Ezekiel 17:7-15: a reflection

7“‘“There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. Behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot out its branches toward him, from the ground where it was planted, that he might water it. 8It was planted in a good soil by many waters, that it might produce branches and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a good vine.”’ 9“Say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Will it prosper? Won’t he pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, that it may wither, that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? It can’t be raised from its roots by a strong arm or many people. 10Yes, behold, being planted, will it prosper? Won’t it utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the ground where it grew.”’” 11Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying, 12“Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king, and its princes, and brought them to him to Babylon. 13He took one of the royal offspring, and made a covenant with him. He also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land, 14that the kingdom might be brought low, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. 15But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the covenant, and still escape?

In a parable of vines and eagles, Ezekiel exposes the wrong of a king who had sworn a covenant and then broke it. The king of Babylon had made a covenant with Judah's king, binding him by an oath; but the king rebelled, breaking his sworn word by turning to Egypt for help. And God asks pointedly: Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the covenant, and still escape? The breaking of a sworn covenant, a solemnly given word, is treated as a serious wrong, not a light matter. To swear an oath, to give our word in a covenant, and then to break it, is a real breach of faith that God takes seriously. Our word, once given, especially in a solemn covenant, is not to be broken lightly; to break it is a genuine wrong. God holds the breaking of a sworn covenant to be a serious matter. To keep the word we have solemnly given is a matter of faithfulness; to break it is a real wrong. A sworn covenant is not to be broken lightly.

Notice how seriously the breaking of the covenant is treated: as a wrong that would not go unanswered. The king had sworn an oath, bound himself in a covenant; and then he broke it, betraying his sworn word. God does not treat this as a minor matter; he asks whether one who breaks a covenant can expect to prosper or escape. This reveals that the keeping of our word, especially a word solemnly sworn in covenant, is a serious matter of faithfulness, and its breaking a genuine wrong. In a world where promises are often broken lightly, this is a sobering reminder that our word, once given, binds us; that to swear a covenant and then break it is a real breach of faith. God values faithfulness to our word; the breaking of a solemn covenant is treated as a wrong he takes seriously. This calls us to keep the commitments we make, the word we give, rather than breaking them when they become inconvenient. Faithfulness to our word, especially our solemn commitments, matters to God. To break a sworn covenant is a wrong God does not overlook. Our word given is meant to be kept.

That is worth taking to heart, for the keeping of our word, especially our solemn commitments, is a matter of faithfulness God takes seriously, and to break a sworn covenant is a real wrong. We can break our word, our commitments, even our solemn promises, when they become inconvenient, treating them lightly; but God treated the breaking of a sworn covenant as a serious wrong, asking whether one who does so can expect to escape. Our word, once given, especially in solemn commitment, binds us; to break it is a genuine breach of faith. Do not break the word you have solemnly given when it becomes inconvenient; keep your commitments, as God takes the breaking of a sworn covenant seriously. Keep the word and commitments you have solemnly given rather than breaking them when they become inconvenient, remembering that God treats the breaking of a sworn covenant as a serious wrong, asking of the king who broke his oath, Will he break the covenant and still escape; for the keeping of our word, especially our solemn commitments, is a matter of faithfulness God takes seriously, and to swear a covenant and then break it is a real breach of faith, so that our word, once given, binds us and is meant to be kept rather than broken lightly when it grows inconvenient, and faithfulness to our commitments honors God.

Lord, in a parable of vines and eagles, Ezekiel exposes the wrong of a king who had sworn a covenant and then broke it. The king of Babylon had made a covenant with Judah's king, binding him by an oath; but the king rebelled, breaking his sworn word by turning to Egypt for help. And you ask pointedly: Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the covenant, and still escape? The breaking of a sworn covenant, a solemnly given word, is treated as a serious wrong, not a light matter. Show me how seriously the breaking of the covenant is treated: as a wrong that would not go unanswered. The king had sworn an oath, bound himself in a covenant; and then he broke it. You do not treat this as a minor matter. This reveals that the keeping of my word, especially a word solemnly sworn, is a serious matter of faithfulness, and its breaking a genuine wrong. In a world where promises are often broken lightly, this is a sobering reminder that my word, once given, binds me; that to swear a covenant and then break it is a real breach of faith. You value faithfulness to our word. This calls me to keep the commitments I make rather than breaking them when they become inconvenient. Take that to my heart, for the keeping of my word, especially my solemn commitments, is a matter of faithfulness you take seriously, and to break a sworn covenant is a real wrong. I can break my word, my commitments, even my solemn promises, when they become inconvenient; but you treated the breaking of a sworn covenant as a serious wrong. Keep me from breaking the word I have solemnly given when it becomes inconvenient; help me keep my commitments, Lord, as you take the breaking of a sworn covenant seriously, remembering that my word, once given, binds me and is meant to be kept.