Riddle Me This

Riddle Me This

Ezekiel 17:1-24

Main Idea: God is telling the same story of both His judgment and His mercy but in a new way.

Ezekiel 17 is not a new message but a new way to reveal the same truths the prophet has been declaring all along. The familiar truths presented in an unfamiliar way are that God is sovereign, He judges those who refuse to do His will, and He has a steadfast plan to preserve a people for His name. Similar to Genesis 37–41, the events noted in Ezekiel 17 reveal a divine hand orchestrating a plan beyond what is just perceived with human eyes. The actions of Nebuchadnezzar are not random but appointed, since judgment has come for Zedekiah. In fact, the king of Babylon is not the King with whom Zedekiah should be most concerned. In the final portion of the parable, a sprig of hope will be planted in the people’s hearts as God tells of the planting He will do on Israel’s high mountain (17:22-23).

God’s Parable and Its Purpose

Ezekiel 17:1-15

When we see the word “riddle” (v. 2), my generation is more inclined to think of the grumpy old troll who lives under the bridge in one of our children’s cartoons than we are to think of God. Mercifully my children have moved beyond this multilingual preadolescent explorer, but I still find myself wondering on occasion where her parents were during all her adventures. At first glance we may wonder ourselves why God is employing a riddle to communicate with His people. In the language of the Old Testament, the word “riddle” means “difficult speech requiring interpretation” (Wilson, NIDOTTE, 2:107). God’s people were already hardheaded and hardhearted (3:7), so using difficult speech that needs additional information to provide clarity might not sound like the wisest strategy to us, but God always knows the best way to convey His message. Like most riddles there is a question that needs an answer: God wants to know if a specific vine is going to flourish (vv. 9-10). Unlike most riddles however, God is going to supply the answer Himself (vv. 16-21). He desires to be clear with His people and not leave the interpretation of what’s unfolding to their best collective wisdom.

God uses various techniques to communicate with His people, but vain repetition is not one of them. His aim in the riddle or parable is not just repeating previous proclamations but giving further revelation of current events for Ezekiel’s audience. Entertainment is also not the primary reason for God’s shift in communication style but education. He is not merely telling a fairy tale but one grounded in the facts of Zedekiah’s rebellion and consequent judgment. With these aims in mind, Ezekiel is told to tell the story of two eagles, a cedar, and a vine.

The summary of the story is simple enough. A beautiful and powerful eagle plucks the top off a cedar tree and then drops it into a city full of commerce. The eagle then takes an interest in farming and plants seed in a place with great potential for growth. The seed becomes a vine that outwardly honors the eagle but beneath the surface remains most loyal to self. The vine reaches out to another eagle for help and rejects what the first eagle has done for it. The question of the riddle is then asked: What’s going to happen to the vine after it rejects the first eagle in favor of the second eagle? Specifically the Riddler wants to know if anyone thinks the vine will be in a better position after betraying the first eagle. The answer provided is no. The first eagle will destroy the vine, and it will shrivel and die. The Lord then has Ezekiel ask the people, “Don’t you know what these things mean?” (v. 12).

If I were in Ezekiel’s audience, I would have to answer the Lord, “Nope. Not a clue.” In my defense, when David was first told a parable about himself, he did not get it either (2 Sam 12:1-7). As stated previously, the summary of the riddle in Ezekiel 17 is simple enough, but its meaning is another matter. Knowing He was dealing with obtuse people (like us), the Lord provides the interpretation for His parable (vv. 12-15). The first eagle is Nebuchadnezzar and the second eagle is the pharaoh in Egypt. The top shoot of the cedar is Jehoiachin, and the vine is Zedekiah. Though he swore an oath to the king of Babylon, Zedekiah broke his agreement and sought resources and rescue from Egypt. After explaining the parable, the Lord’s question remains the same: Is Zedekiah going to flourish by doing evil? Will he get away with failing to keep his word?

A possible answer for Ezekiel’s audience to offer could be, “Lord God, only You know” (37:3). The question they were given, however, should have been a “softball” for those who had been paying attention to the Lord’s messages through His prophet. God already gave the answer to the question concerning Zedekiah’s fate (12:1-16). Whether or not Ezekiel’s audience was really listening and taking to heart each word from the Lord is not revealed in Ezekiel 17.

A question we might ask at this point is, Why does the Lord use the parable? Why doesn’t He just start with the explanation? One reason for the use of the riddle is so the Lord can present the facts of the case without any biases interfering with the message’s receipt. For example, Nathan’s use of a parable allowed David to hear the injustice that occurred and to determine what action should be taken against the offending party (2 Sam 12:1-7). David’s response was exactly as it should be when assessing the facts of the situation. It was not until the interpretation was given that David understood the parable was about his own sinful actions. Likewise, the parable presented in Ezekiel 17:1-10 allows the prophet’s audience to formulate their own ideas of guilty and innocent parties based on the facts presented. From the story they could determine the most treacherous character is the vine. He rejected the first eagle’s provision and sought care from a lesser eagle. While neither eagle may be fully innocent, the guilt of the vine would be without question.

Perhaps, then, God withheld the names of the people represented by the eagles and vine because some of the exiles were sympathetic toward Zedekiah. We do not know fully what communication was like between the exiles and Jerusalem. We do know a fugitive will be able to relay the news of Jerusalem’s downfall (33:21) and that Jeremiah was able to send those in exile a letter (Jer 29:1-29). Block proposes Ezekiel’s use of the riddle is because possible “reports of Zedekiah’s overtures with the Egyptians were being greeted as an opportunity to throw off the Babylonian yoke, which in turn would enable them to return home” (Block, Ezekiel 1–24, 539). The use of the eagles and vine allows Ezekiel’s audience to determine that the actions of the vine are wrong, before understanding that the vine represents the current prince in Jerusalem. Block contends Ezekiel’s aim “is to expose Zedekiah’s treacherous policies and his compatriots’ support of them as rebellion against Yahweh”(ibid.). From the use of this parable, we can see once again that God always knows the best ways to engage our hearts and minds. He wants the people to understand His discipline of Zedekiah is not without cause. He also wants them to know if they side with the prince in Jerusalem, they are siding against Yahweh.

God’s Punishment of the Puppet King

Ezekiel 17:16-21

In answer to the questions of the riddle, Zedekiah will not flourish, nor will he escape judgment. Pharaoh will be of no help to Jerusalem’s prince in the time he will need it most. Because of his treacherous actions, Zedekiah will die in Babylon. Believe it or not, neither Nebuchadnezzar nor physical death are Zedekiah’s biggest problem. By utilizing the word “therefore,” Ezekiel informs us God has a point He wants to drive home beyond just telling the parable and its interpretation.

Zedekiah is not just guilty of possessing a poor strategy in foreign policy, but more importantly he has broken the covenant with God. In response Yahweh will use Nebuchadnezzar as His means of judgment in the prince of Jerusalem’s life. The events foretold in 12:1-16 happen just as the Lord said they would (2 Kgs 25:1-7). Zedekiah is caught not just in Nebuchadnezzar’s snare but in Yahweh’s. The prince and his posse will pay the price for acting rebelliously toward God.

In light of Ezekiel 17:16-21, here are a few observations.

Anyone who rejects God’s plans will never flourish. Provision was made in Nebuchadnezzar’s plan for Zedekiah and the people in Jerusalem to endure (v. 14). Zedekiah, however, refused to believe this was the best plan for his life and felt he could make better arrangements. He paid the price for his foolishness and so did those who followed him.

Seeking refuge in anyone or anything besides God can be a fatal mistake. In the text Pharaoh was not the initiator; rather, it was Zedekiah who first sent ambassadors to Egypt (19:15). As it turns out, Pharaoh did not help Jerusalem’s prince, but it would not have mattered if he had. His resources were no match for Nebuchadnezzar’s army, especially since the king of Babylon was appointed as God’s instrument of justice against Zedekiah. We are always in trouble if we look to our peers for help more than we look to God.

Zedekiah did not “escape” Divine judgment, and neither will we without Christ’s aid. There is no place we can run from God. Ask Jonah. Like Zedekiah we have all gone astray from God and turned to our own way (Isa 53:6). For some reason we feel we make better rulers of our lives than God. Our strongest inclinations, however, do not change the fact there is only one King of the universe. He deserves our absolute loyalty. What Zedekiah did in breaking his oath to Nebuchadnezzar, we have all done to God on a grand scale. God did not ignore the prince of Jerusalem’s sin, and He will not ignore ours. Zedekiah is actually a great example of what will be seen next in Ezekiel 18—we will be held personally responsible for our sin. Our only hope for escaping the wrath our treason against God deserves is to flee to Christ who has borne our sins for us. Yes, we turned away, but “the Lord has punished Him for the iniquity of us all” (Isa 53:6).

What is seen has more to do with what is unseen than we may be aware. For many the capture and punishment of Zedekiah was primarily because he broke his oath with Nebuchadnezzar. Yahweh informs us, however, something deeper is occurring (vv. 19-21). The events carried out in the siege of Jerusalem are primarily God’s judgments against His own people for all of their idolatry and insubordination. We should be mindful, then, no matter what we see on the news, God is writing a bigger story that will be revealed when time is done.

The worst thing man can do to you when you break a covenant is put you to death; God, however, can put you to second death. Jesus said, “Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28). The worst Nebuchadnezzar can do is kill Zedekiah’s sons, blind Zedekiah, and then put Zedekiah to death. Admittedly this sounds pretty bad until one understands the punishment from Nebuchadnezzar is now complete. He can do nothing more to harm Zedekiah. For those who reject God’s ways, being put to death by men pales in comparison to experiencing eternal death and the wrath of God.

God’s Promise of a Planting

Ezekiel 17:22-25

Every promise of God is a grace not a right. God does not owe a single word of hope to sinners. The fact He gives one should always amaze us. Ezekiel 17 could stop at verse 21 and be similar to the lament in Ezekiel 19. God, however, wants His people to know that He is not finished with them or with David’s line. He will plant a sprig from the cedar on top of Israel’s high mountain once again (17:22). He will also cause it to flourish (v. 23).

A counsel often provided in a hermeneutics class is to be careful in searching for Christ under every rock and tree in the Old Testament. Greidanus contends, however,

since the literary context of the Old Testament in the Christian canon is the New Testament, this means that the Old Testament must be understood in the context of the New Testament. And since the heart of the New Testament is Jesus Christ, this means that every message from the Old Testament must be seen in the light of Jesus Christ. (Greidanus, Preaching Christ, 51)

In the case of Ezekiel 17, you don’t have to look under every rock and tree when Jesus is the tree that is referenced. The ultimate fulfillment of the cedar sprig is Christ. What God says vaguely in Ezekiel 17 about the planting, He says clearly in Ezekiel 34. God will provide the greatest ruler for His people. Jesus is who Helm calls “God’s forever King” in the book we repeatedly read to all of our children (Helm, Big Picture Story Bible, 411). Though we do not deserve such a wonderful leader, God graciously gives Him to us for our good and His glory.

As Ezekiel 17 closes, Israel’s greatest hope for enduring does not lie in Nebuchadnezzar’s kindness but in the Lord’s. While Nebuchadnezzar had a provision that would allow those in Jerusalem to endure (v. 14), God has a plan that will cause His people to flourish forever (v. 23). He alone is capable of making the “low tree tall” and making the “withered tree thrive” (v. 24). He will do it. He has spoken (v. 24).

Reflect and Discuss

1. When you hear the word riddle, what comes to your mind? Why does God have to use various means of communication to help us understand what He is doing?
2. Why do we struggle to believe that God’s plans for our lives are best?
3. Have you ever known what God wanted you to do but refused to submit to His will? How did that work out for you?
4. How can we learn not to base our understanding of what’s happening in our lives solely on what we see with our eyes?
5. How can we know that God is working His plan not in regard to just some things in our lives but all things?
6. How can we minimize reaching out to those around us for help and security more than we reach out to God?
7. Have you ever felt like you might “get away” with a sin? What can we learn from Zedekiah’s life in this regard?
8. How grateful are you that we know who the sprig of cedar is? What difference is this knowledge making in our lives?
9. Why do you think we tend to expect hope from God rather than being amazed by it?
10. When you consider Zedekiah’s actions and the consequences both he and those he led experienced, how will you be different as a leader in your home, faith family, vocation, or community?