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God's Vineyard Isaiah 5
God's Vineyard Isaiah 5
In Isaiah 5 Israel is said to be the vineyard of the LORD. He built it. He provided protection by adding a wall. He planted choice vines. He tended it. YET, when "He looked for justice, behold, bloodshed, for righteousness, but behold, an outcry" (vs. 7). When He looked "for it to yield grapes" all He found was wild grapes or as Young called them "rotten grapes". "They were grapes that were bad, offensive, and unusable." (Edward Young, The Book of Isaiah, Logos Ed.)
To be specific in God's indictment Isaiah lists a series of 'woes'.
8 Woe to those who were greedy and materialistic.
11 Woe to those who were drunken party goers.
18 Woe to those who in sinful arrogance challenged the judgment of God.
20 Woe to those who called evil good and good evil.
21 Woe to those who were wise in their own eyes (and yet are ignorant of God's ways vs. 13).
22 Woe to those who were heroes at being drunk.
In an attempt to make application of this passage, one is strongly tempted to compare it with America today. Such phrasing does describe much of American society. This however is a faulty comparison for America simply is NOT God's people. Isaiah wasn't writing here about other nations and particularly not America. It is GOD's people of the Old Covenant that were living like that. "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting…" (vs. 7).
Today the church of Christ is the vineyard of the LORD. Jesus is the VINE the Father is the vinedresser (John 15:1). Jesus is the VINE and we are the branches (John 15:5). We are expected, as branches, to produce fruit (John 15:2, 8). As was Israel of old, God's people today are planted, nurtured, and cared for by the LORD. God yet expects His vineyard to produce the fruits of righteousness. God's people are to bring for fruits worthy of repentance (cp. Matt. 3:8). God's people are to have their lives filled with the fruit of the Spirit in all godliness and holiness (Gal. 5:22).
The good news is that when one tries to compare this with God's people today the parallel often fails. I know lots of brethren and they are not greedy, materialistic, arrogant, drunks that are full of themselves. They are living branches filled with the fruit of righteousness. God has called us unto a life of holiness and godliness. God's people have crucified the old man and have not put on Christ.
The bad news is that sometimes the parallel is valid for there are a few who have been converted only to return to their previous ways. As Peter wrote: "What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire" (2Pet. 2:22). For those who have been united to Christ but do NOT produce the expected fruit God has warned that such will be 'taken away', 'gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned' (John 15:2, 6).
Brethren, let us not be like Israel of old but rather let us produce fruit worthy of God's vineyard.
