Isaiah 5:1-7
I read or herd somewhere the quote: “If you do not know what to say, just send me a song.” Music is something that all cultures have in common; music is used to express our feelings. The scripture from the Book of Isaiah is a love song, the prophet Isaiah is singing it on behalf of God…to Israel his people. In this song once again -as many other prophets have done it before and after- Isaiah uses the image of marriage to describe the relationship between God and God’s people. I will sing a song to the one I love, says, God in the song.
The prophet recounts in his song his tender care and hard work for the vineyard. The song also describes the preparation and cultivation of the land, the planting of the best stock of vines, and the construction of a protective watchtower and a wine press…all those are signs of love and care. But right before verse 2 ends, the love song suddenly turns into an elegy when the prophet sings about the vinedresser’s disappointment; despite the Vinedresser’s best efforts, despite his love and care the vineyard with the potential of a great harvest of good grapes, produces “wild grapes.” Grapes good for nothing.
Now, this is a metaphor and for those listening to the prophet’s message, just in case they did not understand, the prophet Isaiah interpreted the meaning of the song. What God was telling them is this: Israel, you are the vineyard on the fertile hillside described in the song.
The removing of the stones the prophet is singing about happened when God prepared the path for Israel to go out of Egypt to the promised land. He removed the stones represent the opening of the waters for Israel to walk on dry land; God removed the stones when He took care of Israel in the wilderness, providing Mana, water, meat and protection; God planted His vineyard/Israel with the choicest vines when He waited for all the generation who came out of Egypt to die, so only those who did not have Egypt in their hearts; those who saw and lived the miracles God did every morning could enter the Promised Land. The Watchtower Isaiah was singing about was the Law and the prophets and the priests who knew God’s will and had the responsibility to teach it to the people.
After reminding them what He had done for them, God asked the people of Israel and Judah to judge for themselves what they think should be done with the unproductive vineyard. Let us not forget that Isaiah is talking to farmers, farmers who have dealt with unproductive land before. Verses 3-8, give us a glimpse of God’s inward emotional frustration: “What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?”
The prophet makes this metaphor even more piercing by playing with words in Hebrew. This kind of literary device cannot be seen in our English translation. First, the sweet grapes that God desires, according to the prophet was justice, Mishpat in Hebrew, but instead of Mishpat, Israel produced mishpach, which means bloodshed. Close in pronunciation, sounds almost the same, but faraway in meaning. The second set of words the prophet presents to Israel is that God also anticipated righteousness, tsedeqah in Hebrew. but instead tsedaqah, he got tse‘aqah a “cry.” Tse‘aqah is the word we find in Exodus 3:7-9, the cry of the Hebrew people for the abuse of their taskmasters. So, they were doing to others what the Egyptians did to them.
Again, close in pronunciation, almost sounds the same, however is faraway in meaning. Within the context of Isaiah, one can easily discern the types of injustices, bloodshed and cry that Judah and Israel perpetrated. Do you remember last Sunday? We read Isaiah 1, and the prophet complained that Israel did not defend the cause of the widow and orphan (1:23), they forgot to worship the one and only God, and they worshiped in high places as other nations did (1:29), they oppressed the poor (3:14-15), they acquitted (acquitted) the guilty and deprived the innocent of their rights (5:23). That is the injustice God was watching.
Because of Israel’s behavior… what began as a love song turned into an elegy, a poem of lament. To the previous question, what God will do with His vineyard the answer God gives is: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”
This song/prophesy became reality when in the year 722 B.C, the Northern Kingdom was taken captive by the Assyrians and in the year 586 B.C the Southern Kingdom was also taken captive to Babylon.
Now, once again the question we should ask ourselves when we read the Bible: can this scripture from the 8th century BC still talk to us? does this ancient song have a message for us? I would say, yes, this song still talks to us because God has done for us, his church what He did for the ancient Israel.
As the ancient Israel we were slaves. According to the Bible we were slaves of sin, and God in Jesus made us free. Titus 3:3 says “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.” And in Ephesians 2:4 and 5, Paul says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” As He did for Israel, God also made us free as he did with Israel.
He is also our protector. John 17:15 reminds us Jesus’ prayer to the Father asking Him to protect us, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” When Israel was wandering in the wilderness, God protected them from all dangers; His presence was with them by day and by night. The same way He is with us, as Jesus assures us in Matthew 28:20, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
As He did with ancient Israel when “He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines and built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well.” He also provides for us and prepares our lives, so we can serve Him and others. Hebrews 13:20-21says, “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” God equips us with everything good for doing His will.
Jesus prepares our lives also with the gifts and presence of the Holy Spirit. Listen to 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Now, if God is taking care of us, His 21st century vineyard the same way He did with His 8th century BC vineyard, my sisters and brothers, He is expecting the same fruits from us. He is expecting good fruits; He is expecting good work, because we were created to do good work. Listen to Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Now, if you belong to Jesus; if you have been cleansed by His blood; if you are a new creation; if God called you in Jesus, you are God’s handiwork, you were created in Jesus to do good work. You were created to be His partner in the construction of His kingdom; you were called to be part of the team and not just a spectator. If you belong to Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit within you, and He -the Holy Spirit- has equipped you with everything good to do His will; and the gifts of the Holy Spirit will result in a gift for the common good of God’s people.
This common good is “for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up”, as Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:12. Therefore, my sisters and brothers all of us are builders. Builders of the Body of Christ; builders of our local church and builders of His kingdom. What a privilege we have!
Now, one more question, what are you going to do? what are we going to do with the equipment and gifts God has given us? With all the resources God has given us as His Church. What are we going to do with Redland/Silver Palm UMC with all the gifts of the Holy Spirit?. We must use them to do what is pleasant to Him; we must use them for the common good of his church.
In conclusion, Isaiah’s song begins with love and ends with lament. This reminds us, that privilege without obedience, resources without obedience leads to loss. This reminds us that God still calls His people to bear the good fruit of justice, mercy, and righteousness. When the church enjoys His blessings but neglects His ways—turning inward, tolerating sin, or ignoring the oppressed—it risks losing His protective favor. Like Israel, we are accountable for the fruit our lives and ministries produce, and God expects our worship to overflow into love for neighbor, care for the vulnerable, and a witness marked by holiness.
God has given us, personal and collectively everything we need to bear good fruit. Now is the time to cultivate the fruit he expects from us, so that when the Lord looks at this vineyard, He will find a harvest that brings Him joy.
Benediction.
May the Lord, the Master of the vineyard, plant you in the richest soil of His grace, water you with the streams of His mercy, and protect you with the hedge of His steadfast love.
May your life be filled with the sweet fruit of justice, kindness, and righteousness, and may the world taste and see that the Lord is good
because of the harvest He brings through you.
And may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
rest upon you and remain with you, now and always.
