Scroll 1 Part 6

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(Scroll 1) 8:1 – 19:14 (the present state of Israel, temple abominations, wicked slain, the glory departs – E, opportunity of regathering, Judah & Jerusalem’s guilt) 06/05/06.

Ezekiel 17:1 And the word of vuvh came to me, saying, 2 Ben-adam, put out a riddle, and speak a parable to Beit Yisrael.

The aggressor: a riddle is a mysterious example from which another example can be understood

יהוה explains the riddle/parable in V.12.

Ezekiel 17:3 And say, This says the Master vuvh; A great eagle with great wings, long pinions, full of feathers, which had different colors, came to Levanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:

Six things:

1. Great eagle: Nebuchadnezzar. Great great wings: an expansive kingdom, many people under his rule.
2. Long pinions: the ability to pick up its prey and carry them back to its nest (Babylon).
3. Full of feathers: great strength and flying ability, ability to make long distance incursions.
4. Different colors: marshal splendor, representing Nebuchadnezzar’s ruling generals, governors and dignitaries.
5. Came to Lebanon: Israel the land of the mighty Lebanon forests.
6. Took the highest branch: Judah’s king Jehoiachin

Ezekiel 17:4 He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traders; he set it in a city of merchants. 5 He took also of the zera of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by many mayim, and set it as a willow eytz.

Four things:

1. Young twigs: the princes of Jehoiachin. Land of traders: Babylon. Took seed of the land: Zedekiah, brother of Jehoiachin and son of Josiah – the last great and righteous king of Judah.
2. Planted it in a fruitful field: Nebuchadnezzar established Zedekiah’s reign in Jerusalem (the fruitful field) and made him promise to be a faithful servant.
3. Placed by many waters: Zedekiah’s reign was under close supervision of the tributaries of trade and military might that flowed out of Babylon that reached the ramparts of Jerusalem.
4. Set as a willow tree: another translation Zedekiah was set as a “foul smelling vine.’ An unpleasant odor only tolerated by Nebuchadnezzar because it vowed to stay low/humble and creep along the ground, never to dare and climb the height of a cedar where the eagle/Nebuchadnezzar dwelt.

Ezekiel 17:6 And it grew, and became a spreading vine of little size, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots of it were under him: so it became a vine, and brought out branches, and shot out shoots.

Ezekiel 17:7 There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, see, this vine did bend its roots toward him, and shot out its branches toward him, from the furrows of its bed, that he might water it.

Note: this eagle/Pharoah didn’t have long pinions and only ‘many’/rab feathers NOT ‘abundant’ /mâlê’ feathers, nor different colors: Pharaoh didn’t have the ability to come to Zedekiah’s defense and carry him to safety, he didn’t have the might of generals and commanders as Nebuchadnezzar did (colors). 

Ezekiel 17:8 It was planted in a tov soil by many mayim, that it might bring out branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a tov vine.

Ezekiel 17:9 Say, This says the Master vuvh; Shall it prosper? Shall he not pull up the roots of it, and cut off the fruit of it, so that it withers? It shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power, or many people to pluck it up by the roots of it.

Ezekiel 17:10 See, it is planted, shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind touches it? It shall wither in the furrows where it grew.

Nebuchadnezzar heard of Zedekiah’s treachery and blew in from the NE and scorched the vine and the furrows of Jerusalem where he grew.

Ezekiel 17:11 Moreover the word of vuvh came to me, saying,

(Answer to the riddle/parable)

Ezekiel 17:12 Say now to the rebellious bayit, Know you not what these things mean? Tell them, See, the melech of Bavel has come to Yahrushalayim, and has taken the melech, and the leaders of it, and led them with him to Bavel;

Ezekiel 17:13 And has taken one of the melech’s zera, and made a brit with him, and has taken an oath from him: he has also taken the mighty of the land:

Ezekiel 17:14-21   14 That the malchut might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by guarding his brit it might stand. 15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Mitzrayim, that they might give him horses and many people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape that does such things? Or, shall he break the brit, and be delivered? 16 As I live, says the Master vuvh, surely in the place where the melech dwells that made him melech, whose oath he despised, and whose brit he broke, even with him in the midst of Bavel he shall die. 17 Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company go in to help him in battle, by casting heap mounds, and building walls, to cut off many persons: 18 Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the brit, when, see, he had given his hand, and has done all these things, he shall not escape. 19 Therefore this says the Master vuvh; As I live, surely My oath that he has despised, and My brit that he has broken, even it will I repay upon his own head. 20 And I will spread My net upon him, and he shall be taken in My trap, and I will bring him to Bavel, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed against Me. 21 And all his fugitives with all his chains shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all the winds: and you shall know that I vuvh have spoken it.

Ezekiel 17:22-24    22 This says the Master vuvh; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon a high and eminent mountain: 23 In the mountain on the height of Yisrael will I plant it: and it shall bring out branches, and bear fruit, and be a tov cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowls of every wing; in the shadow of its branches they shall dwell.24 And all the eytzim of the field shall know that I vuvh have brought down the high eytz,have exalted the low eytz,have dried up the green eytz,and have made the dry eytz to flourish: I vuvh have spoken and shall do it.

Nebuchadnezzar conquered the land of Israel and appointed Zedekiah by oath of allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar to reign as a lowly and humbled king where he would prosper but only under the control of Babylon.

• Josiah: last righteous king of Judah; reigned 31 years.
• Jehoahaz: reigned: three months (imprisoned and died in Egypt, by Pharaoh).
• Eliakim/Jehoiakim reigned: 11 years (consequences of the sins of Manasseh his grandfather visited upon him).
• Jehoiachin (son of Eliakim/Jehoiachin) reigned: three months (taken prisoner with his household to Babylon, his princes; Daniel, Mordecai, Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego).
• Zedekiah reigned: 11 years (son of Josiah, uncle of Jehoiachin, brother of Eliakim/Jehoiakim and Jehoahaz).

Ezekiel 18:1  The word of vuvh came to me again, saying, 2 What do you mean, when you use this parable concerning the land of Yisrael.

A parable of fourfold destruction which was supposed to startle the nation and cause repentance. saying, The ahvot have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are blunted?

The Jerusalemites justified their sin and complacency by quoting the prophets who said that YHWH’s way was to punish the children for the sins of their fathers. (Manasseh and his descendants, barring Josiah).

Ezekiel 18:3 As I live, says the Master vuvh, you shall not have an occasion any more to use this parable in Yisrael. 4 See, all beings belong to Me; the being of the abba, so also the being of the son is Mine: the being that sins, it shall die.

The man alone, is held accountable for his sin, you can’t hide behind your generations forever.

Ezekiel 18:5-9    5 But if a man is tzadik, and does that which is according to Torah and right,6 And has not eaten upon the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of Beit Yisrael, neither has defiled his neighbor’s wife, neither has come near to a woman in niddah, 7 And has not oppressed anyone, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has plundered no one by violence, and has given his lechem to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment; 8 He that has not charged interest, neither has taken any increase, that has turned back his hand from iniquity, and has executed true mishpat between man and man.9 Has had their halacha in My chukim, and has kept My mishpatim, to deal truly; he is just, and he shall surely live, says the Master vuvh.

How to live a righteous life,  in logical order:

1. Refuse to serve or acknowledge idols; because idolatry constitutes the denial of יהוה and His word. (The gateway to all sins).
2. Refuse to give sway to the flesh: common and immoral lusts and passions.
3. Positive commandments: acts of charity and kindness; the basis of relationship between man and man.

Justice = commandments between man and man;
righteousness = commandments between man andיהוה.

4. Maintaining justice and law; the basis for community and society.
5. Obey the ‘statutes’: abiding obedience (those whose logic may not be apparent) before the ‘judgments’, knowledgeable obedience (how to train up a child).