the youth meeting - Baia Mare, the 7th of April, 2007

The young Bible Students from Baia Mare gathered again at the meeting hall, having the ardent desire to learn the Truth. Even if we were just 13, I’m convinced there are more young ones to be considered that way.

The time we spent together had two parts. During the first one, we studied the parable of “The wine growers”, from Mathew, 21:33-45; then, in the second one, we learned some hymns, for our God’s glory. These two parts opened and closed with a prayer. The program was very alive, even if not all of those who were present could call themselves “young”. We thank the Lord for our brethren Nelu and Magda Hosu, who were also present there. Their enthusiasm is above ours.

As you imagine, this parable raised a lot of questions. I will try to draw the answers we had.

Most of the questions sounded like this – “what does it represent?”.

The householder – the God of Israel

The vineyard – the house of Israel (accordingly to Isaiah 5:7)

The fence (the wall) – the Law, the Law Covenant made between God and the Israelites

The winepress – the sweet juice the vine should have produced under those conditions (the Law, Lord’s word and the name of God’s people)

The tower – the guardians who announced when the vineyard was in danger – God’s prophets

The renters – those who were responsible for the growing of the vineyard, the gathering of the crops (for the time the householder would ask for his share) – the religious leaders, Israel’s priests

When the time of the crops came, “The Great Householder” sent his servants (the prophets) for his share, but he did not get anything; his servants were beaten and even killed. The parable does not mention the renters wanted to hide the crops (and lead by Isaiah 5:4), we understood the vineyard didn’t get the expected fruit. This is why the servants were so badly received.

The householder didn’t get discouraged and sent his son to get the fruit, expecting he would be better received. But it wasn’t this way. His son became a greater threatening for the renters (“this is the heir”, they said) and they got him out of the vineyard and killed him.

We got “the wages of the renters” and “the future of the vineyard” from the 41^st verse and Isaiah 5:5-6. The renters were meant to be lost and the vineyard would be offered to other renters (beginning with the apostles) who would bring the right fruit. In the 42^nd verse, we had our confirmation in that prophecy: “the stone that builders rejected is now the cornerstone”. We could find these wonderful prophecies and promises in Psalm 118:22 and Isaiah 28:26.

In the end, we talked about this cornerstone, which became a stumbling stone for those who fall upon it (verse 44, for natural Israel and nominal spiritual Israel, that have the opportunity to stand up again). But for others, it means destruction – for the false leading class of Israel (the scholars and Pharisees).

The second part, the juiciest one, was a time of joy, when we all praised God by our hymns.

We thank our Heavenly Father for revealing these precious teachings to us.

May Lord be blessed for He led our meeting!

A text sent by Daniel Pode