Ezekiel 15:1-8 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,… The fruit of the vine was God's primary intention: for its wood was of no practical use: "Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men make a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?" God divides His gifts among trees, as among men and nations. The vine is not blamed for not being a cedar — for not yielding timber for the furniture of the temple; but simply and only for not bearing its own refreshing cluster of grapes. And so with nations: so with Israel, so with England. It is not enough for our own nation to apologise for its worldliness by proving it is no worse than some other nation. God has given us as a nation our national task; by that, and that alone, are we to be judged. "We are not worse than others," Israel said; and fell. The air has laxly been full of these selfish and self-deceiving pleas: and they are our worst danger. They are the moth and rust of conscience; they both work our decay and conceal it. "Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work" — that elegant, delicate vine; "how much less shall it be meet yet for any work when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?" A nation is prosperous, not by the appearance it makes, but by the Divine purpose it follows. Without that, growing, it decays; decayed, it is. cast into the fire. Let the individual also ask — For what does God want me? He wants you not to do another's work, but your own. Your fruit is wanted in lolls vineyard. This is too wonderful for you to know why: it is enough that He knows. If I fail to give Him what is mine to give, He cannot take anything else from me. Had He made me a thorn, I would have to blossom to His honour, white and fragrant: He would understand. But seeing He has made me a vine, I must produce vine fruit for His feast of charity. The strength of the cedar He may have given to another: He knew why. I must not trouble about cedar, or oak, or fir: I must look after the fruit He expects from me. (H. E. Lewis.) Parallel Verses KJV: And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, |
    |