the vine

April 25, 2017

Another eagle and the vine (Ezek 17:7-17:8)

“There was another great eagle,

With great wings,

With much plumage.

See!

This vine stretched out

Its roots

Toward him.

It shot out

Its branches

Toward him.

Thus he might water it.

From the bed

Where it was planted,

It was transplanted

To good soil

By abundant waters,

So that it might

Produce branches.

It might bear fruit.

It might become

A noble vine.”

After the introduction of the first eagle, there was now a second eagle. This second eagle may be an allusion to Egypt, the other great eagle. This eagle also had great wings and feathers. However, the vine stretched out to this eagle, so that the second eagle might help it grow by giving it water. Thus Jerusalem had reached out to Egypt to help it grow against Babylon. This second eagle then took the vine and tried to transplant it in good soil with a lot of water so that it might produce branches with good fruit, more like a noble vine.

March 21, 2016

Solomon’s vineyard (Song 8:11-8:12)

Female lover

“Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon.

He entrusted the vineyard to keepers.

Each one was to bring for its fruit

A thousand pieces of silver.

My vineyard,

My very own,

Is for myself.

You!

O Solomon!

May have the thousand.

The keepers of the fruit

May have two hundred.”

Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon. This is the only mention of Baal-hamon, but it may have been an ancient worship place of Baal with that name. He obviously had vineyard workers. Each of the keepers of the vineyard had to bring 1,000 pieces of silver to get the fruit of the vine. This female lover said that she had a vineyard of her own also. She was going to let Solomon keep his 1,000 pieces of silver. However, she was going to give the keepers of the vineyard 200 pieces of silver. This vineyard might have been part of a dowry for the bride.

November 6, 2015

Yahweh gave us the holy land (Ps 80:8-80:13)

“You brought a vine out of Egypt.

You drove out the nations.

You planted it.

You cleared the ground for it.

It took deep root.

It filled the land.

The mountains were covered with its shade.

The mighty cedars were covered with its branches.

It sent out its branches to the sea.

It sent out its shoots to the River.

Why then have you broken down its walls?

Thus all who pass along the way pluck its fruit.

The boar from the forest ravages it.

All that move in the field feed on it.”

This is a great parable about the vine and Israel that was so familiar to all. The vine was taken from Egypt. Then the ground was prepared for it and planted. Thus nations were cleared out to let the vine grow as it took deep root. This vine spread all over the land as it covered the mountains and the trees. Its branches went from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River. However, then its walls were broken down. Now anyone can come along and pluck its fruit. All the wild animals and any animals come to feed on it. Israel was being ravaged by all sets of animals and people.