February 20, 2019

In many places in Scripture, vines and vineyards are often seen as being planted by God or of having some special relationship to God. Isaiah gives us an image of the beloved, God, planting a vineyard (Israel). Jesus talks about being the vine and we are the branches. And in Genesis, Joseph is referred to as a fruitful bough or vine whose branches run over the wall. All of these images are of God reaching beyond our own imposed boundaries to bless people beyond our own walls and to welcome outsiders.

In Joshua, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down because the people of that city were afraid of the people of God and wanted to keep them out.

In Proverbs 18:10, God is described as a strong tower that protects the righteous. And in verse 11, the rich are described as foolishly seeing their wealth as a high wall; but it is a wall built on their own conceit which offers them no protection.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul talks about the unification of all people in Christ: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.”

In Revelation 21 John sees a new heaven and a new earth, and he sees the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. This new Jerusalem is a walled city, glorious in splendor, so large that each side of the wall contains three gates, for a total of twelve. And as the nations and kings of the earth come to that great walled city, the new Jerusalem, they will see that the twelve gates of the city will never be shut.

This is how God deals with walls.

Blessings,