Vines and Fig Trees
This morning, I was reading through Micah. It spoke of a day that is coming when
Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree.
Micah 4:4 NIV
The vine and fig tree symbolise a world free from fear and conflict under God's reign. It envisions a time of peace, provision, security and flourishing.
It got me thinking about the theme of vines and fig trees in the Old Testament. Plus, I really like vines, as anyone who has been to my house in the past two months can attest. So, I decided to pause and write about vines and fig trees.
Vines and Fig Trees in the Old Testament
Vines and fig trees actually come up a lot in the Old Testament. In 1 Kings 4:25, we read:
During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.
When things were going well for Israel, the vine and fig tree were symbols of prosperity and security.
In 2 Kings 18:31 (cf. Isaiah 36:16), when trying to taunt the citizens of the southern kingdom, Judah, into abandoning King Hezekiah, Sennacherib’s field commander says:
Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern.
The fig tree and vine are symbols of the security they cling for.
In other passages, like Jeremiah 5:17, 8:13; Hosea 2:12, Joel 1:7, 12, 2:22; Jonah 4:6-8; Haggai 2:19, the absence, withering or destruction of vines and fig trees are symbolic of God’s judgment and abandonment of the people.
Fig Trees and Vines in the New Testament
In the New Testament, vines and fig trees come up a bit, though with a slightly different nuance.
Fig Trees
In the New Testament, the fig tree often points to the responsibility of individuals or nations to bear fruit and respond to God’s call. I’m thinking of passages like Matthew 24:32-35, Mark 11:12-14, 11:20-25, and Luke 13:6-9.
Jesus as the True Vine
In John 15:1-5, Jesus speaks of himself as “the true vine”. Jesus emphasises the importance of “remaining in” or being united with him. Branches can’t bear fruit without the vine. In Jesus, we get to bear fruit. We get to be a part of the vine.
Passages like Micah 4:4 anticipate a time of earthly peace, likely tied to Israel's restoration. John 15 picks up on the vine idea but shifts this focus to eternal life and spiritual flourishing, fulfilling Micah’s vision on a deeper, everlasting level through Jesus’ redemptive work.
In this now-but-not-yet era in which we live, we may not necessarily experience the full extent of what Micah speaks of with the vine and fig tree. But he offers peace, provision, security and flourishing in other ways.
That said, he also offers physical and material blessing in the age to come. John 14:2-3:
2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
