Thursday, April 07 2011
Ezekiel 19
Verse of the Week: V2 “And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.”
1. The Lioness (V1-9)
V2 “And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.”
Israel was like the lioness while her whelps or cubs were like the kings and princes. When Israel became wicked, the kings and princes also became wicked and God sent the Babylonians to attack and destroy them. Indeed, mothers have a great influence on the character of their children. When mothers are godly, their children will most likely be godly, conversely, when mothers are ungodly, their children will most likely be ungodly.
V9 “And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.”
2. The Vine (V10-13)
V10 “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.”
Israel was like the vine while the kings and princes were like the branches. God blessed Israel when they were fruitful and godly, however, His fury was upon them when they became evil and wicked, and He had to send the Babylonians to attack and destroy them.
V12 “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.”
3. The Lamentation (V14)
V14 “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.”
God sent fire to destroy and burn the vine together with all her branches and it was a lamentation and grief as God sent fire to destroy His own people, the people of Israel. May our mothers raise our children like the virtuous mother of Proverbs who raises her children in godliness, instead of like the lioness and the vine in the days of Ezekiel.
Proverbs 31:28 “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, please help me to be a godly mother or a godly father for Your glory.
