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Date: Tue, 19 Dec 1995 08:57:47 +-100
Reply-To: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
From: Teus Benschop
Subject: ChrExp, The Scriptures opened, 62
To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP
Contents
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1. Genesis 41:9 - Remembrance of past sins
2. Isaiah 5:1-7 - The Lord's vineyard
1. Genesis 41:9 - Remembrance of past sins
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Weekly reading: Genesis 41 - 44:17
Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying,
I do remember my sins this day.
Genesis 41:9
One of the prophets once said, "And ye shall lothe yourselves in your
own sight for all your evils that ye have committed." (Ezekiel 20:43)
According to him, the people shall lothe themselves because of their
innumerable sins against God. And when shall they lothe themselves?
They shall abhor themselves when God shall have done them well. Or, to
say it in the prophet's own words, "And ye shall know that I am the
LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country
[for] the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. And
there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye
have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for
all your evils that ye have committed. And ye shall know that I am the
LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according
to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house
of Israel, saith the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel 20:42-44) When God shall have
brought back the Israelites from their exile; back in their former
country, they shall loathe themselves because of their sins, which
were the cause of their exile.
Something similar we see in the chief butler, one of the servants
of Pharaoh. He says, "I do remember my sins this day." He doesn't
speak of loathing himself, but at least he remembers his former sins.
What were his sins? Scripture is not detailed on that, but with a few
words it states the matter. "And it came to pass after these things,
that the butler of the king of Egypt and [his] baker had offended
their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was wroth against two [of]
his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief
of the bakers. And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of
the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound."
(Genesis 40:1-3) The chief butler had offended his lord, king Pharaoh,
and for that he was thrown in prison. But after some time, he was put
back in freedom. After he was freed, he didn't even remember his
former sins, nor Joseph. But two full years later, in our text, he
again remembers his sins.
What was the cause he remembered them? Why was it that he, after
having forgotten it, suddenly remembered them? It was because of the
circumstances. When the butler was in prison, he had a dream. Joseph
interpreted it, and his interpretation became true. And now, two years
later, also Pharaoh had a dream. The similarity of circumstances, the
dreams, made him to remember his own dream. And from that dream, he
reflected on his sins, which were the cause of his imprisonment.
When we view the chief butler's history, we see in short that he
sinned, was thrown in prison, heard there that he again would be set
free, was freed, forgat the whole happening for two years, came again
in like circumstances, remembered his sins, and confessed them.
This all is a good picture of what happens in the life of a
person, when he is brought to a stop on his evil ways through God
Himself. Commonly, everybody walks in his own ways and imaginations.
As said through God by a prophet, "For, behold, ye walk every one
after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken
unto Me:" (Jeremiah 16:12) Commonly, men walk after their own vain
imaginations, far from God. But when God wants to make for Himself a
holy people, He begins to address them through His word. He sends
prophets to them, who warn them, and set the law before them. And when
they hear, the become convinced through that law, seeing that they
have done nothing but transgressed them, sinning against the LORD
their God. They become convinced, and feel as if they are in prison.
They know their transgressions, saying, "For I acknowledge my
transgressions: and my sin is ever before me." (Psalms 51:5) Seeing
always their sins before them, knowing that they are the greatest
transgressors on earth, they feel shut up. They are, as transgressors,
under the curse of the law, caught, and unable to escape. Wherever
they may go, always they take with them the burden of their sins. The
knowledge of their behaviour; the knowledge that they have terribly
transgressed against God; the curse of the law; the dread of the
coming punishment; these all weigh them down. Their future is dark
because of the coming judgement of God. They have transgressed the
law, so what good can they hope yet? All these thoughts make them feel
as if they are thrown and shut up in prison.
But then, all changes. He will hear that God is good and
forgiving. There rises some hope in his dark and frightened heart. God
is merciful, yes, but is He also willing to forgive the sins of such a
great offender? The hope rises and falls within him. Sometimes, he
hopes the good, but sometimes all is black again. He will hear of
others, that have received forgiveness. Is it possible that God will
be also merciful for him? Being shaked between hope and fright, he
does not know how the matters will finish. But, when it is God's time
to free the sinner from his prison, then His heavenly light shines in
the black soul of the poor sinner. The sinner, noticing that, is
filled with heavenly joy; a joy which rises far above the joy of the
world. They say with David, "Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more
than in the time that their corn and their wine increased." (Psalms
4:7) Having this gladness in their heart, a heavenly gladness, a beam
of light of God, they are at once freed from their prison. The former
fears have passed away. All blackness has gone. He experiences that,
"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) The old
blackness and darkness have passed away, and behold, all things are
become new. The man who experiences this is set in freedom, through
the grace of God.
And then? After he is freed, what then? He does like the chief
butler did, and forgets his past in a great degree. He forgets his
imprisonment; he forgets the hope on deliverance; he forgets his
former sins; and he forgets his Benefactor, God, the Deliverer. This
may continue for some years, but then the time comes that he again
remembers his history. Circumstances become similar, or he hears of
another one experiencing the same. He remembers his sins, and says to
God, "O God, I remember my former sins. How good and merciful are
Thou, forgiving me my sins".
Also David had such experiences. He said, "Remember not the sins
of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember
thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD." (Psalms 25:7) He asks that
God will not remember his sins. This means that he himself did so. But
he asks for mercy, because of God's goodness.
2. Isaiah 5:1-7 - The Lord's vineyard
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Isaiah 5:1-7
1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his
vineyard.
It was once said through the bride: "My beloved is mine, and I am his:
he feedeth among the lilies." (Song of Solomon 2:16) The same is said
through the prophet Isaiah. He calls God "my wellbeloved". He says,
"now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved". The prophet
is far from serving God in a surly way, but he calls his Saviour,
Master and Lord "my wellbeloved". Only these servants, loving their
Sender and Master and God, are the real ones. They sing to their
wellbeloved God a song, or, in other words, they preach to the
congregation a sermon of their wellbeloved God. The people can hear
it: "Yes, this man knows Whom he talks about; yes, this man knows God;
he loves his Sender".
Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved, "touching
his vineyard". This vineyard is Israel of the prophet's time, and in
our times it is every true congregation, which is planted by God
Himself. In the next verses the prophet shows us, under the picture of
a vineyard, what good God has done to His people, how badly they
behaved, and what will be the result of this all.
My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
My wellbeloved owns a vineyard. Not in some arbitrary place. Also not
in some common fertile place, but he has put his vineyard in a very
fruitful hill. He put it there, in that very fruitful place, that it
might bring forth an abundance of good fruit. This means that God has
put Israel in a most pleasant place, that they might dwell there. God
has planted His church in a place very plentiful and abundant, in the
expectation that they will bring forth an abundance of good fruit,
namely belief and repentance and true worship. If we live in a place,
free from the oppressing enemies; if we live in a place where we may
profess our true religion without persecutions; if we have all we
need, and if we have time enough to serve both our neighbour and God;
if we have all these very fruitful circumstances, then God rightly may
expect a rich harvest. My beloved has a vineyard in a very fruitful
hill. Yes, He has, and it is our duty to bear much fruit. As Jesus
once said, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so
shall ye be my disciples." (John 15:8) Or in the words of a Psalm, a
Song for the sabbath day: "Those that be planted in the house of the
LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring
forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew
that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no
unrighteousness in him." (Psalms 92:13-15)
Not only the choice of the vineyard's place was carefully made,
but when the place of the vineyard was once fixed, the winegrower
continued with preparing the ground and everything:
2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted
it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and
also made a winepress therein:
After the winegrower had chosen the place for his vineyard, he began
to fence it. He surrounded the place with a fence for safety, that the
wild beasts might not enter the yard and destroy all the fruit,
together with the vines. He put a fence around it, to prevent the
enemies from entering the yard and stealing all its fruit. That was
his work around the yard. But also inside, he spent much time. He
"gathered out the stones thereof", so that he left over good and even
ground; a land prepared for the vines. He also "planted it with the
choicest vine". Not such second-class vines, but the best ones, of the
highest quality. He did so in the hope that they might bring forth
fruit of high quality. Good grapes, that was his wish. Having fenced
the yard, having prepared the ground, and having planted the best
vines, he continued "and built a tower in the midst of it". The tower
is the place for the guard. He sits high so that he can overlook the
entire yard. Finally, the winegrower "made a winepress therein". He
expected much fruit, because his labour had also been much. He had
prepared all, and the vineyard was perfect. Let now the fruit come.
And he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth
wild grapes.
In spite of all the labour, the yard brought forth nothing but wild
grapes. So, all the labour had been in vain. Though the yard had the
choicest vines, yet it brought forth nothing of any value.
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray
you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
The vineyard is Israel. God has spent much labour on them. He prepared
them. He gave then a perfect law. He gave them His ordinances. He gave
them the temple, and the entire service therein. In short, God had
prepared the vineyard of Israel. But it did bring nothing of value.
Only wild grapes, which are valueless. "And now, O inhabitants of
Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my
vineyard." God calls forth all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all
men of Judah. They should judge between God and His vineyard. It was
evident that the vineyard, that is Judah, had brought forth nothing
but sin and apostasy.
4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done
in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes,
brought it forth wild grapes?
What could have been done more to Israel and Judah? What could have
been done more, that God has not done in it? He gave them all. He
prepared them, and fenced them. No enemy dared enter the land. He
planted Israel on a fruitful hill, a very fruitful one. So, Israel and
Judah, where is the fruit? Where is your faith? God gave them
watchtowers. He gave them capable men to guide them in matters of
religion. He gave them prophets, and priests and kings. He gave them
all they needed to bring forth fruits of repentance and faith,
righteousness and judgement. Why did they not bring forth grapes, save
the wild ones of apostasy?
5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will
take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; [and] break
down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
God will take away the hedge of the vineyard. Judah will be robbed of
her leaders; of her prophets and priests; of her kings. The enemy will
invade, and destroy all. God will break down the wall of Judah, behind
which they were safe. The wall will be thrown down, and the enemy
shall tread down all. All religion will be rooted out. The good vines
will be burned. The foxes will eat up and devour all. The temple will
be destroyed. And for what reason? Because they brought forth wild
grapes. Judah chose to serve the idols rather then the LORD. Therefore
a great ruin awaits them.
6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but
there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
The yard will lay waste. Nobody shall work in it. It will differ in no
respect from a wilderness. And God will command the clouds, that they
do not rain upon it, in order that the yard may dry out and wither.
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.
The parable of the vineyard should be explained of the house of Israel
and of the men of Judah. They were God's vineyard and His pleasant
vines. And the fruit? They should have executed "judgement", but
instead of that they oppressed the poor cruelly. Another fruit should
be "righteousness", but instead of that everywhere the cry was heard
of the people that were badly dealt with.
The real fruits of true religion are judgement and righteousness. So,
where these are not found, there is no religion any more. If we deal
falsely, oppress the weak, pervert justice, lie, rob the people, then
we have lost all true religion. God has once taught us His worship,
but now we have forsaken that. He once taught us to deal righteously
with our neighbours, but now? There is nothing left over. Maybe we
have the name of God and Christ in our mouths, but They are far from
our hands. "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny
him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work
reprobate." (Titus 1:16) As a result of our sins, God will utterly
uproot all of us. The unfruitful vines are good for the fire. The
vineyard is destined for the wild beats of the field.
If these things are so, then it really becomes time to better our
lives. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be
blotted out." (Acts 3:19) When you spring from a good family, a godly
family, a family that has always professed true religion, but you
don't walk in their footsteps, what does it avail you when your father
was a faithful man? Look to Abraham. He had a son called Ishmael. But
this man was a mocker (Genesis 21:9), and the faith of his father did
avail him nothing. "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance,
and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our]
father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise
up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root
of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit
is hewn down, and cast into the fire." (Luke 3:8,9) Remember then that
you once were planted on a very fruitful hill. God expected much good
fruit of you. But now, you are fallen from your first profession.
"Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do
the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."
(Revelation 2:5)
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chr-exp@nic.surfnet.nl
"A Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel"
Institute Practical Bible-education
Web: http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/ipb-e/ipbe-home.html
Written by Teus Benschop -- t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
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file: /pub/resources/text/ipb-e/so: s-open-062.txt
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