Thus says the Lord God: I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of a cedar; I will set it out. I will break off a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs; I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.” vs. 22
Ezekiel 17:22-24
Ezekiel knew the sorry saga of Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem. He was familiar with the king’s futile attempt to make a treaty with Egypt. He’d likely been part of that long march into captivity, and now had been called to bring the word of the Lord to the exiled Jewish community. In these verses the prophet acknowledges that the nation had been destroyed but that God still had a plan for the people. Their salvation would not come through foreign treaties but by direct restoration through the Lord God. A twig from a cedar will be planted on a high and lofty mountain and it will blossom and flourish. God’s plan would not be subverted by human folly! This and similar metaphors have sustained the faithful through countless regime changes and nationalistic catastrophes through the centuries. We’ve been hearing the voices of doom for many decades now. There are many who fear that cherished institutions are on the verge of destruction. Some even wonder if our own country can survive the pressures of fragmenting forces. Ezekiel promises that when human efforts fail, the Lord will bring restoration and that’s a word of grace to hang on to in every age. The future is not all up to us!
Thought for the Day: What institutions are being threatened?
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