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The Bible Breakdown
Ezekiel 17: The Riddle of Two Eagles
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The More We Dig. The More We Find.
Well, everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today, ezekiel, chapter 17,. And today's title is the Riddle of Two Eagles the Riddle of Two Eagles. We're going to get all of that in just a moment, but if you like what we're doing here as you're opening up your Bible to Ezekiel, chapter 17, make sure you like share, subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you leave us a five-star review on the podcast to the YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you leave us a five-star review on the podcast it really does help. And make sure you're going to the Bible Breakdown Discussion on Facebook. They do an amazing job there and the more we dig, the more we find. Well, yesterday we had a long chapter that was very difficult and it was really kind of hitting the rock. Bottom of this is what God is going through as we are turning away from him. But even at the end we remember the overall focus of Ezekiel is God's promise of renewal, and so, as we're getting through these early chapters, we're seeing why they need it right, the difficulty that they're going through, but I love how, even then, god is continuing to say to them but I've still got a really big idea for you. I got all this stuff that I want to do in your life and we're going to see that in Ezekiel 17. We're going to see about how God is using this kind of riddle of two different eagles and showing us kind of what he's doing in their life, about how he is representing Israel's rebellion and just constantly trying to get them to see why things are happening so that they know where to go from there. So let's read Ezekiel, chapter 17, and let's see what God's word has to say to us today. You ready, verse one says this. Then this message came to me from the Lord, son of man. Give this riddle and tell this story to the people of Israel. Give them this message from the sovereign Lord.
Speaker 0:A great eagle with broad wings and long feathers, covered with many colored plumage, came to Lebanon. He seized the top of a cedar tree. It plucked off its highest branch and he carried it away to a city filled with merchants. He planted it in a city of traders. He also took a seedling from the land and planted it in fertile soil and he placed it beside a broad river where it could grow like a willow tree. It took root and there grew into a low-spreading vine. Its branches turned up toward the eagle and the roots grew down into the ground. It produced strong branches to pull out and pulled out and put out excuse me, shoots. Verse 7,. But then another great eagle came with broad wings and full plumage. So the vine now sent its roots and branches toward him for water, even though it was already planted in good soil and had plenty of water, so it could grow into a splendid vine and produce rich leaves and luscious fruit. So that was the riddle. Now this is what the sovereign Lord asks Will this vine grow and prosper? No, I will pull it up roots and all. I will cut off its fruit and let its leaves wither and die. I will pull it up easily without a strong arm or a large army. But when the vine is transplanted, will it thrive? No, it will wither away when the east wind blows against it. It will die in the same good soil where it had grown so well. Verse 11,. By the way, I would say no, don't understand it at all. But here it goes.
Speaker 0:The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took away her king and princes and brought them to Babylon. They made a treaty with a member of the royal family and forced him to take an oath of loyalty. He also exiled Israel's most influential leaders, so Israel would not become strong again and revolt. Only by keeping her treaty with Babylon could Israel survive. Nevertheless, this man of Israel's royal family rebelled against Babylon, sending ambassadors to Egypt to request a great army and many horses. Can Israel break her sworn treaties like that and get away with it? No, for as surely as I live, says theign Lord, the King of Israel will die in Babylon, the land of the king who put him in power and whose treaty he has disrespected and broke. Pharaoh and all his mighty army will fail to help Israel when the King of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem again and destroys many lives, for the King of Israel disregarded his treaty and broke it after swearing to obey. Therefore, he will not escape.
Speaker 0:So this is what the sovereign Lord says as surely as I live, I will punish him for breaking my covenant and disregarding the solemn oath he made in my name. I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and put him on trial for this treason against me and all his best warriors will be killed in battle. Those who survive will be scattered to the four winds. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken. This is what the sovereign Lord says I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar and I will plant it on the top of Israel's highest mountain. It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will rest or nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches, and all the trees will know it is I, the Lord, who cuts the tall tree down and makes the short tree grow tall. It is I who make green trees wither and give dead trees new life. I, the Lord, have spoken and I will do what I said.
Speaker 0:Okay, so there's all kinds of riddles going on today. The bottom line is God is. He starts off with this riddle about two eagles, and basically what it is is. When Babylon first laid siege to Jerusalem, they captured some of the royal family, took the royal family to Babylon and they said hey, make a treaty with us and we're also going to take some of your most influential leaders, bring them back here so that you're not going to rise against us. Well, the problem was is they kind of went back on their word. The Israelites did, and they started to try to fight again, which is why, eventually, jerusalem was just completely decimated and destroyed. And so what God was saying in the parable, or the riddle, was he was saying is it possible, even though something has been like, taken from here to there, will it grow? No, it won't grow because of the way it was. And he was saying that when you turned your back on Babylon, do you really think Babylon was going to let you get away with it? Would that work in any other situation? No, they're going to destroy you. Well, that's what they're going to do. So that's really what the whole riddle was saying is God was trying to put it in a different context, and one of the things that comes out of this to me is so many times we think we are right because we're only looking at things from one context.
Speaker 0:We think that God is doing things in a certain way or doing it for a certain reason, because we only see it from our narrow context. And so what many times God will do is he will bring someone into our life who will help us to see things from a different perspective, so that we can see what he's doing in a different way. What God was doing is he was putting this in a parable I keep saying parable in a riddle to help them see it in a new way because they were thinking well, this is the nation of Babylon. Of course I can backstab Babylon, they're evil, you know this kind of stuff. But what they didn't realize is number one God had sent Babylon to humble them, and so they were reneging on a thing that God had done. And he's like do you not realize that you sacrificed your integrity? Like, I need you to see this for what it is, not just what you think it is. So you'll understand.
Speaker 0:And one of the things that God does in our life is sometimes he will send us some things that will help change our perspective so we can see him more clearly. Can I tell you, a lot of times, though, I don't like this fact, god has allowed me to go through difficult times because I only saw God in one way. But when I go through a difficult season and I have to lean in and trust God, god is able to reveal himself to me in a different, totally new way. Then, on the other side of it, I go wow, I never saw God that way before, and so God will change my perspective so I can see him. And so is it possible that God is taking you through a season right now, not because he's trying to destroy you, but he's trying to get you to see life from another perspective. Is it possible that God is up to something that you don't yet perceive yet?
Speaker 0:So, instead, be faithful. Be faithful to what's been put in front of you. Don't, don't be like the, the nation of Israel, and just turn things around and also, but be faithful where God has you and wait, and at the right time he will reveal to you what it is he's doing. Let's pray together right now, god. Thank you so much for today.
Speaker 0:God, I'm thankful that your word teaches us to be faithful, lord, sometimes faithful in things we wouldn't have chosen. I got a real good feeling that the nation of Israel did not want to be exiles in Babylon, so no wonder they wanted to be able to do something different. But, lord, I'm thankful that you are still with them and you're still faithful to them, and I pray you help us to do the same, to not hurry your plan, but to be faithful and to trust that in the right time, you reveal yourself to us. We're thankful for that. Today, in Jesus name, we pray Amen. And don't forget. God's word says in Ezekiel, chapter 34, verse 14, I will put my spirit in you and you will live again. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow. For Ezekiel, chapter 18.
