Morning Manna | Ezekiel 19:10-14 | A Sceptre to Rule

Ezekiel 19:10-14 Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. 11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches. 12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them. 13 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. 14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

The nation of Israel is compared to a vine that sprouted into a great tree, but this tree is cast down in fury. The picture that came to my mind was of a great wind that uproots a tree from its roots. No matter the glory that tree once stood in, without its roots, it won't last very long. Our verses say that the east wind dried up her fruit, a simile for the nation of Babylon and its invasion and overthrow of the once-great nation of Israel. When Israel was rooted in the promises of God, rooted in faith toward Him, they received grace from Him. Yet, when their faith waned, so did the supply of God's favor.

Many times, harsh winds had blown upon that nation by way of military attacks, diplomatic affairs, and other storms that rise against a nation. But this was the first time Judah (the Southern Kingdom) had been uprooted, cast down, and now her fruit was withering.

Now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. Babylon had rivers and aqueducts to bring water into their civilization, but they didn't have any rivers that could water Israel’s relationship with God. So it is with us Christians: this world has many joys to offer, many distractions. Their houses may be large and overflowing with the finest foods, but the sweetest things the world has to offer can do nothing for our souls. No wonder the harpers in Psalm sat down beside the river in Babylon and hung their harps on the willows; they were in a "dry and thirsty land."

What happens in a dry land with dry branches? Fire. In the last verse, we see a fire break out among the branches of the tree, devouring any hope of fruitfulness ever again. Not even a branch can be found fit to make a scepter. Their hope of a king is gone, their king is no more, and the line of David seems to have fizzled out! Truly, this is a lamentation. Their national hope was for a king to rise out of Judah: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be" (Genesis 49:10).

How will the lawgiver come? Who will bring peace (Shiloh)? Who will gather the people? If there is no scepter left, then the nation's hopes are gone.

So it was for the nation of Israel for over 500 years. Their once prosperous nation became weak and fruitless, their once illustrious line of Judean kings became legends of the past. The nation of Israel shriveled up to nothing but a root in dry ground. Then, 500 years later, from the little town of Bethlehem, rose a Judean king of the line and lineage of David—on His mother’s side and earthly father’s side—and of the line and lineage of heaven from His Father’s side. He was a root out of dry ground, as Isaiah said.

Although the nation of Israel had nothing but a shriveled root for hope, it was from their shattered hopes and aspirations that sprang their rightful King, Jesus Christ of Nazareth! This is no lamentation; this is joy, peace, and goodwill toward men! Yet, He was not received by them, but to those who did receive Him, He gave the power to become the sons of God.

Their king did not live in a palace; He slept under the stars. He didn’t address them from a tower, but from the countryside. He had no chariot, nor house. His crown was of thorns, His robes were to mock Him, and His greatest achievement was not national peace, but universal peace.

Colossians 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Dear reader, He wasn't just the King of Israel—He’s your King too. This promise was not just to Israel but to all who believe. That root out of dry ground was for the healing of the nations, not just one nation. All of humanity was in need of a King. We had all been cast down, withered up, and absolutely fruitless. And from the depths of humanity's hopelessness sprang our King. Have you been grafted into this tree? Have you, a “wild branch,” been placed into the tree of God's promise? Does the life of God pulse through your once-dead limbs? Have your dry, lifeless branches sprouted the fruits of the Spirit? What tree is that you may ask. It is the Tree upon which our King hung, the cross of Calvary. Come to the cross today, hear his prayer for you, "father forgive them" Hear his suffering for you, "I Thrist" Hear the horrors he endured for you, "My God, My God, why hst thou forsaken me!" Hear what he accomplished for you "It is finished!" Oh dear lost person, dry and weary, believe on him today! We who have been grafted in to the life of the cross ought to thank him for his gift of life abundant!