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Royalty and Ruin
5:7
. God’s people were walled in by the instructions of His law,
the everlasting principles of truth, justice, and purity. Obedience
was to be their protection, for it would save them from destroying
themselves by sinful practices. God placed His holy temple in the
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midst of the land, like the tower in the vineyard. Christ was their
instructor, their teacher and guide. In the temple His glory beamed
from the holy Shekinah above the mercy seat.
Moses had plainly shown the purpose of God and the condi-
tions of their prosperity. “‘You are a holy people to the Lord your
God,’” He said. “‘The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people
for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of
the earth.’” “‘Today the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special
people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His com-
mandments, and that He will set you high above all nations which
He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may
be a holy people to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken.’”
Deuteronomy 7:6
;
26:18, 19
.
God intended to draw people to Himself through Israel’s reve-
lation of His character. The gospel invitation was to go to all the
world. Through the teaching of the sacrificial service, Christ was to
be uplifted, and all who would look to Him were to unite themselves
with His chosen people. As Israel’s numbers increased, they were to
enlarge their borders until their kingdom embraced the world.
But ancient Israel did not carry out God’s plan. The Lord de-
clared, “‘I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality.
How then have you turned before Me into the degenerate plant of
an alien vine?’” “‘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.’ ... He looked for justice, but behold,
oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry.”
Jeremiah 2:21
;
Isaiah 5:4-7
.
By refusing to keep His covenant, God’s people would cut them-
selves off from His blessings. Often in their history they forgot
God, robbed Him of the service He required of them, and robbed
their neighbors of religious guidance and a holy example. Their
covetousness and greed caused even the heathen to despise them.