Ezekiel 17

“And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.” (Ezekiel 17:24, NKJV)

It would be wonderful if God could speak to people plainly, and they would do what He said. Since He is the Creator and we are His creation, it ought to be this way. But we are fallen creatures and often resistant to receiving God’s truth. It has been said that the same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay. The condition of one’s heart determines whether the word of God will change him or harden him.

What does God do with people who resist the truth? One thing he does is to speak in parables. Those whose hearts are receptive understand, while those whose hearts are closed to spiritual truth simply hear a story. In Ezekiel 17, this is what God did. He told a story about Babylon, King Zedekiah, Egypt, and God’s ultimate King who will reign in the future in Israel. God laid out His whole plan for Israel and for the world so that when it happens we will believe that God has done everything He said He would do.

This is a story of humiliation and exaltation. As Jesus said:

“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11, NKJV)

May we all humble ourselves in His presence today and humbly receive the word of God, which can save us.