Ezekiel 15:1-8

Ezekiel: ‘They shall know that I am God’

The *Sin of Judah and the Judgement of God

Ezekiel Chapter s 1 to 24

Ian Mackervoy

Chapter 15

A *vine without fruit – Ezekiel 15:1-8

v1 The *LORD spoke to me. v2 ‘*Son of man, the wood of the *vine is much poorer than the wood from any tree in the forest. v3 You certainly cannot use the wood from the *vine to make anything. You cannot use it to make something to hang things on. v4 You can put it on the fire as fuel. Both ends burn but the middle does not burn well. No, it is no use for anything. v5 When the *vine was whole, you could make nothing from it. It is even less use when the fire has burned it.

v6 Therefore, this is what the *LORD the King says. Among all the trees in the forest, I have given the *vine as fuel for the fire. In the same way, I have given up the people who live in Jerusalem. v7 I will be an enemy to the people in Jerusalem. Although they escape from the fire, still the fire will *destroy them. I will be their enemy. And then you will know that I am the *LORD. v8 So, I will make the country empty, because the people have not been loyal. I, the *LORD the King, have spoken.’

Verses 1-5 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.

Verses 6-8 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.

The fate of Jerusalem is because the people were not loyal to God. They had not obeyed God. As they had *turned from him, so the *Lord has *turned against them.

All this will happen. And they will know that the *Lord is God.

sin ~ Sin means the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God. People are called sinners because of their sins.
vine ~ a plant on which grapes grow.
grapes ~ fruit of a vine (a climbing plant). You can make grapes into wine.
Lord ~ a title for God, to show that he is over all people and things.
LORD ~ ‘LORD’ is the special name that God gave to himself. It probably means ‘always God’. This name has a relationship with the special promises that God gave to his people.

'son of man ~ Ezekiel. ‘Son of man’ was the title that God used for Ezekiel. It emphasised that Ezekiel was a mere man. Ezekiel would have to depend on God’s Spirit to make him strong. Only then could Ezekiel do what God told him to do.
destroy ~ to carry out the most severe punishment possible; to cause someone to suffer; to kill everyone in a nation.
grapes ~ fruit of a vine (a climbing plant). You can make grapes into wine.
vine ~ a plant on which grapes grow.
grapes ~ fruit of a vine (a climbing plant). You can make grapes into wine.
vine ~ a plant on which grapes grow.
Israel ~ Israel is the nation whose ancestors were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The country in which they live is called Israel. Israel became the name of the northern nation when it separated from Judah. However, Ezekiel sometimes uses the word ‘Israel’ to refer to Judah.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.
Israelites ~ the people whose ancestors are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.
Lord ~ a title for God, to show that he is over all people and things.
LORD ~ ‘LORD’ is the special name that God gave to himself. It probably means ‘always God’. This name has a relationship with the special promises that God gave to his people.
BC ~ years before Christ was born.
exile ~ When people have to live in a foreign country they are in exile. Such a person is called an exile.
turn ~ to change your behaviour, your friends, or your God; or, to carry out actions in order to oppose someone.