Ezekiel 17:22-23 – “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel’s highest mountain. It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches.”
If you love a good riddle, you should read the whole chapter to see if you can figure it out. To sum up, a great eagle comes along and plucks a branch off a cedar tree. He plants it and it roots in the ground and becomes strong. Then another eagle comes along and the vines and shoots of the tree grow towards this new eagle. God is saying that he had given the Israelites a wonderful land to grow in, and they were doing well. But then they made a treaty with the king of Babylon and started looking to Babylon’s king instead of God.
It’s amazing how easily our hearts abandon God when we look for earthly answers. A king, or a celebrity, or a product, or an economic system, or a culture — all of these lure us in as promising more than God can offer. We forget what God has given us and sell our souls for more. In the American church, for example, we have sought governmental protection and tax benefits. Look how quickly that has turned into marrying a political party and turning our heads to overlook a whole lot of evil.
Here’s your freedom for today:
God’s provision doesn’t force you to compromise.
Every earthly system that we use to replace God will require us to compromise. Maybe it’s our integrity, or our beliefs, or our devotion. There is always a cost. God’s provision is free. He loves you and gives you good things willingly. He draws you to himself, heals your heart, and gives you a supernatural life that you never thought possible. As we see in today’s highlighted verses, God plants strong trees that not only do well for themselves, but provide shelter and a home for others. These verses point to the good news of Jesus, who welcomes not just Jews but all people to dwell within his branches.