OCTOBER 11, 2023 – WILDERNESS

READ: Is. 5:1-7

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry for help. – Is. 5:7

In a song, Isaiah sings about the relationship between the LORD and His people. He does so through a striking parable of a vineyard owner and his vineyard. Isaiah describes the LORD here as his Beloved, his Friend. This Beloved has a vineyard on a fertile hill. The preparations to yield good grapes are optimal: the location of the vineyard, the choice of vines, and the cultivation of the soil.

The vineyard owner has great expectations. He spares no effort or time to harvest good grape juice: He builds a watchtower to inspect the vineyard and a winepress to collect the grape juice. However, instead of good grapes, only sour ones come forth. What more can He do? And why did He expect good grapes?

With these questions to the people, Isaiah aims to lead them to self-awareness and confession of guilt. Compare this to Nathan’s parable of the ewe lamb to David, after he had caused Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, to be killed. David indignantly condemns the wrongdoer in the parable, thereby condemning himself. Now there is no answer from the people.

Then the LORD Himself speaks. He declares that He will destroy His worthless vineyard. He will remove the entire enclosure and let the plants become wild and withered.

The Almighty God then applies the parable to His people, whom He has given everything – love, care, and goodness. He expected good governance, where the weak were helped and justice was upheld. Instead, there was bloody rule: their blood was being shed. He expected righteousness, but there was perversion of justice. Would Judah repent now?

Can you also apply this parable to the New Testament church?

Singing: Ps. 80:9,10