And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her
inordinate love than she, and in her whoredom more than her sister
in her whoredom. She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours,
captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon
horses, all of them desirable young men. Then I saw that she was
defiled, that they took both one way, And that she increased her
whoredom: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images
of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermillion, Girded with girdles
upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of
them princes to look to, after the manner of their nativity: And as
soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent
messengers unto them into Chaldea. And the Babylonians came to her
into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and
she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them. So
she discovered her whoredom, and discovered her nakedness: then my
mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her
sister. Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance
the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land
of Egypt. For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the
flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. Thus
thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising
thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth (verses 11-21).
And her sister Aholibah, Jerusalem, saw this, but did not profit by it.
She became even more corrupt than Samaria and increased her whoredoms.
She was enjoying greater privileges and blessings than Samaria and
therefore her wickedness and fall was greater. King Ahaz, when pressed
by Rezin, the King of Syria and Remaliah, King of Israel, sent
messengers to Tiglath-pileser, King of Assyria, with the message, "I am
thy servant and thy son, come up and save me" (2 Kings xvi:5-8.)
He also took the silver and gold in the house of the Lord and gave it as
a present to the Assyrian King. Isaiah's message and offer as described
in Isaiah vii he refused. Then King Ahaz "went to Damascus to meet
Tiglath-pileser, King of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus.
And King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest, the fashion of the altar, and
the patterns of it, according to all the workmanship thereof." This
strange altar was set up in Jerusalem, and the house of the Lord was
defiled by him (2 Kings xvi:10-20). Likewise, Jerusalem also followed
the Chaldeans and was inflamed by the pictures of the Chaldeans
portrayed on walls in vermillion, the peculiar color used by the the
Chaldeans. She loved Chaldea, Babylon with her vile idolatry, and sent
messengers to the Chaldeans. And the Babylonians responded and came to
her to corrupt Jerusalem. Then Jehovah says: "My mind was alienated from
her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister." Yet she continued
in her evil ways. In all this we have a description of Jerusalem's
history in becoming defiled by heathen nations, their idolatries and
corresponding immoralities.