Bible Lesson: Parables Of The Old
Testament: Israel The Vine.
Spoken By: David
Location: Jerusalem
Bible Text:
Psalm 80:8-16 NLT
8 You brought us from Egypt like a
grapevine; you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us
into your land.
9 You cleared the ground for us, and
we took root and filled the land.
10 Our shade covered the mountains;
our branches covered the mighty cedars.
11 We spread our branches west to
the Mediterranean Sea; our shoots spread east to the Euphrates River.
12 But now, why have you broken down
our walls so that all who pass by may steal our fruit?
13 The wild boar from the forest
devours it, and the wild animals feed on it.
14 Come back, we beg you, O God of
Heaven’s Armies. Look down from heaven and see our plight. Take
care of this grapevine
15 that you yourself have planted,
this son you have raised for yourself.
16 For we are chopped up and burned
by our enemies. May they perish at the sight of your frown.
Isaiah 5:1-7 NLT
(A Song about The Lord’s Vineyard)
5 Now I will sing for the one I
love a song about His vineyard: My beloved
(The Lord) had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill.
2 He plowed the land, cleared its
stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle He built a
watchtower and carved a wine press in the nearby rocks. Then He
waited for a harvest of sweet grapes but the grapes that grew were
bitter.
3 Now, you people of Jerusalem and
Judah, you judge between Me and My vineyard.
4 What more could I have done for My
vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes,
why did My vineyard give Me bitter grapes?
5 Now let Me tell you what I will do
to My vineyard: I will tear down its hedges and let it be destroyed.
I will break down its walls and let
the animals trample it.
6 I will make it a wild place where
the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed a place overgrown
with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop no rain on
it.
7 The nation of Israel
is the vineyard of The Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people
of Judah are His pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but
instead He found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but
instead He heard cries of violence.
Hosea 9:10 NLT
The Lord says, “O Israel, when I
first found you, it was like finding fresh grapes
in the desert. When I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the
first ripe figs of the season. But then they deserted Me for
Baal-peor, giving themselves to that shameful idol. Soon they became
vile, as vile as the god they worshiped.
Some think that it was Isaiah, that wrote this parable, that would mean that Isaiah 5 and Psalm 80 are one of the same, either that or they are two separate parables from two different people, David and Isaiah.
Clearly seen is the fact that the one who has the Vineyard, is The Lord, and that (verse 7) the Vineyard is Israel.
Clearly seen is the fact that the one who has the Vineyard, is The Lord, and that (verse 7) the Vineyard is Israel.
Since the very beginning The Lord loved The Vine, and so graciously cared for
it, planting it in a special land of His choosing.
Isaiah 5:2 KJV
“ He plowed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with
the best vines...”
Clearing the (stones) Godless nations:
Genesis 15:18-20
NLT
18 So The Lord
made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this
land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the
great Euphrates River—
19 the land now
occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
20 Hittites,
Perizzites, Rephaites,
21 Amorites,
Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
Exodus 15:14-16
NLT
14 The peoples
hear and tremble; anguish grips those who live in Philistia.
15 The leaders
of Edom are terrified; the nobles of Moab tremble. All who live in
Canaan melt away;
16 terror and
dread fall upon them. The power of your arm makes them lifeless as
stone until your people pass by, O Lord, until the people you
purchased pass by.
II Samuel 7:10
NLT
And I will
provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure
place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t
oppress them as they’ve done in the past,
Isaiah 5:3,4 NLT
3 Now, you people of Jerusalem and
Judah, you judge between Me and My vineyard.
4 What more
could I have done for My vineyard that I have not already done?
But something has happened....
Psalm 80:12,13 NLT
12 But now, why have you broken down
our walls so that all who pass by may steal our fruit?
13 The wild
boar from the forest devours it, and the wild animals feed on it.
Isaiah 5:5,6
NLT
5 Now let Me tell you what I will do
to My vineyard: I will tear down its hedges and let it be destroyed.
I will break down its walls and let
the animals trample it.
6 I will make it a wild place
where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed a place
overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop
no rain on it.
Judgment:
The Assyrians captured and destroyed Judah's fenced cities.
Psalms 89:40,41
NLT
40 You have
broken down the walls protecting him and ruined every fort defending
him.
41 Everyone who
comes along has robbed him, and he has become a joke to his
neighbors.
What has happened to bring this judgment to The Vine?
Isaiah 5:2,7 NLT
2 He plowed the
land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the
middle He built a watchtower and carved a wine press in the nearby
rocks. Then He waited for a harvest of sweet grapes but the grapes
that grew were bitter.
7
The nation of Israel is the vineyard of The Lord Of Heaven’s
Armies. The people of Judah are His pleasant garden. He
expected a crop of justice, but instead He found oppression. He
expected to find righteousness, but instead He heard cries of
violence.
Hosea 9:10 NLT
“...they
deserted Me for Baal-peor, giving themselves to that shameful idol.
Soon they became vile, as vile as the god they worshiped.
Because of their sin, in forsaking The Lord, now...
Psalm 80:13 NLT
The wild boar
from the forest devours it, and the wild animals feed on it.
Certainly reference to the Assyrian army.
Psalm 89:40,41
KJV
40 Thou hast
broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to
ruin.
41 All that
pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbors.
If the problem for The Vine, was turning against the Vine dresser,
than the answer must be, once again turning to Him, and if true for
Israel, true for all of us as well.
Psalm
80:14-16,19 NLT
14 Come back, we beg you, O God of
Heaven’s Armies. Look down from heaven and see our plight. Take
care of this grapevine
15 that you yourself have planted,
this son you have raised for yourself.
16 For we are chopped up and
burned by our enemies. May they perish at the sight of your frown.
19 Turn
us again, O Lord God Of Hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall
be saved.
A Pattern For
All To Follow Everywhere:
Isaiah 1:18 KJV
Come now, and
let us reason together, saith The Lord: though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isaiah 30:15 KJV
For thus saith
The Lord God, The Holy One Of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye
be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:
Isaiah 44:22 KJV
I have blotted
out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins:
return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee.
Isaiah 55:7 KJV
Let the
wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let
him return unto The Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our
God, for He will abundantly pardon.
I Peter 2:24,25
KJV
24 Who His own
self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead
to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed.
25 For ye were
as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto
The Shepherd
and Bishop of your souls.
I John 1:9 KJV
If we confess
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Another Parable
Of The Landowner: (Jesus)
Matthew 21:33-46 NLT (Parable of the Evil Farmers)
33 “Now
listen to another story. A certain Landowner planted a vineyard,
built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice,
and built a lookout tower. Then He leased the vineyard to tenant
farmers and moved to another country.
34 At the time
of the grape harvest, He sent His servants to collect His share of
the crop.
35 But the
farmers grabbed His servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned
another.
36 So the
Landowner sent a larger group of His servants to collect for Him, but
the results were the same.
37 “Finally,
The Owner sent His Son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect My
Son.’
38 “But when
the tenant farmers saw His Son coming, they said to one another,
‘Here comes The Heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill Him and
get the estate for ourselves!’
39 So they
grabbed Him, dragged Him out of the vineyard, and murdered Him.
40 “When The
Owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think
He will do to those farmers?”
41 The
religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a
horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give Him His
share of the crop after each harvest.”
42 Then Jesus
asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?‘The
Stone that the builders rejected has now become The Cornerstone. This
is The Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’
43 I tell you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation
that will produce the proper fruit.
44 Anyone who
stumbles over that Stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush
anyone it falls on.”
45 When the
leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized He
was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers.
46 They wanted
to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered
Jesus to be a prophet.
