Scripture

“Since they are useless, I have thrown them onto the fire to be burned.”

Observation

The Lord asks Ezekiel a rhetorical question about the worth of grapevine. It isn’t strong enough to be used as a peg for hanging pots and pans. It isn’t useful as a fuel, as it burns too quickly.

The people of Jerusalem are like a grapevine growing in a forest. They are useless and the Lord will throw them onto the fire to be burned. The Lord will make the land desolate, because His people have been unfaithful to Him.

Application

A grapevine is good for just one thing, growing grapes. Unlike wood from trees, which is strong and can be fashioned into many objects, grapevine fibre is weak and twisted. It doesn’t even give much heat when it is burned in a fire,

So, a grapevine that produces no fruit is useless. It doesn’t even do the one thing that it was created for.

Jesus tells us that we are the branches of a grape vine. We must stay connected to him to be fruitful. Any branch that does not produce fruit will be cut off and thrown away.

The exact fruit that God is looking for varies from person to person. He wants each of us to be faithful in serving him and doing the things that he shows us to do.

Listen

Lord, is there more that you would like to say to me about this passage?

Keith, the majority of people in Israel were not fruitful. Israel was intended to be the light of the world, but they chose to be like the nations. They wanted to be of the world and not of me. I always had a faithful few who loved me, but as a whole, Israel preferred the way of sin.

It can be the same in the church when Christians love the world more than they love me.

Let the grace of my Spirit and the power of my love keep your flame for me burning.