Sunday: Worthless Vine: Ezekiel 15:1-8
During the reign of David and the early years of Solomon, Israel was a fragrant and fruitful vine. When Solomon introduced idolatry into their customs, the nation began to bear “wild grapes” (Isaiah 5:2). Ezekiel points out how worthless a vine is that has become unfruitful. Wood from a grapevine is worthless. Even as fuel for a fire its quality is poor. As the parable teaches, God’s people had become utterly worthless—a very difficult message to receive.
Monday: A Great Love: Ezekiel 16:1-14
Israel is depicted as a child, unwanted and unloved, who was abandoned and left to die. God rescues her, nurtures and raises her, and she later became His wife. No suitor wanted a daughter who was forsaken by her own parents. Even though they were then enslaved in Egypt and would have to be redeemed, God claimed her and delivered her. At Mt. Sinai, He entered into a “marriage covenant” with Israel (Deuteronomy 32:1‑14). As long as Israel obeyed Him, she prospered abundantly.
Tuesday: A Great Sin: Ezekiel 16:15-34
Fame and prosperity often turn the hearts of men aside from God. So, it was with Israel. Using the generous gifts God has graced her with, she begins to commit idolatry, abandoning her covenantal “Husband” for false gods. This passage reveals that Israel went far beyond committing adultery but became a professional prostitute. Even worse, she paid her wicked lovers to sin with her! She gave her gold, garments, jewels, and even her children to the worshiping of idols. At this point, she also stopped trusting in the God of heaven, hiring the armies of other nations to protect her. Pride and ingratitude were her undoing.
Wednesday: A Great Discipline: Ezekiel 16:35-52
According to God’s law, prostitutes were to be burned (Leviticus 21:9), adulterers stoned (Leviticus 20:10), and idolaters slain by the sword and their possessions burned (Deuteronomy 13:12-18). God used the Babylonian army to inflict these exact judgments on the people of Israel. After announcing their crimes and sentence (Ezekiel 16:35-42), God defends the sentence (Ezekiel 16:43-52). Israel had forgotten what God had done for them (Ezekiel 16:43) and misunderstood how deep their sins really were (Ezekiel 16:44-52).
Thursday: A Great Restoration: Ezekiel 16:53-63
The term “bring back their captives” actually means to “restore their fortunes.” There was a partial restoration when Judah was brought back from exile, but the complete restoration is in the future. Israel will see and accept their true Messiah, weep over their sins, and enter into His kingdom (Zechariah 12:9-13:1). This work can only be done because of the atoning work of the Lamb.
Friday: Two Eagles — Two Shoots: Ezekiel 17:1-21
A parable is normally used to make a truth more clear. This parable is referred to more accurately as a riddle—a story whose main focus is to obscure the true meaning. Its purpose is to grip the minds of the hearers to ponder its secrets. The eagles refer to King Nebuchadnezzar and to the Pharaoh of Egypt at the time. The first two shoots (Ezekiel 17:12-13) refer to King Jehoiachin and King Zedekiah.
Saturday: The Third Shoot: Ezekiel 17:22-24
The third shoot, the tender shoot (Isaiah 53:2) that would grow up from lowliness and become the greatest of all, the one who will shade all the righteous inhabitants, is Jesus Christ. God will pull down the mighty and exalt His own. The “dry tree” (Ezekiel 17:24) will be made to flourish for the blessing of His people.