Many times in Scripture, Israel is compared to a vine. Decorating the temple gates in Jerusalem was a gigantic golden vine, with grape clusters over six feet long. It was a reminder that Israel was the true vine that God had taken out of Egypt and planted in a choice land. As the loving Vinedresser who faithfully cultivated His vine, God had every right to expect fruit in return for His labors. Unfortunately, these expectations were continually met with disappointment. Ezekiel 15 addresses this image of the vine, as the first of several illustrations which will now be featured in four successive chapters. In the message given to Ezekiel, the wood of a grapevine is compared to the wood of a tree. The skilled carpenter can make many useful and beautiful things out of a tree. But what can he do with the twisted wood of a grapevine? Not much! It’s so pliable that he can’t even use it as pegs to hang kitchen utensils (v 1-3). Actually, the only way it might have value is if used as fuel for a fire. Yet even then, it’s usefulness is limited, because such wood burns too quickly! If one of its branches were found, half-burnt, amid the ashes of a fireplace, it would still be as useless as ever. This is the opening of Ezekiel’s parable. So far, no one can disagree with his presentation. All of this is inescapably true (v 4-5). Then Ezekiel moves on to apply the metaphor, and his audience begins to squirm. Jerusalem is like that vine wood, says the LORD God, and its fate is going to be like those half-burnt vine branches—fit for nothing except to be thrown back onto the fire and consumed completely. If that wasn’t already a hard enough message to hear, Ezekiel also emphasizes that it is none other than the Sovereign LORD Himself who will keep tossing them into the flames! If they escape from one fire, they will fall into another, until the whole land becomes desolate because of their unfaithfulness to God (v 6-8). The image was particularly apt since the Babylonians did practice a scorched-earth policy, burning everything in the city once it had been plundered of its treasures. By this point, they had already invaded the land of Judah twice (605 and 598 BC). But the people have not been made more fit for God’s purposes. On the contrary, they were more useless than before. So once again, the prophet’s point is inescapable: back into the fire they will go. A third invasion is just a few years away (587 BC), and this time the destruction will be total, for God’s presence is no longer in Jerusalem, but among the exiles (chapter 11). Praise the LORD that in due time, a new Vine will appear on the scene. Those united to Him by faith will produce much fruit, to the Father’s glory. For further meditation: