In this chapter, God spoke to Ezekiel with a word picture, like a parable.
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? (Ezekiel 15:1-3)
- The word of the Lord to Ezekiel—God’s direct words.
- Later in this chapter, we learn this parable referred to Israelites living in God’s city, Jerusalem.
- Is the wood of a vine better than a branch on a tree?
- It’s interesting that the same word here for “branch” is the same word Ezekiel wrote in chapter 8 to refer to branches used in pagan cult practices.1
- The wood from a vine does not make anything useful.
- It requires pruning to be fruitful. Jesus said it this way:
- “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2).
*Why do you think the Lord chose to speak to Ezekiel in a parable in this passage?
*How does the Lord ensure branches of the vine are useful today?
“And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred? (Ezekiel 15:4-5) 
- This wood was thrown into the fire and became completely useless.
- As God explained at the end of this passage, these people were not useful to Him even whole.
- How much less useful when burned and consumed by fire—judged for their trespasses.
- Not only were such branches no longer useful, there was no hope they would “prosper” or be useful.2
- As part of God’s judgment, even if the people wanted to fight off [the fire of] God’s judgment, their actions would be unsuccessful since they had already broken God’s commandments.2
- Zechariah wrote about God’s purifying fire for His people in the future.
“In the whole land,” declares the Lord, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God’” (Zechariah 13:8-9).
*How does fire make wood no longer useful?
*When and why are people not useful for God?
*How does sin make our actions unsuccessful?
*What promise does God give His remnant?
“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord (Ezekiel 15:6-7).
- Such wood serves as fuel for the fire.
- The Lord made the people in Jerusalem useless through His fire of judgment.
- The Lord set His face against them.
- The fire consumed them.
- They would go out from one fire and another fire would devour them: they would go forth into captivity, from their homeland into exile.3
- When God set His face against them, you will know that I am the Lord.
*How did God’s judgment make Israel useless?
*How did God’s actions in this passage convince Ezekiel’s audience so they will know that I AM [is] the Lord?
“I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign Lord” (Ezekiel 15:8).
- God declared that He Himself said these words.
- The land would experience total destruction when God sent His people into exile.4
- This was the consequence to Israel for their unfaithfulness.
- They violated their duty as God’s chosen people, priests to the nations, when they abandoned God and turned away from Him to worship false gods and idols.
God’s people are called to serve as priests, those who tell others about the Lord and bring people to God. This role is proclaimed throughout Scripture, relevant for God’s people past, present, and future.
“‘Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites” (Exodus 19:5-6).
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen (Revelation 1:6).
*How are we unfaithful toward God?
*How are we to serve as God’s priests today?
*What do we learn about the Sovereign Lord in this passage?
- Warren Baker, D.R.E., Eugene Carpenter, Ph.D. The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003) 293
- Ibid., 951
- Ibid., 462
- Ibid., 1165