Have you ever toured or visited a vineyard? It’s been a while for me, but I enjoy knowing that nature produces fruit that can be cared for by people and then turned into delicious wine. I recently met a man online who calls himself a wine expert. He has a business educating people about wines, and he lives very near to one of our children in the United States.
The vineyard in our reading today is a bit different in that it symbolizes God’s people. When we first encounter this passage, it seems to be a love song, yet it’s not between two lovers. It may take just a moment to realize the singer is Isaiah, singing to the God he loves about God’s true love, his people (the vineyard). Isaiah gives God all the credit for planting a wonderful vineyard, preparing it perfectly on fertile soil. As I understand it, establishing a vineyard is a lengthy, involved process. It’s nothing like planting a bunch of vegetables in your garden.
Like any good vineyard owner, God “waited for a harvest of sweet grapes.” We know from Jesus own words in Matthew 7:20, “Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” You can imagine the disappointment God felt when he realized “the grapes that grew were bitter.” His own creation, the children he loved so much, were bearing bitter, nasty tasting fruit. What had gone wrong? How would God respond?
The narrative changes in verse 3. God challenges them by asking, “What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done?” Do you think the people of Judah recognized themselves in the story yet? We may take failures in our own life, scratch our heads, and wonder what more we could have done. Many times, we find ourselves beating ourselves up for mistakes we have made. While God does not make mistakes, we make plenty. The bitter grapes were not his fault. When we err, we need to take a step back, brush off the disappointment, and look at what we can learn from the situation. Too many times people just let their mistake be without using it as a learning opportunity. Can you remember the last time you slipped up, goofed up, or just plain failed at something? What did you learn from it?
These verses serve as a bit of an introduction for the section to come that will include “woe oracles.” For now, we see a bit of how God responded to the bitter grapes here. God’s intention was to tear the vineyard down, let it go wild. In other words, he’s going to let his people see what it’s like to live without his protection. He’s going to withhold his blessings and his riches. The people are going to lose their privilege much like a child in “time out” is removed from favor to think about their actions.
If there was any question who Isaiah was speaking of in terms of this vineyard, he clears it up for us in verse 7. “The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence.” We see that sweet grapes meant righteousness and justice. Unfortunately, that’s not what was found in reality. Think about our world today? Are we bearing bitter fruit?
Take sometime today to reflect on what God sees in your heart. Are your actions drawing you closer to him?
Let’s pray … Lord, I thank you for how you are cultivating peace and joy in my life. Despite all the nastiness in our world, I sense you and know you are near. That brings me peace and my joy overflows. I know that others are struggling in so many ways. Use me in what ever way you see fit to bring your light into this world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
