Psalm 80:10

Psalm 80:10

The vine that spreads

It doesn’t need much imagination to work out that it was Israel in Egypt that was the vine that was transplanted and replanted in Canaan. What we are now being shown is that this vine didn’t just grow quietly in an unpretentious and barely noticeable way – it took over! The branches of this vine pushed their way up the mountains and hills until they were covered with its shade, and its boughs were like the cedars of God. Cedars were used metaphorically to describe might and power and were the “skyscrapers” of their day, this verse is telling us that the vine that God transplanted became like the mighty cedars. All other nations and powers were eclipsed by the strength and forceful presence of God’s vine – Israel.

Having just returned home from a trip to Jordan it has been humbling to compare the two countries to the east and west of the River Jordan. The country of Jordan is, on the whole, a barren, desolate wasteland with hundreds of square miles of stony desert and bleak landscapes, especially to the south. Israel by contrast, since its re-establishment in 1948, has become a place of abundance. Agriculture prospers, industry prospers, the IDF is renowned for its efficiency, the population grows and the economy too. Everywhere you look the vineyard is developing. God is renewing His promises to His people as He always said He would. What a lesson in these days!

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