For their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter. (Deuteronomy 32:32)
In this verse, God still speaks of the nations that surround Israel and wish to see her destroyed. While it is true that the Almighty will allow these nations to administer judgment upon His errant people, these nations should not think that their false gods brought them victory — as Moses said, “the LORD had surrendered them (Israel).” If the nations were wise, they would understand this; “they would consider their latter end!” (Deuteronomy 32:29). However, that is not likely seeing that their “vine is of the vine of Sodom.”
Some commentators say Israel suffered because they behaved as the people of Sodom and, consequently, were harassed by nations who were as wicked as Sodom. That is to say, these nations were corrupt from the root and, therefore, produced corruptible fruit. They rendered “grapes of gall” which means they were to be considered as poisonous. In short, nothing good can come from them because, as Moses said, their rootstock is from Sodom and Gomorrah. Everything they render will be bitter and deadly which leads me to make this observation; no matter how pleasant something may appear on the outside, it is what’s on the inside that matters.
Rabbinical writers speak of the “apples of Sodom” which, apparently, were fruit whose appearance made them look fit to eat. However, when biting into them, a person would find that these “apples of Sodom” had no substance. Like “grapes of gall,” they looked pleasant on the outside but were deadly inside. This, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly what caused man’s downfall in the beginning — partaking of fruit that appeared as good but was, in fact, evil. Thus we conclude that the nations still partake of this tree — and what does that imply to us?
Everything that glitters is not gold and, likewise, everything that looks tasty isn’t nutritious. As God’s people, we will never benefit from eating from the same tree as the nations do. We will never thrive if our diet is determined by what the world says is good because, remember, “their vine is of the vine of Sodom.” So then, let us turn from what they offer and partake of the Tree of Life, which is to say, the Word of God. As it written, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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