17:1 The word of the Lord came to me:
Jehovah spoke to Ezekiel once again.
17:2 “Son of man, offer a riddle, and tell a parable to the house of Israel.
The “Son of Man” distinguished Ezekiel’s relationship of birth from Adam and Eve. He was born as a totally depraved sinner, but he was saved by the grace of God. Ezekiel was to give a riddle to Israel, just as Samuel gave a riddle to the Philistines. Ezekiel was to speak in parables to Israel, just as the Messiah would later speak in parables to Israel. A riddle requires explanation. A parable is a parallel story which teaches a parallel theological concept.
17:3 Say to them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: “ ‘A great eagle with broad wings, long feathers, with full plumage which was multi-hued, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
The eagle was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The royal palace was built from the cedar trees of Lebanon. Therefore, Lebanon was a metaphor for the royal palace in Jerusalem.
17:4 He plucked off its topmost shoot; he brought it to a land of merchants and planted it in a city of traders.
The topmost shoot was King Jehoiachin and his nobles (including Daniel). In 597 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar attacked the city and replanted the king and nobles in Babylon.
17:5 He took one of the seedlings of the land, placed it in a cultivated plot; a shoot by abundant water, like a willow he planted it. 17:6 It sprouted and became a vine, spreading low to the ground; its branches turning toward him, its roots were under itself. So it became a vine; it produced shoots and sent out branches.
Nebuchadnezzar planted seeds in Israel so that she could survive. He planted King Zedekiah as a puppet king. Israel was weakened, but as long as Israel kept the tribute treaty with King Nebuchadnezzar, she would survive and prosper.
17:7 “ ‘There was another great eagle with broad wings and thick plumage. Now this vine twisted its roots toward him and sent its branches toward him to be watered from the soil where it was planted.
The other great eagle was Egypt. Egypt encouraged Israel to rebel against King Nebuchadnezzar.
17:8 In a good field, by abundant waters, it was planted to grow branches, bear fruit, and become a beautiful vine.
While Israel was obedient to King Nebuchadnezzar’s treaty, then she was in a good field with abundant waters. She would produce good fruit and grow into a beautiful vine. Judah's submission to Babylon was God’s will for Israel at this time.
17:9 “ ‘Say to them: This is what the sovereign Lord says: “ ‘Will it prosper? Will he not rip out its roots and cause its fruit to rot and wither? All its foliage will wither. No strong arm or large army will be needed to pull it out by its roots.
Jehovah reminded Israel that He is sovereign over all of history. A vineyard which is ripped out of the ground will not produce fruit. It will wither and die.
17:10 Consider! It is planted, but will it prosper? Will it not wither completely when the east wind blows on it? Will it not wither in the soil where it sprouted?’ ”
Since Israel broke her treaty with King Nebuchadnezzar, then her root would be ripped out of the ground. Egypt would not come to the aid of Israel. Jerusalem would be burnt to the ground. King Zedekiah and his sons would be killed. Most of the Jerusalem citizens would be killed by either sword, famine, or pestilence. Some of the citizens would be transported to Babylon so that the earlier deported Jews could see how evil these people were.
17:11 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 17:12 “Say to the rebellious house of Israel: ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Say: ‘See here, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took her king and her officials prisoner and brought them to himself in Babylon.
Jehovah explained the riddle to the people in Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar attacked Babylon in 597 B.C. He took King Jehoiachin and his nobles to Babylon. The messianic seed from the line of David would be preserved and protected in Babylon.
17:13 He took one from the royal family, made a treaty with him, and put him under oath. He then took the leaders of the land 17:4 so it would be a lowly kingdom which could not rise on its own but must keep its treaty with him in order to stand.
King Zedekiah was placed as a puppet King over Israel. Israel was weakened and established as a vassal state to Babylon. Israel’s survival depended upon keeping her treaty with Babylon.
17:15 But this one from Israel’s royal family rebelled against the king of Babylon by sending his emissaries to Egypt to obtain horses and a large army. Will he prosper? Will the one doing these things escape? Can he break the covenant and escape?
King Zedekiah broke the treaty with Babylon by aligning with Egypt. The answer to all three of these questions was no. King Zedekiah would not prosper. He would not escape. He would not be able to break the covenant with King Nebuchadnezzar and escape.
17:16 “ ‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, surely in the city of the king who crowned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—in the middle of Babylon he will die!
Since King Zedekiah broke the treaty with Babylon, so he would die in the foreign land of Babylon. He committed the sin unto death.
17:17 Pharaoh with his great army and mighty horde will not help him in battle, when siege ramps are erected and siege-walls are built to kill many people.
Egypt promised to help Israel in battle, but she would not keep this promise. Jerusalem would be subjected to a siege by the Babylonians. Most of the Jerusalem citizens would die by the sword, starvation, or disease.
17:18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Take note—he gave his promise and did all these things—he will not escape! 17:19 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will certainly repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant!
When King Zedekiah joined with Egypt, then he would also be rebelling against Jehovah.
17:20 I will throw my net over him and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylon and judge him there because of the unfaithfulness he committed against me.
King Zedekiah would be taken captive to Babylon and judged.
17:21 All the choice men among his troops will die by the sword and the survivors will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken!
King Zedekiah’s personal body guards would all die in battle. The survivors would be scattered all over the land.
17:22 “ ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: “ ‘I will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and plant it. I will pluck from the top one of its tender twigs; I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
Jerusalem was to be destroyed. Israel was to be transported and scattered. However, Jehovah did not want Israel to be discouraged. God still had a future plan for Israel.
Jehovah is sovereign over all of history. Jehovah would take a twig from a cedar tree and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. The twig would be the messianic seed. The cedar tree would be the genealogical line of David. The high and lofty mountain would be the future 1,000-year Millennial Kingdom.
17:23 I will plant it on a high mountain of Israel, and it will raise branches and produce fruit and become a beautiful cedar. Every bird will live under it; Every winged creature will live in the shade of its branches.
Jehovah would plant the Messiah as King over the land of Israel. When the Messiah rules this Kingdom, then Israel will become a large tree of beautiful cedar. This cedar tree will produce fruit for all of the Gentile nations. All of the nations will rest and receive shade from this beautiful tree.
17:24 All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord. I make the high tree low; I raise up the low tree. I make the green tree wither, and I make the dry tree sprout. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it!’ ”
“All of the trees” are the Gentile nations of the Millennial Kingdom. When Jehovah replants Israel in her land, then all of the Gentile nations will know that Jehovah is God. Jehovah has spoken. He will fulfill this prophecy. There will be no amillenialists or postmillenialists who can stop Jehovah from replanting Israel in the land and anointing the Lord Jesus Christ as the Millennial King of bot Jews and Gentiles.