“The Wood of the Vine”

 

BIBLE READING: Ezekiel 14-16


        Israel, as we know, had a preoccupation with their own importance. They were Jews, everyone else was a Gentile. They had the law, everyone else were dogs. We have examples of God showing them that their thinking is a little wrong in the person of Jesus, who talks to the Samaritan woman, and Peter who goes to the Gentiles. But here in Ezekiel we have another example:‘"Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?’ (Ezekiel 15:2)

     The vine branch is an obvious reference to Israel (they are referenced in this manner other times throughout the Bible), and the verse says that the vine branch is not better than any other branch or piece of wood in the forest. In fact, all of the wood burns the same when the fire comes. You see, Israel had the wrong idea of themselves. They believed they were inherently better than any other nation, by being the vine. But God makes the point that the branch of the vine is useless when alive (verse 3), and even more useless when burned.

     This reminds me of us – one day we will be tried by fire, as it were. Will we come out like refined gold, purer than ever? Or will we burn up like branches or wood? If we are trusting in our inherent goodness, or the fact that we go to church, that we belong to a Christian family, or anything else, like the Israelites did, then not only are we useless wood while alive, but we are less than useless after we go through the fire. But trusting in Jesus’ blood, even a little faith in that precious blood will render us like gold. Only Jesus can make us worth something.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            -Selected

 

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