Two Eagles and a Vine
“The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell the house of Israel a parable. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon. Taking hold of the top of a cedar, he broke off its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders. He took some of the seed of your land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water, and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs. But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water. It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’” Ezekiel 17:1-8
What is happening in the natural is the mirror reflection of what is occurring in the spiritual realm. Just as the church is in a battle over “another Jesus,” our nation is in a battle over “another eagle” (America). The original eagle planted us by abundant water ~ representing the Word and Spirit of God. The first eagle (founders of America) knew that our Source must be the Lord. It planted and founded us in the proper position to be in covenant with God that we may look to Him alone as our Source and draw our life and provision from Him. And we thrived. But, another eagle arrived. What happened next in this allegory seems unthinkable. The vine turned away from its abundant Source and began to stretch toward the eagle to be its source and supply! How ridiculous! What would possess a vine to think that an eagle could ever be its source of life? It was looking to the eagle to supply something that it could never give. Yet, this is the battle our nation is now in. We are just as ridiculous and our pursuits just as futile when we turn away from God and begin to look to government (or anything else) as our source and solution for life. The Lord’s response to us is the same as in this account from Israel’s history:
“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots. Even if it is transplanted, will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?’” Ezekiel 17:9-10
Our answer will not be found in “another America.” The only hope for our nation to survive is to turn back to God as our Source and return to the covenant the original America was established on with Him ~ submitted to His Word and Spirit, His leadership and authority, in every area of lives.
Blessings and Prayers, Laura
