People vs Comfort

Have you ever read the book of Jonah? Or at least heard the story? Basically, he is a prophet that God tells to go to the city of Nineveh to preach so that the people may have a chance to repent, and instead of going he runs the other way. He gets on a ship and tries to sail as far from the place God wants him to go. To make a long story short, God basically ruins his plan to run and gets him to go the right way.

When he gets to the city, he preached the message the Lord gave him to speak, and the whole city repented! And in Jonah 3:10 it tells us that God changed His mind and spared the city from judgment. And when Jonah saw this, he went to a hillside to pout and hope that God would still bring ruin to the city.

Now, many have speculated as to why he ran; some say it was fear, others say it was prejudice. But, if we read all the way to chapter 4 we find out why he ran.

“Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:2-3)

He ran cause he knew that God would forgive the people of Ninevah!
Nineveh was the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, which was the enemy of Israel and the nation by which the prophets said God's judgment would come through for Israel's disobedience.

So Jonah seems to have a "legitimate" reason for running, these people were his enemies, they were going to destroy his country. He wanted God to destroy them not forgive them, so he ran. While he was in his little pity party, God provided shade for him by growing a large vine overnight for him to sit under. However, the next night God took the vine away; and when Jonah got hot because the sun was beating down on him and the breeze was just hot air blowing around, he got angry because now he's uncomfortable! Plus, God still had not destroyed his enemies!

Jonah goes into another pity party and says that he is so angry that it would be better for him to die. God responded to him,
"But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

And then the story of Jonah ends in an odd way; it just leaves us hanging. No closing statement, no conclusion to the conversation. I believe this is intentional for the purpose of challenging the reader.
You see, Jonah was angry that the plant was gone, he no longer had the comfort of the shade. Then God points out that he was more concerned about a plant than he was for the people. He was more concerned about his comfort than he was for the well being of his enemies.

So what about us?

Are we more concerned about our comfort than we are about the well-being and salvation of those around us?

To keep with the context, are we not sharing the gospel because it makes us uncomfortable?

Do we avoid preaching the message of love and repentance to our "enemies" because we would rather see God destroy them rather than forgive them?
And when I say, "enemies," that can be anyone with a differing political view, religion, or someone struggling with homosexuality.

Who around us is not worth our comfort?

Foundations of Biblical Eschatology: Session 1

Eschatology: :  1: a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of                                             the world or of humankind

                        2:  a belief concerning death, the end of the world, or the ultimate destiny                          of humankind; specifically :  any of various Christian doctrines concerning                  the Second Coming, the resurrection of the dead, or the Last Judgment [1]

In other words, it means study of the End Times! (Queue in scary dramatic music)

Before we begin, I ask that we all approach this topic with humility. There are so many teachings on this topic that it can get confusing. Therefore, I ask that we press delete on everything we have ever been told on this topic and let the Scriptures speak for themselves. No twists or applying meaning to something that isn't there and that isn't being said. I will do my best to do the same as I lead these sessions.

Let us always keep the prayer of Eph. 1:17 in our hearts as we progress.

"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you (us) the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him..."[2]

I.                   Introduction to Foundational Biblical Eschatology.

A.    It is my conviction that Biblical Eschatology is a subject that is accessible to every believer, otherwise Jesus would not have exhorted us to read and keep the words of this prophetic book.[3]  This accessibility will be further enhanced by employing effective tools and methodology to rightly divide  the Word of God under the leadership and illumination of the Holy Spirit. Jesus' teachings on eschatology will serve as the backbone of these sessions.

B.     Before we continue, there are lies that the enemy has placed on this topic that we must deal with.

Lie #1: The book of Revelation is a scary book.

Lie #2: The book of Revelation is too difficult to understand.

Lie #3: Studying the End Times isn't necessary.

Satan has caused the Church to believe these lies among many others on this issue, because in doing so he has robbed the church of 3 blessings that Jesus tells us in verse 3 of ch. 1 in the book of Revelation. Blessed is he who reads.., blessed is he who hears.., and blessed is he who keeps the words of this prophecy. And these lies also rob us of the faith spoken of in Hebrews 11, and in my opinion the helmet of salvation. (I will elaborate on this a little later.)

C.    Is the book of Revelation a scary book? Why would we view our "hope of glory" as something to fear? This is the purpose of our salvation! This has been on God's heart since the fall of man and even before the fall! Our King, our Bridegroom is returning and we are afraid of the very text that reveals this to us! Why? Partly because we have been frightened by teaching that warn us of what will happen if we are "left behind". As well as the misunderstanding of the prophetic symbolism. So we would much rather stick our head in the sand than look at this topic. This book should add to our joy and strengthen our faith! For it is the completion of our salvation!

D.    Is this book too difficult to understand?  As I stated above, I believe that the understanding of this book is accessible to every believer. Why do I believe this? Well, in Revelation 19:10b we are told;

".......For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

So true prophecy is to point us to Jesus. Is this book not a prophetic book? What is the first verse of chapter 1?

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ...." Rev. 1:1a

And in John 5:39 Jesus tells us;

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me."

So ALL Scripture testifies and points to Jesus, is not one of the Holy Spirit's "job descriptions" to reveal Jesus to our hearts?

"All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from Me what He will make known to you.” John 16:15 (NIV)

So why then, would the Holy Spirit make the very book which IS the Revelation of Jesus Christ and hide it in obscurity? Why would He make it so difficult that not even an illiterate Christians in the early Church could understand it but yet be expected to "keep those things that are written..."? Any teaching that tells believers that this book is too difficult to understand or  too scary to read borders; if not falls into heresy.

Heresy:   an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards.[4]

Why do I say this? Because what kind of God would we be serving if He gave us a set of commands but hid them in obscurity and then leaves us to our own devises to "figure out" what He meant? He would be an unjust god and to declare God as unjust is heretical! And does not  2 Timothy 1:7  tell us;

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

 Therefore, No!; this book is not difficult to understand nor is it scary! It does require however, the whole testimony of Scripture to understand. It is not an obscure and scary text.

E.     Is it necessary to study the End Times? I have heard it said from many believers that they didn't think it necessary to study this topic because they didn't see the value in learning this information. They didn't think it necessary for their Christian walk. Another reason that was given was because of the stigma that surrounds this topic; they didn't want to be like "one of those weirdo's" that tries to predict the return of Christ only to come out looking foolish....again.

However, it is absolutely necessary! Why? As I stated earlier, to study this fills us with the faith spoken of in so many passages of Scripture. Hebrews 11:1 for example;

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

This verse is quoted and preached upon so many times, however I cannot recall any sermon preaching this verse in its context. Not saying there aren't any, I just haven't heard any.

Remember, the Bible was not written with chapter and verse divisions. Hebrews should be read as a whole. Therefore let us back up just a few verses and see what is being spoken of here.

"For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.  And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:  partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated;  for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

 “For yet a little while,
And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
 Now the just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him.”

 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."(Hebrews 10:30-11:1)

Suddenly this verse has a different understanding to it as appose to just having faith to overcome a situation. Now it seems to speak of having faith that He will return and bring justice on our behalf and bring us into full salvation. That is where our hope lies. Which is why I made reference to the helmet of salvation.

"And take the helmet of salvation ^(G4992),..." (Eph. 6:17a)

Strong's G4992 σωτήριος (translation: sōtērios): the hope of (future) salvation.

Hebrews 11:1 and Eph. 6:17 are exhorting us to have our minds set on our salvation to come. In other words we are not discouraged nor deterred by what we see in front of us for our minds are set on our salvation to come.

The Bible gives us three forms of salvation in the Greek:

G4982:  sōzō "I was saved"

G4991:  sōtēria "I am being saved"

G4992: sōtērios "I will be saved"

Therefore to study and meditate on the return of Christ is to set our hearts, our minds, and our eyes on our salvation to come. In part, this is why we need to study this topic. It will help us build endurance[5] and increase our faith and joy in Him.

II.                Why Must We Study The End Times? (Continued)

A.    Jesus Himself tells us throughout scripture to study the End Times by way of exhorting us to "Watch and pray!" Watch for what exactly?

"Now learn this parable of the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near - at the door!" (Matthew  24:32-33)

B.     In the 89 chapters of the Gospels 30 of them are teachings of Jesus specifically addressing the End Times. There are several more passages where Jesus is making references to the End Times, however it is not immediately obvious to the reader without having an understanding of contextual background. And sometimes certain phraseologies within His parables have their fuller meaning within the context of the End Times.

C.    For example: Whenever Jesus refers to Himself as the "Son of Man", it is a reference to the prophecies spoken in the book of Daniel.

".....One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven!....." (Daniel 7:13b)

And when the time is taken to study these passages, we find rather quickly that the context is His second coming. Or when Jesus makes the reference "in that day"; He is speaking of "the day of the Lord", which in many passages speaks of the tribulation and His return.

“Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you." (Zach. 2:11)

"The Lord gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?" (Joel 2:11)

"The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come." (Joel 2:31 KJV)

And when Jesus makes reference to the night hours in His parables, it speaks of the great darkness that will be on the earth and a time when many will be asleep.

III.              How should we approach the topic of the End Times?

A.    Our approach and our focus to any topic in scripture should always be with  John 5:39 in the forefront of our minds, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ to us through the scriptures. Because it's always been about Him!

B.     I have heard many different teachings saying that the reason the Lord gave us the book of Revelation is for finances, to reveal the Anti-Christ, or to warn us to be ready. However, in 3 of the 4 gospels the disciples ask Jesus what will be the sign of His return and every time Jesus starts out with, "Take heed that no one deceives you..."[6]. Then we see the book of Revelation beginning with the declaration of this being the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

C.    The major End Time issue is going to be the same question Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" [7]. We are seeing this today, so many teachings out there vying for our attention! Telling us "look! Jesus is this way!" or "Jesus is like this!" or "Jesus doesn't care about your sin, He extends grace!" So many different teachings trying to deceive us into believing that Jesus is someone other than what we see in scripture. There is one teacher/pastor out there teaching that the emergence of gay marriage is the next revelation of God's love and the Church is rejecting it. This is just one reason the Lord has given us this book, so that we would not be deceived.

Closing:

As we progress through these classes, I pray that we would allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds and that we would see what He has intended for us to see all along. And that He would fill us with the faith, hope, and joy that this revelation was intended to bring us! I also pray that none of us would allow the enemy to fill us with fear or discouragement as we begin to set our eye on our salvation to come.

---

[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eschatology.

[2] All scripture references will be in the NKJV unless otherwise noted.

[3]  ^"Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which   are written in it; for the time is near." Rev.1:3.

[4] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heresy.

[5] Hebrews 10:36, Hebrews 12:1, James 1:3, Revelation 1:9, 2:19,3:10,13:10, and 14:12.

[6] Matthew 24:4, Mark 13:5, and Luke 21:8.

[7] Matthew 16:15, Mark 8:29, and Luke 9:20.

Thought for the day

So I've been reading through and studying Ecclesiastes and this book can really leave you with a cynical out look on life if you miss the point. 12 chapters saying that "everything is meaningless and pointless", all of our striving, our laboring, our good times and bad times are all pointless.

However, chapter 12 verse 13 states,

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all."

The phrase in Hebrew literally says that "this is man", so to fear God and obey Him is where we find our identity. I know this isn't new for some of you, for some this revelation has become nothing more than rhetoric or a cliché but yet your still trying to "find yourself".

But apart from this reality we will never "find ourself", this is why you were created. For Him!

Colossians 1:16-17:

"For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."

We will never find "wholeness" if we are't sitting at His feet. We will take on every identity the world wants to put on us, what it means to be a man or what it means to be a woman. But it all leaves you with that meaningless feeling. Cause what happens to men when we loose our jobs? We suddenly feel like we have lost ourselves or for women, when your kids no longer need you or that boyfriend says your not good enough, then what? Who are you? What was it all for? What will be the next temporal fix?

Ecclesiastes 1:1b-3,9

"“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?......What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."

We just keep jumping to the next thing and the next thing and on and on. When does it all stop? We can read "The Purpose Driven Life" all we want or whatever other "self-help" book there is out there, but if it doesn't point us in this direction we gain nothing! How many have read these books years ago and are still trying to find their reason for living? Or they think they found it in a hobby or an occupation but when that's gone....then what? And how many have sat at the feet of Jesus, heard His words and know why they're here?

You see; God is eternal and unmovable. If who we are is found in Him then guess what our identity will be; eternal and unmovable.

I will end with this. Revelation 4:11: 

“You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

Song of Songs - Session 4: Jesus' Desire for His Inheritance

I.                   Review.

A.    The goal for this final session is a two part goal.

1.      First, is to show that everything in Song of Songs has a scriptural backing for every definition that is given for the spiritual interpretation. Not that I am going to go through every verse and  show you, (that's for you to seek on your own with the Holy Spirit, I encourage you to take this journey with Him!), I am however, going to pull out some key points that the Lord has been highlighting.

2.      The second point is to point out, just as Maira was doing last week, that we are His inheritance. And both points will be accomplished simultaneously.

B.     We will start in Song of Songs 4:12 and go on from there. Just as Maira pointed out last week, we see the Bride go through a time of discipline for not stepping out in obedience, not because of rebellion but because of fear. She doesn't want to leave her comfort zone and so the presence of God pulls away. We can see that in our own lives when God has spoken to us and then He waits for us to obey. And until we move we don't see God nor feel His presence, not because He is disappointed with us but rather He is drawing us out.

C.    We then see her step out in obedience by saying "yes" in her heart, and before she even fully steps out God meets her where she is and gives her revelation

of Himself that she didn't have before. All it took was the "yes" in her heart and God met her!

II.                A Garden Enclosed!

A.    This is where we pick up the story line, her simple and weak "yes" has moved His heart! She hasn't even done anything yet! Last week Maira walked us through the 8 character traits that Jesus prophesied over the Bride[1]; and then He begins to reveal to her what she means and is to Him.

"A garden enclosed Is my sister, my spouse, A spring shut up, A fountain sealed. Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates With pleasant fruits,
Fragrant henna with spikenard, Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, With all trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, With all the chief spices— A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And streams from Lebanon." Song of Songs 4:12-15[2] 

 

B.     He calls her His garden enclosed, His spring, His Fountain sealed up! Gardens were places of encounter, it was where the king would go to be with his queen, where he would meet with only his closest of friends. And here Jesus says to her, "you are My place of encounter, it is in your heart where we can meet in the most intimate of ways, where I will share things with you that no one else will know!"

C.    He also says that she is His spring, His fountain! It is where He can go when He "thirsts", and His "thirst will be satisfied! We can see the story of S.o.S. play out in the story of the woman at the well in John 4:3-38.

"  He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. ⁴ But He needed to go through Samaria.

⁵ So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶ Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

⁷ A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” (Will you give Me a drink? NIV) ⁸ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

⁹ Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

¹¹ The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? ¹² Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”

¹³ Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

¹⁵ The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

¹⁷ The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ ¹⁸ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”

¹⁹ The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. ²⁰ Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

²¹ Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. ²² You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. ²³ But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. ²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

²⁵ The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”

²⁶ Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

²⁷ And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”

²⁸ The woman then left her waterpot,[3] went her way into the city, and said to the men, ²⁹ “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” ³⁰ Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

³¹ In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”

³² But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”[4]

³³ Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”

³⁴ Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. ³⁵ Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! ³⁶ And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. ³⁷ For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ ³⁸ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”" John 4:3-38

D.    Notice that in verse 7 He initiates the conversation with His search for a garden, a fountain enclosed, His inheritance? He says to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (NIV)

E.     Then He gives her revelation of her inheritance in Him in verse 10 and 13. This is the story of S.o.S., our inheritance in Him and His in us!

F.     When she realizes who He is she then begins to spread the news of Him and tells everyone to "come and drink of this living water!" And we can see that

 with the Bride in S.o.S. when she runs through the city seeking for her Bridegroom and begins to tell the daughters of Jerusalem who He is to her in chapter 5:9-16 and 6:1-9.

 

G.    He tells her that this spring will produce in her and others a worship that He seeks and desires! Worshipers who worship in spirit and truth! It is the very thing He gets in S.o.S. 4:16 and 5:1. She prays that the "north winds" would blow, the times of testing. She is praying Psalm 139:23'

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;"

For it is in that testing that He will produce within her the fragrance of a true lover!

H.    She also prays for times of refreshing when she say "Blow oh south winds"! We all cry out when we are being tested and are at our breaking point, but can we seek Him with the same fervor when times are good or do we grow complacent and comfortable? She is saying that in her there will be no difference in her worship and heart for Him, because she prays for both the north and south winds to carry the fragrance of her garden.

          III.             All of us, Individually and Corporately are His Garden Enclosed.

A.    In verse 31 the disciples urge Him to eat, but He responds, "I have food you know nothing about." (NIV). His food is to do the will of the Father; to produce within each of us a garden that produces fruit, and springs of living

water that are guarded and kept pure just for Him, to produce lovers that love Him the way He love them![5]

 

B.     He charges His disciples in verse 35 to open their spiritual eyes and see the harvest! To see that each individual has the potential of being a garden enclosed, gardens that He can go to encounter individually and corporately!

C.    This passage testifies to the fact that He desires encounter with us more than we want with Him! For it was He who initiated the conversation and it was He who asked, "Will you give me a drink?" And She gave it to Him and caused others to pour out to Him as well!

IV.             He is Jealous for His Garden!

A.    Let us go back to S.o.S.; in chapter 8:11 it says,

"Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon (lord or possessor of abundance)[6]; He leased the vineyard to keepers; Everyone was to bring for its fruit A thousand silver coins."

Now we know that the early Rabbis viewed Solomon as the figure head for God in the Song of Songs, and we view him as Jesus. So how does this help us understand His jealousy for His garden? 

B.     Let us go  to Matthew 21:33-46,

^"33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers (Tenants NIV)[7] and went into a far country.

³⁴ Now when vintage-time drew near (Harvest time approached NIV), he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. ³⁵ And the

vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again he sent other servants, more than

the first, and they did likewise to them. ³⁷ Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ ³⁹ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

⁴¹ They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

⁴³ “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. ⁴⁴ And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

⁴⁵ Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. ⁴⁶ But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet."

C.    In verse 34 He says that the Lord sent "servants" to receive the harvest, but they were rejected and beaten and even killed. These servants are the Old Testament Prophets.

1.      Isaiah suffered martyrdom by being sawn in half by Manasseh.[8]

2.      Jeremiah suffered martyrdom by stoning at Tahpanhes in Ancient Egypt.[9]

3.      Ezekiel suffered martyrdom in the land of the Chaldeans.[10] 

4.      Micah suffered martyrdom by Jehoram.[11]

5.      Amos was tortured by Amaziah the priest of Beth-el (Amos 7:10) and martyred by Amaziah's son.[12]

6.      These are just a few of the prophets that were sent and killed by those that did not want to give the harvest to the Lord, the fruits of the gardens of the people's hearts. All the prophets called out to the people to turn their hearts back to the Lord and love Him rightly but they refused.

D.    Finally God sends His Son to turn their hearts. However just as the parable states they took the Son outside of the vineyard walls and killed Him. Jesus was taken outside the walls of Jerusalem and killed, because the Pharisees did not want to give Him His inheritance, the hearts of the people. How many times do we read that the Pharisees became jealous because the people were going over to Jesus.

E.      And Jesus even pointed out how they loved the praise of men.[13] His inheritance is the nations! It's what He asked for in  Psalm 2, that every heart, every person individually and corporately would be a garden enclosed, set aside specifically for Him!

F.     In Verse 43 He tells them that the kingdom is no longer entrusted to them, and we see this in Isaiah 5:1-7,

"Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes. “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes? And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.  I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug,
But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds
That they rain no rain on it.” For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant.
He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help."

G.    He came seeking the choices fruits and found bad fruit[14], He found hearts that rejected Him and did not produce the fruits that He desired. In John 15 He tells us that every branch that does not bear fruit is cut off to be thrown into the fire.

H.    I pray Eph. 1:17 over us, that we would begin to walk in the revelation of who He is (our inheritance) and what He desires from each of us (His inheritance)! That when He comes to each of us and asks, "Will you give me a drink?" that He would find within each an everyone of us;  A spring shut up, A fountain sealed, A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And streams that flow down from Lebanon; that His deepest longing for those that worship in spirit and in truth would be quenched!

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[1] Song of Songs 4:1-8

[2] All scripture references will be from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

[3] Her old source of seeking satisfaction.  

[4] S.o.S. 4:13-15, 5:1.

[5] John 17:24-26.

[6] Baal Hamon is also the literal location where Solomon's vineyard was located.

[7]" For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope." 1 Chronicles 29:15 (NASB)

[8] Jonathan Knight (1995), The Ascension of Isaiah.

[9] D.R.A. Hare The Lives of the Prophets in ed. James Charlesworth The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha 2 pp. 379–400 ISBN 0-385-18813-7(1985).

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.

[13] John 12:42-44 Just to name one, of course there are more.

[14]" Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear         bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Matthew 7:17-19