QT 07/08/2025 Thu. Ezekiel 17 God’s Sovereign Promise Amid Judgment 神在审判中的主权应许

QT 07/08/2025 Thu. Ezekiel 17 God’s Sovereign Promise Amid Judgment
READ http://www.esv.org/eze17

Scripture Focus: Ezekiel 17:22–24 [22] Thus says the Lord GOD: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. [23] On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. [24] And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it.” (ESV)

Devotional Thought:
Ezekiel 17 is a striking chapter. It opens with a vivid parable about two eagles and a cedar tree, symbolising the political maneuverings of Judah, Babylon, and Egypt. At first glance, it might seem like a tale of political drama, but underneath it all lies a divine message of judgment, sovereignty, and hope.

God uses Ezekiel to confront the rebellion of Judah’s king against Babylon—a rebellion that went against God’s will. Though the people of Judah trusted in foreign alliances and their own wisdom, they forgot the most important thing: God was in control. Their unfaithfulness would lead to destruction. But God never ends the story with judgment alone.

In verses 22–24, there’s a glorious shift—from ruin to redemption. God Himself promises to take a tender sprig from the top of a cedar and plant it on a high mountain. This is a prophetic image of the coming Messiah—Jesus Christ, the humble shoot who would grow into a life-giving tree for all nations.

The Lord declares, “I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it.” What God begins, He finishes. What He plants, He prospers. Where man fails, God restores. And when He restores, it’s not just a return to what was lost—it’s a transformation.

Gospel Connection:
This chapter points to the gospel through symbols:
(1) The failed tree is Israel’s unfaithful leadership of Ezekiel’s time.

The foreign alliances show man’s reliance on human strength instead of God.

(2) The tender shoot is Christ—born in humility, exalted in glory.

Jesus, the true King, wasn’t planted in a palace but in a manger. Yet from His life, death, and resurrection, He has become the sheltering tree for people from every nation. In Him, the dry tree flourishes, and the proud tree is humbled.

Application:
(1) Trust God’s Sovereignty: Even in judgment, God is in control. Are you trying to manage your life by your own wisdom, like Judah, or are you trusting God’s plan—even when it leads through discipline?

(2) Repent from False Alliances: What are you clinging to for security—relationships, politics, finances—that cannot save you?

(3) Rest in the Promised King: Jesus is the sprig that became the noble cedar. He offers you life, fruitfulness, and eternal shelter.

Prayer: Lord God, I confess that I often trust in what I can see rather than in You. Teach me to turn from self-reliance and to rest in Your sovereign plan. Thank You for sending Jesus, the tender sprig who brings life from death and hope from ruin. Plant me firmly in Him so I may flourish for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

QT 07/08/2025 星期四. 神在审判中的主权应许
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Eze/17/

经文聚焦：
22主耶和华如此说，我要将香柏树梢拧去栽上，就是从尽尖的嫩枝中折一嫩枝，栽于极高的山上。23 在以色列高处的山栽上。它就生枝子，结果子，成为佳美的香柏树，各类飞鸟都必宿在其下，就是宿在枝子的荫下。
24 田野的树木都必知道我耶和华使高树矮小，矮树高大。青树枯干，枯树发旺。我耶和华如此说，也如此行了。 - 以西结书 17：22-24

灵修思想：
《以西结书》第 17 章是引人注目的一章。它以一个关于两只鹰和一棵香柏树的生动比喻开篇，象征着犹大、巴比伦和埃及的政治手腕。乍一看，这似乎是一个政治戏剧的故事，但在这一切的背后，却隐藏着一个关于审判、主权和希望的神圣信息。

上帝使用以西结来面对犹大国王对巴比伦的叛乱--一种违背上帝旨意的叛乱。虽然犹大人相信外国联盟和自己的智慧，但他们忘记了最重要的一点：上帝掌控一切。他们的不忠将导致毁灭。但神从来不会只用审判来结束故事。

在第 22-24 节中，有一个光荣的转变--从毁灭到救赎。上帝亲口应许，要从香柏树顶上摘下一枝嫩枝，栽在高山上。这是即将到来的弥赛亚--耶稣基督--的预言形象，祂是一棵谦卑的嫩芽，将成长为万国的生命之树。

耶和华宣告：“我是耶和华，我已经说了，也必照着行”。上帝开始什么，就完成什么。祂所栽种的，祂必兴旺。人类失败的地方，上帝会修复。当祂恢复的时候，不仅仅是恢复失去的东西，而是一种转变。

福音联系：本章通过象征指向福音：
(1) 失败的树是以西结时代以色列不忠实的领导。
外国联盟显示了人类对人类力量而非上帝的依赖。

(2）嫩芽是基督在谦卑中诞生，在荣耀中升华。
耶稣是真正的王，祂没有被安置在宫殿里，而是在马槽里。然而，从祂的生命、死亡和复活，祂已成为各国人民的庇护之树。在祂里面，干枯的树枝繁叶茂，骄傲的树谦卑下来。

应用：
(1) 相信上帝的主权： 即使在审判中，上帝也在掌权。你是像犹大一样，试图用自己的智慧管理自己的生活，还是相信神的计划--即使是通过管教来实现？

(2) 从错误的联盟中悔改： 你为了安全而依附的是什么--人际关系、政治、经济--这些都不能拯救你？

(3) 在应许之王里安息： 耶稣是成为高贵香柏树的嫩枝。祂为你提供生命、果实和永恒的庇护。

祈祷
亲爱的天父，我承认我常常相信我所看到的，而不是你。求您教导我放弃自我依赖，安息在您的主宰计划中。感谢你差遣耶稣，从死亡中带来生命，从毁灭中带来希望。请将我牢牢地种植在祂里面，让我为您的荣耀茁壮成长。奉耶稣的名，阿门。