Lessons From Ezekiel – Lesson 13
The object lessons of Ezekiel continue. Next up is the Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine
Eze 17:1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 17:2 Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
Eze 17:3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:
Eze 17:4 He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.
Eze 17:5 He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.
Eze 17:6 And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.
So the first eagle planted and he planted the twig in a fruitful field, with plenty of water. So it was planted well, and provided with everything it needed to flourish and produce. Good soil and plenty of water.
And it did grow like it was supposed to and it did bring forth branches and shot forth sprigs. That is a picture of health, doing what it was planted for.
But then things go wrong. A bad eagle shows up.
Eze 17:7 There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.
The vine wanted not the first eagle but the second. The affections if you will are not with the first eagle that planted it. The affections are toward the other eagle.
Eze 17:8 It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.
And the vine already had plenty of water, good water. The vine already had all it needed, but the vine did not want the water it already had, but wanted the water that the second eagle had.
Are you seeing betrayal here? The desire and affections should be to the one who planted and provided for it. Since the vine only exists because it was planted by the first eagle, then it actually owes everything to the first eagle.
The dedication and allegiance and affection of the vine should go to the first eagle.
This is a parable, a riddle. It is a story that shows forth a truth that you can see and go yep. That is a no brainer. The Second eagle had no right for the affection of the vine. The vine is in error.
Eze 17:9 Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.
Eze 17:10 Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.
Yep. People would agree. The first eagle had every right to pull up the roots of the vine that betrayed him. The vine in effect left the first eagle for another.
After the people hear the parable and they are going that sounds right. Yep the first eagle should pull up the roots of the betraying vine. Then comes the meaning.
And you most likely guessed it. It is like Nathan and David, after the story then comes you are the man.
Eze 17:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 17:12 Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;
Eze 17:13 And hath taken of the king’s seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:
Eze 17:14 That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.
Eze 17:15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?
Egypt is the second eagle. Instead of turning back to God, the first eagle who planted Israel, they turned to Egypt. Instead of wanting God to provide the provision that they needed (the water) they wanted Egypt to provide.
Eze 17:16 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
Eze 17:17 Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:
Eze 17:18 Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.
Eze 17:19 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.
Eze 17:20 And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.
Eze 17:21 And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it.
So God will pull up the roots of Israel just like the first eagle pulled up the roots of the betraying vine.
However, God does not stop there. He now promises a replanting.
Eze 17:22 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent:
Eze 17:23 In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.
Eze 17:24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.
And we know the Lord did just that. Thru Esther, and Ezra and Nehemiah and then a great revival. And we know that one day there will be yet another planting. In the tribulation all Israel will be saved and there will be 144,000 witnesses preaching His word.