She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.
The vine in this verse is Israel, the Jewish church, planted by God. God brought her out of Egypt and planted her in Canaan, in the land, after casting out the heathen. After planting, she took deep root and filled the land. Her sending boughs to the sea and branches to the river means wide spreading, prosperity, extensive growth, and wide power and dominion under God's favor and blessing. The flourishing reach from sea to river pictures how extensively God established His people and how far their influence extended.
The decorative vine upon the temple represented Israel as this prosperous vine. The spreading branches were also God's intention that His people take possession in faith of the territory He provided in Canaan. By failing to spread out and claim the land they failed to occupy the vineyard as planned, and their later history became different from what it could have been.
The vine was nourished, tended, and cared for by the Lord. Christ's work among the people was His continued care for it. Yet she did not produce good fruit, but rejected Christ and His appeals and became rebellious and unfaithful. In Hezekiah's danger from Assyria, the memory of past growth and dominion becomes a plea for God to return, look down from heaven, and visit His vineyard again. That visitation would save Judah and cause all kingdoms of the earth to know that the God of the Hebrews still lives and reigns.
The vine in this verse is Israel, the Jewish church, planted by God. God brought her out of Egypt and planted her in Canaan, in the land, after casting out the heathen. After planting, she took deep root and filled the land. Her sending boughs to the sea and branches to the river means wide spreading, prosperity, extensive growth, and wide power and dominion under God's favor and blessing. The flourishing reach from sea to river pictures how extensively God established His people and how far their influence extended.
The decorative vine upon the temple represented Israel as this prosperous vine. The spreading branches were also God's intention that His people take possession in faith of the territory He provided in Canaan. By failing to spread out and claim the land they failed to occupy the vineyard as planned, and their later history became different from what it could have been.
The vine was nourished, tended, and cared for by the Lord. Christ's work among the people was His continued care for it. Yet she did not produce good fruit, but rejected Christ and His appeals and became rebellious and unfaithful. In Hezekiah's danger from Assyria, the memory of past growth and dominion becomes a plea for God to return, look down from heaven, and visit His vineyard again. That visitation would save Judah and cause all kingdoms of the earth to know that the God of the Hebrews still lives and reigns.