Vine Wood Vs Tree Wood
Ezekiel 15:1 – This message came to me from the LORD: 2 – “Son of Man, how does wood from a vine compare to a branch taken from any of the trees in the forest? 3 – Is wood ever taken from it to make anything practical? Can it even be made into a peg to hang something on? 4 – After all, it’s useful only for kindling a fire, isn’t it? And once you’ve burnt up the ends and charred through the middle of it, is it useful for anything else? 5 – If it was useless before it was burned, now that it’s been burned and charred through, it’s even more useless!
verse 6 – Therefore this is what the Lord God says: “Just as the wood from a grape vine is removed from the forest and used for kindling fires, I’m giving the inhabitants of Jerusalem over 7 – to punishment. They may have escaped one fire, but the coming fire will burn them up completely, and they will know that I am the LORD, when I set myself in opposition to them 8 – and dedicate the land to desolation because of their unfaithful unbelief,” declares the Lord GOD.
I remember back when I first began pastoral ministry, my wife and I were also newly married and had moved to our first district in Eastern Canada. Our first home was heated only by a wood stove which meant that I had to learn how to start fires. My wife grew up in the country and already knew such basic skills. I learned quickly that I couldn’t just put a big block of wood in the stove, light a match and expect it to provide heat. I needed kindling: wood shavings, twigs, paper, stuff that was really good for nothing else other than starting fires.
Thinking about this chapter in Ezekiel – how many times have I eaten grapes back when we used a wood stove and just threw out the spent vine? I didn’t even think to use the vine as kindling. There’s more to this chapter than bad news and learning basic fire starting skills. This chapter is a warning to unfaithful, unbelieving people. There’s a fire coming. Denying the existence of God during peacetime only means that God will prove His existence during times of intense conflict – especially the final one when the purging fires will cleanse the earth, but by then it will be too late to change. The time to bear fruit will have passed by long ago.
That’s why this chapter is here! It is a warning! Even the dummy lights on the dashboard of a car, when lit, signal impending doom if nothing is done about them. Does it appear like the lights are lit around us? Can we really afford to do nothing about it? Even if it is just an extra honest minute in prayer, in reading your Bible or devotional or answering that yearning call to attend that Bible study or even lead out in one! Jesus says the laborers are few! Don’t be useless! The Holy Spirit can use you to share the gospel. Let’s be open to the calling of the Holy Spirit upon our lives today!
Where two are gathered 