Ezequiel 17:3-10
Say to them,‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon. Taking hold of the top of a cedar,he broke off its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders.“‘ He took one of the seedlings of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water,and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.“‘ But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water.It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’“ Say to them,‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots.It has been planted, but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it— wither away in the plot where it grew?’” (niv)
Romanos 11:17-24
If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.You will say then,“ Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble.For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! (niv)