okay ... finally have a minute ... this is the first part ... i anticipate, maybe, 3 posts ... have to lay the foundation first ... so this first part is picturing how Israel spiritually and literally before they became two houses ...
and the houses of Israel ...
Zechariah 4:3 ... the candlestick and the olive tree ... And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
two ... always represents witness in every place in scripture it is used ... more than one olive tree ...
Revelation 11:4 ... These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Psalm 52:8 ... But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
the two houses of Israel ...
Jeremiah 11:16 ... the broken covenant ... The Lord called thy name, a green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.
Jeremiah 11:9,10 ... And the Lord said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem ... They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel AND the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their forefathers.
note: BOTH houses broke the covenant ...
Ezekiel 22:25 ... the sins of Jerusalem ... the sins of the priests, the princes, and the prophets ... There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls, they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
Ezekiel 20:5 ... the history of the rebellious Israel ... And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, , and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up my hand to them saying, I am the Lord your God.
He is who He is...
comment: the seed of the house of Jacob ... ALL twelve tribes ...
Ezekiel 20:10-13 ... Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgements, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. Moreover I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes and they despised my judgements, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
comment: spoken to all twelve tribes ... the house of Israel ... not yet two houses ... Judah and Jacob ... not one house, but both houses ... ALL the tribes were in the wilderness brought out from Egypt ... not just the house of Judah ... and not just the house of Jacob ...
Exodus 20:18 ... But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgements, nor defile yourselves with idols:
comment: ... fathers ... the fathers of each house ... Judah and Jacob ... still one house ...
Ezekiel 20:21 ... Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgements to do them, which if a man do, he shall live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then said I, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
comment: again, ALL twelve tribes ...
Ezekiel 20:24-29 ... Because they had not executed my judgements, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgements whereby they should not live; And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord. Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Yet in this your fathers blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me. For when I had brought them into their land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered them their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savor, and poured out their drink offerings. Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Ba'-mah unto this day.
high places = place of worship of idols ... they stood for Satan ... not God ... pagan shrine ...
Ba'-mah = Bannah -Baal i.e. Baal worshipper ...
Joshua 13:17 ... inheritances east of Jordan ... Hesh'bon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Di'-bon, and Ba'mothba'al, and Beth-ba'-al-me'-on,
comment: the high places of Baal, and the high places of Ba'al-meon
Numbers 32:38 ... Reuben and Gad inherit east of Jordan ... And Nebo, and Ba'al-me'on, (their names being changed,) and Shib'-mah: and gave other names unto the cities they builded. ... see verse 3 ...
Isaiah 46:1 ... the power of the Lord and the weakness of idols ... Bel boweth down, Ne'-bo stoopeth their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast. ... see Jer 50:2, Jer 10:5
Ezekiel 20:30 ... Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after abominations?
comment: STILL speaking to ALL twelve tribes ... this verse is the exact depiction of spiritual whoredom i.e. harloty, adultery ... spiritually 'in bed with the enemy' ... made unclean ...
Ezekiel 20:32 ... And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.
comment: serve wood and stone i.e. big buildings ...
Ezekiel 20:33-36 ... As I live saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
rod ... shepherd's staff ...
again ... ALL twelve tribes ... Judah and Jacob ...
at this point both houses are still Israel and both houses have done abominations to make the Lord full of fury and wrath ... they have both broken the covenant of their fathers ...