Ezekiel 15
Jerusalem will burn
Nothing special about grapevines
1The Lord gave me a message:2Human, why should anyone think that wood in grapevines is any better than wood from trees in a forest? 3Does anyone make anything useful from grapevine wood? I mean would you even make a peg to hang a pot on?
4Grapevines burn like any other wood when you put them in a fire. When they’re done burning, they’re charred black and good for nothing like any other wood. 5In fact, grapevine wood was good for nothing all along. How much less when its charcoal crispy.
Jerusalem as a figurative vineyard
6Jerusalem, my vineyard, [1] is about to go the way of wood in the forest. I give humanity tree wood to burn as fuel. Well, I’m going to burn the vineyard wood, too. 7I’m going to turn against the city and become its enemy. Many will live through the fire, but it will later catch and kill them. That will confirm for you that I am the LORD. 8I’m going to leave their land deserted because they deserted me, the Lord God. [2]Footnotes
Bible writers often quote God using the metaphor of a vine or vineyard to describe his people. The idea is that they will be fruitful and prosperous and well cared for. They didn’t live up to the metaphor (see Isaiah 5:1–7; Psalm 80:8–16). In Ezekiel 15, the vine symbolizes Judah’s spiritual crop failure and coming destruction. This also emphasizes that even vine wood is good for nothing once it’s burned.
That’s not quite “Turn the other cheek,” as Jesus later instructed (Matthew 5:39). Some Christians would argue that what God is expressing here is a matter of justice not a matter of petty anger. They would say this is a sacred response to sinful people who are hurting themselves and hurting others. They might say that God is resetting the nation and giving the people a painful and deadly do over. Another way to look at that is to think of God as a heartbroken parent after spending centuries trying to capture the devotion of his children.
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