Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The text for today’s meditation is Ezekiel 17:22-24

Thus says the Lord GOD: "I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. ²³ On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. ²⁴ And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it." (Ezekiel　17:22-24&#

"Birds of a feather flock together," is a wise saying known by most people. We see so much evidence in nature to show us this is a true statement. People who are different from one another culturally, economically, racially or by creed are often uncomfortable around each another. Some Church Growth plans are based on the simple observation "birds of a feather flock together." What could make more sense?

But God's Word tells us just the opposite. God's prophet Ezekiel tells us of a place where all kinds of different birds flock together. It is a certain tree, a noble cedar, in which "birds of every kind will meet."

This sermon isn't about birds or forestry; I’ll leave those kinds of discussions for my daughter Lauren and her forestry friends. This sermon is about the promise that God makes to people, all people. He makes His promise through the Holy Spirit and the Word. People from every land and tongue who believe have this promise. Ezekiel prophesied God's Word using a parable to describe the promised "tender sprig." This "tender sprig" would come and grow into a mighty noble cedar. Ezekiel was describing the life and work of Jesus. The promise of a Messiah brought hope, peace, and forgiveness to Ezekiel’s hearers, the Israelites in Babylonian captivity. God offers the same gifts of hope, peace, and forgiveness to you today. But He does so only through the noble cedar on the mountains of Israel, Jesus the Christ. What we learn today is that

only in God's Noble Cedar: …Is there hope in times of collapse.

only in God's Noble Cedar: …Is there peace in times of uncertainty.

only in God's Noble Cedar: …Is there forgiveness in times of sin.

No wonder every kind of person is drawn by the Spirit to faith in Jesus Christ, because we all need hope, peace, and forgiveness.

During times of collapse there is hope through Jesus, God’s Noble Cedar. The Kingdom of Judah experienced a time of collapse during the Babylonian captivity. Earlier in the text God gives Ezekiel a parable with an allegory of two eagles and a newly planted vine in verses 1-10. Babylon and Egypt are the Eagles. King Nebuchadnezzar is the first eagle and he takes the topmost of the cedar, the young sprouts and caries it to Babylon. The young sprout is King Jehoiachin, all the ruling class, and most of the merchants and tradesman. Nebuchadnezzar then takes a seed of Israel and plants it in Jerusalem. He places King Jehoiachin’s uncle Zedekiah as the new King of Judah and Zedekiah pledges his loyalty to Babylon. Zedekiah is the vine in the parable. Nebuchadnezzar leaves Zedekiah as the puppet King but he plants him beside abundant waters so he can grow. Zedekiah could have survived comfortably as King of Judah. Judah, the cedar, could have thrived under Zedekiah and Nebuchadnezzar even without its top but…. There is always a but. Is Zedekiah content being the puppet king of Nebuchadnezzar? No, instead of being content he rebels by reaching out to Egypt to help him defeat Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonian captivity is a punishment from God. He did not want outside interference.

He wanted Zedekiah to serve Nebuchadnezzar faithfully. Zedekiah is unfaithful not only to Nebuchadnezzar but also to God.

God passes judgment against the rebellious Zedekiah for his unfaithfulness in verses 11-21. He will be defeated, suffer greatly, and die in Babylon. We know from 2 Kings Chapter 25 verse 7 that King Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah’s sons slaughtered in front of him and then had his eyes gouged out. He was then taken to Babylon where he later died.

Because of Zedekiah’s selfishness and rebellion the Israelites in Jerusalem suffer. All of his soldiers die and the survivors are scattered. Because of Zedekiah the cedar known as Israel came crashing down.

Even through all the collapse and suffering the Lord offers hope. Nebuchadnezzar isn’t the only one to top the cedar. Nebuchadnezzar's shoot brought collapse. The Lord took a shoot (v. 22), planted it on the mountain height of Israel, and from it He will provide a refuge. The "tender sprig" that God takes will give shelter and fruit, it is the Messiah.

During times of uncertainty there is peace through Jesus, God’s Noble Cedar. There are uncertainties in our own life. There is the uncertainty surrounding war and peace. I can’t imagine anyone that hasn’t been impacted by the events over the past 11 years. Attacks on our soil by foreign terrorists and the ensuing wars have left scars on us and our country that will never go away. There is the uncertainty over the stability of the economy. The United States owes more than we can possibly pay back any time soon. We have unemployment and underemployment, people being evicted from their homes, and shrinking retirement accounts. We are distressed, we worry, and we are in pain, this is what we experience.

The Lord has an answer to our uncertainty. The Lord provides His peace which passes our understanding, our human understanding. He is the Noble Cedar, and in His branches we rest secure. Why is it we can rest secure? Because…

During times of sin there is forgiveness through Jesus, God’s Noble Cedar. The real problem is that through our sins we have separated ourselves from God. We have separated ourselves through our words, thoughts, and deeds. These words, thoughts, and deeds have caused collapse and uncertainty; and finally God's judgment. We have been judged just as Zedekiah, our tree has crashed down as well. We are no longer green, we are dry and dead. We know we have sinned. We know we are a dry dead fallen tree. Knowing our own sin, how can God's promises really apply to us? It was the tree of knowledge by which man fell. That fresh green tree and its gorgeous fruit were too much for man. He had to know good and evil. It is no accident that human sin that began at the foot of a tree, the "tree of knowledge of good and evil", found its resolution on another tree, the cross of Calvary. It was by the tree of Calvary that atonement was made for all, a tree that Jesus not only hung on but carried too.

God is calling His Messiah a Cedar; God calls us all through His Son. God calls us all through His Son that we all may receive our hope, peace, and forgiveness in Jesus. God calls us all through His Son that we all may know the power of God to bring down and raise up. He will bring down those that do not believe and raise up the believers. God calls us all through His Son that we all may one day stand in the New Jerusalem before the tree of life. Through Jesus we are no longer dry and dead. He made us a green tree that will flourish.

Yes, our God has the power to "dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish." He has done that for each of us. Since Jesus is the sprout that has become our Noble Cedar, offering us the fruit of righteousness and the refuge of salvation, we were the dried up sticks that have now become green in the spring of new life in Jesus Christ. In that common experience which all in Christ share, we are birds of a feather, different as we might be.

Amen.