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Isa.5:7: For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgement, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
Turn to Matthew 21 with me: Matt 21:33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: The Householder is GOD the Father. The 'vineyard' He planted is the children of Israel of all twelve tribes in Old Testament history, but now includes believers on Christ today, i.e. His Church. God let His vineyard out to 'husbandmen' (Judah, i.e. 'house of Judah' of Royal Rule and Levitical priests who were to teach God's Word to the peoples). Then GOD went to a 'far country', i.e. Heavenly Abode off the earth. He entrusted Judah to keep and dress His vineyard while away. All the necessary tools (God's Word) to help Judah and the priests were set in place. The 'stones' and 'thorns' were cleared away from His vineyard, and it was properly fenced about to keep the 'beasts' (workers of iniquity) out. As our Lord said in Isaiah 5:4, "What could have been done more to My vineyard, that I have not done it?" Matt 21:34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. When the time came to produce fruit, God sent His servants the prophets to leaders of Judah, to receive the fruits in God's service unto His Glory. Matt 21:35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. The 'workers of iniquity' (Psalms 14), which were allowed to creep in, caused the 'house of Judah' to beat God's prophets, kill and stone them, holding the fruits of God's vineyard.
Psalms 14: 4; Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And call not upon the LORD. Matt 21:36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. God continued to send His servants to the 'house of Judah', but they were rejected because of the false planting of the 'enemy' (‘an enemy hath done this!')See the Parable of the tares Matt.13:36-43.
Surely if the Son Jesus Christ was sent, they would not reject Him! Matt 21:38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.' When the non-believing leaders and false Jews recognized the Son, they plotted to kill Him, in order to steal His inheritance, for the Son is to inherit His vineyard from His Father. Again, the final 'vineyard' represents believers on Christ Jesus the Son, but in Old Testament history, it was the children of Israel who believed as Abraham. Matt 21:39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. |
