Ezekiel 17
Relief from Life under the Sun!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, June 21.
Have you ever found relief from the unrelenting heat of a scorching sun by resting in the shade of a beautiful tree? After a parable of judgment about two eagles and a vine, the prophet concludes with an oracle of restoration in Ezekiel 17:22-24:
Thus says the Lord God, “I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches. All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will perform it.”
In exile, God was giving His people hope, reminding them of the Messianic promise of Isaiah 11:1, “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.” In fulfillment of this promise, in Matthew 13:31-32, Jesus quoted Ezekiel 17:23 in one of His parables, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” This invitation to find shade is available to “birds of every kind,” which means that there is hope for you and for all who are experiencing the unrelenting heat of living under the scorching sun.
Seize the moment and find relief in the shade provided through faith in the Son.
God bless you!
If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.
YOUTUBE:
If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.