Ezekiel 15:2: “Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?”

September 8th, 2021 by Pastor Ed in devotional

In Isaiah 5, God used the symbol of a vine and a vineyard for the nation of Israel. Since Isaiah lived and prophesied 100 years earlier, it was a familiar passage to the Jews of Ezekiel’s day, so they knew that God was referring to them in Ezekiel 15:2. The question God was raising here was: “What practical use is grape wood?” The obvious answer is that if it is not alive and producing fruit, it is not good for anything. No furniture craftsman would consider making an end table or chair from this weak and easily bent wood. It is not even strong enough to use as wooden pegs to hang things on a wall. God desired for Israel to be a fruitful vine, and for pagan nations to be attracted to their spiritual fruit and come to know God Almighty. But they were not bearing fruit, and God was warning them that they had become a useless vine.

Although in context, Ezekiel was referring to Israel, not the modern church, Jesus Himself applied the principle to believers when He stated that He is the vine and we are the branches. We too are called to be fruitful in our lives so others are attracted to God dwelling in us. The primary purpose for us being attached to Him, the vine, is to bear fruit. Jesus said, “every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). Perhaps God is currently pruning you, as He has been me lately, and you need to be reminded of this truth. Jesus always prunes with the purpose of increasing our productivity, so that we might bear even more fruit.

“LORD, we surrender again to You afresh this day so we can be fruitful, letting others see You in us.”