MELONS/CHOICES
5/9/2012
Isaiah 1:8 The Daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a city under siege. [New International translation.]
And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. [Revised Standard translation.]
Summary: The prophet Isaiah was called to prophesy to the Kingdom of Judah, [i.e., the daughters of Zion] about God’s judgment of the people for their rebellion and sin against God and about God’s future plan for salvation through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Like many prophetic scriptures, there is a lot of imagery in the words of the message. Many prophetic messages were often “visions” from God containing a message to the people warning them of what was to come, if the people disobeyed God or refused to turn from their wicked ways. Here, the “Daughter of Zion” refers to the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, the city of David, was built on a hill called Zion and is given a “feminine” reference—“daughter,” probably because of its great “beauty.” The “field of cucumbers” and the “field of melons” refer to the same type of fruit—fruit that were in great demand in this region because of their cooling qualities, especially in the hot climate of this ancient time. Melons and cucumbers were planted around the city. To protect the fruit, a shelter was often erected in the field so that a watchman could guard the field from birds, animals, thieves or anything else that might damage, destroy or steal the crop. This shelter was a lonely place. The fact that the booth or shelter has been abandoned, suggests that the fields around the precious fruit have been taken and the city of Jerusalem is surrounded or “besieged.” The fact that such an essential regional fruit was abandoned and that the city fields are surrounded by the enemy are indications of the hopelessness of the situation that Jerusalem will soon find itself because of the people’s sinful ways. Despite Isaiah’s prophetic forewarning from God, and Isaiah’s plea that the people “Heed the word of the Lord” and “listen,” the Israelites refused and instead chose to continue down the path of self-destruction into Babylonian captivity.
Melon Facts
According to www.foodreference.com, melons are in the same “gourd” family as cucumbers and squash. [A gourd is any of several trailing or climbing plants related to the pumpkin, squash, and cucumber and bearing fruit with a hard rind.] Many melons originated in the Middle East. Romans and Egyptians ate cantaloupes and muskmelons. Isaiah 8:1 and Numbers 11:5 are evidence that the Israelites ate cucumbers and melons. Today, there are a wide variety of melons from which we can choose. They include:
Cantaloupe (sometimes they are called muskmelons)
Muskmelon (e.g. Persian melons, Ambrosia)
Casaba Melons
Crenshaw Melons
Honeydew Melon
Santa Claus Melon (called the Christmas Melon)
Sharlyn Mellon (taste like cantaloupe and honeydew melon combined)
Watermelon
Galia Melon (a hybrid cantaloupe and honeydew melon)
Kiwano (Horned) melon
Melons are a good source of vitamin C and Potassium. They tend to be high in water content (often about 90%) and low in calories. According to www.Buzzle.com, a typical melon contains: 1 mg of sodium, 0.5 mg of copper, 100 mg of magnesium, 0.6 mg of manganese, 200 mg of phosphorus, 195 mg of potassium and 17 mcg of selenium. In addition, according to www.buzzle.com:
Melon contains an amino acid, called arginine, which enhances the impact of insulin on blood sugar…Melon contains vitamin C, which reduce cholesterol and keep your heart safe. It ensures protection of your eyes from macular degeneration and other ailments related to aging such as glaucoma, drying up of eyes and optical nerves, etc. Melon help normalize hematocrit levels, which is described as the percentage of red blood cells per volume of blood. It helps prevent constipation and stone formation. It aids in bringing down body temperature raised due to colds and flu.
Anyone who is diabetic or has a serious health problem should always consult their own personal physician about the benefits or health consequences of eating any particular food, as well as recommendations regarding the amounts to eat.
Choices
GOD does not force us to be healthy. Nor does GOD force us to eat unhealthy foods. It is our choice.
We are blessed to live in a country where good food and healthy food are generally abundant and available. We also live in a country where unhealthy food is also generally available and abundant as well. Again, it is our choice to make. We can allow ourselves to be taken captive by “fast food restaurants,” “donut shops” and “sugared soda drinks and junk food machines,” or we can enjoy the blessing of good food and good health.
Wednesday is a day when the “watchmen/watchwomen” “stay put.” It is a day to guard our health and enjoy the cucumber and the melon in the field. It is a day to “heed” the WORD of the LORD. It is a day of stewardship—when we make ourselves accountable to GOD physically and spiritually. It is a day to enjoy GOD’s harvest blessings. Why do otherwise?
Stay vigilant. Be steadfast. Pray that we all make good choices and Be Blessed!
(Click here for past Weekly Devotions)
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