seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Ezekiel 15:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? 3 Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? 4 And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? 5 If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?
6 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. 7 I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord. 8 I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
This tree, branch, and vine stuff has always confused me. This is from the easy English site. Maybe it will help me figure this out.The vine is a bush. Grapes grow on vines. We eat grapes as fresh fruit. We dry them to use as fruit when we cook. And from grapes, we also make wine. So, the vine is an important plant. But if it has no fruit, it is not useful for anything.
The wood of the vine is not useful for any purpose. Its wood is too soft and weak. So, we can make nothing from it. The branches bend and they are not straight. They do not even burn well. But it is fit for nothing else.
In the picture language of the Bible, the vine often means Israel. The Israelites were no better than other people. But God had chosen them. As a vine yields fruit, so God wanted them to do his work. In particular, God wanted them to show him to the world. But they had neglected to do it. Therefore, they were of no use like the vine without fruit.
The farmer cuts down the vine that has no fruit. He throws the wood on the fire. So, the Lord will cut down and burn Jerusalem. Israel had lost all value in the sight of the Lord. It was only fit for the fire.
Ezekiel refers to two fires in this passage. The second one would burn those people who escaped the first one. The first fire refers to the attack on Jerusalem in the year 597 BC. The second one refers to the attack on Jerusalem in 586 BC. Ezekiel was speaking to the exiles from the first attack in 597 BC. He was telling them that the final attack on Jerusalem would happen soon. God would destroy Jerusalem.
This is from Bibletrack.org.Israel is frequently likened to a vine.We infer a question that may have been posed to Ezekiel by the leaders of the exiles from Jerusalem: "Won't God protect his vine, Israel?" Well...Israel had taken downturns in the past, but God never allowed them to be completely destroyed; they always sprang back...like a sprout of a vine. Could it not be that a tiny sprout of a remnant back in Jerusalem would be enough to cause Jerusalem to bounce back once again?
Ezekiel takes off on this vine metaphor. The Hebrew word here for vine (gheh´-fen) indicates a branch that is only substantial when it is bearing fruit. The wood is not substantial enough for any other purpose except to fuel a fire. Therefore, when Israel is not bearing fruit, the fire of God's judgment is imminent. Bottom line: Too little too late - this time Jerusalem will be destroyed. Ezekiel 15:8 says, "And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD."
When the descendants of Jacob [Israel] were about to enter Canaan.... after marching from Egypt to Canaan.... scouts were sent by the people to check out the territory. Those scouts saw a cluster of grapes that was so large it took two men and a pole to carry one cluster of grapes. I can only imagine what the vine must have looked like. In this chapter.... those same vines are so used up.... they won't even burn right. They are gnarled and crooked.... good for nothing.It occurred to me, last night, that Ezekiel was talking to the first group of people who went to Babylon. The siege was a long war.... brutal and long. These people that Ezekiel is talking to.... have lost their homes and they were marched to a new city.... where they made themselves at home.... with new gods and new stuff..... they converted.... and the feel good prophets of the day were happy to tell them they did what was right. When the feel good preachers and priests came around.... they would "console" the descendants of Jacob [Israel]..... and no doubt.... a shiny little bauble... an idol of some odd metal or wood would make them feel better.... take their minds off their troubles.
The problem is..... those tiny shiny baubles, idols, or magical spells.... meant to ease the minds of the exiles.... also dulled their minds to their own Living God.
The descendants of Jacob [Israel] were supposed to be companions for God to talk to and walk with in a beautiful garden...... and now.... they were bowing to anyone who would give them a wink and a nod.... and whisper sweet lies in their ears.
