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Ezekiel 15 (ESV)
1 And the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? 3 Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? 4 Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel. When the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything? 5 Behold, when it was whole, it was used for nothing. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything! 6 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7 And I will set my face against them. Though they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them, and you will know that I am the Lord, when I set my face against them. 8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, declares the Lord God.”
REFLECTION:
This chapter uses the metaphor of the vine to convey the message of God’s judgment. Grape vine is a vine, and its main purpose is to produce sweet grapes. Its material is not suitable for making utensils. It can’t even make nails to hang things, so it is “used for nothing.” If the vine does not bear fruit, it is only suitable for firewood, and it will be even more useless after it is burned. The people of Jerusalem seemed to God to be such a useless vine. Because they worshipped idols and did not have the holy life that God’s people should have, they were destroyed, and even their homes were burned down. Isaiah once compared the nation of Israel to a vineyard. If it does not produce good fruits, it will be ruined and trampled. There are thorns and thistles growing in it (cf. Isa. 5: 1-8). The Lord Jesus also said that all grape branches that did not bear fruit must be cut off and thrown into the fire (cf. John 15: 1-8). Reflect whether we have become numb to God’s teaching today and unable to bear fruit. May we listen to and obey the call and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, not just have branches and leaves, but strive to bear abundant spiritual fruits!
PRAYER:
Ask God to have mercy on your weakness. When you are far away from God, use His cord of love to pull you back to His side, so that you are like a branch abides in the true vine – our Lord Jesus Christ, gain faith and strength from Christ, imitate the humility and meekness of Christ, obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit, live an abundant life, and bear a good testimony to the Lord!
HYMN:
You Are The Vine; We Are The Branches – youtu.be/Hw5En1VoYYw
