10. GOD'S VINEYARD - Isaiah 5:1-7

 

How long will the Lord be patient wit those who will not live godly lives, especially those who make up the professing church? Such are blessed with so many privileges not enjoyed by the world at large, yet the required results of having such blessings does not always come. Surely the Lord will not continue forever blessing such people with these privileges, for the day of reckoning will come (Mt 3:10; 7:19).

 

Please Read Isaiah 5:1-7

NOTE: INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY QUESTION HERE: What is meant by the vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7?

 

Verse 1: Isaiah under inspiration of God is determined to sing a song, not to entertain but to teach. It is a song of lament. It is a song of warning and judgment to come. It is a song about his Beloved, his best Friend, one whom he truly loved. It is a song concerning his Beloved and His vineyard, Judah.

His Beloved took special care of His vineyard (cf 3:14), taking every precaution and doing all He could to ensure the best results. He put it on a hill to get the full benefits of the sun. It was a hill full of all the nutrients needed to produce the best grapes and so the best grapes were to be expected.

Verse 2: His Beloved gave to the vineyard the very best preparation and cultivation. He prepared the soil and removed all the stones so that there would be no difficulties for the vines to grow. He planted the very best vines (Jer 2:21) to get the very best crop. His Beloved even built a tower to oversee the vineyard in order to protect it from both pests and thieves.

Isaiah’s Beloved was expecting the very best of grapes and He had prepared a wine vat so that He could use the expected grapes. But what did He get for all His efforts? He got terrible grapes.

 QUESTION: How could this picture be used for the church today?

 

Verse 3: The hearers of this story are now asked, or rather are commanded to pass judgment on the vineyard. The Owner or the Beloved is set out to be God. This parable is presented to the people of Jerusalem and Judah to represent their own relationship to God. They are commanded to assess honestly their own state before God and to pass judgment upon themselves. Is not God’s assessment right and His judgment justified?

QUESTION: How is this passage similar to the case of Nathan and David?

 

Verse 4: God had done all that was possible to produce good grapes, but still they turned out rotten. Did not God bless these people with everything and yet they rebelled against Him? He had given them every blessing and privilege (Rom 9:1-5), yet they went their own sinful way.

QUESTION: What has God done for those who would inherit the Kingdom of God? How does this apply to those who bear no fruit?

 

Verse 5: Of what value then is this vineyard to the Beloved? It is now time for God to give His verdict on the vineyard, regardless of what mans opinion may be. It is of no value whatsoever and is to be destroyed as worthless. The Beloved is finished with the vineyard, so He will destroy it. He will remove its protection. He will bring down its walls and hedges and it will be destroyed by pests and animals (7:25). That is, Judah will loose all the privileges God had given them that they currently despised and face the open judgment of God.

Verse 6: The Lord will no longer work in His vineyard, but will allow it to be destroyed and turned into a wasteland. All blessings will be removed from the vineyard, even the rain (Ps 80:8-13).

Verse 7: Now the reason for the parable is made clear. God has blessed the people with everything they have needed. He has chosen them from out of all the nations to be His and blessed them with a multitude of blessings (Rom 9:4,5). He remained faithful to Judah but the people of Judah have abandoned Him.

The protection of the Lord is gone and now they stand at the mercy of invading armies. They will be overrun and trampled underfoot. The nation will be destroyed and become a wasteland (Is 7:23-25; 10:17). God will withdraw Himself from Judah.

The House of Israel was God’s particular delight. He chose Israel as the one for His special care and delight. He cared for it. It was this vineyard that He loved, tended and fought for. He waited for the fruit of His care and faithfulness - but what was there? There was a resemblance of good grapes, but it was deceptive. There was only a cry, only the appearance of good grapes. Outwardly they were the people of God, but inside they were rotten to the core. So God would destroy them.

QUESTION: Do you think that this passage is relevant to the professing church today? Why do you think this?

 

Individual Discovery

Does Isaiah 5:20 reflect in any way the situation that we find in the world today? Please explain your answer giving examples.

 

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17/10/2006

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