Daily Bible Reading Wednesday 12th March 2025
by William Moody
Ezekiel 15
Jerusalem, a Useless Vine
15:1 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.”
(ESV)
The people of God both in the Old and New Testaments are pictured as a vine, and hopefully a fruitful one. Here the Lord asks the question about how useful is the wood of the vine, what can be made from it (v2-3)?
The answer is that when a branch is detached form the vine, it is only useful to be burned as fuel (v4-5). The point being made is that the branches of a vine are only really useful when they are connected to the vine and therefore being fruitful in producing grapes.
The picture here is of the people of Jerusalem. Although they have suffered from an initial attack from Babylon and lost some of their people to exile, they still hope and think that they will be safe. But the message here is that they have become like the useless branches of the vine which are only fit for burning (v6-7). Jerusalem is going to be destroyed, and its because the people have been faithless to the Lord (v8).
The challenge for us is to examine our relationship with Christ, the fruitful vine. Is He abiding in us? Are we daily abiding in Christ? Is our relationship with Christ living and vibrant so that it is producing a life of fruitfulness in regards worship, holiness and service?
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