Uprooted

Think of Babylon as a great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colours and the people of God as a vine. The eagle has come and plucked off the top of the vine and replanted it in a new location. The vine has been provided for and thrived. But there is another great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colours:Egypt. The vine has stretched out its roots towards this other eagle for water and provision. Even when it didn’t need to – It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine. (Ezekiel 17:8)

So will the vine thrive?

Or will it be uprooted?

Basically, the king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king, her nobles and the leading men of the land, bringing them back with him to Babylon. Then he made a treaty with a member of the royal family. Who did not stick to the treaty. Who tried to do it his own way. Again. Who sent messengers to Egypt to get horses and a large army. Who made a treaty and broke it.

He will not survive. This is what God will do (we’ve moved on from a vine to a cedar now).

I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.

I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.  Ezekiel 17:22-24

I see this allegory as all about trust. The people have been uprooted from their homes and communities and nation. It’s hard to trust that God knows what He is doing. It’s hard to trust that they will be provided for in this foreign land amongst these strange people. It’s hard not to take things into their own hands.

Being uprooted from all that you know and love is hard. Suddenly adrift. Away from your home maybe. Away from the security of a routine and a role of a job. Away from your community who care for you and look out for you. Away from the friends you thought would be friends forever. Away from those that love you. Away from that special person who understands you more than anyone else does.

Uprooted. Adrift in a foreign land. In exile. Starting over in a strange place among people you don’t know is hard. And in the end, it’s all about where you put down your roots. Where you look to for security and provision. Who you choose to trust.

What friendship group you choose to be a part of.

What faith group you find to belong to.

What partner you choose to become involved with.

What job you apply for.

It’s about trusting God even when it doesn’t look like He knows what He’s doing. Involving God every step of the way. Doing it His way and not our own.

And working out what that means in practice.