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野葡萄树不会结很多果子，但在葡萄园中栽种的葡萄树却是另一番景象。在悉心照料之下，它们能结出一串接一串的果子、生产一桶又一桶的酒，是利润不错的投资。

旧约圣经以神的葡萄园来描述以色列民，然而这个投资却得不到成果。以色列民抗拒神的管理，他们只结出低劣的果子。为避免损失更大，神便放弃葡萄园，任由它荒废了。（参赛 5:1-7）

然而，这并不是故事的终结。诗篇八十篇以一根勉强支撑着的葡萄枝子来形容以色列。这篇诗篇实际上是在恳求：“神啊，这葡萄枝子本属于祢，求祢眷顾它！”跟着，诗人更尽力争取说：“神啊，这葡萄枝子是祢的儿子，难道祢不眷顾祢自己的儿子吗？”（参诗 80:14-15）

这篇诗篇回顾昔日在埃及时，神告诉法老王：“以色列是我的儿子，我的长子。……容我的儿子去！”（参出 4:22-23）诗人恳求神再次拯救以色列民，就像从前祂拯救他们离开埃及那样。

接着，诗人向前瞻望，想到将来降世的耶稣，因为耶稣是真葡萄树，是神的长子。（参诗 80:17-19）现今，藉着圣灵和因着信靠基督，我们便能与耶稣合而为一了，我们已经成为真葡萄树的枝子，这棵真葡萄树像流出葡萄酒那样倾流出基督的生命，好叫我们能够得着真正的生命。

Wild grapevines don't produce much fruit. But the vines in a vineyard are a different story. With careful management, they produce clusters of fruit, casks of wine, and a decent return on investment.

The Old Testament pictures the people of Israel as God's vineyard. But the investment doesn't pay off. Israel resists God's management and produces lousy fruit. So God cuts his losses and lets the vineyard go wild (see Isaiah 5:1-7).

Yet the story doesn't end there. Psalm 80 pictures Israel as a single vine that's barely hanging on. The psalm pleads, in effect, "God, the vine belongs to you. Take care of it!" From there, the psalm pushes harder: "God, the vine is your son. Won't you take care of your own son?" (See vv. 14-15).

The psalm is looking back to Egypt, where God told Pharaoh, "Israel is my firstborn son. . . . Let my son go!" (Exodus 4:22-23). Just as God rescued Israel from Egypt, the psalm pleads with God to rescue them again.

From there, the psalm looks ahead to Jesus, because he is the true vine, the firstborn Son of God (see vv. 17-19). And now, by the Holy Spirit and through faith, we are united with Jesus. We have become branches of the true vine, who pours out his life like wine so that we can truly live.