Are We Fulfilling Our Purpose?
In the 15th chapter of Ezekiel a fascinating allegory is presented to the prophet. Look at it closely:
“Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest? Is wood taken from it to make any object? Or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on? Instead, it is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work? Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?” (vss. 2-5)
In this figure, the LORD was comparing the nation of Judah to a vine. Does anyone use a vine for any type of wood building product? No. A vine is so gnarly and thin that men don’t even use it to make little pegs from. It just isn’t grown to be used for wood.
What IS a vine good for? Its sole purpose is to bear fruit (cf. 17:8; 19:10-12). The implication is that Judah (the vine) existed for the singular purpose of bearing fruit for God. As the vine isn’t good for anything else, so Judah wasn‘t formed for any other purpose and, truly, it wasn‘t good for anything else. Bearing fruit to God was its unique purpose for existence. Was Judah known for its military power?… its culture?… its natural resources? No, the LORD had chosen them “to be a people for Himself,” “a holy people” (Deuteronomy 7:6).
What is to be done with a vine that doesn’t bear fruit, that doesn’t fulfill its purpose for existing – and, consequently, what was to be done with God’s vine, Judah? “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 I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem…’” (15:6). Judah would be burned. Literally.
Is there no lesson in this for us as God’s people today? Is not OUR sole purpose for existing to bear fruit for the LORD?
The figure is a little different, but hear the words of Jesus: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit… If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:1-2, 6). Jesus is the vine in this figure. Obviously He’s not going to be burned. He’s perfect, no matter what we as branches do. But as branches we will be cut off from the vine and burned if we do not bear fruit. Should such not cause us to stop and reflect on our ways?
It is an ever-present danger, the people of God forgetting their true purpose. We aren’t here, beloved, to see how much worldly knowledge and wisdom we can attain. We aren’t here to amass a great fortune. Nor is our purpose for existing to see how much pleasure we can obtain through consuming ourselves with hobbies, sporting activities, estate building, or other worldly pursuits.
Our purpose as disciples is fruit-bearing (Romans 7:4). Such involves holy living, teaching others the gospel, “being fruitful in every good work,” and offering up the sacrifice of praise to God (John 4:36; Colossians 1:10; Hebrews 13:15).
MAY GOD HELP US TO NEVER FORGET OUR TRUE PURPOSE!
--Mike Noble
“Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest? Is wood taken from it to make any object? Or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on? Instead, it is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work? Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?” (vss. 2-5)
In this figure, the LORD was comparing the nation of Judah to a vine. Does anyone use a vine for any type of wood building product? No. A vine is so gnarly and thin that men don’t even use it to make little pegs from. It just isn’t grown to be used for wood.
What IS a vine good for? Its sole purpose is to bear fruit (cf. 17:8; 19:10-12). The implication is that Judah (the vine) existed for the singular purpose of bearing fruit for God. As the vine isn’t good for anything else, so Judah wasn‘t formed for any other purpose and, truly, it wasn‘t good for anything else. Bearing fruit to God was its unique purpose for existence. Was Judah known for its military power?… its culture?… its natural resources? No, the LORD had chosen them “to be a people for Himself,” “a holy people” (Deuteronomy 7:6).
What is to be done with a vine that doesn’t bear fruit, that doesn’t fulfill its purpose for existing – and, consequently, what was to be done with God’s vine, Judah? “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 I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem…’” (15:6). Judah would be burned. Literally.
Is there no lesson in this for us as God’s people today? Is not OUR sole purpose for existing to bear fruit for the LORD?
The figure is a little different, but hear the words of Jesus: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit… If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:1-2, 6). Jesus is the vine in this figure. Obviously He’s not going to be burned. He’s perfect, no matter what we as branches do. But as branches we will be cut off from the vine and burned if we do not bear fruit. Should such not cause us to stop and reflect on our ways?
It is an ever-present danger, the people of God forgetting their true purpose. We aren’t here, beloved, to see how much worldly knowledge and wisdom we can attain. We aren’t here to amass a great fortune. Nor is our purpose for existing to see how much pleasure we can obtain through consuming ourselves with hobbies, sporting activities, estate building, or other worldly pursuits.
Our purpose as disciples is fruit-bearing (Romans 7:4). Such involves holy living, teaching others the gospel, “being fruitful in every good work,” and offering up the sacrifice of praise to God (John 4:36; Colossians 1:10; Hebrews 13:15).
MAY GOD HELP US TO NEVER FORGET OUR TRUE PURPOSE!
--Mike Noble