Ezek15 Useless Vine, By Their Fruits You Will Know Them

SO THEN, YOU WILL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS

FRUITLESS, FALSE OR USELESS

The warning is clear. When we are not following Him, growing in Him we too become much like this image cast in Ezekiel. Useless and unusable for His greatness and will.

Jesus makes a direct correlation between fruitless and false in Matthew 7.
God still finds value in His people. You are not worthless to God – but you can be useless.

TRUST GOD & DON’T JUDGE “By their fruits you WILL know them.”

•  We aren’t judge – God is.

•  We are observers – we WILL know good & bad fruit.

•  We have the ability to recognize (discern) good/bad fruit.

Jerusalem, a Useless Vine

Ezekiel 15 And the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel. When the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything? Behold, when it was whole, it was used for nothing. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything! Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will set my face against them. Though they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them, and you will know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them. And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, declares the Lord GOD.”

(ESV)

Ezekiel 15 Commentary

by Hank Workman

It really is a harshword God uses. The people of Israel are useless. Imagine God’s opinion being the same of us.

In these short 8 verses, God compares the people to a vine. It’s of no use to Him at first and then having gone through fire and being burned is more useless. In the next 3 chapters, God will clearly state why they have become this way. The people were inadequate and pathetic due to their idol worship. They had sought things not of him, given of themselves completely to false gods and were unusable for His glory.

God’s desire for all people is to be fruitful. For many however they become dormant. They go toward things that completely take their devotion away. As their roots have stopped growing they dry up and become brittle. Consequently when the fires come they burn up. There’s nothing of substance, no fruit.

Simply consider your own life at the moment.

Is there fruit growing?

Are there things taking place where you have shifted your allegiance and love?

Has your heart grown cold?

The warning is clear. When we are not following Him, growing in Him we too become much like this image cast in Ezekiel. Useless and unusable for His greatness and will.

Ezekiel 15 Commentary

by Brad Boyles

The grapevine was of utmost importance to the agriculture of ancient Israel. Coming off the heels of Chapter 14 (which was about false prophets), it’s interesting to consider that Jesus makes a direct correlation between fruitless and false in Matthew 7.

Matthew 7:15-17 NASB “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?

17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

Notice here in Ezekiel that God does not refer to them as worthless. They have not been useful in the roles they were created for, however, God still finds value in His people.

This is clearly seen at the cross. You are not worthless to God – but you can be useless.

This is precisely why Jesus came to show us our value and become the vine.

Here in Ezekiel, Israel is referred to as the useless vine.

Fast-forward to the NT and we find Jesus proclaiming in John 15, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” In this way, Jesus has stepped in to assist us by first showing us our worth and then providing us a means to be useful in the role God designed us for!

Through the forgiveness of sin, the Holy Spirit, the Word, and the church, God has given us everything we need to be fruitful.

Yet, today some are still functioning as thorn bushes and thistles in their life.