The Grapevine
One Year Bible: November 6
Ezekiel 14:12-16:41
The Grapevine
Have you ever done “The Grapevine”?
There is a little video that says that we have all done “The Grapevine” at some time in our lives.
Perhaps at a birthday party, wedding, or backyard barbeque. The instructor then claims that it is very simple. This is where they lose me and my eyes kind of “gloss over” like they are doing in this passage today.
The steps of this little dance are, “One, Two, Three. Tap” Now, make sure that your leg crosses behind and not in front of you. Meanwhile, you can move those arms and “snake that head.”
That sure sounds a lot like the dance the people who were supposed to be God’s bride were doing at their backyard barbeque, and it was no wedding feast with the lamb who sought them and bought them!
They were certainly crossing their feet behind them. I will give them credit for that!
In this passage, God portrays Jerusalem as an abandoned infant who is reduced by the Lord. He took in, clothed, comforted, and betrothed her as his very own bride. He bathed washed her clean and adorned her.
Now, I want you to really catch this next part. It is kind of humorous to me…
Do you know how “nose rings” are such a big deal these days? The younger people are going wild over “rings everywhere” and the parents are far from overjoyed. Well, I hate to break the news to you, but you need to read Ezekiel 16:11-12, “I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, beautiful necklaces, A RING FOR YOUR NOSE, earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head.”
Well, you heard it here, folks! No need to read this verse to your child. We much prefer to focus on the princess and the crown!
The gist of the story is that God gave his lovely child everything! He was the husband who spared no expense and lavished love upon HIS bride. She on the other hand pursued adultery as a shameless profit without even getting paid. This was part of the rituals of idol worship which involved pagan sacrifices and orgies. They went for the thrill of evil and companionship with demons. They sold out!
This is what God says about them, “The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have thrown them on the fire to be burned.” (15:6)
He says that they are nothing but a Canaanite and that their father was an Amorite and their mother was a Hittite. We can tell this is not a compliment. He is referring to their moral condition. The pagan occupants of the land were to have been driven out and God’s people were to remain holy and set apart, but instead, they adopted their pagan abominations as if they were the spiritual children of Canaan.
Let’s take a closer look at the grapevine from a New Testament point of view.
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” (John 15:1-4)
You see, they couldn’t do the dance because they weren’t connected to the VINE. Jesus is the TRUE VINE and His Father is the gardener. If we want to bear fruit we must “Remain” in HIM. We need to be connected and receive daily nourishment from HIM.
Ezekiel is dealing with people who literally cut themselves off and were grafted to an entirely different vine. No one can have it both ways. Not them. Not us.
So, back to the little dance for today. First, you’re going to move to the RIGHT. Side, back, side, tap… Are you taking steps daily to move to the RIGHT to REMAIN and be grafted, pruned, and bear fruit?
So, here’s the secret of doing any dance, including “The Grapevine”. Someone leads and the other person follows. Who is "doing the leading" in your life?
