Day 507: Ezekiel 19- Lament For Lost Israel

And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2 and say:
What was your mother? A lioness!
    Among lions she crouched;
in the midst of young lions
    she reared her cubs.
3 And she brought up one of her cubs;
    he became a young lion,
and he learned to catch prey;
    he devoured men.
4 The nations heard about him;
    he was caught in their pit,
and they brought him with hooks
    to the land of Egypt.
5 When she saw that she waited in vain,
    that her hope was lost,
she took another of her cubs
    and made him a young lion.
6 He prowled among the lions;
    he became a young lion,
and he learned to catch prey;
    he devoured men,
7 and seized[a] their widows.
    He laid waste their cities,
and the land was appalled and all who were in it
    at the sound of his roaring.
8 Then the nations set against him
    from provinces on every side;
they spread their net over him;
    he was taken in their pit.
9 With hooks they put him in a cage[b]
    and brought him to the king of Babylon;
    they brought him into custody,
that his voice should no more be heard
    on the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard[c]
    planted by the water,
fruitful and full of branches
    by reason of abundant water.
11 Its strong stems became
    rulers' scepters;
it towered aloft
    among the thick boughs;[d]
it was seen in its height
    with the mass of its branches.
12 But the vine was plucked up in fury,
    cast down to the ground;
the east wind dried up its fruit;
    they were stripped off and withered.
As for its strong stem,
    fire consumed it.
13 Now it is planted in the wilderness,
    in a dry and thirsty land.
14 And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots,
    has consumed its fruit,
so that there remains in it no strong stem,
    no scepter for ruling.
This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.
 
Meditation
Language of lament in Scripture is lyrics for life in a broken world with unbearable burdens. We have studied historical laments and worship laments. Today we study a prophetic lament. The heart of God for His rebellious princes and people is demonstrated through Ezekiel’s lament.
 
Two images paint the picture of God’s glorious design for His people, a lioness who birthed a powerful lion (1-2) and a vine in a vineyard with abundant resources (10). The lion was captured in the pit of other nations, taken captive in their nets and put in a cage (3-9). The vineyard was fruitful and strong until it was plucked, cast down, dried, and transplanted in the wilderness. What was once strong and fruitful was now weak and withering (11-14).
 
The lamentation is a demonstration of God’s love for His people, grief over their ungodly governance. Prophetic lamentation is transformed to jubilation through the person and work of Jesus, a Greater leader who gives grace to all who turn to Him.
 
Jesus is the lion of Judah who wants to give you life. Jesus is the true vine who invites you to abide in Him (John 15:1-10). Jesus is the Prince of Peace who was captured by the enemy, cast down to death, and went into the wilderness so we can return home, be resurrected with Him, and be set free by His grace!
 
Jesus turns the mourning of lament into dancing for our souls, offering redemption, restoration, and resurrection to all who believe.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Are you familiar with the language of lament, lyrics for life in a broken world with unbearable burdens? God invites you to grieve the sin and death in our world. Things are not the way they are supposed to be!
 
-Which image do you resonate with most, the lion or vineyard? Why?
 
-Jesus transforms lamentation into jubilation.  Where does Jesus need to meet you in your grief to work glory, transforming your brokenness and burdens into blessing through His sovereign grace?
 
Key Verse
1- And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel… 14 … This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.