Read Ezekiel 16:1-59. The words described of the people in these verses are very strong. They are words of a dirty, sinful, and adulterous people. They are words that describe you and that describe me. It is a stark reminder for us to remember where we stand before God. He is the faithful groom who has never wavered and continually loved His bride, and we are the the adulterous bride chasing whatever our heart desires. We do not deserve Him.

Luckily the passage does not stop there. Verse 60 starts with the phrase “yet” in the ESV translation, in other translations it says “Nevertheless.” I do like that translation better. Nevertheless of all those things in the first fifty-nine verses that are true God declares He will remember His covenant. What is that covenant? In Exodus 19:6 God tells Moses that they will become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. The first fifty-nine verses do not sound like the deeds of priest, or of a holy nation. Nevertheless…..

God is saying this:  Even though you are not a holy people, nevertheless I will make you holy. Though you deserve evil, nevertheless I will give you good. Though you deserve the curse, nevertheless I will give you blessing. I will not destroy you though you deserve death, nevertheless I will give you life. God looked on me and was not content with the me being the first fifty-nine verses. He died the death I deserve killing my sin, and overcoming them in the resurrection. I am depraved and evil, nevertheless by the blood of His Son I am made righteous.

How do we see this reality today? 1 Peter 2:9 tells us that we (the Church) are a chosen people, a holy priesthood. Because we are covered with the blood of Jesus and that has made us righteous. We need to remember the nevertheless. For this my friends is Good News.