John ray (1627- 1705), the father of modern botany, wrote: "Plants can attract people's attention to the glorious deeds of God. I just rewrote them in order."
Grape is one of the oldest and most widely distributed fruits in the world, accounting for almost a quarter of the world's fruit production; It has high nutritional value and can be made into grape juice, raisins and wine. Grapes are called "crystal pearls" because of their bright colors and delicious taste.
(1) Noah's vineyard-
It is easy to lose vigilance in ease.
After the unprecedented flood, Noah's family of eight escaped the flood in the ark. When they got out of the ark, the danger was lifted. There are only eight people on the ground. Noah, the righteous man, also began to relax himself. Relaxation brings indulgence, and indulgence brings debauchery. Noah planted a vineyard. He made wine from grapes, but he got drunk after drinking in the garden and was naked in the tent-he lost his manners after drinking.
(2) Grapes from Ischko Valley
The heart is not alert to God's promises.
Your eyes will only be fixed on the difficulties.
At Moses' command, the spies cut a bunch of grapes from the vines in the valley of Ischke, and two men carried them with poles. It can be seen that the land there is fertile and rich in local products. It is really a land flowing with milk and honey as God said. When the ten spies saw that the inhabitants of the land were strong and the cities were fortified, they thought they were like locusts, so they said to the people, "We can't go up against the people because they are stronger than us. 」(Num。 13: 3 1) They told the Israelites: "The land we spy on is a land that devours residents, and all the people we see there are tall." (Minimum 13: 32)
The bad letters of ten spies caused people to complain, and even proposed to appoint a leader to go back to Egypt. Therefore, punished by God, God let them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until the generation that came out of Egypt died, and a new generation of Israelis born in the wilderness could enter Canaan. Of the 600,000 troops that came out of Egypt, only Caleb and Joshua entered the land of Canaan and occupied it.
(3) Two Vineyard Songs
Psalm 80:7- 19? Turn us back, O God of hosts, and make your face shine, and we will be saved. Remove a vine from Egypt, drive away the foreigners and plant it. You prepared a place in front of this tree root. It took root deeply and covered the ground. His shadow covers the mountains, and his branches are like beautiful cedars. He sends out branches to the sea and vines to the rivers. Why did you tear down the fence of this tree and let all passers-by pick it up? The wild boar in the forest pampers him, and the wild animals feed on him. O God of hosts, turn back and look down from heaven, and take care of this vine, and protect the plant planted by your right hand and the branches you have strengthened for yourself. This tree was burned by fire and cut down by a knife, and they perished because of the angry look on your face. May your hand support the man on your right hand, the son of man whom you have strengthened for yourself. In this way, we won't step back and leave you. Please save us, and we will demand your name. Turn us back, O LORD God of hosts, and make your face shine, and we will be saved.
Isaiah 5: 1-7? I want to sing a song for my beloved, which is my beloved's song and is about his vineyard. My dear has a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug the garden, picked up stones, planted excellent vines, built buildings in the garden and chiseled out a wine press. Hope to bear good grapes, but bear wild grapes. Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What can I do besides what I have done for my vineyard? I expect to produce good grapes, but how can I produce wild grapes? Now I'll tell you what I'm going to do to my vineyard. I will tear down the fence so that it will be swallowed up; I will tear down the wall and trample it down. I will turn it into treasure. I will never repair it or dig it. Thorns and briers will grow. I will also command the clouds not to rain on them. The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his favorite trees. He expected justice, but there was tyranny. I want justice, but there is an unfair voice.
There are two songs of the vineyard in the Bible.
The first is 80 psalms written by Asa. Here, the poet described how the owner moved a tree from a foreign land and prepared a place for it to take root and sprout. This tree was once lush, covered the ground, covered all the mountains, grew to the seaside and extended to the river, but now it has been abandoned by its owner. The poet was puzzled and asked God, "Why do you let passers-by burn and cut down and tolerate animals trampling and swallowing this beautiful vine?"
The second song was written by Isaiah. In the fifth chapter of Isaiah, the prophet invites the residents of Jerusalem to judge him from the perspective of his master. He sang: The master carefully selected the first-class vines, planted them on fertile hills, dug deep soil for them, picked up stones, built buildings for them, and chiseled a wine press. He expected it to bear good grapes, but who thought it would bear wild grapes. What will the Lord do? Tear down the fence, tear down the fence and leave it to waste.
The vineyards mentioned in these two poems are the people of Israel and their owners are God. Asa asked in the poem, "Why was this tree abandoned?" Isaiah replied in his poem, "It is because of the lack of fairness and justice".
During the growth period of the vine, the owner pruned it, cut off miscellaneous branches, reduced the waste of nutrients, and fertilized it on time to kill insects. Master prepared a good environment and took good care of the vines. According to the truth, the vines do not lack the external conditions for producing excellent grapes. But what about the facts? This vine does not produce good grapes, but sour and astringent wild grapes. All the efforts of the garden owner came to nothing. What would he do?
At that time, we were always vigilant, and we should be cautious and self-sustaining in comfort; In times of trouble, we should wake up and pray, accept God's repair, care and water, and connect our lives with the Lord Jesus to bear good fruit.
Share the second rattan life in the next issue.