The Temple in The Vineyard - Isaiah 5

Every summer our family goes on vacation.  We basically do the same thing- load up gear, a trailor of motor bikes and quads, and head for mountians to go riding.  But each year we try to go some place different and even though the technique you use to ride is much the same, it is fun to discover new places, new vistas, new (old) historical sites.  I often feel the same way in studying the scriptures.  For instance, I realized as I approached Isaiah's parable of the vineyard, that I had never taken the time to learn about vineyards in ancient Israel, so I began to explore and found my vista expanding again. 

Did you know grape cultivation and winemaking originated in Israel’s neck of the woods, so to speak?  By the time the Children of Israel marched in, it was already well established.  A heavy vine covered in grapes was part of the produce that Joshua and the Israelite spies brought back from their search of the land of Canaan.  (Numbers 13:23)  At the time of Christ, premium wine from the troublesome province of Judea was one of the luxury items that made it worth the trouble.  The Roman conquest of Europe paved the way for cuttings from prime plants to be taken and grown on Roman Estates in the far flung province of Gaul, which includes most of modern day France. Obviously, winemaking became a major industry there.  On the other hand, when Muslim rule came in the 7^th century A.D., with that religions’ prohibition on alcohol, the vineyards were destroyed.  Now, modern vineyards have been replanted in Israel on land which still boasts the remnants of ancient wine presses.  All interesting facts, but it was HOW the grapes were cultivated that really helped me understand more from Isaiah’s parable.

For instance, grapes are one of two major Israelite crops that, if properly tended to, actually grew better in the poorer, rocky, hillside soil.  The other crop was the olive.  That caught my attention because right after the Children of Israel miraculously crossed the Red Sea, Moses taught them a song of praise which taught them the Lord would “bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance….” (Exodus 15:17) And the two plants the Lord repeatedly uses as types of Israel - the grape vine and the olive tree.   Different aspects of those plants are brought out in different references, and we will discuss more about the olive in a few chapters, but right now I would like to explore their common ground – the poorer, rocky, hillside soil they thrive in IF they have the proper care to enable that growth and how that proper care, spiritually speaking, centers on (can you guess) the “mountain of the Lord’s house” - in other words the temple.

First, let’s go back to Exodus 15, because the next words in that verse shows Moses teaching the Israelites’ that the Promised Land is also one where the Lord has a “Sanctuary” to dwell in and where the Lord will “reign”. (This verse was referred to by King Solomon when he dedicated the first temple in Jerusalem.1 Kings 8:13, Also see Exodus 15:13) I think the translation in the New International Version is worth sharing, because it is clear that we are talking about the planting His people in His holy mountain. 

You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance--the place, O LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established.

Next, the Lord put a lot of effort into teaching the people His way of strengthening, supporting them, and abiding among them.  He began by going “before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not… the pillar away.  (Exodus 13:21-22) When the Egyptians closed in on them, the pillar moved to the rear of the camp, protecting them from the pursuing Egyptian army, and still giving light to the camp. (Exodus14:19-20)  

When the Tabernacle was built, the pillar “covered” it and the “glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys, but if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel… throughout all their journeys.”(Exodus 40:34-38 also see Deuteronomy 1:33) 

To keep their focus on the fact the Lord was with them, guiding and protecting them, He gave them “judgments” or, as we would say it, “ordinances,” which would help them understand the Lord’s ways, and above all, the atoning sacrifice of the Savior. (See Deuteronomy 30:16 and refer to footnote ‘b’ for an example of the word translated as “judgment(s)” being better translated as “ordinance.”)

Of course, this constant evidence of the Lord’s being present and guiding the Israelites did not take the work - the rockiness - out of their journey.  The whole point of their journey - and our journey in life- was to use the combination of the “rocky soil” and the Lord’s unfailing, nurturing care to become “fruitful.”  Nephi succinctly sums up what the Lord was trying to teach both groups of wandering Israelites:  And thus we see that the comandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide a means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them. (1 Nephi 17:3) 

Now, you might think this tying together of Isaiah’s parable and the way the Lord showed his presence to the wandering Israelites was my own brainchild, but in fact Isaiah prefaces this parable with a promise in Isaiah 4:4-6 that when Israel gathers and is made pure “by the spirit of judgment (ordinance)” and the “spirit of burning” then His presence, as manifest in “a cloud…by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night,” will be not only be in the “tabernacle,” but on every dwelling and will be a defense and refuge for those who are gathered in.  What an extraordinary promise- the protecting, guiding influence of the Lord will then be in every home! And notice what needs to happen for it to be fulfilled.

The “spirit of burning” was referred to by John the Baptist when he taught, "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”(Matthew 3:11)  In turn, a modern apostle explained this “spirit of burning” more fully: 

We are commanded and instructed to so live that our fallen nature is changed through the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost. President Marion G. Romney taught that the baptism of fire by the Holy Ghost “converts [us] from carnality to spirituality. It cleanses, heals, and purifies the soul. … Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, and water baptism are all preliminary and prerequisite to it, but [the baptism of fire] is the consummation. To receive [this baptism of fire] is to have one’s garments washed in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ” (Learning for the Eternities, comp. George J. Romney [1977], 133; see also 3 Nephi 27:19–20).  Hence, as we are born again and strive to always have His Spirit to be with us, the Holy Ghost sanctifies and refines our souls as if by fire (see 2 Nephi 31:13–14, 17). Ultimately, we are to stand spotless before God.  (Elder David A. Bednar, “Clean Hand and a Pure Heart,” Ensign, November 2007)

But besides becoming pure, we are promised the Lord’s presence will provide a source of strength, refuge, and defense.  What is the source of such moral and spiritual power, and how do we obtain it? The source is God. Our access to that power is through our covenants with Him. A covenant is an agreement between God and man, an accord whose terms are set by God (see Bible Dictionary, “Covenant,” 651). In these divine agreements, God binds Himself to sustain, sanctify, and exalt us in return for our commitment to serve Him and keep His commandments. We enter into covenants by priesthood ordinances, sacred rituals that God has ordained for us to manifest our commitment…. Our covenant commitment to Him permits our Heavenly Father to let His divine influence, “the power of godliness” (D&C 84:20), flow into our lives. He can do that because by our participation in priesthood ordinances we exercise our agency and elect to receive it.  (Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “The Power of Covenants,” Ensign, May 2009)

Now, let’s return to 2 Nephi 15:1 (which is Nephi quoting Isaiah 5:1) where is restored this small, but precious wording – And then -- a connecting phrase to help us understand that this parable isn’t about an ancient them, but for every person who in mortality has the opportunity to make and keep sacred covenants and receive the ordinances of the temple. 

To further emphasize and point to the temple and its ordinances, Isaiah uses some interesting word choices in that first verse.  The phrase “fruitful hill” in particular was a surprise - not in the English- but I felt compelled to look up the Hebrew words.  I resisted a bit because I had just done a bit of research on mounts, hills, and mountains, and knew the words translated as “hill” were pretty consistent.  (Maybe my subconscious had picked up on the fact that there was an anomaly in that list, and it was the word used in this verse.) This verse is the only time in the Old Testament the word Isaiah uses here is translated as “hill.”  Given the context, it is a good translation, but you miss the nuance of Isaiah’s parable.  The word he uses here is usually translated as “horn.”  As in a symbol of God’s power and authority.  As in the “horns” the Lord commanded be put on the corners of the altar of the temple (Exodus 27:2) As in the “horn” filled with oil used to anoint those called to serve the Lord. (1 Samuel 16:3, 1 King 1:39) As in the “horn” of the altar blood was smeared on in performing the mosaic ordinances pointing to the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. (Exodus 30:10, Leviticus 9:9) 

Well, after discovering that, I didn’t resist the idea of looking up “fruitful,” and was not overly surprised to find it too was an unusal choice.  It is a, at least within the Old Testament, a uniqu combination of two other distinct words.  The first means literally “to build” and “tent panel.”  It is also THE word for “son” and conveys the idea of “seed of the tent” or the continuation of the family. The other word means literally “oil” as in the olive oil used in the temple ordinances and to anoint those called by the Lord.  It also came to mean “fat” as in having abundance.  Another word for “abundance” is translated as “multiply” and used in the Lord’s promises to Abraham concerning him becoming a “father of many nations.” It comes from roots that literally mean “the head of the tent.”  With that in mind I looked again at the phrase “choicest vine” and immediately thought of Isaiah’s other admonition, “Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.” (Isaiah 51:2)  Add to that this restoring and clarifying revelation:
Abraham received all things, whatsoever he received, by revelation and commandment, by my word, saith the Lord, and hath entered into his exaltation and sitteth upon his throne.  Abraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the fruit of his loins... and as touching Abraham and his seed, out of the world they should continue; both in the world and out of the world should they continue as innumerable as the stars; or, if ye were to count the sand upon the seashore ye could not number them. This promise is yours also, because ye are of Abraham, and the promise was made unto Abraham; and by this law is the continuation of the works of my Father, wherein he glorifieth himself.  Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law and ye shall be saved.  But if ye enter not into my law ye cannot receive the promise of my Father, which he made unto Abraham. (Doctrine & Covenants 132:29-33)

It seems so important to understand that Isaiah is talking to all, both ancient and modern, who are “planted” in a place and time where they can affirm their willingness to “enter ye into” the Lord’s law by making sacred covenants through receiving the ordinances in the house of the Lord as the Lord has directed.   And then – and this part is even more critical – striving to live according to that law. As Christ so pointedly taught, “all the law” and “all the prophets” “hang” or “hinge” on obedience to the commandments to love and serve God and, working hand in hand with Him, love our “neighbor.” (Matthew 22:40) In other words, Isaiah is addressing all those who have the opportunity to “do the works of Abraham.”

With this in mind the rest of the chapter (not to mention the whole book) opens up.  The grape vine he used in the parable does thrive best in the hill’s rocky soil, but it cannot survive in a manner to produce good fruit without the care of the Lord of the vineyard.  The ground on the hill is too hard for the tender roots to penetrate on their own; it must be dug up to make way for the vine to grow deep, healthy roots.  The large stones, too, would prevent its growth and the loosened soil would be washed away in the first heavy rainstorm. So the Lord laboriously gathers the rocks, and uses what used to be obstacles to the vines growth, to create terraces to prevent the soil washing away and allow the rain water to soak deeper into the ground, again to encourage deep roots.  Tender young leaves are tasty and a cutting from the “choicest vine” would not be an inexpensive acquisition.  Critters of both the two legged and four legged variety would be tempted to prey on the tender vine.  So the wise Lord, with great discomfort to himself, used the thorny brambles cleared from the land to make a hedge- a strong deterrent - and adds the expense of a wall and a watchtower. One other step, which Isaiah mentions only when the Lord talks about what is going to happen to the unfruitful vineyard, is pruning.  Not something the plant enjoys, but absolutey essential on an annual basis if the vine is to bear fruit.  Finally, he builds a press, which would ensure that none of ripened fruit would be wasted to spoilage.  All is in place for the vine to become all it has the potential to become. 

I have come to love this parable as a beautiful illuminating illustration of how much work –infinitely beyond any sacrifice or work I have done in my life – is meant when the Lord says, “This is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”(Moses 1:39)  And the relationship of the Lord of the vineyard to the vine is so hands on, so invested, so personal.  Even though I am not a keeper of a vineyard, as most of Isaiah’s original listeners would have been, I can still understand how unthinkable would be the possibility of the vineyard producing “wild grapes.”  I think that is one of Isaiah’s objectives, to get us to stop and “consider the work of the Lord… and the operation of his hands.” (Isaiah 5:12)  And to check our own lives for the production of “wild grapes,” which are identified as filling our lives with the pursuit of wealth and pleasure, often at the expense of the welfare of our “neighbor” and at the expense of taking the time and effort to “feast upon the words of Christ.” (Compare Isaiah 5:12,24 and 2 Nephi 32:3)  

In verse 24 Isaiah brings us back to the theme illustrated by Isaiah’s word choice in verse 1, this time talking about the eternal consequences of growing “wild grapes,” or casting “away the law of the Lord of Hosts” and despising “the word of the Holy One of Israel.”   He says that “their root shall be rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up as dust.”  (Isaiah 5:24)   You might notice a similarity between this pronouncement and the one given by Malachi and quoted in full by Christ to the Nephites:  “For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea and all the do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” (Malachi 4:1) 

This prophecy immediately precedes the prophecy of Elijah coming to “turn the heart of the father to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” (Malachi 4:5-6, 3 Nephi 25:5-6, Joseph Smith History 1:37-39, Doctrine & Covenants 2)  Which brings us back to the temple.  In fact, a lot of what Isaiah says doesn’t make much sense without an understanding of the power of priesthood keys to bind on earth and in heaven.  It is also so important to understand that the work done in the temple is one of most glorious - available here and now- gifts to help us gain eternal perspective and begin to understand more deeply the infinite nature of the atonement of Christ.  I have discovered this theme is so prevalent throughout Isaiah that I think I will leave a more detailed exploration to later, but I must quote a couple of my favorites because I think I see these promises happening a bit in my life-

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your (ordinances) we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you.  When your (ordinances) come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. (Isaiah 26:8-9)

And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. (Don’t forget 2 Nephi 32:3) And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 25:6-8)

It is when I think of my father, who is no longer here in mortality and do not doubt that our separation is temporary; or when I find myself treasuring people over books and being amazed and the strength and goodness I see in them; or when I remember that I know, really know, that what God has in mind for me is far greater than I could ever imagine and that if the veil were removed in full I would again kneel in humble awe and gratitude and affirm again my firm defense of His plan; or when I hear others voice,  in different words, the same conviction, that I feel my heart burn within me and then I know these promises are already being fulfilled.

Threads, Cords, and Chains or Freedom, Strength, and Peace- Isaiah 5:18

"Woe unto them that pull iniquity with words of falsehood, and sin with a cart rope.”  (Isaiah 5:18)

With this verse Isaiah painted for me one of the first vivid word pictures I understood; one that affected me so much I came back to see what else he might be able to help me understand.  At first, I saw a picture showing that a person with access to the truth, like Israel, who decides on iniquity (a twisting of the truth to justify what they want to do) is doing spiritually to themselves the equivalent of a person tying themselves, or yoking themselves, to a heavy cartload and pulling it around with them everywhere they go.  That was my first picture, and it was very useful, but thanks to Nephi, a person very close to the language and culture, I was able fill in some eternally important details.  He refers to this verse in 2 Nephi 26, where he is talking about how people are entrapped by the adversary, the devil: (H)e leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever. (2 Nephi 26:22) 

It helps to understand that a “flaxen cord” is literally a thread and “strong cords” happen when many threads or strings are woven together to make what we would call a rope.  Nephi is likening spiritually something recognized in most cultures.  For instance a Spanish proverb says, “Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.” (http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6811)  I found it enlightening to learn that ancient rabbi’s reflect a similar interpretation of Isaiah 5:18.

The Septuagint renders it, 'Woe to those who draw sin with a long cable;' that is," one sin is added to another, until it comes to an enormous length, and the whole is drawn along together. Probably the true idea is that of the ancient interpretation of the rabbis, 'An evil inclination is at first like a fine hair string, but the finishing like a cart-rope.' At first, they draw sin with a slender cord, then they go on to greater deeds of iniquity that urge them on, and draw them with their main strength, as with a cart-rope. They make a strong "effort" to commit iniquity. (Barnes' Notes on the Bible as quoted in http://bible.cc/isaiah/5-18.htm)

The verses immediately following this one tell us a lot about how the “flaxen cord” that leads to this “strong cord” is formed.  It has primarily to do with the how we approach the Lord, as reflected in our words to and about Gods. In verse 19 God is accused of not proving himself to them-  if God is real, he should prove it in a way obvious to their eyes.  In the next verse the “fact” God did no show Himself as instructed is then used to justify replacing His commands with their own self-proclaimed cleverness. The long and short of it, a steady theme we see throughout Isaiah, is a prideful insistence on not being a student, or child, of the Lord- but, at the very least, seeing yourself like an equally wise, if not equally powerful, partner who has every right to insist the Lord prove his worth, or get out of the way. (See also 2 Nephi 26:20,29 2 Nephi 9:28-29,45,51, see also themes 1 and 3 in “Prefacing Isaiah,” 3/22/2012)

Alma, another Book of Mormon prophet who knew the words of Isaiah well, calls these “strong cords” the “chains of hell” and describes how” they form- note how it all begins with hardness (bitterness, anger, it doesn’t apply to me) towards some portion of God’s word:

It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.  And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.  (Isaiah 12:9-11)

Immediately two scriptural examples come to mind that really illustrate the kind of iniquity or “twisting” that leads to a hardening of the heart and to being chained down.  The first is the Lord’s answer, in Isaiah 58, to Israel’s accusation that though they “afflict their souls” with fasting and doing what he said, he is not giving them the prosperity he promised. (Isaiah 58:3) This prosperity, in their minds, includes using fasting as a tool to order up His power, despite the fact they are paying very little attention to the first two commands- to love God and their fellowman.  (This picture illustrates how the Lord describes them in Isaiah 58:9) In short, if they are contending with (fighting) and accusing each other and God (remember Satan is The Accuser), they might be depriving their bodies of food, but they are not fasting according to the Lord’s fast.  The Lord’s fast was meant to focus them on making sure all are provided for with the resources the Lord has given them- to work with the Lord to “break the yoke ” for all men - including the yoke these angry, hungry children are laboring under in accusing each other and taking delight in the idea of God smiting someone else . To answer their fast and prayers the way they demand would be to strengthen their chains of spiritual bondage, and that is something the Lord will never do. 

Which brings me to the words of the oft quoted words of the Savior; - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

These verses come at the end of a discussion prefaced by John the Baptists’ disciples coming to Christ with an request from the imprisoned John than Christ affirm whether he is, indeed, the promised Messiah.  Christ does affirm he is the Messiah, and testifies that John was sent to prepare the way for him.  He then says, “Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” (Matthew 11:6) 

The word “offended” means literally to “trip up” or “to cause to stumble” or “to entrap.”  In other words, “blessed is he, whosever” does not do as Luke describes, “laying in wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they might accuse him.” (Luke 11:54)  Although the “him” in that scripture clearly refers to the Savior himself, I love the use of a general pronoun because the Savior also taught “inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)  And, just for good measure, lets add Isaiah’s clear words (also quoted in Nephi’s commentary on Isaiah)- “All they which watch for iniquity will be cut off.” (Isaiah 29:20, 2 Nephi 27:31) In other words, if you see yourself in an exalted enough position to judge and accuse others, you are being bound by The Great Accuser.  You might say the great choice in this life is whether you want to walk the path of The Advocate of mankind to eternal life, or the many paths leading to nowhere which all have one thing in common- savory, self-righteous accusations. 

Which explains why those who find “rest unto (their) souls” are those who seek to learn of the Savior and accept his help and atoning strength in learning how to become, like him, meek and lowly of heart.  I find that “rest,” as it pertains to navigating life perfectly captured by Elder Neal A. Maxwell:

The meek are filled with awe and wonder with regard to God and His purposes in the universe. At the same time, the meek are not awestruck by the many frustrations of life; they are more easily mobilized for eternal causes and less easily immobilized by the disappointments of the day.  (“Meekness-A Dimension of True Discipleship,” Ensign, March 1983)

I love that quote because it illustrates for me that meekness and repentance are irrevocably intertwined.  As I noted before, the actual word “repent” doesn’t occur much in the Old Testament, but phrases like “return” or “turn back.”   However, the word repent is used frequently in the New Testament, and looking at what it means in Greek is powerful.

When Jesus said “repent,” His disciples recorded that command in the Greek language with the verb metanoeo. This powerful word has great significance. In this word, the prefix meta means “change.” The suffix relates to four important Greek terms: nous, meaning “the mind”; gnosis, meaning “knowledge”; pneuma, meaning “spirit”; and pnoe, meaning “breath.  Thus, when Jesus said “repent,” He asked us to change—to change our mind, knowledge, and spirit—even our breath. A prophet explained that such a change in one’s breath is to breathe with grateful acknowledgment of Him who grants each breath. (Russell M. Nelson, “Repentance and Conversion,” Ensign, May 2007; Mosiah 2:20-24)

In my experience the moments I do “breathe with grateful acknowledgment of Him who grants each breath” are also the moments I am “filled with awe and wonder with regard to God and His purposes in the universe.”  And the more moments like that I have, happening with, I admit, increasing frequency, the more I am drawn to and find importance in things, like the words of Isaiah that used to just frustrate and anger me.  The more I am filled with further awe as those words open up for me and expand my still limited view of the infinite depth and breadth of all that has been done for mankind. The more I comprehend the tragedy of rejecting God’s infinite gifts- even in part.  And the less I disregard the Lord’s chastisements as meant for others, something I now see as a thread of accusation - and instead see them meant for all his fallible children, including me.   Now my greatest concern is how much I want to ponder and organize and remember in each chapter.  I mean this note only covers one verse!  Perhaps I am glimpsing what the Lord calls the “riches of eternity.”  Perhaps Isaiah’s great message is just illustrating, expanding and illuminating this promise:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you; And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.  And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more. (Doctrine & Covenants 78:17-19)