What Kind of Vine Are You Is5
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WHAT KIND OF VINE ARE YOU? Is. 5 I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. 3 “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? 5 Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; …. 7 The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.
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Introduction - One of the best things about summer are the fruit stands
along the road. After you eat that fruit, those little hard things in the supermarket are a continual disappointment. The Word of God tells us that our lives are just like the vines and trees that produce the fruit displayed. Like them we either produce large, sweet soft delicious fruit or tiny hard bitter useless fruit. The farmer planted the vine or tree for one sole purpose only—to bear fruit. If it fails to bear good salable delicious fruit, it no longer has a purpose for existing and taking up valuable agricultural real estate and ever more costly irrigation water and thus it must be pulled out and replaced by a useful fruit producing vine or tree. In our text this morning we have the allegory in the Hebrew literary form of a song or hymn. Moses’ utilized this in Dt. 32:2-3: “My words shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender plant, and as the showers upon the grass; because I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe ye greatness unto our God.” As we examine these classic Biblical Vineyard allegories found in Is.5, Ez 15 Mt. 21 and Jn 15, we will utilize the literary process required to interpret the meaning of each representative character in allegories and examine 4 points: (1) The Farmer, (2) The Vineyard, (3) The Fruit, and then 4th ask in personal application: What Kind of Vine are You? I. THE FARMER Is 5:1 I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard:["My beloved hath a vineyard on a very fruitful hill."KJV] My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.
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Mt. 21:33 “There was a landowner who planted a vineyard.” Jn 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the [husbandman KJV] gardener. Isaiah 5, Ezekiel 15 and 19 and John 15 are all poetic allegories of a vineyard that speak eloquently of the Lord’s love and care for His people, as that of a vinedresser or husbandman (to use the King James term) or farmer caring for his precious crop day and night, 365 days a year. Thus the vineyard is the Garden of the Living God representing His love in separating a people out for Himself, planting them into fertile soil, germinating, nurturing and growing a fruitful people for Himself. “You will be my people and I will be your God,” the Sovereign Lords declared through Moses on the Plains of Moab. “Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it” (Ps. 80:8). They were planted to be a fruitful hill. 1 Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. II.THE VINEYARD Is 5:2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well….7 The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. Ez 19:10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. 11 Its branches were strong, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches. Mt. 21:33 There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Jn 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
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The importance of the grape vineyard as both symbolic and physically woven into the very fabric of Hebrew culture and life cannot be overestimated. They saw themselves as the vine God took out of Egypt, according to the Psalmist in Psalm 80: You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. 9 You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. 1 Its branches reached as far as the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.
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The first scouts into the promised land found a single cluster of grapes in the Valley of Eshkol so heavy they had to put it on a pole to be carried by 2 men in Numbers 13:23. Moses enacted rules and regulations for the culture of the vine wiled their prospective owners still wandered in the desert in Ex. 22:5; 23:11 and Lev. 25:5 etc. In Dt 8:7 Moses declared to the people about to enter the land …the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees… and you will lack nothing; The land promised to the children of Israel was one of "vines and fig trees and pomegranates"; they inherited vineyards which they had not planted (Dt 6:11; Josh 24:13; Neh 9:25). Jacob's blessing on Judah had much reference to the suitability of his special part of the land to the vine (Gen 49:11). In fact the very walls of Jerusalem at the time of Christ were adorned with 30 foot high reliefs of grape clusters and vines. In addition to its wine being the main alternative source to water, which was often disease ridden in many areas of the ancient world, grapes constituted a major item in the diet of ancient Israelis as dried fruit raisins and raisin cakes which could be stored for long periods of time with degradation. These cakes and the wine were a major source of iron and other essential minerals and vitamins in the Hebrews diet and likely greatly contributed to their longevity. God the Father is the farmer who purchased the best fertile land, went to the greatest efforts to clear it, and construct the needed walls and watchtower and winepress, then we are told He carefully tilled the soil and planted it with the choicest of vines. The preparation of a vineyard remains even to this day, the most onerous and costly of all agricultural crops. It demands considerable outlay both in purchasing the best of fertile hilly slopes, which then must be terraced and
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cleared of all stones large and small. Then it must be enclosed by a wall and a watchtower constructed to view and keep out thieves, roaming livestock, bears and wild boars. Every ancient vineyard had its own wine press cut down into a sheet of rock. When the crush or vintage season comes, the whole family of the owner would take their in or under the watchtower and remain there until the grapes were all harvested and crushed. Once the vineyard was constructed, its cultivation of the vine required constant care. In the early spring the plants must be pruned by cutting off dead and fruitless branches, that would siphon off the water and nutrients of the trunk and provide host for bugs and worms (Lev 25:3,4; Isa 5:6), so they must be gathered and burned (Jn 15:6). As the leaves and grapes ripen they provide shaded wet areas for mold and mildew to form and ruin the crop and thus these were treated with some form of sulfur or the like to purge them. Thus God, in His tender care …made a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it [and a wall around it Mt.21] and cut out a winepress as well. And thus, Isaiah queries the people of Israel in verse 3: 3 “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When all the rest of the world lay in common, not cultivated by divine revelation, He set Israel apart as his vineyard, they were his peculiar people. He acknowledged them as his own. The soil they were planted in was extraordinary; it was a very fruitful hill. There was a plenitude of water soil nutrients and sunshine, a cornucopia; furnished with abundance of good things from their God. Our very recent reading in Ezekiel 19 speaks of the power and status of this vineyard early on: Ez 19:10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. 11 Its branches were strong, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches. This could well be speaking of the initial victorious taking of the land under Joshua and the acme of Israel’s expansion under David and Solomon.
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Israel’s position, and ours, as the Lord's Vineyard is a very favorable one, as Spurgeon notes, “Infinite wisdom was occupied with carefully selecting the soil, and site, and aspect of every tree in the vineyard…the Lord has planted you in the perfect spot: your station may not be the best in itself, but it is the best for you.” Christ has gathered some of His choicest clusters from the valley of poverty. Many eminent saints have never owned a foot of land, but lived upon their weekly wage, and found scant fare at that. We are planted on a fruitful hill, for we are called to work which of all others is the most fruitful. III. THE FRUIT Is 5:1 My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes… Mt. 21:33 similarly relates: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. Israel’s primary purpose for being called into existence, just as is yours, is to bear fruit from the plenitude of blessings poured forth by God upon them and us, for Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.(Eph 1:3).
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The bearing of fruit is God’s primary creative and redemptive purpose for His chosen people. Isaiah spoke of this in 27:6 6 In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit. For the Lord had declared to Abraham in Ge 22: 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. …18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed...” Moses tells us what this blessing is in: Dt. 4:5 5 See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me.… 6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom
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and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” The fruit Israel was to export to the world was the Word of God—in their obedience to it and faithful speaking of the Gospel! So how did this all work out? Is 5:2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit… When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? … 7The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. … he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; [He looked] for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. Mt. 21:33 There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Having brought them out of Egypt, the Lord planted them in the land of promise and there cared for them and protected them from the ravages of their enemies. But the vineyard produced no fruit suitable to His holy standard. Instead of bearing fruit for God, Israel brought forth that which grieved His heart and dishonored His holy name. After all the care He had lavished upon Israel—His loving provision for their needs, His gracious forgiveness extended to them over and over again when they failed—how could it be possible that there would be no suitable fruit for Him? Why should they produce only that which was worthless and useless? As Matthew Henry notes: “It brought forth wild grapes; not only no fruit at all, but bad fruit, worse than none, grapes of Sodom [spoken of in] Dt.
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32:32. Wild grapes are the fruits of the corrupt nature …from the root of bitterness, Heb. 12:15. Wild grapes are hypocritical performances in religion, that look like grapes, but are sour or bitter, and are [not] pleasing to God [but, in fact provoke His great wrath for] Counterfeit graces are wild grapes. So what was the consequence of this fruitless life and existence of Israel? Moving to verse 5 of Isaiah 5: 5 Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. 6 I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.” 13 Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; The hedge destroyed and wall broken down was the end of the protection of God against the foreign nations which soon resulted in the Assyrian and then final Babylonian captivities. As the Word of God prunes and cultivates our life to make us fruitful, the wasteland neither pruned or cultivated here was the removal of His Prophets and Word from the land, coupled with the removal of the clouds of rain—the Holy Spirit, for as we know from Jn 16:8, the first work of the Holy Spirit is the conviction of sin and bringing true repentance from which new green, lush fruitful spiritual life grows, as we see the sprouts of grass from the recent rains. After giving His people one opportunity after another to repent and produce fruit in keeping with righteousness in His sight, He finally decided to do that which is done to a fruitless vineyard. Ezekiel explains this in detail in our recent reading in Ez. 15: Ez 15:1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? 3 Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? … I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. 7 …the fire will [] consume them. [] …when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the LORD. 8 I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign LORD.” How many of you have ever owned or seen a piece of furniture make from the wood of a grapevine? How many of you have ever used a board sawn from a grapevine to build a house or other structure?
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Why not? Because as Ezekiel explains, the wood of the grapevine, once it does not produce fruit, is not even useful as the surrounding pagan nations, the cedars of Lebanon, or the oaks of Samaria; they has only one possible and plausible use—to be burned as fuel for the fire. Ez 19: I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. 7 …the fire will [] consume them. Is 9:19 By the wrath of the LORD Almighty the land will be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; We are created by God solely for one thing—to do good works—to bear fruit. Isaiah notes in 43:20 I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. Paul notes in Eph 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works And in 2Tim 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” … 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Spurgeon notes: As the vine without its fruit is useless and worthless; so, too, the Christian, without fruit, is useless and worthless; yea, he is the most useless thing in the wide world. Thus, if we fail to bear fruit we are only suitable or useful for one thing: Fuel for the fire of Hell. Ez 21:31 I will pour out my wrath on you and breathe out my fiery anger against you; … 32 You will be fuel for the fire, your blood will be shed in your land, you will be remembered no more; for I the LORD have spoken.’” And of course our Pastor just spoke about this in Ro 9:22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? Our Lord spoke of this in Mt. 21:40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” [Who had killed his
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servants the prophets and then his son to steal the vineyard for their own use] 41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” … 43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. So if the vineyard Israel was destroyed, what hope is there for People longing for God? Thus the Psalmist in Ps 80 cries: 14 Return to us, God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, 15 the root your right hand has planted, the branch you have raised up for yourself. 16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. 17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. 18 Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. 19 Restore us, LORD God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. God sent us the True Vine, whose obedience is perfect and whose fruit is flawless —The Branch prophesied in Is 11:1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots [and] the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him… Then moving to Is 4:2 - In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the [remnant] in Israel. 3 Those … in Zion, … will be called holy. And in Zech 6: Behold the Man whose name is the Branch! From His place He shall branch out… and He shall be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on the his throne. And finally Is 11:9 ..[and] the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. In contrast to Israel’s failure to “…bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit,” Jesus, the Branch and Messiah, fulfills Israel’s destiny as the True Fruit filled vine of God. Just as Israel was to be God’s channel of blessing of His Word and Gospel to the whole earth, now Christ is the channel through whom God’s blessings flow. IV. WHAT KIND OF VINE ARE YOU?
Jn 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear
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fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned…. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
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You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. A. So if Christ is the only True Vine, whose obedience is perfect and whose fruit is flawless and acceptable to God, the first question we must ask is, “Are you in Christ?” 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned….
If not your only usefulness is as fuel for the fires of hell. Paul speaks as well to the one solution to this seemingly insurmountable problem in Ro 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. … 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. New Fruit comes from a new birth in which you are ingrafted to the True Vine! Jesus explained this to Nicodemus in Jn 3:3 “I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see [hear, taste, live or even imagine] the kingdom of God.” Would you like to start producing Fruit this morning? Then heed the very first command of Jesus in His preaching ministry on earth: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ The Apostle Paul goes on to instruct us in Ro 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you
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believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. … 13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Thus, I beseech you, Call on the Name of the Lord this morning and you shall be saved unto good works!! B. Now if we claim we indeed have been saved unto producing Good Fruit— 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. What does this Fruit look like in my life?
Our Lord Christ, the True Vine clearly explains this in the following verses in Jn 15. Jn 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 1. Faithfulness
Are you faithful? Do you show up at church every time the doors are open and 15 minutes early to see who you can serve or encourage? Jn 15:10,14 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love….14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 2. Obedience
Do you Obey Christ by obeying those delegated authorities He has purposely put in your life? Do you see their counsel as a great blessing to your life or a burden to be endured and ignored? Jn 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 3. Joy
Are you full of the Joy of the Lord, or are you always complaining, whining and grumbling about your life and how difficult and miserable it is?
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Paul said, Rejoice, again I say Rejoice from the dark, dank stench of the hole of the Mamertine prison Jn 15:12,13,15,17 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 17 This is my command: Love each other. 4. Love
Do you love Christ by sacrificially living to serve others? Do you love your Church, your Pastor, your Elder, in living your life to serve and honor them? Do you love your brother and your sister in Christ in serving them? Or do you love yourself or your children or material possessions or fame or power above all? Spurgeon queries, “He has loved us up from the pit, He has loved us up to the cross, and up to the gates of heaven; He has quickened us, forgiven us, and renewed us; He dwells in us, comforts us, instructs us, upholds us, preserves us, guides us, leads us, and He will surely perfect us. If we are not fruitful, to His praise, how shall we excuse ourselves? Where shall we hide our guilty heads? Shall yonder sea suffice to lend us briny tears wherewith to weep over our wickedness and ingratitude?” Will you now search yourselves to see whether you have any fruit? The Apostle Paul lists them this way in Gal 5:22 as …the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. C. And finally, Bearing Fruit is Hard Work against Fierce Opposition
Our Lord speaks to this in Jn 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 24 If I had not done among them the works [i.e. fruit] no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. We are fiercely opposed by the world, the flesh, the devil and false brothers in producing good fruit. But trouble and affliction and the serious prayer and life they cause are a blessing in the Christian’s life because they prune us of the dead branches of inbred sin
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remaining in us that we may not fall prey to the insects and worms looking for a hole to enter. And we need daily cleansing and purging of the filth of the world that clings to us and rots our souls and renders our fruit rotten and unpalatable. Haggai spoke of this in 2:17 “I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me.” says the Lord. Christ declared His solution to this in verse 3 of Jn15: 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. The Greek word here for “make clean” is kathairo, from which we get the English word katharsis: “To make clean.” This word is used in Heb 10:2, speaking of a worshiper being purified or cleansed (moral purity) at the Temple, and in Rev. 19: For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” Fine linen stands for the righteous acts [i.e. fruit] of God’s holy people. Thus we are cleansed to produce glorious fruit by the washing of the word, for Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. The word brought daily in our serious reading, meditation and devotions, weekly by our Pastor in its clear preaching and exposition and by our elders in its direct application to our lives. So I ask you in closing this morning: What Kind of Vine are you? One without fruit or only bad fruit—wood only useful to fuel the fires of hell? Or one with some fruit but many dead branches and a coating of mold and mildew? Then come to Christ, His Word, His Church and be pruned and purged of your unprofitable crops for “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; fruit that will last, and so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8).
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The advantages of our situation will be brought into the account another day. Observe further what God did for this vineyard. 1. He fenced it, took it under his special protection, kept it night and day under his own eye, lest any should hurt it, ch. 27:2, 3. If they had not themselves thrown down their fence, no inroad could have been made upon them, Ps. 125:2; 131:4. 2. He gathered the stones out of it, that, as nothing from without might damage it, so nothing within might obstruct its fruitfulness. He proffered his grace to take away the stony heart. 3. He planted it with the choicest vine, set up a pure religion among them, gave them a most excellent law, instituted ordinances very proper for the keeping up of their acquaintance with God, Jer. 2:21. 4. He built a tower in the midst of it, either for defence against violence or for the dressers of the vineyard to lodge in; or rather it was for the owner of the vineyard to sit in, to take a view of the vines (Cant. 7:12) —a summer-house. The temple was this tower, about which the priests lodged, and where God promised to meet his people, and gave them the tokens of his presence among them and pleasure in them. 5. He made a wine-press therein, set up his altar, to which the sacrifices, as the fruits of the vineyard, should be brought.
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Introduction - One of the best things about summer are the fruit stands
along the road. After you eat that fruit, those little hard things in the supermarket are a continual disappointment. The Word of God tells us that our lives are just like the vines and trees that produce the fruit displayed. Like them we either produce large, sweet soft delicious fruit or tiny hard bitter useless fruit. The farmer planted the vine or tree for one sole purpose only—to bear fruit. If it fails to bear good salable delicious fruit, it no longer has a purpose for existing and taking up valuable agricultural real estate and ever more costly irrigation water and thus it must be pulled out and replaced by a useful fruit producing vine or tree. In our text this morning we have the allegory in the Hebrew literary form of a song or hymn. Moses’ utilized this in Dt. 32:2-3: “My words shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender plant, and as the showers upon the grass; because I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe ye greatness unto our God.” As we examine these classic Biblical Vineyard allegories found in Is.5, Ez 15 Mt. 21 and Jn 15, we will utilize the literary process required to interpret the meaning of each representative character in allegories and examine 4 points: (1) The Farmer, (2) The Vineyard, (3) The Fruit, and then 4th ask in personal application: What Kind of Vine are You? I. THE FARMER Is 5:1 I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard:["My beloved hath a vineyard on a very fruitful hill."KJV] My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.
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Mt. 21:33 “There was a landowner who planted a vineyard.” Jn 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the [husbandman KJV] gardener. Isaiah 5, Ezekiel 15 and 19 and John 15 are all poetic allegories of a vineyard that speak eloquently of the Lord’s love and care for His people, as that of a vinedresser or husbandman (to use the King James term) or farmer caring for his precious crop day and night, 365 days a year. Thus the vineyard is the Garden of the Living God representing His love in separating a people out for Himself, planting them into fertile soil, germinating, nurturing and growing a fruitful people for Himself. “You will be my people and I will be your God,” the Sovereign Lords declared through Moses on the Plains of Moab. “Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it” (Ps. 80:8). They were planted to be a fruitful hill. 1 Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. II.THE VINEYARD Is 5:2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well….7 The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. Ez 19:10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. 11 Its branches were strong, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches. Mt. 21:33 There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Jn 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
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The importance of the grape vineyard as both symbolic and physically woven into the very fabric of Hebrew culture and life cannot be overestimated. They saw themselves as the vine God took out of Egypt, according to the Psalmist in Psalm 80: You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. 9 You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. 1 Its branches reached as far as the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.
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The first scouts into the promised land found a single cluster of grapes in the Valley of Eshkol so heavy they had to put it on a pole to be carried by 2 men in Numbers 13:23. Moses enacted rules and regulations for the culture of the vine wiled their prospective owners still wandered in the desert in Ex. 22:5; 23:11 and Lev. 25:5 etc. In Dt 8:7 Moses declared to the people about to enter the land …the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees… and you will lack nothing; The land promised to the children of Israel was one of "vines and fig trees and pomegranates"; they inherited vineyards which they had not planted (Dt 6:11; Josh 24:13; Neh 9:25). Jacob's blessing on Judah had much reference to the suitability of his special part of the land to the vine (Gen 49:11). In fact the very walls of Jerusalem at the time of Christ were adorned with 30 foot high reliefs of grape clusters and vines. In addition to its wine being the main alternative source to water, which was often disease ridden in many areas of the ancient world, grapes constituted a major item in the diet of ancient Israelis as dried fruit raisins and raisin cakes which could be stored for long periods of time with degradation. These cakes and the wine were a major source of iron and other essential minerals and vitamins in the Hebrews diet and likely greatly contributed to their longevity. God the Father is the farmer who purchased the best fertile land, went to the greatest efforts to clear it, and construct the needed walls and watchtower and winepress, then we are told He carefully tilled the soil and planted it with the choicest of vines. The preparation of a vineyard remains even to this day, the most onerous and costly of all agricultural crops. It demands considerable outlay both in purchasing the best of fertile hilly slopes, which then must be terraced and
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cleared of all stones large and small. Then it must be enclosed by a wall and a watchtower constructed to view and keep out thieves, roaming livestock, bears and wild boars. Every ancient vineyard had its own wine press cut down into a sheet of rock. When the crush or vintage season comes, the whole family of the owner would take their in or under the watchtower and remain there until the grapes were all harvested and crushed. Once the vineyard was constructed, its cultivation of the vine required constant care. In the early spring the plants must be pruned by cutting off dead and fruitless branches, that would siphon off the water and nutrients of the trunk and provide host for bugs and worms (Lev 25:3,4; Isa 5:6), so they must be gathered and burned (Jn 15:6). As the leaves and grapes ripen they provide shaded wet areas for mold and mildew to form and ruin the crop and thus these were treated with some form of sulfur or the like to purge them. Thus God, in His tender care …made a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it [and a wall around it Mt.21] and cut out a winepress as well. And thus, Isaiah queries the people of Israel in verse 3: 3 “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When all the rest of the world lay in common, not cultivated by divine revelation, He set Israel apart as his vineyard, they were his peculiar people. He acknowledged them as his own. The soil they were planted in was extraordinary; it was a very fruitful hill. There was a plenitude of water soil nutrients and sunshine, a cornucopia; furnished with abundance of good things from their God. Our very recent reading in Ezekiel 19 speaks of the power and status of this vineyard early on: Ez 19:10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. 11 Its branches were strong, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches. This could well be speaking of the initial victorious taking of the land under Joshua and the acme of Israel’s expansion under David and Solomon.
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Israel’s position, and ours, as the Lord's Vineyard is a very favorable one, as Spurgeon notes, “Infinite wisdom was occupied with carefully selecting the soil, and site, and aspect of every tree in the vineyard…the Lord has planted you in the perfect spot: your station may not be the best in itself, but it is the best for you.” Christ has gathered some of His choicest clusters from the valley of poverty. Many eminent saints have never owned a foot of land, but lived upon their weekly wage, and found scant fare at that. We are planted on a fruitful hill, for we are called to work which of all others is the most fruitful. III. THE FRUIT Is 5:1 My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes… Mt. 21:33 similarly relates: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. Israel’s primary purpose for being called into existence, just as is yours, is to bear fruit from the plenitude of blessings poured forth by God upon them and us, for Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.(Eph 1:3).
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The bearing of fruit is God’s primary creative and redemptive purpose for His chosen people. Isaiah spoke of this in 27:6 6 In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit. For the Lord had declared to Abraham in Ge 22: 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. …18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed...” Moses tells us what this blessing is in: Dt. 4:5 5 See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me.… 6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom
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and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” The fruit Israel was to export to the world was the Word of God—in their obedience to it and faithful speaking of the Gospel! So how did this all work out? Is 5:2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit… When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? … 7The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. … he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; [He looked] for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. Mt. 21:33 There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Having brought them out of Egypt, the Lord planted them in the land of promise and there cared for them and protected them from the ravages of their enemies. But the vineyard produced no fruit suitable to His holy standard. Instead of bearing fruit for God, Israel brought forth that which grieved His heart and dishonored His holy name. After all the care He had lavished upon Israel—His loving provision for their needs, His gracious forgiveness extended to them over and over again when they failed—how could it be possible that there would be no suitable fruit for Him? Why should they produce only that which was worthless and useless? As Matthew Henry notes: “It brought forth wild grapes; not only no fruit at all, but bad fruit, worse than none, grapes of Sodom [spoken of in] Dt.
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32:32. Wild grapes are the fruits of the corrupt nature …from the root of bitterness, Heb. 12:15. Wild grapes are hypocritical performances in religion, that look like grapes, but are sour or bitter, and are [not] pleasing to God [but, in fact provoke His great wrath for] Counterfeit graces are wild grapes. So what was the consequence of this fruitless life and existence of Israel? Moving to verse 5 of Isaiah 5: 5 Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. 6 I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.” 13 Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; The hedge destroyed and wall broken down was the end of the protection of God against the foreign nations which soon resulted in the Assyrian and then final Babylonian captivities. As the Word of God prunes and cultivates our life to make us fruitful, the wasteland neither pruned or cultivated here was the removal of His Prophets and Word from the land, coupled with the removal of the clouds of rain—the Holy Spirit, for as we know from Jn 16:8, the first work of the Holy Spirit is the conviction of sin and bringing true repentance from which new green, lush fruitful spiritual life grows, as we see the sprouts of grass from the recent rains. After giving His people one opportunity after another to repent and produce fruit in keeping with righteousness in His sight, He finally decided to do that which is done to a fruitless vineyard. Ezekiel explains this in detail in our recent reading in Ez. 15: Ez 15:1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? 3 Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? … I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. 7 …the fire will [] consume them. [] …when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the LORD. 8 I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign LORD.” How many of you have ever owned or seen a piece of furniture make from the wood of a grapevine? How many of you have ever used a board sawn from a grapevine to build a house or other structure?
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Why not? Because as Ezekiel explains, the wood of the grapevine, once it does not produce fruit, is not even useful as the surrounding pagan nations, the cedars of Lebanon, or the oaks of Samaria; they has only one possible and plausible use—to be burned as fuel for the fire. Ez 19: I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. 7 …the fire will [] consume them. Is 9:19 By the wrath of the LORD Almighty the land will be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; We are created by God solely for one thing—to do good works—to bear fruit. Isaiah notes in 43:20 I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. Paul notes in Eph 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works And in 2Tim 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” … 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Spurgeon notes: As the vine without its fruit is useless and worthless; so, too, the Christian, without fruit, is useless and worthless; yea, he is the most useless thing in the wide world. Thus, if we fail to bear fruit we are only suitable or useful for one thing: Fuel for the fire of Hell. Ez 21:31 I will pour out my wrath on you and breathe out my fiery anger against you; … 32 You will be fuel for the fire, your blood will be shed in your land, you will be remembered no more; for I the LORD have spoken.’” And of course our Pastor just spoke about this in Ro 9:22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? Our Lord spoke of this in Mt. 21:40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” [Who had killed his
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servants the prophets and then his son to steal the vineyard for their own use] 41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” … 43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. So if the vineyard Israel was destroyed, what hope is there for People longing for God? Thus the Psalmist in Ps 80 cries: 14 Return to us, God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, 15 the root your right hand has planted, the branch you have raised up for yourself. 16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. 17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. 18 Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. 19 Restore us, LORD God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. God sent us the True Vine, whose obedience is perfect and whose fruit is flawless —The Branch prophesied in Is 11:1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots [and] the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him… Then moving to Is 4:2 - In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the [remnant] in Israel. 3 Those … in Zion, … will be called holy. And in Zech 6: Behold the Man whose name is the Branch! From His place He shall branch out… and He shall be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on the his throne. And finally Is 11:9 ..[and] the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. In contrast to Israel’s failure to “…bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit,” Jesus, the Branch and Messiah, fulfills Israel’s destiny as the True Fruit filled vine of God. Just as Israel was to be God’s channel of blessing of His Word and Gospel to the whole earth, now Christ is the channel through whom God’s blessings flow. IV. WHAT KIND OF VINE ARE YOU?
Jn 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear
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fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned…. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
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You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. A. So if Christ is the only True Vine, whose obedience is perfect and whose fruit is flawless and acceptable to God, the first question we must ask is, “Are you in Christ?” 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned….
If not your only usefulness is as fuel for the fires of hell. Paul speaks as well to the one solution to this seemingly insurmountable problem in Ro 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. … 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. New Fruit comes from a new birth in which you are ingrafted to the True Vine! Jesus explained this to Nicodemus in Jn 3:3 “I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see [hear, taste, live or even imagine] the kingdom of God.” Would you like to start producing Fruit this morning? Then heed the very first command of Jesus in His preaching ministry on earth: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ The Apostle Paul goes on to instruct us in Ro 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you
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believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. … 13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Thus, I beseech you, Call on the Name of the Lord this morning and you shall be saved unto good works!! B. Now if we claim we indeed have been saved unto producing Good Fruit— 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. What does this Fruit look like in my life?
Our Lord Christ, the True Vine clearly explains this in the following verses in Jn 15. Jn 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 1. Faithfulness
Are you faithful? Do you show up at church every time the doors are open and 15 minutes early to see who you can serve or encourage? Jn 15:10,14 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love….14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 2. Obedience
Do you Obey Christ by obeying those delegated authorities He has purposely put in your life? Do you see their counsel as a great blessing to your life or a burden to be endured and ignored? Jn 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 3. Joy
Are you full of the Joy of the Lord, or are you always complaining, whining and grumbling about your life and how difficult and miserable it is?
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Paul said, Rejoice, again I say Rejoice from the dark, dank stench of the hole of the Mamertine prison Jn 15:12,13,15,17 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 17 This is my command: Love each other. 4. Love
Do you love Christ by sacrificially living to serve others? Do you love your Church, your Pastor, your Elder, in living your life to serve and honor them? Do you love your brother and your sister in Christ in serving them? Or do you love yourself or your children or material possessions or fame or power above all? Spurgeon queries, “He has loved us up from the pit, He has loved us up to the cross, and up to the gates of heaven; He has quickened us, forgiven us, and renewed us; He dwells in us, comforts us, instructs us, upholds us, preserves us, guides us, leads us, and He will surely perfect us. If we are not fruitful, to His praise, how shall we excuse ourselves? Where shall we hide our guilty heads? Shall yonder sea suffice to lend us briny tears wherewith to weep over our wickedness and ingratitude?” Will you now search yourselves to see whether you have any fruit? The Apostle Paul lists them this way in Gal 5:22 as …the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. C. And finally, Bearing Fruit is Hard Work against Fierce Opposition
Our Lord speaks to this in Jn 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 24 If I had not done among them the works [i.e. fruit] no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. We are fiercely opposed by the world, the flesh, the devil and false brothers in producing good fruit. But trouble and affliction and the serious prayer and life they cause are a blessing in the Christian’s life because they prune us of the dead branches of inbred sin
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remaining in us that we may not fall prey to the insects and worms looking for a hole to enter. And we need daily cleansing and purging of the filth of the world that clings to us and rots our souls and renders our fruit rotten and unpalatable. Haggai spoke of this in 2:17 “I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me.” says the Lord. Christ declared His solution to this in verse 3 of Jn15: 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. The Greek word here for “make clean” is kathairo, from which we get the English word katharsis: “To make clean.” This word is used in Heb 10:2, speaking of a worshiper being purified or cleansed (moral purity) at the Temple, and in Rev. 19: For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” Fine linen stands for the righteous acts [i.e. fruit] of God’s holy people. Thus we are cleansed to produce glorious fruit by the washing of the word, for Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. The word brought daily in our serious reading, meditation and devotions, weekly by our Pastor in its clear preaching and exposition and by our elders in its direct application to our lives. So I ask you in closing this morning: What Kind of Vine are you? One without fruit or only bad fruit—wood only useful to fuel the fires of hell? Or one with some fruit but many dead branches and a coating of mold and mildew? Then come to Christ, His Word, His Church and be pruned and purged of your unprofitable crops for “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; fruit that will last, and so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8).
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The advantages of our situation will be brought into the account another day. Observe further what God did for this vineyard. 1. He fenced it, took it under his special protection, kept it night and day under his own eye, lest any should hurt it, ch. 27:2, 3. If they had not themselves thrown down their fence, no inroad could have been made upon them, Ps. 125:2; 131:4. 2. He gathered the stones out of it, that, as nothing from without might damage it, so nothing within might obstruct its fruitfulness. He proffered his grace to take away the stony heart. 3. He planted it with the choicest vine, set up a pure religion among them, gave them a most excellent law, instituted ordinances very proper for the keeping up of their acquaintance with God, Jer. 2:21. 4. He built a tower in the midst of it, either for defence against violence or for the dressers of the vineyard to lodge in; or rather it was for the owner of the vineyard to sit in, to take a view of the vines (Cant. 7:12) —a summer-house. The temple was this tower, about which the priests lodged, and where God promised to meet his people, and gave them the tokens of his presence among them and pleasure in them. 5. He made a wine-press therein, set up his altar, to which the sacrifices, as the fruits of the vineyard, should be brought.
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