Ezekiel 17 Broken Faith
God speaks to Ezekiel about the broken faith of Israel. They turned away from the Lord to another, even though it was HE who made them in the first place.
I was thinking about this parable. I was a little disturbed by the description of the second eagle. The descriptions sound a lot alike. But then I looked a little deeper. The second eagle lacks the rich color of the first and the awesomeness in the first description.
Then I started thinking about who these two eagles represent. We know this without even diving deep into scripture. But if you remember God’s description of the angel Lucifer, you see that he was the most beautiful of all the angels. And he was jealous. He wanted to be greater than God, so he tried to be like God. But he didn’t measure up. He was a counterfeit. Just like the second eagle.
The second eagle doesn’t give life to the vine. He doesn’t create anything. He doesn’t even nourish it. He convinces it to turn even its roots from its source and reach to him. That is Satan in a nutshell.
Let’s join Ezekiel as he shares this with the people. They haven’t seen the difference so far. But they will someday. Holy Spirit, guide my mind and heart. Take it to YOUR truths instead of letting a counterfeit take my attention away. Show me what You would have me take from this story today and apply to my life.
♥ ♦ ♥
It has been a month since Ezekiel’s last message from the Lord. But it has only been moments since he felt the hand of God on his life. Sure. He is a prisoner in a foreign land. He is far from his homeland and his people. But he KNOWS that he is exactly where the Lord wants him to be. And he is doing exactly as the Lord tells him to. THIS makes life bearable where he is.
God speaks to Ezekiel today. “Ezekiel, I have a parable for you. I want you to ponder it after you receive it. Then you are to share it with My people.”
“I like stories Lord. I’m ready.”
“A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar. He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants. Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig, and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out boughs” (Ezekiel 17:3-6)
“Okay. I’m with You so far. But do eagles really do that sort of thing?”
“Just listen. There is more to come.”
Ezekiel nods and silences his thoughts.
“And there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage, and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him from the bed where it was planted, that he might water it. It had been planted on good soil by abundant waters, that it might produce branches and bear fruit and become a noble vine” (Ezekiel 17:7-8).
“Are You the first eagle? And is the vine Israel?”
“Very good. But the story doesn’t end here. There is more to learn from this story.”
Ezekiel settles in to hear the rest of God’s parable.
“Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers, so that all its fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots. Behold, it is planted; will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it—wither away on the bed where it sprouted?” (Ezekiel 17:9-10).
Ezekiel sits and ponders God’s words. “Israel was planted and nourished by God, yet she turns her heart towards another. THIS is why she is pulled up. I knew this already Lord. Her sins are myriad! Especially those against You.”
“But the people are stubborn and don’t see it. Someday they will. For now deliver this parable to them, along with what I am saying.”
“I will Lord. I promise.”
“And that is the very subject of what I have to say to them.”
Ezekiel nods. He is ready to hear the Lord’s heart.
“Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon. And he took one of the royal offspring and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath (the chief men of the land he had taken away), that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and keep his covenant that it might stand. But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape?” (Ezekiel 17:12-15).
Ezekiel thinks back to the day when Jehoiachin was taken from the throne. The day when Zedekiah took the throne and sword by the Lord God of Israel that he would remain true to the king of Babylon. Ezekiel knows that Zedekiah hasn’t remained faithful. Even in exile, news of Zedekiah’s rebellion has reached them. He doesn’t know all the details of the rebellion, but he knows that the oath sworn before the Lord is broken.
“As I live, declares the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon he shall die. Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, when mounds are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives. He despised the oath in breaking the covenant, and behold, he gave his hand and did all these things; he shall not escape. Therefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head. I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treachery he has committed against me. And all the pick[c] of his troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind, and you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken” (Ezekiel 17:16-21).
Ezekiel covers his face in shame. “So this is what he did. Of all the places to turn for help! The very nation that enslaved our people for more than 400 years.”
Ezekiel rises from the place where he has been spending time with the Lord. He makes his way to the marketplace in the Jewish quarter of the city. As the people see him coming, they move from the stone where Ezekiel usually stands to proclaim the words of the Lord. He nods to the people as he makes his way to his favorite spot.
As Ezekiel settles himself atop his favorite stone, people gather around him. The people like hearing from him, even if they don’t always believe what he says or even agree with it.
“The Lord has given me a parable to put before you. Ponder it in your hearts.” Ezekiel then shares the parable of the two eagles with them. He also shares the question of whether the vine should live or not.
The people look to one another, not really understanding this parable. Small discussions break out. “What does this parable mean?” “What is wrong with another eagle visiting the vine?” “Did the vine abandon its creator? That’s not right!”
After giving the people a few minutes to ponder the parable, Ezekiel holds up his hands for their attention. “The vine is indeed Israel. And she was planted by the Lord. She has sought other gods. But there is even more. Hear these words of the Lord.”
Ezekiel shares the breaking of the promise made before the Lord to the king of Babylon. And how God is going to punish Israel for this. “It is not just the king who has broken faith, but the whole people. They will be plucked up. They do NOT have the Lord’s favor any more. And they will NOT be our salvation from this place!”
Heads drop throughout the group as the weight of God’s words sink into their hearts. They are all guilty of turning to other gods.
Before the people move off, the Lord speaks to Ezekiel again. “This is a message of HOPE Lord. I will share it right away!”
Ezekiel begins to share God’s final words of the day.
“Thus says the Lord God: ‘I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it’” (Ezekiel 17:22-24).
The people latch onto the hope given in this parable. It has been a long time since ‘hope’ graced their hearts.
Ezekiel steps down from the stone he was standing on and makes his way home. As he walks, he is struck by something. The first egal used the top of the cedar tree. Why did it result in a vine instead of a tree? The second planting of the cedar tree will result in a LARGE tree; not a vine. “Why is this, Lord?” he asks.
“That answer is for another day. For now, simply know that it will happen. Israel will thrive under the boughs of that ‘tree’.”
(to be continued)
Did you notice the difference in the plantings? I was thinking about them too. In the first planting, the top of the cedar tree became a low spreading vine. It had no height in it. But the second planting grows up to become a lofty tree; providing shade and protection to all who come to it.
Israel never reached her potential. She never put her full trust in the Lord. She was always looking for something ‘better’, easier, or ‘like the other nations’ had. She never made it above ‘vine level.
However, one day, a new planting from the same hand will result in a mighty tree. That tree is Jesus. He will rule and reign over Israel; and the whole earth from Jerusalem. Those who come to Him will find that protection.
Father God, forgive me for EVER looking to the counterfeit; in whatever form it was presented. Help me keep my eyes on You and trust you with my whole heart. Help me live my life within Your plan.
I look forward to the day when Jesus will stand on this earth again. This time He will rule and reign for 1,000 years. I’m looking forward to THAT time!
