Jeremiah 2:21
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?
God planted Israel as a choice vine from pure stock, giving it a high calling, careful nurture, every advantage and entrusted truth so it would represent Him and bear good fruit of righteousness. It turned into a degenerate and foreign plant to Him, becoming corrupt and unlike what He intended by refusing to keep His covenant and cutting itself off from His life and blessing. Instead of the grapes He looked for it brought forth wild fruit for itself, serving itself rather than blessing others, producing oppression instead of justice, forgetting God and robbing Him and fellow men of due service and holy example. Because it did not fulfill His purpose its hedge would be taken away and its wall broken down to lay it waste, its corrupt fruit ripening into judgment as the grapes of Sodom and clusters of Gomorrah. The same warning rests on all who share those privileges today, for belonging to His church does not guarantee salvation, unfaithfulness is inexcusable under great light, and only by continuing in His goodness with obedient love and overcoming every evil trait can His good fruit grow again.
Israel Planted, Israel Degenerate
God planted Israel as a noble vine, wholly a right seed — a good stock and a rightly chosen people given a good beginning, a high calling, tender care and careful nurture, every advantage, and truth entrusted to them so they would represent Him and bear good fruit and righteousness. He gave them what they needed to fulfill that purpose, yet they did not remain what He had made them.
They turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto Him, becoming corrupt, alien and foreign to Him and unlike the people He intended. By refusing to keep His covenant they cut themselves off from the life of God, so that His blessing could not come upon them.
Their degeneracy was bringing forth wild fruit unto itself instead of the grapes He looked for. They bore fruit for themselves rather than blessing and serving others, producing oppression rather than justice, neglecting those in their care, forgetting God, robbing Him of the service He required, robbing their fellow men of religious guidance and holy example, and seeking to appropriate to themselves the fruits of the vineyard over which they had been made stewards. That turning included leaving God's Word to take human teachings as the chief source of instruction, and depending on human supports and inclining toward the world instead of God.
Their covetousness and greed caused them to be despised even by the heathen and gave the Gentile world occasion to misinterpret the character of God and the laws of His kingdom. Because Israel did not fulfill God's purpose, He would take away its hedge, break down its wall, and lay it waste. Its corrupt fruit is pictured as the grapes of Sodom and clusters of Gomorrah, bringing judgment.
Warning for God's People Today
The warning reaches beyond ancient Israel to all who now share the privileges once given to her. Mere belonging to God's church does not secure salvation, for the conditions of the calling can be broken. Privileges so great make unfaithfulness inexcusable. Those who stand by faith have no ground for boasting, but must continue in God's goodness. Obedience to His commandments is the evidence of love for Him, and failure to continue brings being cut off as surely as Israel was.
God's people today can likewise turn aside from His purpose and, instead of bearing good fruit, develop evil characters. That corrupt fruit is the grapes of Sodom and clusters of Gomorrah, which bring judgment. The same danger threatens all who know the truth yet fail to form character after the divine example. Subduing self and overcoming every evil trait is the way for the Lord's good fruit to grow again.
The same turning is seen when the pure principles of the publishing work are not faithfully and stoutly maintained. It is changing their glory for that which does not profit. The degeneracy shows itself in dealing with individuals by restricting and repressing them. Such ruling and bigotry instead of love marks God's work and cause with human injustice, which the Lord will not countenance and will not have His cause bear. The remedy is to display the religion of love and let light shine in good works that glorify the Father in heaven. Continuing the same course in dealing with God's heritage will bring a manifestation exposing the folly and unrighteousness of men.