Presented by Jennifer Abayowa
I've often read that verse in John 15 where Jesus pauses for a second and says, "I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away." I hardly ever stop to take note of the functions of the Vine-dresser. I only think about how we need to stay in the vine in order to grow. It's amazing that I've now studied the functions of the Vinedresser, and the things I found were mind-blowing.
Main Scriptures:
Genesis 1:29 | Genesis 2: 8-15 | John 15:1-2 | Hebrews 13:20-21 | Ephesians 2:10
In the Beginning: Genesis
God has always been interested in the principles of gardening. He created the Garden of Eden, and He is the Master Gardener. He selected the choicest location for plants, animals, and humans who would tend the garden.
John 15: Young’s Literal Translation
John 15:1: “I am the TRUE VINE, and my Father is the HUSBANDMAN.”
What do these words mean?
HUSBANDMAN:
- Farmer, Agriculturist, Peasant, Tiller, Cultivator.
- A person who cultivates the land.
- Used in Medieval England for a ‘free tenant farmer’- someone who cultivates a land and leases it.
- Bible Application: God is the one who cultivates a land for the Vine (Jesus) and the Vine’s branches (us). He cultivates this land and has leased it to us to look after it.
VINEDRESSER:
- This term is a ‘specialized’ form of the word ‘Husbandman.’ It specifically refers to a husbandman who focuses on vines. A vinedresser prunes, trains, and cultivates vines. In the biblical sense, the vines being referred to in John 15 are Grape Vines.
- In ancient times, especially in France (the Country with the most renowned vineyards), vinedressers were educated strictly for that purpose. It was a specialized art and only a few could do it.
The Functions of the Vinedresser (God) show how important He is to the vineyard:
HE CULTIVATES:
To cultivate soil is to:
- Break it up in preparation for sowing or planting.
- Raise or grow plants on a large scale for commercial purposes.
- Vines need to be tied to a stick because they tend to be outsourced by crawling around. The vinedresser prepares the fort on which the vines will lean.
- No two vines are identical. Each must be pruned differently. The vinedresser knows each of the vines as though they were individual human beings with different character.
The American Vinedressers Guide (a book by Alphose Loubat):
Studying this guide helped to understand that a Vinedresser’s job is truly complex and is dynamic on multiple levels. Without the vinedresser (God), there would be no vines or branches. In fact, we can say that He is the most important part of the equation.
Below is an inexhaustible list on the functions of a Vinedresser. It was written by a French Vinedresser who travelled from France to America, to help Americans find the best soil for planting their own vines, which would further prevent them from needing to import wine, and instead help them to grow their own.
The functions of a Vinedresser are as follows:
- Choice of Soil & Situation:
- Alphose Loubat observed that the soils located close to Peach trees were the best type of soil to plant the grapes, and when he planted the seeds close to peach trees, they thrived. Therefore, the vinedresser has an important obligation to select the choicest location.
- The soil must not be subject to dampness, but must retain sufficient moisture to prevent the plants from suffering under a hot sun. Type of soil good for grape vines: volcanic, calcareous, and rich sandy soil.
- Excessively rich soil is not appropriate; produces inabundant poor quality fruit.
- If the soil is too watery and permanently moist, the plant will rot and die.
- Vines must not be exposed to high winds because they dry them up.
- Grape vines are resistant to cold temperatures, so the vinedresser can allow that.
- Planting:
- Timing is important: in cold countries, it is best to plant vines toward the end of March or the beginning of April.
- The soil has to be dug and exposed to air for a while (in summer or autumn), before planting begins.
- Must plant to a depth of 18-24 inches (the drier the ground, the deeper you must plant).
- After-Tillage, Uncovering, and hilling.
- Removing the useless branches and buds.
- Pruning:
- The vinedresser must wait for either 1 or 2 years before pruning takes place. (Bible Application: God is a master timer, He doesn’t act spontaneously. When He plants a seed in us, He waits for a set time before He prunes).
- Pruning is a way of directing the sap’s route, so that energy is not wasted on branches that do not bear fruit (Greek word “Klema” which means “Nutrient-sucking tendrils which will never produce fruit”). Robert Mounce, an author of well-known bible commentaries, puts it this way: “God’s pruning is a way of directing the flow of spiritual energy in order that His plans for our lives are realized.”
- Incision:
The purposes of making incisions on the plants are to:
- Check sap
- Nourish grapes
- Hasten maturity
- Grafting
- Manuring (must be done with a specific type of manure: dung and earth, not litter)
- Provining
- Preventing frosts and disease of the vine (to protect from frosts, the vinedresser must place manure at the base of the trunk and tie a straw firmly around it).
So think about these functions, and reflect on God as your own Vine-dresser. Knowing all these things about Him has increased my heart of gratitude.
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