Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.
The vine is Israel, God's church, which He brought out of Egypt and transplanted into the good land of Canaan. He cast out the heathen nations to make room for it, planted His people in their place, and established them there. He prepared room before it, caused it to take deep root, and made it fill and spread throughout the land. In that planting He supplied and nurtured what the people needed to grow and to serve His purpose.
Its flourishing, prosperity, growth and fruitfulness came from His favor, care and provision. That care was connected to His covenant, in which He promised to provide for their needs if they kept it. Its growth was meant to yield Him a return and to accomplish what He intended. The ornamental vine of the temple represented Israel as this prosperous vine.
God and Christ tended the people and sought good fruit from them. Instead they produced wild grapes, rejecting His efforts and mercy and failing to live as He intended despite His care. Jesus is the true Vine and the real source of spiritual life, so mere descent from Israel cannot itself give life or make anyone an heir of God's promise.
God intended His planted people to take possession of the land and to spread beyond Jerusalem. They failed to advance in faith and to occupy the territory He intended. Had they followed His plan their history would have been different. That past planting is pleaded as the ground for asking Him to return, look down from heaven, visit the vine, quicken His people, cause His face to shine and save them when its hedges are broken down and enemies waste and devour it, so the nations of earth may know that He still lives and reigns.
The vine is Israel, God's church, which He brought out of Egypt and transplanted into the good land of Canaan. He cast out the heathen nations to make room for it, planted His people in their place, and established them there. He prepared room before it, caused it to take deep root, and made it fill and spread throughout the land. In that planting He supplied and nurtured what the people needed to grow and to serve His purpose.
Its flourishing, prosperity, growth and fruitfulness came from His favor, care and provision. That care was connected to His covenant, in which He promised to provide for their needs if they kept it. Its growth was meant to yield Him a return and to accomplish what He intended. The ornamental vine of the temple represented Israel as this prosperous vine.
God and Christ tended the people and sought good fruit from them. Instead they produced wild grapes, rejecting His efforts and mercy and failing to live as He intended despite His care. Jesus is the true Vine and the real source of spiritual life, so mere descent from Israel cannot itself give life or make anyone an heir of God's promise.
God intended His planted people to take possession of the land and to spread beyond Jerusalem. They failed to advance in faith and to occupy the territory He intended. Had they followed His plan their history would have been different. That past planting is pleaded as the ground for asking Him to return, look down from heaven, visit the vine, quicken His people, cause His face to shine and save them when its hedges are broken down and enemies waste and devour it, so the nations of earth may know that He still lives and reigns.