The Vineyard

The two passages below, one in Isaiah and the other in Matthew, portray Israel as the vineyard of Yehovah. They both allude to, in parable form, the story of our heavenly Father planting a vineyard (Israel) in a beautiful land. He provided everything needed for them to produce spiritual fruit.

Isa 5:1-7 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:  And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:  And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

 Mt 21:33-43 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

These passages may speak of a nation, the nation of Israel, but they also speak to me as an individual. I believe, that as a child, my Father was preparing the soil of my heart for His word. Although I was not aware of it at the time, I can now look back and see His  work in my life. I can remember specific incidents which speak to His calling upon me. When it was time for Him to sow the seed of His word in my heart, I was able to receive it gladly. Much like the vineyard in the previous two passages, He chose me as a goodly place to plant His word. He cleaned me up, placed a fence of protection around me, removed anything that might inhibit my growth. He nurtured  me like a precious plant and provided everything I needed to be fruitful.

More amazing, this word that was sown into my heart was the very WORD of God, my savior and LORD, Yeshua.

In John 15:1 he tells us, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman."

Also in verses 4-5, we read, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

If I continue to let him abide in me and I in him, I will produce fruit fit for the kingdom. He will live his life in me if I will yield myself to the master's hand, if I will allow the husbandman to cultivate and prune and shape my life according to His plan for me.