CHAPTER 15

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? 3 Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? 4 Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work? 5 Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned? 6 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; 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. 7 And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them. 8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD.

God had said that He planted Israel as a "noble vine," but they had become a "degenerate plant" (See Jeremiah 2:21).

When I was a boy, we used to walk through the woods behind our house. We'd find a muscadine vine, which grew rather large grape-like fruit. The skin was tough, and large seeds were in the middle. But the fruit was very sweet tasting. Grandma used to make jelly from those muscadines. This type of vine was truly good for the forest - it brought FRUIT.

But during the walk in the woods, we'd also find other vines. Those that wound around trees and choked the life from the forest. We'd always cut those vines. They were useless because they were fruitless, and did more harm than good.

Here, in our text, God tells Ezekiel that those useless, fruitless vines are only good for starting fires under cooking pots. The "noble" vine that God had planted had truly become a "degenerate plant."

And God's prophesy was that He would destroy the vine because of its corrupt nature.

Is this prophecy not applicable to the CHURCH today?

King Duncan, of www.sermons.com tells a story about a little church which was pastored by Dr. Fred B Craddock for a time in Anderson County, East Tennessee. When Dr. Craddock first went to that church, the surrounding area was full of new people in the community...people who had moved into the area and were working on the big government project.

Dr. Craddock told the board of the church that they needed to evangelize the folk who were out there. But the church people said, "They wouldn't fit in here." Dr. Craddock said, "They need the gospel. They need the church."

But next Sunday night, the church board passed a resolution saying, "Members will be admitted to this church only from families who own property in (Anderson) County."

Years later, Dr. Craddock and his wife were on a trip through that same community. They decided to look up the church. They found it. It was very pretty. But outside what USED to be a church was a sign that read: "Barbecued Chicken, Ribs and Pork." The church had DIED and had become a restaraunt!!

The reason King Duncan tells the story is because he was one of those "new people" in the neighborhood. His father was working on the construction project. Dr. Craddock COULD have been his pastor. But the church was a FRUITLESS VINE!

Don't let YOUR church become a FRUITLESS VINE! Make a commitment today to help your church evangelize ALL of the community surrounding your church!

CHAPTER 16

1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite. 4 And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. 5 None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. 6 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. 7 I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. 8 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine. 9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. 10 I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. 11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. 12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. 13 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. 14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.

In this chapter, God depicts Israel as a "thrown-away" child, born in immorality, and without hope for life. But God saved them, and even allowed them to become His WIFE! (verses 1-14).

But Israel became adulterous through idolatry (verses 15-34). God describes punishment for her sins (verses 35-52), and the hope of restoration (verses 53-63).

The statement that Ezekiel is to make will show Israel her "abominations" (verse 2). Verse 3 is not a physical genealogy, but a "spiritual and moral" genealogy.

Abraham and Sarah were born (by the edict of God's call) into a land that despised them. They were "cast out," into Egypt. But God saved them. Then He "spread" His "skirt over them" (verse 8), which means He betrothed them to Him in marriage.

And God clothed them with beautiful ornaments when they left Egypt. Then they came to the land and became beautiful and prosperous. The whole world knew of them, and thus knew that the Lord God had given them this honor.

15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was. 16 And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. 17 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them, 18 And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them. 19 My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD. 20 Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter, 21 That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them? 22 And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood. 23 And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD;) 24 That thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street. 25 Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms. 26 Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger. 27 Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way. 28 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. 29 Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith. 30 How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman; 31 In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire; 32 But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband! 33 They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom. 34 And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.

But Israel became proud, vain, and was adulterous through idolatry (verse 15).

The prosperity of their fields they offered to idols (verse 19).
They even offered sons and daughters as sacrifices to false gods (verse 20).
They forgot that it was GOD Who gave them freedom, power and prosperity (verse 22).
They began to play the game of worldliness (verses 26-28), and God brought disciplinary action upon them.
But they would not listen to God and delved even further into idolatry (verses 32-34).

Is not America following in the footsteps of Israel today?
People are offering the prosperity of their fields to the idol of gambling
Have we forgotten that our forefathers avowed Christ as Creator, and that all "inalienable rights" come from Him?
Does America not play the game of worldliness and pay more attention to the "American Dream" than to God?

We should LISTEN to God today!

35 Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD: 36 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them; 37 Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. 38 And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy. 39 And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare. 40 They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords. 41 And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more. 42 So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry. 43 Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations. 44 Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter. 45 Thou art thy mother's daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which lothed their husbands and their children: your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite. 46 And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters. 47 Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways. 48 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. 49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good. 51 Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done. 52 Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.

As an adulterous woman, Israel had defiled the marriage they had been given by the Lord God (verses 35-37). And God promises to bring discipline upon them (verses 38-42).

The proverbial saying about them would be that they had become "daughter of mother Hittite," and "sister of Samaria." (see verses 44-46)
They had allowed themselves to acquire the idols of the land rather than listening to God (verse 47). Therefore, their corruption was WORSE than the prior inhabitants of the land because Israel had known GOD as their Lord, and He had sent prophets to warn them.

Israel had even become "sister" to SODOM! (verse 48) Notice the characteristics of Sodom that they had acquired: pried, abundance of idleness, and in prosperity they failed to care for the needy.. (verse 49).

It is more abominable to God for a nation to HEAR the TRUTH and deny it than for a nation to live shamelessly when they do not HEAR the TRUTH (verses 51-52).

Friends, America has never been without HEARING the TRUTH! Churches have filled the land, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ has spread from North to South, and East to West. Never has there been a nation with so much GOSPEL teaching and preaching. Yet our nation is turning aside to idols and wasting the grace of our God!

53 When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them: 54 That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them. 55 When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate. 56 For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride, 57 Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, which despise thee round about. 58 Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the LORD. 59 For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant. 60 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. 61 Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. 62 And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: 63 That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.

Once, while visiting with a young man, I tried to present the Gospel of Jesus to him. He rejected almost all of the truth, but seemed to be interested when I presented the two choices: heaven and hell. So, I asked him, "Don't you want to be in heaven rather than hell?" He said, "Well, I may as well be in hell, all my friends will be there!"

Friends, there will be NO COMFORT in hell! NONE! There will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24:51). In hell, the "worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44). And the greatest shame in hell will be that people have LED OTHERS astray and cost them eternity with God!

This was the shame of Israel. They had known the Truth, but had defiled their relationship with God and led others astray!

When those taken captive by the Babylonians returned, Israel would be SHAMED!

But God offered HOPE to the true believers (verse 60). God had promised to send Messiah, and He would fulfill that promise. There WOULD BE an "everlasting covenant" (verse 60).

There is YET TO BE a special covenant of God with Israel. When Christ comes to set up the millenial kingdom, true believers of God from the nation of Israel will be at the forefront (verses 62-63). Israel will never again refuse any person to be saved, but will gladly "receive" them (verse 61).

God ALWAYS completes His promises!
He has promised disciplinary procedure on any nation, people or person who HEAR and KNOW the TRUTH, but refuse to trust wholly in Christ.

But God has promised ETERNAL LIFE to those who HEAR the TRUTH and SURRENDER to Christ!

PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.