PCIM

This is a thread that was started years back and got lost on our original board. I though it fitting to ressurect it so to speak. I am not going to start this thread with "this is what I believe" because I am ernestly wanting to hear what everybody else sees here.

1. Do you see the link between these passages?
2. What do you believe they are both implying?

Expound with other related verses if you want... This one is wide open folks...

Jerimiah 12:8 Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it. 12:9 Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour. 12:10 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

1st Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Any thoughts or am I being to vague?

Some of my thoughts....

The Jeramiah passage seems to echo other things God said concerning Israel. He callled them a stiff-necked people and disobedient. Verse 9 refers to Israel's enemies. As for His reference to the vineyard in verse 10, I can't recall any old testament teaching on this, though there may be something. I haven't studied enough. It does bring to my mind the Lord's parable of the vinyard, or tenent, in Matt. 21:
"33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons."

Now, to the difficult matter of "God's Heritage".
To me, the passage in 1st Peter is refering to the Church, Christians, as God's heritage. When he speaks of the flock, he is talking about the church, isn't he?

So, Israel is God's heritage under the old covenant, and the church is under the new covenant. Both are a part of His heritage.

That's my simple view. I look forward to hearing other views...from people who study more and pray more than me.