The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 271

I. l\fosT TREES SERVE MANY USES, From root to topmost twig, every part of some trees is ser,iceable to man. The bark is used for cordage or for tanning. The root is often a valuable medicine. The juice which exudes is a precious gum. The fruit is wholesome food. And ·when cut down, the wood is devoted to house-building or forms implements of husbandry. Which fact is a parable. For some nations serve many good purposes. A nation may produce a superior literature which shall serve for the education of other lands. It may bring to perfection the decorative arts-painting and architecture and sculpture. It may invent a useful system of jurisprudence. It may be famous for legislation, for commerce, for manufactures. If it should fail in one respect, it might yet excel in others. Egypt and Greece and Home were justly celebrated for many of these things. These taught the world; they moulded humanity. By their literature and art and systems of government they are teaching mankind still. "Being dead, they yet speak." II. 'l'HE VINE TREE HAS BUT ONE USE-ITS FRUIT. Of all trees it is the most prolific in bearing fruit. Under proper culture, its fruitfulness is certain, regular, copious. All the life and vigour of the tree are poured into its clusters. But failing this, it renders no other service to man. Its cells are not stored with any known medicinal q11alities. Its wood is too brittle to bear any strain or burden. Hence, unless fruitful, it is worthless. In this respect the vine is an apt figure of the Hebrew nation. It was raised up by God for a single purpose, viz. to exhibit to the world righteousness, loyalty to the will of the invisible God. Israel's message was to be addressed to the conscience of mankind. Israel was designed to be a lighthouse, to diffuse on every side the rays of moral and spiritual truth. If it failed in this, it failed altogether. It may as well not have been. For Israel to fail in exerting a moral influence upon the Gentile nations was a loss incalculable to humanity. It was a check upon the development of manhood. Ill. A FRUITLESS VINE IB DESTINED FOR THE FLAME. Other trees, when felled, are yet valuable to man. They exude a fragrance. They possess qualities suited for dyeing or tanning. They are useful for edifices of all kinds. 'l'hey afford timber for ship- building. But the vine has no such virtues. If fruitless, it is cut down and set apart : for fueL So was it with Israel's nationality. The pictnre sketched by the prophet is . impressive. It is that of a vine branch severed from the tree and already burnt at both ends. The final doom of such a branch had already begun. Israel had committed a grievous trespass. The nation created to be a witness for God had become a witness against him. The medicine had become a poison. Hence the dunghill was its fittest place. The doom of Israel had already begun. Its glory was in part consumed. Fire should succeed to fire, calamity to calamity, until the lowest degradation should be reached. The decree of God is written in steel. and cannot in the nature of things be revoked. "My word shall not return unto me void."-D.. Vers. 1-8.-The true object of the life of man. "And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree?" etc. Israel is here compared to a vine. The figure is frequently applied to her ( cf. Ps. lxxx. 8-16; Isa. v. 1-7). If a vine be fruitful, it is very highly valued. Its fruit is said to make "glad the heart of man," and to "cheer God and man." But if it be not fruitful, of what use is it? It is of no use as timber. If other trees fail to bring forth fruit, they may at least render good service as timber. Not so the vine. If it is not fruitful, it is fit only for burning. So Israel was" planted a noble vine, wholly a right seed," with the express purpose of bringing forth fruit, i.e. of continuing faithful to the one true God, and doing righteously amongst men. If they had fulfilled that design, they would have occupied a position of noble pre-eminence amongst the nations of the world. But failing in that, they failed totally, and were fit only for destruction. " In respect of those thin~s which constitute the natural greatness of kingdoms-antiquity of origin, extent of territory, abundance of resources, attainments in arts and science-what could they boast of in comparison of Egypt, Ethiopia, Babylon, and the greater kingdoms of the earth?" Hence if they failed religiously, like a fruitless vine they were fit only for the fire. Their destruction was already in a great measure accomplished (vers. 4, 6), and its further accomplishment was at hand (vers. 6-8). The principles involved here apply to all men and to every man. We are designed and created by God to produce tho cIJ. xv. 1-8.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 2G!l