"Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive?"
My mom often throws up her hands in frustration as we talk about the Bible - "I just don't know anymore, its all so confusing now". Today's Hebrew Testament reading brings on just such a moment. Ezekiel tells us a fable - he uses birds and plants and inanimate objects to convey a message. And it gets worse - within the fable there is a riddle and that riddle sits within a second riddle. Confusion and frustration. But, if we focus on the main question of the big "riddle" rather than the puzzle what might we see - "will it thrive?"
Will what thrive? God's people. A tidbit of history: in the political turmoil between Israel's two exiles (approximately 598 to 586 BC) King Zedekiah breaches (yet again) the covenant between God and Israel. Zedekiah turns to political and military intrigues and deceptions; Zedekiah seeks alliances and pledges loyalties to worldly powers (an alliance is even struck with Egypt!). In short Zedekiah does not turn to God; faithless he relies on his own efforts in his own power and he casts God to the sidelines.
God has planted, "will it thrive?" Of course it will. God cannot be thwarted. God is faithful. God continually seeks His people. Through Israel God will bless all nations for it is through Israel that He will step into human history and provide the Way of our salvation. God has promised this and God will accomplish it - it will thrive. Israel will suffer in her repeated habitual unfaithfulness yet God will make a Way for us.
What will we glean today from this story? It is "Super Tuesday" in the USA - a nation currently embroiled in political controversy, intrigue and wrangling. Today around the world secularism, militarism, relativism and other human ideologies are on the rise. Those who call themselves Christians are fragmented splinters of splinters which too often bear little or no resemblance to Jesus (in the words of one 12 year old commentator: they're just making it up). God is not our plan A; I'm not even sure He is our plan D or E! Like Zedekiah, we give lip service to God but in reality, we too have sidelined God. Yet, as it has been and always will be, hope remains. God makes a Way for us.
What is that Way? It is as it has been - our way is found in returning to God, in trusting Him, in being His people. If we are His people, He promises to be our God.
What will we glean today from this story? It is "Super Tuesday" in the USA - a nation currently embroiled in political controversy, intrigue and wrangling. Today around the world secularism, militarism, relativism and other human ideologies are on the rise. Those who call themselves Christians are fragmented splinters of splinters which too often bear little or no resemblance to Jesus (in the words of one 12 year old commentator: they're just making it up). God is not our plan A; I'm not even sure He is our plan D or E! Like Zedekiah, we give lip service to God but in reality, we too have sidelined God. Yet, as it has been and always will be, hope remains. God makes a Way for us.
What is that Way? It is as it has been - our way is found in returning to God, in trusting Him, in being His people. If we are His people, He promises to be our God.
How do we respond to God: is it yes or is it no? God seeks His people; He promises our redemption - do we relegate Him to the sidelines? Is He our God or not?
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