Song of the Vineyard

Isaiah 5 ESV

1 Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; 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 are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry! 8 Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land. 9 The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing: “Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant. 10 For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.” 11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! 12 They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands. 13 Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst. 14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure, and the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude will go down, her revelers and he who exults in her. 15 Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low. 16 But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. 17 Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture, and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, 19 who say: “Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!” 20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! 22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, 23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right! 24 Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. 26 He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come! 27 None is weary, none stumbles, none slumbers or sleeps, not a waistband is loose, not a sandal strap broken; 28 their arrows are sharp, all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs seem like flint, and their wheels like the whirlwind. 29 Their roaring is like a lion, like young lions they roar; they growl and seize their prey; they carry it off, and none can rescue. 30 They will growl over it on that day, like the growling of the sea. And if one looks to the land, behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened by its clouds.

Chapter 5 begins with a story that is intended to cause the listener to sympathize with the main character named Beloved. The Beloved gave his best effort to make his vineyard successful. He prepared a fertile location to plant the best vines. He ensured its safety and anticipated a great harvest to produce wine. But the vineyard produced wild grapes, literally "stink grapes." This fruit was sour, rotten, or both. The listener is invited to act as a witness to the situation and answer a number of questions. "What more could have been done?". The answer is, "Nothing more." Why did it yield wild grapes? There seems to be no logical answer.

Like any reasonable farmer, the Beloved began to dismantle the project. Thorns and weeds were allowed to flourish. The Beloved commanded the clouds to withhold rain. At this point, the listener should realize this is no ordinary story of a farmer, but rather, it is God. If God is the farmer, then what or who is the vineyard? God is the farmer, and the Southern Kingdom was initially a pleasant or delightful planting satisfying to God's heart. He sought Israel to be fruitful, but instead, they produced injustice and unrighteous acts.

Justice and the Character of God

Injustice and bloodshed have been some of the earliest sins immediately after the fall of Adam and Eve. It is part of our fallen lineage. The earliest examples of large scale judgment came from God's response to the evil treatment of others. God's covenant with Israel contained detailed laws concerning their treatment of each other. Some of these laws may seem foreign to our modern way of life; however, these laws were the distinct elements that the people needed to flourish in the covenant land. God revealed His holiness and justice through the Law. The people's neglect caused God to enforce His covenant discipline.

Woes Part 1

Chapter 5 includes a couple of groups of "woes". A person typically used this word in expressing lament over the death of someone at a funeral. Isaiah directs the first two woes toward two types of people:

Selfish land-grabber: This person is driven by acquiring more things, especially land. They accomplish this through oppression and perversion of the law via loopholes. Consider the potential harm that could have occurred to Ruth and Naomi.

Indulgent User of Substances: The use of alcohol has become an everlasting pursuit. They use alcohol for pleasure but have become so controlled by it that they can not see the reality of their sinfulness and God's covenant calling. God would enact his covenant discipline by withholding his blessing and allowing:

Exile

Scarcity of basic resources for life

Death

Their future will be destructive. God will be proven as holy and righteous when they experience the consequence of their sins. They will eventually have to admit that they were wrong, and God was right.

Woes Part 2

The second section contains four additional woes. They describe four kinds of people:

Those marked by falsehood. They become more enslaved in sin and eventually act arrogantly toward God.

Those who reverse God's commands: They ignore justice, holiness, and righteousness. They create a new morality that is a reversal of God's laws.

Those who think too highly of themselves: They reason and conclude that they are more right than God.

Those who are controlled by substances: They make being drunk their craft and eventually pervert justice because they lack the sobriety to care for justice according to God's ways.

Just as in the previous woe section, Isaiah predicts their future judgment. The destruction will come to them just as the Beloved brought destruction to the vineyard. And as we proceed in the book of Isaiah, we will come to know more about the surrounding nations that God allowed to subjugate Israel. Israel's future invaders are described in ways that ought to frighten the average person. In His mercy, God gave them an accurate picture of their future if they continued in rebellion.

God's Response to His Covenant Love - Discipline

Hebrews 12:5–14 ESV

5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

How might God discipline us today?

Conviction and guilt

Strong words of truth

Holding back his blessing

Frustration and unfruitfulness

Word of Caution - God never gives the discipline without identifying the sin. Can you identify your sin in these situations? If not, you ought to take up Job's attitude, who was blameless before God and endured the suffering that was not discipline. Job refused to enter into sinful living because of his situation and let God be God. He recognized that God was in full control of His life. He knew that God would have his best interest in mind when times called for enduring innocent suffering. Job 1:21

How do I know God is disciplining me?

Ask God to reveal it to you in His Word and Prayer - James 1:5

James 1:5 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Seek God in honest prayer and take an inventory of your heart - Psalm 139:23-24

Psalm 139:23–24 ESV

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Seek the advice of godly believers who know you - Proverbs 27:9

Proverbs 27:9 ESV

9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.

Ask God to make it clear in any way He chooses - 2 Samuel 12:1-14

What should I expect from God's discipline?

We can expect God to make clear the correct direction that we need to take.

We can expect to grow in maturity as we let God's discipline work it purpose in us.

We will be given a clearer picture of God's holiness and mercy toward us in His remaining faithful to the New Covenant.

How should I respond to God's discipline?

Listen carefully to the sin He is pointing out.

Recognize God's authority not only to establish what is right and moral.

Stop the wandering direction and return home to the gracious Lord.

Worship the Lord for his holiness and mercy.

Walk in humility so that your pride does not become the reason you require more discipline.

God disciplines us so that we will once again take up the path of covenant obedience. We don't obey God to love us. We obey God because He has shown His love toward us through Jesus.

Where's Jesus?

It is common for us to assume that Jesus or the Gospel is greatly missing from the Old Testament pages. However, we are reminded that Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. What ought we to recognize concerning Christ and the Gospel in this chapter?

God is still holy, and humanity is not. We are sinful, and anyone who is unwilling to recognize their sinfulness will never appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross. They will still be asking the question, "Why did Jesus sacrifice himself upon the cross?" We place our faith in Jesus Christ as the only solution for our sinfulness that causes us to be distant from God. Therefore, we enter into the New Covenant with God, who will always be faithful to us. He will love us enough to extend mercy and grace. He will love us enough to discipline us so that we can become the people He has created us to be in Christ and do the things he has prepared for us to do.