Theological Commentary: Click Here
Discipleship Focus: Ambition
- Ambition: We all need a goal to which we can strive. When our ambition comes from God, we find fulfillment in our obedience into that for which we have been equipped because our Out is in proper focus. But when our ambition comes from ourselves, we find ourselves chasing after our own dreams and trying to find fulfillment in accomplishments of our own making.
Ezekiel 17
is a very complex and difficult parable.
If you haven’t read my theological commentary from three years ago, I
would recommend doing so. If you click
the link above, it’ll take you to a post where you can read what each of the
elements in this parable represent.
One of the
main points that God is making in this parable is that things were going well
for the Hebrew people until Zedekiah got it in his mind that he could break
free from Babylon and become free again.
Prior to this decision, Nebuchadnezzar had made Judah a vassal state and
was content leaving them alone so long as they did their duties in vassalage. But when Zedekiah rebelled, trusting in the
support of Egypt, the wheels came off altogether.
Zedekiah
wasn’t content being a vassal king. He
wasn’t content being a low-growing vine.
He wanted to be powerful and free to do as he pleased. So he rebelled in his ambition. His personal ambition overpowered any ability
he had to be humble in God’s calling for him.
As a result
of Zedekiah’s ambition, they get conquered completely. As a result of Zedekiah’s ambition, he gets
to see Jerusalem conquered, his sons put to death before his very own eyes, and
then his eyes are put out and he is dragged into captivity. Zedekiah wasn’t content with where God called
Him. He followed his own ambition and
paid the price.
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