17:22-24
So all of Zedekiah’s scheming would prove to be utterly futile. His attempts to restore Judah would fail. Yet Judah would be restored, but this would be achieved by the Lord. The only way to true freedom is to turn to the Lord. And God’s plan would be truly amazing. He would take a “shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it”. This refers to Jesus, though Ezekiel would not know this at the time. It will be planted on a “high and lofty mountain”, higher than any other mountain. It would produce branches, and rather than becoming a lowly vine, it would be a splendid cedar. God’s plans are always better than man’s plans. “Birds of every kind will nest in it”. Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4:30-32) makes an obvious allusion to this. Under Zedekiah’s plans Judah would be a vassal of other nations, but under God’s plans other nations would come to Judah. We should note that it is God’s plan that the world learns from His people, not the other way around. We need to appreciate this. The church is not to learn from the world, rather the world is to learn from the church. Now God’s plans for Israel can only be fulfilled when Israel is faithful to God, and this includes acknowledging Christ as Lord and Saviour. And God’s plans for the church can only be fulfilled when the church is faithful to the Lord.
“I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall”. It is God who determines who reigns, and it is Christ whom He has placed above every power and authority. And God intends that the whole world will see this and acknowledge this.
“I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it”. This is true today!
No comments:
Post a Comment