What Old Testament passages relate to fruitfulness and judgment? Matthew 21:19—A Leafy Tree Without Fruit “Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it but leaves. Then He said, ‘May there never be fruit from you again!’ And immediately the tree withered.” (Matthew 21:19) Where Fruitfulness First Appears • Genesis 1:28 — “God blessed them and said… ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’” • Genesis 12:2 — “I will make you into a great nation… so that you will be a blessing.” The mandate and promise of fruitfulness start in Eden and Abraham; failure to bear fruit later signals covenant breach. Blessings for Obedience • Leviticus 26:3-4 — “If you follow My statutes… the land will yield its produce.” • Deuteronomy 28:1-4 — “Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb, the produce of your land.” Obedience = abundant harvests, fertile families, overflowing vats. Warnings for Disobedience • Deuteronomy 28:15, 18 — “If you do not obey… cursed shall be the fruit of your land.” • Amos 8:1-2 — Basket of summer fruit becomes a symbol: “The end has come for My people Israel.” The covenant flips: withered crops, empty baskets, looming judgment. Fig Tree Snapshots in the Prophets • Hosea 9:10 — “I found Israel… as the first fruits of the fig tree.” • Hosea 9:16 — “Ephraim is struck… they bear no fruit.” • Joel 1:12 — “The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered.” • Micah 7:1-2 — “No early fig that my soul desires… the godly have perished.” • Habakkuk 3:17 — “Though the fig tree does not bud… yet I will rejoice in the LORD.” These verses trace Israel’s slide from early promise to barren branches, matching the fate of the fig tree Jesus cursed. Vineyard Parables and National Accountability • Isaiah 5:1-7 — “He looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only worthless ones… The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel.” • Ezekiel 17:8-10 — Planted to “bear fruit,” yet “behold, it will be plucked up.” • Ezekiel 19:10-12 — “Uprooted in fury… the east wind dried up its fruit.” The fig tree episode echoes these vineyard stories: lavish care, reasonable expectation, severe response when fruit is absent. Direct Fig-Tree Judgments • Jeremiah 8:13 — “There will be no grapes on the vine, no figs on the tree, and the leaves will wither.” • Hosea 2:12 — “I will destroy her vines and fig trees… and I will make them a thicket.” Both passages anticipate Jesus’ swift withering word outside Jerusalem. Portraits of the Righteous Tree • Psalm 1:3 — “Like a tree planted by streams of water… whatever he does prospers.” • Jeremiah 17:7-8 — “He will be like a tree planted by the waters… never fails to bear fruit.” • Psalm 92:12-14 — “They still bear fruit in old age; they remain evergreen.” These positive images sharpen the contrast: spiritually healthy people—and nations—must show lasting, visible fruit. Hope after Judgment • Isaiah 27:6 — “In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit.” Even after pruning and withering, God promises future flourishing when repentance and faith return. Threads Tied Together – Fruitfulness is the covenant’s visible proof; fruitlessness invites curse. – Fig trees and vines serve as living parables across the Old Testament. – Jesus’ act in Matthew 21:19 gathers every prophetic warning into one dramatic sign: a nation heavy with leaves of religion but barren of repentance stands under judgment. – Yet the same Scriptures hold out restoration: when God’s people abide in Him, abundant fruit—and blessing—are guaranteed. |
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