IS#07 A Harvest of Wild Grapes Isa 5@1-30

Intro:

When we read the Bible, we try to divide the Bible into sections with each section forming one coherent unit or thought. The chapter divisions does not necessarily mark a new section. Some sections occupy a few chapters (like the prophecies concerning the nations in Isa) and some sections occupy less than a chapter.

In this Bible study, the sections have been given to you in the Outline for Isaiah sent to you a few weeks ago. Usually a section is introduced by a new thought. Sometimes it is introduced by a new metaphor as in Isa 5 which we’ll learn today. At other times, it may be introduced by an important event (e.g. death of king Uzziah in Isa 6).

Today, we will see the use of a metaphor, a vineyard, to describe the reasons for the Lord’s judgment of Judah.

In Isa 5, Isaiah brings his introduction to a close. Once again, without transition, the tone shifts from hope to judgment.

As real as the future hope may be, the prophet wants his readers to know that apart from a radical change of behavior, the only way for that hope to be realized is through the fire of judgment.

Isaiah describes a vineyard that despite the farmer’s careful work produces only bitter grapes. (can’t be eaten; useless)

I. The Vineyard Song Isa 5:1-7

A. God’s Care for Judah Is 5:1-4

Isaiah 5:1 KJV 1900

1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

This is a song and the metaphor is a vineyard but the whole song is like an extended parable.

This song is not about the northern kingdom of Israel but about Judah as v3 will make that clear.

This song parable functions like Nathan’s parable to David intending to shock the reader at the end. Nathan’s parable started as a parable about a poor man with one lamb and a rich man with many. It ended with a judgment on David for his 2 sins of adultery and murder.

In v1, it begins like a love song but it continues as an accusation as the song proceeds.

Who is the singer? We need to begin with the vineyard which is referring to Judah as we saw earlier. The beloved then refers to the owner of Judah (“my beloved touching his vineyard”) who must be God Himself. This leaves the singer to be the prophet Isaiah.

It is not strange for Isaiah to call God his beloved because he has a deep love for God who gave him all the revelations in this book. Though Isaiah described God as the holy One of Israel, it doesn’t mean that Isaiah only sees God as only holy. He saw more of God than many of the other prophets which is why the book of Isaiah is so rich in theology.

Isaiah 5:2–4 KJV 1900

2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, And planted it with the choicest vine, And built a tower in the midst of it, And also made a winepress therein: And he looked that it should bring forth grapes, And it brought forth wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, Judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, That I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, Brought it forth wild grapes?

V2 tells us the care that God took to plant His vineyard, Judah. He expected Judah to bring forth good grapes but instead it brought forth wild grapes which are bitter and worthless. All the hard work had been to no result; all the hope had been in vain.

So we see now the song changing into an accusation.

v3-4 God asked Judah what can be done to her that God have not done. The answer is nothing. God has done everything for Judah. She was the most blessed nation of God but yet she didn’t bring forth good grapes but wild grapes.

B. God’s Judgment of Judah Is 5:5-7

Isaiah 5:5–7 KJV 1900

5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; And break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: 6 And I will lay it waste: It shall not be pruned, nor digged; But there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah his pleasant plant: And he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; For righteousness, but behold a cry.

In v5-6, the hearers being mostly farmers, would agree with what the Lord will do to His vineyard that produces bitter grapes. Such a vineyard is useless. In succeeding verses, the Lord will tell them what these bitter grapes are.

In v7, like the religious leaders to whom Jesus told the story of the wicked tenants (Luke 20:9–19), the hearers suddenly realize Isaiah is talking about them: “The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel.” (v7)

And he found oppression instead of justice and an outcry (not “cry”) instead of righteousness.

@@Application: the problem with the Jews is that they forgot that they don’t belong to themselves. They were redeemed from Egypt. But we all are redeemed from the slavery of sin to serve our rightful owner.

They are the workmanship of God and hence God has a right to have certain expectations of them. Moreover, God has done enough for them by rescuing them from Egypt and bringing them to the Promised Land.

II. The Woe Oracles against Judah Isa 5:8-24

Five specific behaviors are condemned in verses 8–24, each introduced with the word “woe.” This is a word associated with funerals.

The word “woe” is used in the same sense as our English word “alas.”

“Woe” is a word that speaks of sorrow, regret, and anger. A death lies ahead, all the more tragic because it is so unnecessary.

The woes describe the sins of the people in opposition to the Sinai covenant that God had called them to live .

In the metaphor of the Vineyard, the bitter grapes are sins which are here described as greed (vv. 8–10), self-indulgence (vv. 11–17), tempting the Lord (vv. 18–19), moral perversion (v. 20-21), and social injustice (vv. 22–24).

@@ The Bitter Grapes (Sins):

‘1. Greed

‘2. Self-indulgence

‘3. Tempting the Lord

‘4. Moral Perversion

‘5. Social Injustice

A. Greed Isa 5:8-10

Isaiah 5:8–10 KJV 1900

8 Woe unto them that join house to house, That lay field to field, till there be no place, That they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! 9 In mine ears said the Lord of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, Even great and fair, without inhabitant. 10 Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, And the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.

The first woe concerns their Greed.

The greed addressed in verse 8 is greed for bigger houses and more land. The rich man buys more and more land, dispossessing the former owners one by one until at last he lives alone on a vast estate.

This kind of sin was particularly offensive to God because in the Mosaic covenant God retained ownership of the land, giving it in the form of grants to his servants. These grants were not absolute possessions to be disposed of at will, but they were to be maintained in the respective families for all time ( Lev. 25:23–30; Num. 27:1–11).

In verses 9 and 10 God announces a punishment that fits the crime. Just as the rich man has dispossessed others, he will be dispossessed, and all the land he has acquired will produce almost nothing. Undoubtedly, the Exile is in view here.

B. Self-indulgence Isa 5:11-17

Isaiah 5:11–12 KJV 1900

11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; That continue until night, till wine inflame them! 12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, And wine, are in their feasts: But they regard not the work of the Lord, Neither consider the operation of his hands.

The 2nd woe concerns their Self-indulgence.

The “bitter grape” given most attention is the one of self-indulgence.

The real issue here is one of attention. Clearly, the God of the Scriptures is not opposed to physical pleasure.

It is giving attention to these things as if they are the only things that matter. Instead of giving primary attention to God and his “work” (Isa. 5:12), they are giving that attention to things that are all passing away.

Isaiah 5:13–14 KJV 1900

13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: And their honourable men are famished, And their multitude dried up with thirst. 14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, And opened her mouth without measure: And their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, And he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

Once again, the punishment fits the crime. As these wealthy and noble people have focused on what goes down their throats, the day will come when nothing goes down (v. 13).

And just as they have opened their mouths wider and wider to take in more, so death will open its mouth yet wider still and suck them all down (v14).

Note “hell” here means “grave”. The Heb. word translated “hell” here is šeʾol (often written in English as “Sheol”), which refers to the underworld. The Old Testament does not have a fully developed view of the afterlife. It is not the eternal abode but a shadowy, dusty place where the spirits of the dead exist.

Isaiah 5:15–17 KJV 1900

15 And the mean man shall be brought down, And the mighty man shall be humbled, And the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled: 16 But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. 17 Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, And the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

v15 clearly speak of the humiliation of the arrogant. These are the wealthy and mighty people who took advantage of the poor.

v17 depicts the poor sheep that once provided the expansive meals for “the rich,” now feeding quietly among the “waste places” of the rich.

C. Tempting the Lord Isa 5:18-19

Isaiah 5:18–19 KJV 1900

18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as it were with a cart rope: 19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, That we may see it: And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, That we may know it!

The 3rd woe concerns their Tempting the Lord.

This is an attitudinal sin that dares God to take action when they are sinning. These are people who delight in sinning, who seek out ways to do it more aggressively.

To justify their sins, they claim that if their sins are so bad, the Holy One of Israel will come and take action against them.

Christians who understand the long-suffering of God wouldn’t dare to tempt the Lord in this manner.

D. Moral Perversion Isa 5:20-21

Isaiah 5:20–21 KJV 1900

20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; That put darkness for light, and light for darkness; That put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!

The 4th woe concerns their Moral perversion.

Now it is not merely daring God to condemn sin. Rather, it is declaring that there is no such thing as sin.

Consequently, they have redefined for themselves what is right and what is wrong. And their definition of right and wrong is usually diametrical to God’s definition.

In asserting the right to define one’s moral values, they have actually revolted against the Lord.

E. Social Injustice Isa 5:22-24

Isaiah 5:22–24 KJV 1900

22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, And men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23 Which justify the wicked for reward, And take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! 24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, And the flame consumeth the chaff, So their root shall be as rottenness, And their blossom shall go up as dust: Because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

The 5th and final woe concerns their Social injustice.

This last sin links all of the sins together. They are great at what does not matter (like drinking wine) and neglect what does matter - justice (v23).

Why have they deteriorated to such a level so as to pervert justice? v24b tells us that it is because they have rejected God’s Word.

@@ Application: the most important truth in all these bitter grapes of sin is that how we treat each other is perhaps the most significant indicator of our relationship to God. 6 of the 10 cmdts have to do with our relationship to one another. You can’t be right with God unless you’re also right with men.

The sins mentioned here, greed, self-indulgence, tempting the Lord, moral perversion and social injustice begin and end with social injustice. It is essentially saying “my needs are all-important, and I have the right to meet them as I see fit.” This mentality takes God completely out of the picture.

III. The Military Defeat of Judah Isa 5:25-30

Isaiah 5:25 KJV 1900

25 Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, And he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: And the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, But his hand is stretched out still.

In these closing verses of chapter 5, the intimations of exile in the preceding verses are brought together and made explicit.

The vineyard has produced the bitter grapes of greed, self-indulgence, cynicism, moral perversion, and social injustice.

There is nothing left but to tear down the walls and call the animals in to trample the useless vines and strip off their leaves.

Isaiah makes it clear that the coming destruction is not merely because the Mesopotamian powers of Assyria and Babylon are so great. No, it is not these military and political powers to which Israel must come to terms. It is God’s moral character.

To underline this point, Isaiah uses a refrain he will repeat again several times in 9:8–10:4: “For all this, his anger is not turned away, But his hand is stretched out still.” (5:25b).

Isaiah 5:26 KJV 1900

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, And will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: And, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

Why are these great powers coming? They are instruments in the hands of God, being used to enforce the logical consequences of a continued pattern of covenant-breaking. They come in response to his signal “banner”; they respond to his “hiss” or “whistle” like obedient dogs (5:26).

Isaiah 5:27–29 KJV 1900

27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; None shall slumber nor sleep; Neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, Nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: 28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, Their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, And their wheels like a whirlwind: 29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, They shall roar like young lions: Yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, And shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.

In 5:27–29 Isaiah uses short, terse couplets to create a sense of urgency and impulsion. The great army comes on with unstoppable speed. Everything is in readiness, every weapon ready to be used against these people who have become God’s enemies (Is 1:24).

Isaiah 1:24 KJV 1900

24 Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, And avenge me of mine enemies:

Isaiah 5:30 KJV 1900

30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: And if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, And the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

The army will not just roar like a lion but like the waves of the sea. The sea was an element about which the Hebrews always felt uneasy.

But neither would there be any hope in the land, where they felt more comfortable. There would be only darkness and distress, the light of day being obscured by the clouds of battle.

@@ Application: the judgment on Judah teaches us an important truth: just as we cannot break the laws of nature and avoid the effects of that breaking, neither can we avoid the effects of breaking the laws of God.

@@ God is the Lord of history. And He is the Lord of those countries whom He used to accomplish His disciplinary purposes among His own people.

When the predicted destruction came, the believers were able to survive, knowing that far from having been defeated, Yahweh was behind all of what had happened.

Conclusion:

Romans 12:1–2 KJV 1900

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

@@ God has an intentional will for his people. He intends that they live in a certain way that is the result of a spiritual decision affecting how they conduct their bodies. This decision involves sacrifice, the conscious giving up of something to God, and it will lead them to live in ways that are contrary to the way the rest of the world lives.

If we surrender the supplying of our needs to God, we will no longer need to be grasping, self-serving people.

The world on the other hand, will please herself by satisfying all her desires at all costs and determining what is right and wrong for her.

However, we must be careful not to demand immediate results. While the exile of northern Israel occurred within Isaiah’s lifetime, the exile of Judah did not actually occur for another 150 years.