Isaiah 5:1-16: a reflection

1Let me sing for my well beloved a song of my beloved about his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. 2He dug it up, gathered out its stones, planted it with the choicest vine, built a tower in the middle of it, and also cut out a wine press in it. He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3“Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, please judge between me and my vineyard. 4What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes? 5Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled down. 6I will lay it a wasteland. It won’t be pruned or hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.” 7For the vineyard of the LORD of Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression, for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress. 8Woe to those who join house to house, who lay field to field, until there is no room, and you are made to dwell alone in the middle of the land! 9In my ears, the LORD of Armies says: “Surely many houses will be desolate, even great and beautiful, unoccupied. 10For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield an ephah.” 11Woe to those who rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink, who stay late into the night, until wine inflames them! 12The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; but they don’t respect the work of the LORD, neither have they considered the operation of his hands. 13Therefore my people go into captivity for lack of knowledge. Their honorable men are famished, and their multitudes are parched with thirst. 14Therefore Sheol has enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, their multitude, their pomp, and he who rejoices among them, descend into it. 15So man is brought low, mankind is humbled, and the eyes of the arrogant ones are humbled; 16but the LORD of Armies is exalted in justice, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness.

Isaiah sings a song about a vineyard. The owner did everything for it: he dug it, cleared the stones, planted the choicest vines, built a watchtower, cut out a winepress, and then looked for it to yield good grapes. But it yielded only wild, worthless grapes. What more could I have done for my vineyard, the owner asks, that I have not done? And Isaiah reveals: the vineyard is God's people, on whom he lavished every care, looking for the fruit of justice and righteousness, but finding only oppression and cries of distress.

Notice the tragedy the song sets out: God did everything for his vineyard, and looked for fruit, but found wild grapes. The owner's care was complete; nothing more could have been done. And yet the vineyard, for all that care, yielded nothing good. God had lavished every advantage on his people, and rightly looked for the fruit of righteousness; but they yielded oppression and injustice instead. The grief of the song is fruitless yielding despite abundant care.

That song searches us, for God has done much for us too, and looks for fruit. He has lavished care on us, given us his word, his grace, every spiritual advantage; and he rightly looks for the fruit of righteousness and love in our lives. The question the song presses is whether we are yielding the good fruit he looks for, or only wild grapes, for all his care. Consider what God has done for you, and what fruit you are yielding in return. Do not receive all God's care and yield only wild grapes, oppression instead of justice, self instead of love. God has done everything for his vineyard; let it yield the good fruit he looks for, the fruit of righteousness and love, rather than grieving him, as the vineyard grieved its owner, with wild grapes despite all the care he has lavished on you.

Lord, Isaiah sang of a vineyard on which the owner did everything, digging, clearing, planting the choicest vines, then looking for good grapes but finding wild ones; and the vineyard was your people, on whom you lavished every care, looking for justice but finding oppression. Let that song search me, for you have done much for me too, and look for fruit. You have lavished care on me, given me your word, your grace, every spiritual advantage; and you rightly look for the fruit of righteousness and love in my life. The question the song presses is whether I am yielding the good fruit you look for, or only wild grapes, for all your care. Help me consider what you have done for me, and what fruit I am yielding in return. Keep me from receiving all your care and yielding only wild grapes, oppression instead of justice, self instead of love. You have done everything for your vineyard; help me yield the good fruit you look for, the fruit of righteousness and love, rather than grieving you, as the vineyard grieved its owner, with wild grapes despite all you have lavished on me. Make me fruitful, Lord, in return for your care.