Wednesday, February 23 2011
Ezekiel 17
Verse of the Week: V15 “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?”
1. The City Was Proud (V1-6)
V3 “And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, long-winged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:”
The great eagle was none other than the great kingdom of Babylon while the highest branch of the cedar was Jerusalem, God’s city. The Almighty God allowed the Babylonians to defeat His people and made them prisoners of war so as to humble them because God’s people had become proud and rebellious.
V12 “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;”
2. The King Was Proud (V7-21)
V7 “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 king of Babylon kept their side of the promise when they did not kill the people of Jerusalem, however, the king of Jerusalem broke their side of the promise when he secretly sent his ambassadors to ask Egypt, the other great eagle, for help. Instead of seeking God, the king of Jerusalem sought Egypt, thinking that Egypt could help them.
V15 “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?”
3. The Saviour Was Humble (V22-24)
V24 “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.”
God shall bring down the high tree which was proud Jerusalem and its king who exalted themselves without seeking God. However, God exalted the low tree which was the Lord Jesus Christ, when He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of the whole world that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life with God.
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, please humble me to know that without You, I am nothing.
