Ezekiel 19

“Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water.” (Ezekiel 19:10, ESV)

Ezekiel was deeply grieved as he saw the destruction of his beloved city Jerusalem. Even though he was living in Babylon, the LORD showed him what would occur when King Nebuchadnezzar conquered the city and burned the temple.

Ezekiel described the former glory of Jerusalem. She was like a fruitful vine planted by the water. Its branches became the scepters of rulers. Jerusalem brought forth many kings from the line of David, and some of them were good. During the golden years of David and Solomon, those branches towered above many nations.

“But the vine was plucked up in fury, cast down to the ground; the east wind dried up its fruit; they were stripped off and withered. As for its strong stem, fire consumed it.” (Ezekiel 19:12, ESV)

Jerusalem had been so strong, but now it was cast to the ground, its fruit dried up and stripped away, and fire consumed it. What a tragic image of the city where Yahweh placed His name and established His temple!

We cannot consider the demise of Jerusalem and the nation of Judah without also considering our own nation. God has told us these things so that we can learn from them. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He is not willing that we should perish, but that we should come to repentance.

These are extremely critical days for our nation. So let us pray that God would send forth a change of heart, a conviction of sin to His people, so that revival would begin in the churches. And let us pray that this would lead to a great awakening in our nation such as we have never seen! Do you believe God can do this?

If not, then we are headed down the same path of destruction as Judah. There is nothing new under the sun.