, of fear. Yet, I frequently consider the delicacies of stolen goods, of cultivating jealousy, of giving into fear. Without the voice of the Spirit and the community of believers, I too can believe that what is evil and distorted is tasty and worth pursuing. God help us one and all!
Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?
Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?
So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife. Proverbs 6:27-29a
Musings on Faith and Psychology 
Wow..beautiful and challenging words that I needed to hear.
I am reading this entry at the end of a rough week…one filled with battling my own sinful desires and dealing with the death of a Christian friend resulting from her sinful, addictive desires. How can garbage seem so appetizing? To one who has grown up with a steady diet of it, and seen the devastating sequelae, how can it be that the tastebuds long for what is poisonous? Our dog literally ate his vomit the other day… and as I retch at the thought, the truth is, am I much better? Without a steady diet change to the Word…and the restraining power of the Holy Spirit…I am no better. But shouldn’t even the smell of the vomit (or garbage) be enough to send me running??
Barb, sorry to hear about your week and your grief. Its a good question why we easily for get what vomit tastes like. I’m reading The Magician’s Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia) to my boys. There are some excellent examples of such in the book. Uncle Andrew is frightened and wants to get away from an evil witch. And yet, when he does, he begins to romanticize her after he gets away. But near the end, when Digory has to go into the gardent to pick an apple (sent on the mission by Aslan to go back to the garden like Eden), the sign on the gates says, “Come in by the gold gates or nota at all, Take of my fruit for others or forbear. For those who steal or those who climb my wall shall find their heart’s desire and find despair.” That’s why we come back to the vomit. We find our heart’s desire, but despair in how little we actually desire.