Thought for the Month

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." (Isa.55:1 MEV)

Late summer and autumn is the time of the harvest in Britain with traditional crops like wheat and barley as well as apples and pears from the trees. We can grow Mediterranean trees such as the vine and the fig tree. As the climate has become warmer here we now have over 1,000 vineyards producing mainly sparkling wine in the South East of England producing sales of £15 bn annually according to Mintel. In total the UK sales of grapes is 170,100 tonnes. Even so most wines sold here are from France and Italy where there is a warmer climate to grow grapes yet are close to Britain. Britain could never produce all its own wine. However in the old days beer was the common drink here as hops grow in our climate.

The grape vine was the outstanding plant of the land of Israel in Biblical times. They provided food in the form of grapes and wine for drinking that could be stored safely for years despite the warm climate in which the vines thrived. Its not surprising then how many times the words "grape", "vine" and "wine" appear in the Bible not forgetting the "winepress." The produce seemed to first ferment in the days after the flood. We read of Noah getting drunk in his old age. (Gen.9:21)

Vines need care to grow. They were sometimes grown in walled gardens. The roots need protection, they need pruning so that the plant produces grapes and not long vine branches. Then finally they need picking at the right time for eating fresh or making wine which is another process of its own. That’s why God describes Israel as "a noble vine" because they were, and the land was under His care and attention.

Weddings served wine as part of the feast. The wedding at Cana was Jesus’ first miracle of changing water into wine. Today in Britain champagne, which is made from white grapes, is traditional for the toasts at a wedding reception.

Parables were often used by Jesus to explain the kingdom of God. During the parable of the vineyard in Mark 12:1‑11 God plants a vineyard and then leases it out to produce fruit. At the time of the harvest he sends back to collect some of the fruit, but the "husbandmen" treated God’s servants badly so God sends his son and they kill him, like the Jews did to Jesus’ at his first advent. It finishes with the Old Testament quote "the stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner." God may have suspended his special favour with Israel but He would go on and produce fruit nevertheless. We can also relate this to the world in general.

God uses vines and wine to describe how his kingdom will work. Firstly Isa.55:1 when he says "Come buy milk and wine freely" This is His abundant work in the Millennial or Messianic reign of a 1,000 years for Christ and the church. (Rev.20:4) It is a picture of abundant food and drink literally and figuratively. It also alludes to the happiness that will be felt like alcohol can make people laugh easier and feel happier for a moment. Such will be the happiness in the 1,000 years.

Micah 4:4 (NRSV) says "they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid." It implies there will be plenty of food and drink to go around and that no one will be starving. It also pictures how one may not have many resources and some almost none yet no fear of their assets being stolen or destroyed. They will be safe and secure including in food. Therefore, we pray "Thy kingdom come on earth as in heaven."