And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.
I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree - the very attribute given to God by the virgin mother of Him under whom this was to be accomplished (Luke 1:52, "He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree").
The high ... the low tree - i:e., princes elevated and princes depressed. All the empires of the world, represented by Babylon, once flourishing ("green"), shall be brought low before the once depressed ("dry") but then exalted kingdom of Messiah and His people, the head of whom shall be Israel (Daniel 2:44).
Remarks:
(1) In the form of an allegory the prophet describes the perversity, treachery, and perjury of Zedekiah, and the consequent judgment of God on him and his people. It was by the express appointment of God that Nebuchadnezzar was exalted to an universal empire. God had plainly announced that He had delegated to him and his son and his son's son authority over all nations (Jeremiah 27:6-7). Yet Zedekiah, though raised to the throne of Judea by the special favour of the Babylonian king, and though aware of God's will concerning the duty of all nations to submit to Nebuchadnezzar, in ungrateful and treacherous violation of his own solemn oath of allegiance to him, which he had sworn before God, revolted (2 Chronicles 36:13), and looked to Egpyt for help against the power of Babylon.
(2) What aggravated the heinousness of the act was, the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar had been heretofore of the mildest kind. Judah, under the Babylonian supremacy, though politically lower than formerly, when she was like a lofty "cedar tree," enjoyed a very considerable amount of prosperity and security, so that she might be compared to a spreading vine of low stature (Ezekiel 17:6) planted in a good soil by great waters (Ezekiel 17:8). Thus it was not oppression and want, but the restless spirit of discontent, disregard of God's revealed will, wanton treachery, ambition, ingratitude, and pride, which prompted Zedekiah to revolt, in violation of his own oath. How often men are tempted, through impatience under comparatively light trials, to take unwarranted steps, whereby, instead of bettering themselves, as they hoped, they only plunge themselves in the greatest difficulties. It is generally 'better to bear with ills we have, than flee to those we know not of.' This especially holds good where God plainly, marks it as our duty to remain as we are. But 'vaulting ambition o'erleaps itself, and falls on the other side.' The path of duty is the only path of safety. 'Keep innocency, and take heed to the thing which is right, for that will bring a man peace at the last.'
(3) The prophet asks, Shall such perjured ambition prosper? Impossible. Not all the might of Egypt, with her horses and chariots, could save the perjurer from his justly-merited doom (Ezekiel 17:15-18). When God decrees the punishment of the sinner, it needs no "great power" nor "many people" (Ezekiel 17:9) to effect His will. The very weakest are sufficient as His instruments against the most mighty rebel. For "who hath hardened himself against Him, and prospered?" (Job 9:4.) The subjection which Zedekiah wished to deliver himself from by his treacherous perjury, he thereby brought on himself in its worst form. His wickedness recoiled upon his own head (Ezekiel 17:19). When he might have lived prosperously at Jerusalem, his own city, he, on account of his contempt of the oath, was forced to lead a dishonoured and miserable life of exile in Babylon (Ezekiel 17:16). Let sinners remember, however successful sin may seem for a time, sooner or later it will bring with it its bitter fruit, either in this world, or in the world to come, or in both.
(4) Nothing brings more reproach on the cause of God than when professors of religion act treacherously and dishonourably toward those who make no such profession. Their profession makes their sin ten-fold worse, and will bring down upon them a proportionally heavy punishment.
(5) But the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of none effect. When the Jews shall have fully proved that vain is the help of man, the Lord Himself shall stand forward as their Redeemer. The high expectations which they reposed in Zedekiah, and in all the other scions of the root of David (Lamentations 4:20), shall be more than realized in the Godman, whose name is the BRANCH, the root and offspring of David. God Himself set Christ spiritually as His King upon His holy hill of Zion (Psalms 2:6) at His first coming. The full manifestation of His grace and glory is reserved for His second coming. Then shall He reign, "the highest of the high," "upon the high mountain and eminent" (Ezekiel 17:22). Zion shall be raised by Him, as her King, to a moral elevation exceeding all earthly eminence. The kingdom over all nations shall be His, as the rightful Son and Heir of David, to whose seed God has promised the kingdom by an everlasting covenant. All nations shah be brought into willing and happy obedience to Him, rejoicing to abide under His shadow (Ezekiel 17:23). While Antichrist and the God-opposed world powers, once so high, shall be forever brought low, the Lord alone shall be exalted, and with Him His once despised but then glorified people (Ezekiel 17:24). Even so, Lord Jesu, Thy kingdom come!