A Love Song Gone Wrong

Introduction

What are some of your most favorite love sons?

Ours: Walking Her Home (Mark Shultz)

What about those country love songs that end up terrible (i.e. he/she left me, cheated on me)

Today we are going to look at such a love song in Isaiah chapter five. I am told that if you read it in the original Hebrew language you will find it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written… according to someone’s humble opinion

This “love song” is a song between God and His chosen people, Israel. It can and should be a warning to us (i.e. learn from the mistakes and sins of others)

A love song between God and His chosen people (5:1-30)

A Love Song Gone Wrong

A Love Song about Sour Grapes (vv. 1-7)

Explanation

“My beloved - Jesus

He is the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world

mankind is meant for a relationship with God. We don’t work right without God in our lives.

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden separated themselves from God, creating all sorts of problems. Sin, like a computer virus, came into the world, now there needs to be a Savior, because it is impossible to save ourselves. Judah and Israel could not save themselves.

A vineyard on a very fertile hill

Refers to the house of Israel (whole nation)

Had the perfect soil in which to grow

Gave it protection, everything it needed to produce and the best vines

God gave more than everything needed for them to flourish spiritually and physically

Christ even protected Israel with a watchtower, representing God’s protection over her

God’s promise to Israel prior to entering the Promised Land Deut. 11

Sour Grapes

Fit only for composting

Israel was to be a bright light to the world by producing fruits of righteousness (right-living) and to glorify God. Instead they were a terrible testimony, fit only to be destroyed like the rest of the world

Illustration - Our Grape Vines - rust from cedar trees (show picture)

Application

Israel’s Problem (what got them to where they are at?)

2:6, 8 - They failed to keep themselves pure

c.f. Josh. 9:16-21 the Gibeonite Deception

They sought after worldly things

Note: God’s leading of Israel from Egypt to building a golden calf was just a few short months

How easy is it for us to stray from God?

Stool illustration: it’s easy for us to go the way of the world, harder to remain holy and righteous

What would our Lord’s love song be for you? Wild grapes or sweet reproducing edible grapes

Are you ready and available to be used by God or are you worthless to Him?

Explanation

Questions for discussion (v 4)

What God will do (discipline) vv. 5-6

Syria - first invasion (Judges 3:7-8)

Northern Kingdom - Assyria (2 Ki 16:5-9)

Southern Kingdom - Babylon (Jer. 52)

Note: The middle east is still a desolate looking place

No more rain - for over 1k yrs the fall and spring rains did not fall

Why did He do this? B/C He loves His people and desires for them to repent and turn back

Application

Note the similarities today in v 7

Do we have true justice and righteousness in our Nation and world?

Bloodshed

Outcry

What we can do for a nation that has become “sour grapes”

Pray for our leaders that they may come to know the Lord as their Savior and that godly leaders will seek God’s will in all they do

Not get caught up in the evil that is prevalent

Fulfill our mission mandate by being a bright light to our community by helping people know God who heals and restores

Six Woes

Join house to house and add field to field (vv. 8-10)

Action

Covetousness (lust of the eye)

Col. 3:5 “5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

Consequence

The rich will soon loose their material possessions

The Land will no longer produce what it use to

Note: God’s promise in Deut. 11 :11-12, 14-15 “11 But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, 12 a land that the LORD your God cares for...14 he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. 15 And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.”

The little man is forgotten about

Rich get richer and the poor get poorer

Carey, MS. Large farms and poor people

People in Isaiah’s day did the same thing

J. Vernon McGee “Anything to which you give yourself completely becomes your religion.”

Matt. 6:24 “24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

As believers, God loves us so much that He will do whatever it takes to bring us back to Him. Better to avoid God’s discipline by being watchful of whom are God is. Should be a big part of our prayer.

What are our idols: anything that takes up more of our time, energy, money and other resources over God (entertainment, money, possessions, our vocation/job, family, grandchildren)

How do we ensure we do not turn to idols

Time with God every day

Fulfilling the G.C. by discipling unbelievers/believers

Accountability brother or sister in Christ

Drunkenness and sins at a national level (vv. 11-17)

Action

Drunkenness and Pleasure

Seeking to fulfill their own desires and living as if God does not exist

Consequences

Future exile

Even the rich and important people will not have food

People will die (sheol)

Illustration: Jesus being nailed to the cross so that the person can go party

As a nation, we have lived as if God does not exist

We as a church must be careful to avoid the worlds ways.

Illustration: even a small drop of die colors an entire glass of water.

Our purpose on earth is not to live for pleasure and happiness, but to fulfill God’s will for our lives, no matter how uncomfortable it may be, and find our joy and happiness in God and His will.

We settle for second best when we do no less

Lies to promote their sin (vv. 18-19)

Action

They lie to cover up their sins so that they can keep on sinning

No shame or conscience

Consequences

See it today: Drag a General through court and convict him of something he never did just so some can promote their agenda

Saw it during the witch hunts

We do it when we do something we know is not right then attempt to cover it up with a lie or an excuse rather than confession to God and each other

Example: David and Bathsheba 2 Sam. 11, 12

“To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”

Confuse evil with good (v. 20)

Action

So they can keep on sinning

We all have a sense of right and wrong (God nature)

Consequences

No matter what you think is right or wrong, there is an absolute moral truth and to veer from that has earthly and eternal consequences

Our moral compass must point towards God’s Word. It is only then that God can bless us

To smart for their own good (v. 21)

Action

Prideful

Prov. 6:16-19 “There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18  a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. “

Note: Pride is #1

Consequences

1 Cor. 10:12 “12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed least he fall.”

Prov. 16:18 “18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

How to keep from this: Acknowledge our dependence on God and His Word and be willing to have a godly coach or mentor

Morally off course through drunkenness (vv. 22-23)

Action

Preferred wild drunken living over a sober just lifestyle

Consequences

Lose a sense of justice

McGee “No nation can long survive that drops so low in morals that it loses its sense of values.”

We as a nation are dangerously close to losing our strong influence in the world

What we can do about it

Be an ambassador for Christ

Be bold in sharing our faith

Teach others about the truths of Christ and His word to those we have a green light to do so

Make prayer for fellow believers, unbelievers we know and our nation a priority

Do the hard things as God places on our heart to do so

God’s Actions

Two “therefore” (vv. 24-25)