The Vine - #2 - The Husbandman

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I dare say that when Jesus said, “My Father is the Husbandman”, the listening audience understood much better than we do what that meant. The culture of the day was in the use of the land to produce what they needed to survive, and so all the children from an early age learned what was needed to be done to 'dress a vineyard'.

Transcript of The Vine - #2 - The Husbandman

The Vine - #2 - The Husbandman

My Father is the [true] Husbandman

I dare say that when Jesus said, My Father is the Husbandman, the listening audience understood much better than we do what that meant. The culture of the day was in the use of the land to produce what they needed to survive, and so all the children from an early age learned what was needed to be done to 'dress a vineyard'.

But, since God The Father is the true husbandman, he takes care of all of that Himself. No hired hands interfere with His tender care, although I suppose that we could consider His Angels as servants who have always helped out a great deal. Only God could know what was needed in order to prepare the land that he had chosen in which to plant the true vine.

Choosing The Land

It is obvious that the first thing the husbandman must do before planting a vineyard is to select the land he will use. I imagine that the obvious thought here would be that the Promised Land he gave to Abraham would jump right out as being that land.

But, I'd like to build on the premise that The True Husbandman saw the seed of Abraham as That Plot of Land. Of course Abraham trusted God enough to leave the land of his birth and to go, not knowing where he'd end up, and THAT fits perfectly! The seed of a man of faith (Abraham) seems like good ground in which to plant the true vine, right?

However Egypt was not the promised land that God had given to Abraham, and so with great power and amazing miracles He brought them out from there and back to the land he had promised to their fathers. At this time God also established Moses as the first of a long line of Prophets.

Preparing The Soil

The first video clip to watch (6 minutes) is going to show different aspects of soil preparation prior to the planting of a new vineyard. A great deal of planning goes into the planting of a vineyard, and preparing the land is the first step.

Click on the link below the picture to activate the video.

*1. View the credits and link to this video at the bottom of this post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ8rwcCljqk

What did we learn?

1. It was mostly compost with Lime that was added as nutrients, (10 tons per acre) & it is introduced before any hard work on the land even begins.

2. A powerful piece of equipment is working the land, creating increasingly deeper impressions into the soil.

3. The dried out land put up a great deal of resistance to the powerful machine, at times even slowing it's progress, causing it to struggle against the resistance a bit.

4. All this preparation is designed to allow the husbandman to focus on the development of the vines.

5. The husbandman is constantly monitoring the need for water and nutrients & applying just what the vines need per week or per month toinsure the health of the vine.

6. With this constant care, the root structure after 10 years is extensive.

7. The husbandman pays close attention to the color of the leaves to be certain that the vine stays healthy right up to the day of the harvest!

8. Even the dust that lands on the fruit serves a purpose, protecting the berries from over exposure to the suns hot rays.

9. A carefully selected number of leaves and 'laterals' (vertical sprouts) are removed to allow a dappled sunlight to reach the fruit. Not too much, but just the right amount.

10. The yield? SIX & tons of fruit per acre!

Let's Compare what we know from God's word with what the modern day husbandman does.

1. The True Husbandman knew exactly what, and how much the soil needed, and He provided it right from the start!

But he didn't stop there, as we shall see later on. I believe that the 'compost & lime' (the nutrients) represent The Patriarchs & Prophets that God was continually sending to provide opportunities for 'The Land' (Israel) to become rich.

Moses, Samuel, King David, King Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Micah, Nahum, Haggai, and Zechariah are all Old Testament writers who used the vines or vineyards in the messages they brought in their attempts to 'enrich the land' in which The True Vine would one day be planted.

These prophets also wrote many prophesies pointing to the coming of the Savior, further preparing the people for the arrival of Jesus (the planting of The True Vine)! Many of these prophets were ignored, rejected & killed,

and so the full benefit of The Fertile Land God planned for was never realized.

2. Okay, my apologies here, because that big piece of power equipment doesn't even begin to shed a glimmer of light on the awesome power of God! Nothing on earth can, but that Heavenly Magnifying Glass brings things into focus again, allowing us to learn a lesson from this comparison.

As we might expect, just like the powerful tiller in the video, God displayed his power immediately right at the very beginning of preparation of 'the land' ('His chosen people'). His judgment, and subsequent terrifying punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah left no doubt about His power and goodness! It was an impossible lesson for Abraham to forget.

He then continued to show His power in more subtle ways. In changing the appearance of the offspring of sheep and goats, in a most convincing way, He showed Jacobs idol worshiping father in law the power of the True God by taking his wealth, and handing it over to Jacob.

Then the overwhelming display of His might during the Exodus events further impressed upon the Israelite's, that The Almighty God is the Only God worth serving. However, just like the hard dry ground in the video, they resisted the power of God in their lives, and slowed the development of the soil.

The example of the machinery making ever increasingly deeper impressions in the soil, also compares to the ever increasing examples God gave the Israelites of His power. The Exodus clearly surpassed the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah by leaps and bounds!

3. I find it very interesting that God frequently held back the rain (His Blessings) from those who constantly resisted or rejected Him. The Israelites (dry hard ground) resisting the powerful impressions of God's power in their lives is clearly amazing.

It is one of the things that I personally have a hard time understanding. After all the miracles of the plagues in Egypt, and then the parting of the

Red Sea, & the destruction of Pharaoh and his army, how in the world could the people blatantly mock God to His face by making a golden calf?

Moses was up in the mountain with God, God's power & presence was obvious and evident, and in the face of all that, the people resisted God's love? Absolutely amazing!

4. I found it very interesting that the husbandman in the video made a point of the fact that he was doing all this preparation of the land prior to the planting, so that during and after the planting he could give his full attention to the development of the vine.

Imagine God in this very situation! Imagine the intense focus on His Son that He displayed from the very moment of inception (the planting) until He turned His face away at the cross. Oh my, what matchless love our Heavenly Father has for all of His creation!

5. This constant monitoring by The Husbandman, of everything the vine needs, reminds me of the deep interest God has in every one of us. Counting the hairs of the head comes to mind when thinking of His interest in us.

But, as it pertains to The True Vine, I can't imagine that God was ever more focused and attentive to any one thing like He was focused on His Son during those short years Jesus lived here!

He sent the wise men from a far off land to bring expensive gifts that He knew Joseph and Mary would need while they were away in Egypt. He warned Joseph to leave, for the safety of His Son, and then let him know when it was safe to return. He was in constant Communion with His Son right up to His death. Praise God that we too can have that constant connection!

6. Our earthly husbandman makes a point of the extensive root structure, after 10 years, on the vineyard next to the one he was planting. It reminds me of how deeply rooted Jesus already was at the young age of twelve years. What a difference is made upon the development of a child when God is the focus in their education!

7. Again, the intense focus by the husbandman on the needs of the vine is extended all the way through to the harvest, as illustrated by the monitoring of the leaves and other indicators of the health of the vine.

8. I never realized that grapes can get a sun burn! Even those of us who are bearing fruit may appear to be a bit 'dirty' to others, but once that dust is cleared away, a beautiful berry appears. We'll be getting into a lot more detail on the fruit in some future parts of this series.

9. The pruning of the branches giving the vine 'proper balance'; removing a carefully selected number of leaves and 'laterals', is a fascinating portion of this study that we will also cover at a later time, but the fact that our Heavenly Father is doing the pruning is a very good thing! Not too much, but just the right amount in all the right places.

10. Why does the husbandman provide so much power, expend so much energy, provide so many resources, and devote so much time and attention to the vine? It's for the harvest that brings forth the glorious fruit!

A great deal of this study will focus on the different aspects of the fruit, but the above examples bring into clear focus exactly how dependent Jesus was (and we need to be) on His Heavenly Father. Jesus said, "The Son can do nothing of himself."

Just as the vine could not thrive and grow in good health without the constant care of the husbandman, so Jesus was totally dependent on The Father. John 14:10 "The words that I say unto you, I speak not from Myself; but the Father abiding in Me doeth his works."

With His absolute faith (confidence) and total dependence in His Father, He could do all things through Him who strengthens me. Isn't it interesting that before Jesus even gets into anything about the Branches or fruit, He points the minds of the listeners to God The Father and life giver.

Now that the land has been prepared it is time to plant the vine!

*1. Michael J. Neal provides Viticultural Services for vineyards all over the Napa Valley area in California, USA. He is famous in 'wine grower's circles', well known for his exceptional husbandry knowledge & practices. He get's the results that all growers covet.

You may visit his website at this link, http://www.mjnvs.com/ & subscribe to his YouTube Channel below if you wish. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ0fzIW4CaJUQcSKACiCX7A