Peace in Christ.
Do men gather…collect…grapes (literally, a cluster of grapes) from thorns or figs from thistles?
Mat 7:16-18 KJV
(16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
(17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
(18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
While the “thorns” and “thistles” should remind us of Genesis 3:18, the gathering of grapes and figs should remind us of the 12 spies sent by Moses into the “land of Canaan”….that is, the EARTH of Canaan (meaning “to bring down into subjection.” )
In Christ, we are to gather all things in heaven and in the earth (the land of Canaan) into subjection under the Head of Christ.
Moses sent out 12 spies to “spy” out the land of Canaan…but only 2 (Joshua and Caleb…the good trees) had a good report while the others the (corrupt trees) brought forth a bad report of the land of Canaan.
Let me guess who the “two” men were who were able to bare the “cluster of grapes” between them upon a staff? Could it have been Joshua and Caleb?
Num 13:23-24 KJV
(23) And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
(24) The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.
What is the response of the people of the outside world toward us…His people…today?
Are they strong or weak toward us…are they good or bad to us….are they in tents or in strong holds before us? Are they lean or fat towards us?
If we are following a false prophet, then the people of the outside world are strong against us...they are bad towards us....they live in strongholds....they are lean towards us.
A "bad tree" will always bring forth bad fruit from the outside world. You shall know that you are following after false prophets from the fruits that the world brings forth towards you.
Num 13:17-20 KJV
(17) And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:
(18) And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;
(19) And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;
(20) And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.
The “bad trees” …the other 10 spies….bring forth bad fruit as the outside people of the world are bad towards them…they are strong towards them….they bring forth “thorns and thistles”. The outside people of this world “eat up the inhabitants”. They are stronger than them. The people of the outside world see us in their sight as "grasshoppers"...they look down at us when we are following false prophets.
Num 13:30-33 KJV
(30) And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
(31) But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
(32) And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
(33) And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
But if we are “good trees”…then the LORD delights in us and will bring us into this earth (land) and give it to us. This earth will then flow with “milk and honey” rather than produce “thorns and thistles” towards us.
Num 14:6-9 KJV
(6) And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
(7) And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
(8) If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
The people of the outside world are “bread” for us. Their “defense”…that is, their shade or darkness…departs from them and the LORD is with us. His presence is then with us…His light shines towards the people of the outside world who will then bring forth good fruit towards us.
(9) Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
Num 13:27 KJV
(27) And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
Their “defense”….their darkness…shall depart as His light shine from us to them. The glory of the LORD shall arise upon us…..and the earth will then flow with “milk and honey” as the people of the outside world will come to that light. They will not treat us badly but will come to us...the forces of the nations shall come unto us.
Isa 60:1-9 KJV
(1) Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
(2) For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
(3) And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
(4) Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
(5) Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
(6) The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.
(7) All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
(8) Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?
(9) Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
Do men gather…collect…grapes (literally, a cluster of grapes) from thorns or figs from thistles?
Mat 7:16-18 KJV
(16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
(17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
(18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
While the “thorns” and “thistles” should remind us of Genesis 3:18, the gathering of grapes and figs should remind us of the 12 spies sent by Moses into the “land of Canaan”….that is, the EARTH of Canaan (meaning “to bring down into subjection.” )
In Christ, we are to gather all things in heaven and in the earth (the land of Canaan) into subjection under the Head of Christ.
Moses sent out 12 spies to “spy” out the land of Canaan…but only 2 (Joshua and Caleb…the good trees) had a good report while the others the (corrupt trees) brought forth a bad report of the land of Canaan.
Let me guess who the “two” men were who were able to bare the “cluster of grapes” between them upon a staff? Could it have been Joshua and Caleb?
Num 13:23-24 KJV
(23) And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
(24) The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.
What is the response of the people of the outside world toward us…His people…today?
Are they strong or weak toward us…are they good or bad to us….are they in tents or in strong holds before us? Are they lean or fat towards us?
If we are following a false prophet, then the people of the outside world are strong against us...they are bad towards us....they live in strongholds....they are lean towards us.
A "bad tree" will always bring forth bad fruit from the outside world. You shall know that you are following after false prophets from the fruits that the world brings forth towards you.
Num 13:17-20 KJV
(17) And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:
(18) And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;
(19) And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;
(20) And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.
The “bad trees” …the other 10 spies….bring forth bad fruit as the outside people of the world are bad towards them…they are strong towards them….they bring forth “thorns and thistles”. The outside people of this world “eat up the inhabitants”. They are stronger than them. The people of the outside world see us in their sight as "grasshoppers"...they look down at us when we are following false prophets.
Num 13:30-33 KJV
(30) And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
(31) But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
(32) And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
(33) And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
But if we are “good trees”…then the LORD delights in us and will bring us into this earth (land) and give it to us. This earth will then flow with “milk and honey” rather than produce “thorns and thistles” towards us.
Num 14:6-9 KJV
(6) And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
(7) And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
(8) If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
The people of the outside world are “bread” for us. Their “defense”…that is, their shade or darkness…departs from them and the LORD is with us. His presence is then with us…His light shines towards the people of the outside world who will then bring forth good fruit towards us.
(9) Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
Num 13:27 KJV
(27) And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
Their “defense”….their darkness…shall depart as His light shine from us to them. The glory of the LORD shall arise upon us…..and the earth will then flow with “milk and honey” as the people of the outside world will come to that light. They will not treat us badly but will come to us...the forces of the nations shall come unto us.
Isa 60:1-9 KJV
(1) Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
(2) For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
(3) And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
(4) Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
(5) Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
(6) The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.
(7) All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
(8) Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?
(9) Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
