Two Eagles and Three Shoots PT-1 (Ezekiel 17:1-2)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/30/2014 12:21 PM

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Two Eagles and Three Shoots PT-1

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Ezekiel 17:1-2

            Message of the verses:  As I read through this chapter I get the idea why Stewart Briscoe entitle his commentary on Ezekiel “All Things Weird and Wonderful,” for this chapter is pretty weird to me, but as we look at it we will see that the Lord has a purpose for giving this message to Ezekiel.  Stewart Briscoe begins this section in his book with the following words “Still another parable or riddle came from the Tel-abib story-teller’s lips.”  I can’t imagine what the people who first heard this thought of this “parable.”  Dr. Wiersbe begins his section writing “From the image of a vine and a marriage, Ezekiel turned to the image of a great tree, two eagles, and three shoots.  This message is called a “parable” or “riddle,” which means a story with a deeper meaning, an allegory in which various objects refer to people and what they do.”

            “1 Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, propound a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel,”

            We will only look at the introduction to this section in today’s SD, but this should set the stage for what Ezekiel has to say to the exiles in Tel-abid.

            I want to first look at Psalm 78:1-3 “1 «A Maskil of Asaph.» Listen, O my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, 3 Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us.”  As we read these three verses we perhaps can see some of the Jewish men at the gate of the city trying to figure out different riddles and or parables, and so we can believe that the Jewish people loved riddles or parables.  We know that after the people of Israel in the time that our Lord was on earth rejected Him by stating that His miracles were done by the power of Satan that He began to speak to them in parables so that they could hear and not understand, but He then explained what He said to His disciples.  In the case of Ezekiel’s parable he hoped that the people, who also had heard hearts would understand what he was saying to them.

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “The allegory is about three kings (‘shoots’), because the cedar tree represents the royal dynasty of David.  David’s dynasty was very important, because through it God had promised to bring a Savior to His people and to the world (2Sam. 7:16; Luke 1:32-33, 69).  It was essential that a descendant of David sit on the throne so that the blessing of God’s covenant with David might rest on the land.  At that time, the kingdom of Judah was a vassal state of Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar was in charge.  He is the first ‘great eagle’ (Ezek. 17:3).  The second eagle (v.7) is the ruler of Egypt, probably Pharaoh Hophra who promised to help Judah in her fight against the Babylonians (v. 17).  The eagle is used as a symbol of a strong ruler who invades a land (Jer. 48:40; 49:22).”  In our next three Spiritual Diaries we will look or consider the three kings, who are represented by the shoots.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I was listening to this chapter this morning I was tuned into the following verse:  “24 “All the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it."”  What I see out of this is that I am to be humble, and I am to trust the Lord to do as He says that He will do.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  As I mentioned in our last SD what I desire to do in the upcoming year is to learn how to treasure the Lord, to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, and mind, better than I have in the past, so this will be what my step of faith will be for 2015.

Memory verses for the week:  2 Peter 1:5-7.

5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Israel” (Gen.32:28).

Today’s Bible question:  “What was Paul’s occupation?”

Answer in our next SD.

12/30/2014 12:53 PM