Isaiah 5
There were many vineyards on the hillsides of Judea, and the people knew well the work needed to prepare the ground; plant a hedge, or make a wall around; set in the vines, trim and keep them well watered; often, a well was dug and a tower built over it, where they could watch that no harm came to the vines or grapes; and heavy presses were made ready to press the juice. The owner must also be very patient to wait a year, or more, for the fruit to grow. If after all, the fruit on the vines was small, sour grapes, the gardener would, be very disappointed.
The Lord told Isaiah to tell the people what is called “a song” of such a vineyard:
“My beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill; he fenced it, gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: And he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.” Verses 1, 2.
The “vineyard” here meant, was really people:
“The vineyard of the Lord—is the house of Israel.”
God told Isaiah to tell them this song, so that they would remember that He had been patient to care for their nation a very long time many hundreds of years; the “fruit” He “looked for” was “righteousness”; instead, they were unjust and dishonest to one another, and in place of joy there was crying (Verse 7). So His “fruit” was like “wild, sour grapes”, and He asked,
“What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done?” Verse 4.
None could answer His question; then He told what He must do to “His vineyard”: He would take away “the hedge and break down the wall”; it should not be trimmed or watered, but left for “thorns and briers” to grow there.
God told Isaiah to warn those who were dishonest, those who called the evils, “good”, and those who used much wine and strong drink; woe, or trouble, would come to them:
“Woe into them that rise up early ... . that they may follow strong drink.” Verse 11.
Because these people “despised the Word of the Holy One”, God said fierce nations should come against them (Verse 26).
Read the story of the vineyard in Matt. 21:33-4133Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. (Matthew 21:33‑41).
ML 10/19/1941