A Riddle and a PrayerEzekiel 17

Maud church of Christby Jim BradshawSunday Evening, Jan. 19, 2014

A Great EagleEze 17:1-6 NKJV And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, (2) "Son of man, pose a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel, (3) and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "A great eagle with large wings and long pinions, Full of feathers of various colors, Came to Lebanon And took from the cedar the highest branch. (4) He cropped off its topmost young twig And carried it to a land of trade; He set it in a city of merchants. (5) Then he took some of the seed of the land And planted it in a fertile field; He placed it by abundant waters And set it like a willow tree. (6) And it grew and became a spreading vine of low stature; Its branches turned toward him, But its roots were under it. So it became a vine, Brought forth branches, And put forth shoots.

A Great EagleLebanon refers to Israel:

Jos 1:3-4 NKJV Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. (4) From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.

2Ki 14:9 NKJV And Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife'; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle.

A Great EagleThe Great Eagle is King Nebuchadnezzar:

Jehoiachin is taken into captivity to the city of Merchants, Babylon (2 Kings 24:12-16)

Nebuchadnezzar places another king (2 Kings 24:16-20) Zedekiah given opportunity to become great, “like a will tree.” Zedekial becomes no more prominent than a vine.

Another Great EagleEze 17:7-10 NKJV "But there was another great eagle with large wings and many feathers; And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, And stretched its branches toward him, From the garden terrace where it had been planted, That he might water it. (8) It was planted in good soil by many waters, To bring forth branches, bear fruit, And become a majestic vine." ' (9) "Say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots, Cut off its fruit, And leave it to wither? All of its spring leaves will wither, And no great power or many people Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots. (10) Behold, it is planted, Will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the garden terrace where it grew." ' "

Another Great EagleAnother eagle not quite as impressive as the first, represents:

Pharaoh Hophra

Zedekiah would make a covenant with Hophra. Betrays Nebuchadnezzar and thinks Egypt will protect Judah. Zedekiah was warned, and yet still did not listen. Read Jeremiah 37:1-10

Broken CovenantNebuchadnezzar would have left Judah alone.

Read Ezekiel 17:11-21 Read 2 Kings 25:1-7 Zedekiah should have relied in God Judah did not need a covenant with Egypt

Exo 34:10-12 NKJV And He said: "Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. (11) Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. (12) Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst.

A New Covenant & Kingdom

Eze 17:22-24 NKJV Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will take also one of the highest branches of the high cedar and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and will plant it on a high and prominent mountain. (23) On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell. (24) And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it."

A New Covenant & Kingdom1. Who does this speak? Zerubbabel

2. Does not fit; Israel never regain earthly power3. In verse 24, “All the trees suggests something more universal.4. Better interpreted as a Messianic prophecy.5. Take of the highest branch – Jesus Christ6. Tender one – Jesus lowly beginning on earth7. When job was finished, Jesus is reigning with the Father.

Gen 12:2-3 NKJV I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

A New Covenant & KingdomIsa 11:1 NKJV There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,

And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

Zec 6:12 NKJV Then speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, saying: "Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the LORD;

Jer 23:5 NKJV "Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

Isa 53:2 NKJV For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

A New Covenant & KingdomIsa 2:2-3 NKJV Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the

mountain of the LORD's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. (3) Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.Isa 11:1 NKJV There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

A New Covenant & KingdomDan 2:44 NKJV And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will

set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

Mar 9:1 NKJV And He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."

Act 1:8 NKJV But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."