Isaiah 5:1-7
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Exposition
Exposition
THE SONG (Isa. 5:1-2)
THE SONG (Isa. 5:1-2)
A vine-dresser planted a choice vine in a carefully prepared vineyard expecting good grapes but only received sour grapes in return.
God highlights His care for His people in these verses and the way He set them up to be successful. He highlights the gift of the Promised Land, He also gave them other great gifts. Romans 9:4-5 says in the NLT…
4 They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. 5 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
These privileges were meant to make Israel produce good spiritual fruit, but instead the people of God only produced the sour fruit of rebellion.
THE CALL TO JUDGE (Isa. 5:3-4)
THE CALL TO JUDGE (Isa. 5:3-4)
The people of Judah are called to judge between the vine-dresser and the choice vine planted in the vineyard.
The vine-dresser asks in defense of himself, “What more could I have done for my vineyard?” This is the question God is asking His people: What more could I have done for you? Given the great privileges that God gave to them, we understand why God asks this question. The assumed answer from the people of God is “Nothing; there was nothing more You could have done to ensure we produced good spiritual fruit?” So, God asks, “Why, when I expected (you) to produce good grapes, did (you) produce worthless ones?” They knew the LORD’s expectations. They were set up to produce good spiritual fruit. But they produced the opposite. What conclusion could they draw but that the vineyard should be condemned, i.e., that they themselves should be condemned?
The LORD asking His people to judge between the characters of the parable before revealing who they represent is reminiscent of Nathan provoking David to condemn himself by way of a parable about a poor man’s precious lamb cruelly killed by a rich man in order to entertain his guest (2 Sam. 12:1-7).
When David heard the story he was furious and said, “As surely as the LORD lives any man who would do such a thing deserves to die!” (2 Sam. 12:5).
Nathan then replied, “You are that man!” (2 Sam. 12:7).
David unwittingly condemned himself for his wickedness, and the people of God in Isaiah’s day could honestly do nothing other than condemned themselves for their wickedness as well.
The LORD asking His people to judge between the characters of the parable before revealing who they represent is reminiscent of Jesus inciting the Jewish religious leaders to condemned themselves with a parable about wicked tenants of a vineyard who were set up for success but refused to give the owner his due and then abused and killed his servants and even killed his son.
When the religious leaders heard the story, they said, “(The owner) will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons,” (Matt. 21:41).
Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits,” (Matt. 21:43).
The religious leaders had unwittingly condemned themselves for their wickedness, and again the people of God in Isaiah’s day could honestly do nothing other than the same; they could do nothing other than condemn themselves for their wickedness.
THE CONCLUSION OF THE VINE-DRESSER (Isa. 5:5-6)
THE CONCLUSION OF THE VINE-DRESSER (Isa. 5:5-6)
The vineyard owner decides what he will do before the people of Judah even have a chance to respond. He will remove his protection and let his vineyard be destroyed. It will be consumed, trampled, laid to waste, hoed up, invaded by briars and thorns, and parched.
When God removed His protection from Jerusalem, it’s walls would come down. It would be invaded, trampled, and consumed by the armies of Babylon.
THE MEANING OF THE PARABLE (Isa. 5:7)
THE MEANING OF THE PARABLE (Isa. 5:7)
The reality of the parable is made clear. The vineyard owner is the LORD of hosts, the Commander of Heaven’s armies, the last one to be rebelled against. His vineyard is the house of Israel. His choice vine or delightful plant was the men of Judah. God set them up for justice and righteousness, for love of neighbor and love of God. God expected justice and righteousness from them, but God received bloodshed and cries of distress.
Soon His judgment would fall on them.
Illustration
Illustration
In his book, Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven, John Eliot Gardiner tells of conducting the performance of one of Bach’s pieces when the audience was unexpectedly moved to tears. Gardiner thought the piece must have had some patriotic connection for the European audience that was listening; that must have been why they were so moved.
But perhaps it was the Spirit moving through Bach’s piece of music.
Bach once said, “All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul’s refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hubbub.”
It is said that Bach headed each of his compositions with “J.J.” which meant “Jesus Juva” or “Jesus help me.”
It is said that he ended each composition with “S.D.G.” which meant “Soli Dei Gloria” (To God Be the Glory Alone) or “Soli Dei Gratia” (By God’s Grace Alone).
Perhaps Bach meant for S.D.G. to stand for both.
The Lord has a way of using music to bypass our defenses; He has a way of using music to touch us where we need to be touch.
Does this song in Isaiah 5 touch us tonight?
Does this song have a message for us Christians today? It certainly does.
Application
Application
First, we must heed the warning of this song because we can be cut off just as Judah was cutoff (Rom. 11:19-22).
First, we must heed the warning of this song because we can be cut off just as Judah was cutoff (Rom. 11:19-22).
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
Second, we must take note that our advantages as Christians are greater than the advantages given to Judah (Hebrews 10:28-30).
Second, we must take note that our advantages as Christians are greater than the advantages given to Judah (Hebrews 10:28-30).
28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
Third, we must examine our fruit (Galatians 5:19-25).
Third, we must examine our fruit (Galatians 5:19-25).
The fruit of the flesh is apparent.
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The fruit of the Spirit is also apparent.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
The fruit we bear is a sure indication of who we are.
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Fourth, we must abide with Christ and bear much fruit (John 15:1-5).
Fourth, we must abide with Christ and bear much fruit (John 15:1-5).
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Conclusion
Conclusion
[PRAYER]