Ezekiel 15

Ezekiel 15 ISRAEL: A USELESS VINEThe justification of God’ s judgment against Judah continues in chs 15-17, but the nature of the defense changes. Here Ezekiel employs parables or allegories to paint a rather gruesome word picture of the ingratitude, sin and rebellion of God’ s people. He describes (1) the useless vine (Ezekiel 15:1-8); (2) the faithless wife (Ezekiel 16:1-43); (3) the fallen sister (Ezekiel 16:44-63); and (4) the lowly vine (Ezekiel 17:1-21). The section closes with a brief and optimistic parable of the stately cedar (Ezekiel 17:22-24).

The earlier prophets frequently spoke of Israel as the vine of God. That figure, while beautiful to contemplate, can lend itself to gross distortion in the minds of hypocrites. People might think that, because of the accident of birth, they were branches of the true vine that could never be destroyed. In ch 15 Ezekiel sets forth a parable, as later the greater Son of Man will do (John 15), to expose the groundlessness of such a notion. THE Eze_15:1-5 Five rhetorical questions make up this unit. The first question establishes the main point. The next two questions support that point with specific illustrations. The last two questions carry the main point forward to a different level. The Main Point (Ezekiel 15:1-2): The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2) Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any other tree, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? The Lord directed Ezekiel’ s thinking to the vine tree— the wild vine of the woods (Ezekiel 15:2). The trees of the forest represent the community of nations (cf. Isaiah 10:33-34). Compared to the nations of the world, Israel was only a vine.

The Supporting Argument (Ezekiel 15:3-4 a): Is wood taken from it to make any work? or will men take a peg from it to hang any vessel thereon? (Ezekiel 15:4) Behold, it is cast to the fire for fuel; The vine was worthless. It was a fruitless vine. Its wood was useless as timber. No one would think of using that wood as material for making furniture. The wood of the vine was even too thin and pliable to be fashioned into a wall peg (Ezekiel 15:3). The wild vine was fit only for kindling for the fire.

The Final Point (15:4-5): the fire has devoured both ends of it, while the middle is singed. Is it profitable for any work? (Ezekiel 15:5) Behold, when it is whole it is not suitable for work; how much less when the fire consumes it, and it is singed, will it yet be suitable for work? Should the vine be snatched from the fire before being completely consumed, it would still be good for nothing (Ezekiel 15:4). Before it was cast into the fire it was good for nothing; how much less after it had been charred and burned (Ezekiel 15:5).THE Ezekiel 15:6-8 God’s Assessment (Ezekiel 15:6): Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Like the vine tree among the trees of the forest that I have appointed for fuel for the fire, thus I have appointed the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The purpose of the vine is fruit bearing. If a vine bears no fruit, or sour fruit, it is, in comparison to other trees, of no value. So it was with Israel. If Israel bore no fruit— did not fulfill its mission— then it was poorer and weaker than the heathen nations round it. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were like that vine tree— good for nothing except destruction by fire. God’s Announcement (Ezekiel 15:7-8): I will set my face against them. From the fire they have come forth, and the fire will consume them. You will know that I am the LORD when I set my face against them. (Ezekiel 15:8) I will make the land a desolation because they have grievously transgressed (oracle of the Lord GOD). God had set His face (cf. Ezekiel 4:3) against the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The city had passed through the fire of earlier Babylonian invasions— in 605 B.C. and 597 B.C.–and had been charred, but not consumed.

But that was no guarantee that the city was inviolable. In the next fire, the city will be consumed. When that happened, the inhabitants would know that the destruction was no chance occurrence. They would realize that the destruction of Jerusalem resulted from the decree of the Almighty (Ezekiel 15:7). The concluding verse summarizes the meaning of the parable: the judgment and its cause. It is not their inherent worthlessness, but their faithlessness in respect to their national calling that brings on the judgment. Their land will become a desolation because of grievous transgression (Ezekiel 15:8).Ezekiel Chapter FifteenVerse 1 PARABLE OF THE CORRUPT VINE TREESome commentators have missed the point altogether in this little chapter. Howie, for example, stated that, “The vine tree was fit only for the production of fruit”;[1] but he overlooked the fact that this particular vine was classed with the “trees of the forest” (Ezekiel 15:2), and not with the noble vines which were always in the vineyard. The vine under consideration here is therefore the vine that represents apostate Israel. This vine is variously described in the versions and translations, as bastard, degenerate, wild, corrupt, foreign, strange, etc. The figure is that of a totally useless wild vine in the forest, fit only for fuel, and, for that matter, not very good fuel! The simple message of this chapter is that, “Jerusalem was useless either for the production of fruit or anything else and was fit only for burning."[2]This chapter is particularly addressed to the overthrow of, “The false notion of the Israelites that God cannot afford to overthrow them because they are the `election of God,’ and in that priority they must be favored over other nations."[3]G. A. Cooke attempted to make a poem out of this chapter, but without much success.[4] Our reaction to the “poetry” pretended in many of the present-day versions and translations is that the imaginative scholars have produced some of the lousiest poetry we have ever seen! Based upon the fact that much of the wisdom literature did follow a metrical scheme, “It is natural enough to suspect that this passage also was written in poetical form; but, upon closer examination, this supposition is untenable."[5]This parable of the Corrupt Vine (Ezekiel 15) is one of three reaching through Ezekiel 17, “Which show that there is not any hope of deliverance for Jerusalem."[6]The Biblical figure of Israel as God’s vine is found throughout the Bible, notably in Isaiah 5:1 ff; Jeremiah 2:21 ff; Hosea 10:1; Psalms 80:8-19; etc.; but, as F. F. Bruce noted, “These Old Testament references are reflected in the New Testament,"[7] where Jesus Christ our Lord appears as “The True Vine,” that is, “The True Israel of God” (John 15:1-8).

This is one of the most important revelations in all the Bible, for it shows, that as far as the old racial Israel goes, they, as a race, are out of it forever. Only Jesus Christ is God’s Israel in this generation; and all of God’s Israel, in any true sense, upon this earth today, enjoy that status as members of the “spiritual body of Christ,” which is his holy Church. No one is excluded; Jew and Gentile alike are welcome upon exactly the same terms. No one belongs to God as a result of any racial status, and no one is denied a place in God’s family upon the basis of race. “Whosoever will may come!” Ezekiel 15:1-4“And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Son of man, what is the vine tree, more than any tree, the vine-branch that is among the trees of the forest? Shall wood thereof be taken to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire hath devoured both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned: is it profitable for any work?““What is the vine tree … that is among the trees of the forest … more than other trees …” (Ezekiel 15:2)? 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 the question here requires the answer that, as far as the wood of this vine goes, it is just about as worthless as wood could be, fit only for fuel. “Will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon …” (Ezekiel 15:3)? This requires a negative answer and carries the meaning that one cannot even make a peg upon which to hang a pot, out of wood taken from the vine. “Burned at both ends and scorched in the middle …” (Ezekiel 15:4). In its perfect state the wood is practically worthless; but, “What if it has been cast into the fire, the two ends have been burnt, and the middle is scorched and half burnt; what then?"[8] We especially appreciate Bunn’s answer to that question. He wrote, “It will not even make good charcoal!"[9]The application of Eze 15:4 to the state of Israel is that they had already had both ends burned, at Samaria in 622 B.C., and at Jerusalem in 597 B.C., the middle, under Zedekiah still remaining, but still fruitless and ready again to be cast into the fire. The time element was cited by Taylor. “Jerusalem was left charred in the days of Jehoiachin. The city had been spared from total destruction in the capture of the city in 597 B.C., but it was fit for nothing more than to be thrown back into the fire to be utterly consumed."[10]The great problem with Jerusalem was fruitlessnesss. All of the great prophets of God and even the Savior himself had warned all men that, “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire” (Matthew 7:9). In this connection, see Mark 11:13 ff and Luke 13:6 if). What an appropriate example this parable of the wild vine was! Verse 5 “Behold, when it was whole, it was fit for no work: how much less when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work! Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will set my face against them; they shall go forth from the fire, but the fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I set my face against them. And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord Jehovah.“Only when we come to Ezekiel 15:6-7 does the Lord himself make the divine application of the little parable. The news is devastating. God will set his face against them; the citizens of Jerusalem shall be given to the fire for fuel! “During Israel’s better days, a prophet had compared her to a noble vine, the choicest among the nations in God's sight'; but Ezekiel corrected such a notion, because it was no longer true. Israel is now no longer a noble, cultivated vine, but a corrupt degenerate vine, identifiable in every way with the wild vine among the trees of the forest,’ useless for anything but fuel."[11]The conclusion here is that, Israel possesses no superiority over any other nations, just like the vine which possesses no superiority over other woods, but is even inferior; and likewise Israel is inferior to other nations in her fruitless condition; “And Israel is therefore given up to the fire."[12]

Ezekiel 15:1-2

Ezekiel 15:1-2. Tree is from an original that the lexicon defines as “ wood” in general, hence the phrase means “the wood of the vine.” The question form of the statement means to imply that a vine is inferior to the trees of the forest.

Ezekiel 15:3

Ezekiel 15:3. A vine at its best is not tit for any substantial use such as a piece of furniture for supporting the vessels of household living. In this sense it is less important than the regular trees, because they would furnish material that could be made into strong utility racks.

Ezekiel 15:4

Ezekiel 15:4. If the vine needs to be used at all, about the only thing that can be done with it is to use it as fuel. Both ends and midst is said to indicate how completely the vine would be affected were it cast into the Are.

Ezekiel 15:5

Ezekiel 15:5. If the vine in its original condition is not useful for any good purpose, it certainly would not be after being put through the fire.

Ezekiel 15:6

Ezekiel 15:6. The preceding illustration is used to compare the city of Jerusalem with her inhabitants: they are the vine and the heathen nations are trees of the forest.

Ezekiel 15:7

Ezekiel 15:7. The nations are compared to the forest trees when contrasted with Jerusalem. In the next section of the illustration, however, they will be used as the fire into which the vine (Jerusalem with her inhabitants) will be cast. One fire and another fire refers to the fire of the siege and also that which will overtake them who go out, (See 2 Kings 25:3-7.)

Ezekiel 15:8

Ezekiel 15:8. The land was to be made desolate by having its populations removed away into the Babylonion captivity.