Jerusalem, a Useless Vine Ezekiel 15:1-8
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http://www.biblestudyworkshop.org 1 Jerusalem, A Useless Vine Ezekiel 15:1-8 Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Avenue, Nashville, TN., 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor http://www.biblestudyworkshop.org 2 Jerusalem A Useless Vine Text: Ezekiel 15:1-8, 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.” (NIV 1984) Introduction: Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Street, Nashville, TN 37216, John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor http://www.biblestudyworkshop.org 3 I. Hamilton wrote, “A similar viticulture metaphor appears in Psalm 80. (compare Hosea 10:1, Jeremiah 2:21). A. Psalm 80:8-19, You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. Its branches reached as far as the Sea, its shoots as far as the River. Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes? Boars from the forest ravage it, and insects from the fields feed on it. Return to us, God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself. Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. (NIV 1984) 1. Fredenburg wrote, “This metaphor (Ezekiel 15:1-8 may most closely be compared to the metaphor of the northern kingdom’s demise under Assyria in 721 B.C. in Psalm 80.” B. Hosea 10:1, Israel was a spreading vine; he brought forth fruit for himself. As his fruit increased, he built more altars; as his land prospered, he adorned his sacred stones. (NIV 1984) C. Jeremiah 2:21, I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine? (NIV 1984) II. Smith observed that four objections were registered against Ezekiel’s teachings by the exiles in Babylon in Ezekiel 14:1-15: 8; viz….. Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Street, Nashville, TN 37216, John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor http://www.biblestudyworkshop.org 4 A. Surely Ezekiel’s warnings did not apply to them, the elders. (Ezekiel 14:3-8) B. How can you be so hard on us by what you are saying to us, Ezekiel? (Ezekiel 14:9-11) C. Some righteous people were still living in the midst of the nation. How could God destroy those righteous ones along with the wicked? (Ezekiel 14:12-23) D. How can God forsake his covenant, the vine of his planting? (Ezekiel 15:1-8) III. Fredenburg wrote, “Because of the importance of viticulture in the Mediterranean world, metaphors derived from vines, vineyards, grapes, or drinking were common.” IV. The vine in this passage represents apostate Israel including Jerusalem which was useless for the production of fruit or anything else of value and was fit only for burning, Coffman advised. Commentary: Ezekiel 15:1, The word of the Lord came to me: (NIV 1984) I. The word of the Lord came to me:….. A. The Lord made his will known to his people by way of Ezekiel. Ezekiel 15:2, “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? (NIV 1984) I. “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine better than that of a branch on any of the trees in the forest? Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Street, Nashville, TN 37216, John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor http://www.biblestudyworkshop.org 5 A. Hamilton wrote that this “wood of the vine” alludes to Israel as Yahweh’s vineyard. 1. Deuteronomy 32:32, Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are filled with poison, and their clusters with bitterness. (NIV 1984) 2. Isaiah 5:1-8, I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.” The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. (NIV 1984) 3. Genesis 49:22, “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. (NIV 1984) Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Street, Nashville, TN 37216, John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor http://www.biblestudyworkshop.org 6 B. Smith explained, “In comparison to other trees of the forest the vine tree was insignificant. Its wood was useless, incapable of being fashioned by craftsmen.” Not even a peg could be made from the wood of the vine tree. “It was good for nothing except fuel.” 1. If the vine does not bear fruit, it is useless. (Clarke) 2. Since Israel had ceased bearing fruit, it was now useless. (See Clarke.) C. Fredenburg identified this metaphor as a riddle. D. Coffman advised, “The vine of this question is not the noble, cultivated vine that once illustrated the chosen people of God, but the wild, degenerate vine among the trees of the forest. It bears no fruit except inedible bitter grapes and its wood is worthless as wood could be fit only for fuel. Ezekiel 15:3, Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? (NIV 1984) I. Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? A. “Grapevine wood, otherwise unusable, is useful for fuel, Hamilton wrote, and Fredenburg gave the clear answer to this question as “No.” II. Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? A. Even pegs could not be made from the wood of these grape vines. Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Street, Nashville, TN 37216, John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor http://www.biblestudyworkshop.org 7 1. Isaiah 22:23, I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a seat of honor for the house of his father. (NIV 1984) 2. Zechariah 10:4, From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler. (NIV 1984) Ezekiel 15:4, 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? (NIV 1984) I. 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? A. The only thing unproductive grapevines were good for was fuel for the fire and after that they were good for nothing. 1. Trimmings were usually bound in to bundles and thrown into the fire (Allen). B. If pulled from the fire before it is totally consumed, it would not be good even for charcoal.