Grapes Anyone?

Grapes Anyone?

by Nancy Cupp

The original painting is 

30” x 22”

Mixed media on watercolor paper

© Nancy Cupp. All rights reserved.

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Grapes are amazing! They are used to make so many wonderful things, from jellies, jams, salads, oils, wines, the list is endless. Every part of the plant can be used in some way. They are very medicinal as well.

 

Grapes are mentioned many times in the Bible and symbolic of many spiritual things. As the Israelites were ready to enter the promised land, the Lord told Moses to send out one representative from each of the twelve tribes to scout out the land. They were supposed to bring back samples of the abundant food growing there. Instead ten of the men came back with an evil report about powerful giants in the land, causing panic in the camp. They wanted to turn back to Egypt and slavery rather than face the giants.

 

Only Caleb and Joshua came back with a good report and said they could defeat the giants. They brought back samples of the abundant food growing in the promised land with one cluster of grapes that had to be carried on a pole by two men! Thats a lot of grapes!  God gave Israel physical evidence of His abundant provision waiting for them. The Israelites believed the evil story instead and wandered in the wilderness forty years because of it.

 

Because of their fear and unbelief, they were not allowed to enter the Promised Land until all the unbelievers had died off in the wilderness. Even though they had witnessed the most spectacular miracles, those twenty years old and up (at the time of that evil report) never entered the promised land because of fear and not trusting in God. Instead they believed an evil report.

 

Whose report do you believe? Giants or grapes?  I choose grapes.

 

When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs. Numbers 13:23

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