The Old Testament reading from this week’s Sunday Lectionary brings us to the Prophet Isaiah. In this passage Isaiah gives a sort of song, or lyrical poem describing God and His relationship with the nation of Israel. Let’s take a look, and see what we can learn from this brief passage.
Isaiah begins in verses 1 and 2, introducing God by the name of Well-beloved and Beloved. As he goes on in this poem, Isaiah describes a grape vine that God cherishes, and takes great care in planting. He prepares the ground, clearing it of any stones or other objects that would hinder its growth. God builds a wall around the vineyard, with a tower, a winepress, everything to make it an ideal place to grow choice grapes. But what happens? It doesn’t grow choice, sweet grapes. It grows sour ones. What a disappointment! Most of us have probably at one time or another bought grapes from the market, expecting a sweet, delicious treat, only to taste one and find it sour. This is what God found with the vineyard He had planted and tended.
As we proceed on to verses 3 and 4, our speaker is now the Lord God, as He talks about His vineyard. He is speaking to the nation of Israel, and asks them to bring a judgment. Is there anything else He could have done to ensure a good crop of grapes? He had done everything possible, and yet the grapes were inedible. What was God going to do to this vineyard? Verses 5 and 6 explain. He wasn’t going to continue caring for vines that produced wild, sour grapes. God gives a very graphic description of how He will tear down the vineyard, break the walls, the hedge, trample it all to the dirt. He will not maintain it, nor water it with rain. Very drastic.
It’s when we get to verse 7 that we see what this poem or song is all about. As we have seen, God is the owner and planter of the vineyard. What we learn is that people of Israel are the vine. Several times throughout the Old Testament the people of God were described as vines, planted by the Lord God. God desired that the Jewish people would grow and flourish, as His children and representatives to the Gentile nations. They had His laws, they had His Word, and had been witnesses to His love, miracles, and deliverances throughout the ages. What had happened? Instead of being good grapes, why now are they bad, wild grapes?
Israel had turned its back on obeying God. They neglected the poor and instead, exploited and oppressed them. They were not a morally right or fair nation, but were instead a selfish people. And just as important, instead of being a blessing to the world as God had intended, they hated other people, the Gentile nations. Many of the people even had turned to worship other false gods, or mixed their worship of the true God with that of false gods. Instead of being good grapes, all God saw in them was sour grapes.
Because of their persistence in disobeying Him, and practicing idolatry, God was going to tear down this vineyard He had planted. He was going to take away the protection He had given the nation, and foreign enemies would come and trample her underfoot, which happened when Babylon overthrew the nation and took the people into captivity.
The Lord God, as the Vineyard Owner, had done everything possible for a good harvest, but still got only sour, useless grapes. God had done all He could to have a godly, holy, righteous people, but they still did not live for Him. They were bad grapes, bad fruit.
What kind of fruit are we bearing for Jesus? Are we bearing good fruit or bad? Jesus said “By their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:20) We need to serve the Lord in truth and righteousness. We need to be a good grape!
I like your thought for this meditation.
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