God has been broken

I was reading in Ezekiel again today. The first part of the book is talking about God's judgement on the sin and idolatry of Israel. I was particularly struck by a part of chapter 6, verse 9:

"...I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols."

There were three things here which really caught my attention, and kept it throughout the day.

Firstly, God uses some pretty strong language to describe Israel's idolatry: it's whoredom. Promiscuity at its dirtiest and its worst. This is what idolatry is, plain and simple.

Secondly, idolatry breaks God. I don't know what that looks like, for God to be broken, to have His heart crushed. I'm not sure that I can fit that kind of thing into my puny theological framework. But God is saying this about Himself here, so whatever it is, it's true. And it sucks. Idolatry breaks God... and that sucks.

Thirdly, Israel was no worse than I am. Sure, their idols might have been more concrete than mine, but look at the simple language that's used here... a heart that has departed from God?... eyes which turn away from God and onto other things? That's me. That's what I do. That's my M.O., as a sinner. I can easily be a whore, just like Israel was.

...but that's not where the story ends, thanks be to God!

The Lord has already poured out His wrath against my idolatry on His own Son. Because of this sacrifice, He has removed my heart of stone and given me a heart of flesh (11:19), He has become my God (11:20), He has atoned for all that I have done (16:63), He has redeemed me for His name's sake (20:44), and He has put His Spirit in me and raised me from the dead (37:13-14), He has established an everlasting covenant of peace with me (37:26), and He has become my inheritance (44:28).