I mentioned that there are repeating phrases in chapter 5. In reviewing them I found that the phrases fall into a few categories, as shown below.
Care of the tree / vineyard:
- Nourish (dung) - 14 times
- Prune / dig - 4 times
- Planted / grafted - 9 times
- Pluck - 17 times
- Burn - 17 times
- Labor, follow commandments - 13 times
Benefits or reasons:
- Lay up , lay up unto myself - 10 times
- Preserve, preserve unto myself - 14 times
- Grieveth - 6 times
- Wept - 1 time
End:
- End draweth near - 3 times
- Vineyard burned - 1 time.
This is good instruction for us, as children of our Heavenly Father. We can learn from the phrases and the number of times they are repeated. Look at the number of times that care is given to the Lord's vineyard.
Care comes in several ways - some of the ways are pleasant and loving: nourishing, for instance. We receive boons from our Father in Heaven constantly and more so when we live His laws.
Care comes sometimes in more drastic ways; we sometimes get plucked out of a comfortable situation and grafted into somewhere that will cause us to grow differently. I think of the men who were just called to be the stake presidency of my stake. One was a bishop of one of the wards here... he got plucked off and grafted in! Think of missionaries who leave their homes and families and are grafted into a different place, society or location.
Sometimes the care comes in ways that are painful yet necessary, when comfortable things in our lives are burned away. I think we can all think of a real-life analogy here. Certainly we can learn from painful experiences if we face them with the Holy Spirit as our guide.
The allegory uses phrases that give insight to the Lord's motivation to care for His vineyard. He cares for us in the ways the allegory shows because it grieves Him if we are lost to Him. He wants to preserve us so that we will dwell with Him in the eternities, and so he wants to lay up our souls to Himself. I'm positive that He weeps for us at times. I'm certain that I've made Him weep, much to my dismay. Is there any question that the Lord loves his vineyard? Is there any question that the Lord loves each one of us individually, just as the lord of the vineyard loved the tree?
Finally, there is a timetable involved: The end does draw near, and at that time the Lord's entire vineyard will face Him and be judged. Some will be cast out of His presence - burned, so to speak. Others, although saved into His kingdom, will face a stringent, burning examination.
I think that Jacob chapter 6 bears out my evaluation: "...this is my prophecy - the the things which this prophet Zenos spake, concerning the house of Israel, in the which he likened them unto a tame olive-tree, must surely come to pass" (Jacob 6:1). "...the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune His vineyard; and after that the end soon cometh. And how blessed are they who have labored diligently... and how cursed are they who shall be cast out... And the world shall be burned with fire" (Jacob 6:2-3).
Jacob pleads with us: "I beseech of you...that ye would repent and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you." (Jacob 6:5). "...after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day log, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire?" (Jacob 6:7).
He offers two of the most quotable phrases in the Book of Mormon: "Yea, today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die?" (Jacob 6:7). "O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life. O be wise; what can I say more?" (Jacob 6:11-12).
I pray that I can be grafted in by my favoring Lord. I pray that we may all be productive to Him who cares for His vineyard.
Don
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