Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.
The vine is Israel, God's church and His own planting, which He Himself brought out of Egypt in the exodus deliverance and led through the wilderness. He drove out the nations inhabiting Canaan and settled and planted His people in their own promised land. There He gave it room to take deep root, spread widely and fill the land, tending and blessing it with every benefit so it would flourish and bear the fruits of righteousness and share the knowledge of His kingdom. Instead it produced wild grapes, the fruit of a degenerate vine, forgetting God and rebelling, and even Christ's three years of labor among His people could not save it because it rejected His appeals. Mere membership in that planted vine gave no spiritual life or claim to salvation, for Jesus alone is the true Vine through whom life and promise come, yet its past deliverance and planting remains the ground of prayer for God to return, cause His face to shine, visit the vine and quicken His people so His honor will be vindicated before all kingdoms.
Vine Brought and Planted
The vine is Israel, the house of Israel, the Jewish church and God's church, His vineyard and His own planting, established and cared for by Him in Canaan. The same vine represents the Jewish church given every benefit and blessing to bear fruit for Him. The one who brought the vine out of Egypt is God, even Christ, in the exodus deliverance from Egypt. He led His people through the wilderness and set them in His vineyard to be trained for His service.
Casting out the heathen and planting it means He drove out the nations, the heathen nations and inhabitants of the land, displaced them from its land, and settled and planted His people there. That planting was in Canaan, the Holy Land, the promised land, their own land, where Israel was established as God's chosen people under His care and blessing. After planting, He gave the vine room to take deep root, flourish, spread widely and fill the land. In this He established the nation in its land and gave it prosperity.
The golden vine at the entrance of the temple represented Israel as this prosperous vine brought out of Egypt and planted by God.
Care, Failure and Restoration
After planting, the vine was patiently tended, provided for, nourished, cared for and blessed in a fruitful place of special care, with every benefit and blessing given so that it would bear fruit for God and be trained for His service. Christ Himself brought Israel out, drove out the nations before them, and sought fruitfulness from this vine of His own planting even when it produced wild grapes. His three-year ministry among His people was a continued effort to save and care for that same vine.
God planted the church in a fruitful place to bear the fruits of righteousness, to be trained for His service and to share the knowledge and principles of His kingdom. He intended His people to take possession of the land and to spread throughout the territory He had given them and to occupy the vineyard as He planned. Instead of good fruit the vine produced wild grapes and the fruit of a degenerate vine, turning toward human support rather than God. It rebelled, forgot Him, and abused the privileges He gave, and by failing to occupy the vineyard as planned it began to depart from Him, so that had it followed His plan its history would have been different.
Being God's planted vine did not itself give its people spiritual life or a claim to salvation, for Jesus is the true Vine and spiritual life and God's promises are received through Him alone. The vine shows how God's people depend on Him for life and fruitfulness. Israel rejected Christ's appeals during His continued care for the vine.
The record of past deliverance and planting is the ground of prayer in the Assyrian crisis, recalling God's deliverance from Egypt and establishment of the nation in its own land where He gave it room to take deep root and fill the land. The plea is for God to return, cause His face to shine, save, visit the vine and quicken His people when it is damaged. That deliverance is sought not only for survival but so the honor of Jehovah will be vindicated and all the kingdoms of the earth will know that the God of the Hebrews still lives and reigns alone over heaven and earth. In this history the church is precious to God, and His people are called to sing it with heart and understanding.
The vine is Israel, God's church and His own planting, which He Himself brought out of Egypt in the exodus deliverance and led through the wilderness. He drove out the nations inhabiting Canaan and settled and planted His people in their own promised land. There He gave it room to take deep root, spread widely and fill the land, tending and blessing it with every benefit so it would flourish and bear the fruits of righteousness and share the knowledge of His kingdom. Instead it produced wild grapes, the fruit of a degenerate vine, forgetting God and rebelling, and even Christ's three years of labor among His people could not save it because it rejected His appeals. Mere membership in that planted vine gave no spiritual life or claim to salvation, for Jesus alone is the true Vine through whom life and promise come, yet its past deliverance and planting remains the ground of prayer for God to return, cause His face to shine, visit the vine and quicken His people so His honor will be vindicated before all kingdoms.
Vine Brought and Planted
The vine is Israel, the house of Israel, the Jewish church and God's church, His vineyard and His own planting, established and cared for by Him in Canaan. The same vine represents the Jewish church given every benefit and blessing to bear fruit for Him. The one who brought the vine out of Egypt is God, even Christ, in the exodus deliverance from Egypt. He led His people through the wilderness and set them in His vineyard to be trained for His service.
Casting out the heathen and planting it means He drove out the nations, the heathen nations and inhabitants of the land, displaced them from its land, and settled and planted His people there. That planting was in Canaan, the Holy Land, the promised land, their own land, where Israel was established as God's chosen people under His care and blessing. After planting, He gave the vine room to take deep root, flourish, spread widely and fill the land. In this He established the nation in its land and gave it prosperity.
The golden vine at the entrance of the temple represented Israel as this prosperous vine brought out of Egypt and planted by God.
Care, Failure and Restoration
After planting, the vine was patiently tended, provided for, nourished, cared for and blessed in a fruitful place of special care, with every benefit and blessing given so that it would bear fruit for God and be trained for His service. Christ Himself brought Israel out, drove out the nations before them, and sought fruitfulness from this vine of His own planting even when it produced wild grapes. His three-year ministry among His people was a continued effort to save and care for that same vine.
God planted the church in a fruitful place to bear the fruits of righteousness, to be trained for His service and to share the knowledge and principles of His kingdom. He intended His people to take possession of the land and to spread throughout the territory He had given them and to occupy the vineyard as He planned. Instead of good fruit the vine produced wild grapes and the fruit of a degenerate vine, turning toward human support rather than God. It rebelled, forgot Him, and abused the privileges He gave, and by failing to occupy the vineyard as planned it began to depart from Him, so that had it followed His plan its history would have been different.
Being God's planted vine did not itself give its people spiritual life or a claim to salvation, for Jesus is the true Vine and spiritual life and God's promises are received through Him alone. The vine shows how God's people depend on Him for life and fruitfulness. Israel rejected Christ's appeals during His continued care for the vine.
The record of past deliverance and planting is the ground of prayer in the Assyrian crisis, recalling God's deliverance from Egypt and establishment of the nation in its own land where He gave it room to take deep root and fill the land. The plea is for God to return, cause His face to shine, save, visit the vine and quicken His people when it is damaged. That deliverance is sought not only for survival but so the honor of Jehovah will be vindicated and all the kingdoms of the earth will know that the God of the Hebrews still lives and reigns alone over heaven and earth. In this history the church is precious to God, and His people are called to sing it with heart and understanding.