190. Build, Inhabit, Plant, Eat
Isaiah 65:21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
The promise of a Promised Land echoes the promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. There is a Land still coming for believers, where everyone in the land of milk and honey will live under their own vine and fig tree. It is luxuriant ease that seems to be at the heart of the promises of Land for God’s people. This promise was fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah, who ushered in and guaranteed such an inheritance for His own.
Fertility and abundance is symbolized in the life of Jesus when He turned the water into wine, fed the 5000, healed diseases, cast out demons, and stilled the storm. However, in the New Testament the transference from physical luxury to spiritual luxury must be realized and understood. It is hard for earthly humans to understand spiritual abundance and to see what it means. The wealth and easy living included in the forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation is not readily seen; but we can quickly understand physical wealth and creature comforts. Therefore, the Lord uses the physical and earthly experiences to explain the spiritual and heavenly.
The promise of building houses and living at peace in them has seemed like an impossible dream for most people in the history of the world. The promise of planting one’s own vineyards and eating the fruit of them in peace is still a dream for many people of the world. The picture depicted is one of peace and prosperity and also of safety and security. This is the dream of “land” for most people. But the reality of most of history’s people has been war, famine, pestilence, marauding, plundering, stealing, and violence. Most people have lived in fear of these evils coming upon them. And all these people wonder why it has to be this way, and they innately know that life could be better.
Now Jesus makes that hope and dream a fulfilled reality. Faith in Jesus transfers the dream of physical ease into the reality of spiritual wellbeing. This kind of life is ours in the heart by faith right now, and in the resurrection it will become a physical reality by sight and experience. Go ahead, dream of that better life, but remember that such a life is already yours now in Christ. The kingdom of God is within you, and it is richer than your dreams.