A Useless Vineyard (Isaiah 5)

Isaiah 5:1–7 (ESV) — 1 Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!

Have you ever been frustrated with something you have done? Maybe you spent countless hours devoting yourself to a garden, fixing a car, or remodeling a house. Have you ever had all that work come up empty? It’s like trying to assemble a piece of furniture just to find out they didn’t send the part that makes it all work.

‌Our efforts can be fruitless in our jobs, relationships, and even spiritual endeavors. The text we are studying today tells us that God knows what you are going through. He, too, has committed himself to a losing venture. We might not think that God could fail at anything, but his failure is not unexpected. He foretold it long before it took place, and it’s not like he lost control somehow. This event is depicted in Isaiah 5 as a love song.

‌The Love Song For Israel

When we opened this text, we read that God was working hard with Israel. He created Israel like a farmer creates a vineyard. When God built the vineyard, he looked on YouTube, got a Masterclass subscription, and asked how to be successful. Not really. He’s God, so he already knew. But he did all the things the experts would have recommended. He dug it on a fertile hill and prepared the land by removing all the stones. When he looked for grape seeds, he found the best. He spared no expense. Then, he was so sure that it would be a great vineyard that he went ahead and built a watchtower and a wine vat amid the vineyard. He also set up two layers of defenses around the vineyard. When God plants a vineyard, he does it right. He devotes himself to the work. All that was left was to wait for the grapes to come. But, when grapes started coming, he noticed something troubling. The grapes were all wild. That means they were sour or acidic instead of the typical sweet taste. They were good for nothing.

‌Then, Isaiah starts to ask the people questions, much like Jesus would do in his parables. He wants to know what more he could have done. He went all in on making this vineyard and wanted it to be great. Why does it yield wild grapes? There is no fault in the vineyard keeper. He has done his part. It’s the vineyard itself. There is something wrong with it. ‌

So, in verses 5-6, he outlines his renovation plans. He tells them that he will remove its hedge and wall so it can be devoured and destroyed. The animals will come in, and people will walk across it without a care. Furthermore, it will be unrecognizable because he will stop pruning it and hoeing out the weeds. Then, he reveals that the vineyard maker is divine by saying he will hold back the rain to kill it.

‌Here’s What That Means

So, why is Isaiah singing this song? He wants Israel to understand that they are God’s vineyard. He has spent so much time providing them with everything they need to succeed, but they have become sour and wild. God was looking for good fruit, but he found something useless. It’s worse than that.

‌Isaiah 5:7 (ESV) — 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!

He worked to make Israel righteous and just, but they became the exact opposite. They turned evil and oppressive. Instead of glorifying God’s name, they ran it through the mud.

‌Woe, Woe, Woe

The rest of the chapter tells us more about what happened to these Israelites to make them useless to God. He gives us this list by stating what they do wrong with the word “Woe.” Woes indicate a rebuke and warn of a coming judgment.

Woe To The Greedy

Isaiah 5:8–10 (ESV) — 8 Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land. 9 The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing: “Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant. 10 For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”

First, he tells us that Israel became greedy. Instead of using what God has given them to serve others, they only wanted to use it to serve themselves. The text says they were trying to join house to house. Isn’t it amazing that people could receive such beautiful gifts from God and refuse to use them kindly and generously?

‌1 Timothy 6:17 (ESV) — 17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

Woe To The Drunk

Isaiah 5:11–12 (ESV) — 11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! 12 They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands.

I don’t talk much about alcohol because I don’t know many people with alcohol problems. But the Bible is clear about the dangers of alcohol and the wickedness of pursuing drunkenness. Those who pursue this are not useful to God. They have made their lives all about self-indulgence, and verse 12 says, “They do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands.” God didn’t pour his grace on them so they could overindulge in the benefits. He gave them everything they enjoyed so that they would bless God’s name like David did this morning.

‌Woe To Those Addicted To Sin

Isaiah 5:18–19 (ESV) — 18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, 19 who say: “Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!”

In this section, we have a picture of someone who is tying himself to sin. This person is intentionally and persistently involved in dishonest and immoral actions. The idea of drawing iniquity with cords of falsehood is like drawing from a well the evil thoughts and deeds. They have an endless supply.

‌Then, there is a picture of someone who is yoked to sin. They have bound themselves to pull a cart of sin and do not try to get loose. Instead, they just keep pulling that burden, enslaved and addicted.

Finally, he gives us a picture of them, saying, “Let him be quick.” This refers to their desire for God to give a swift judgment on the wicked so that they will know to stop sinning. They arrogantly think they can escape sin because they haven’t suffered consequences yet. So, they mockingly challenge God to come and show them his power.

‌We can see here that sin progresses to addiction and foolishness. God has done everything good for them; they have taken those blessings and done evil. Then, God patiently dwells with them and gives them time to repent, but they think God is too weak to bring judgment—woe to them and all who do the same.

Woe To The Perverted

Isaiah 5:20–23 (ESV) — 20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! 22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, 23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!

Here we have the last three Woes. He talks about those who call evil good and good evil. Is that not our situation today? We see this everywhere, thanks to social media and the media in general. People condemn everyone who has a sense of morality, and they promote some of the most vile practices. Notice that Israel had that as well. That’s not good fruit. That’s wild grapes.

‌Verse 21 says that they are wise in their own eyes. They think they know everything even though they have only lived briefly and know nothing. They are entirely ignorant. I love how 1 Corinthians says that the foolishness of God is wiser than man, and the weakness of God is stronger than man.

‌The last “Woe” goes to those who take a bribe. They let the guilty go free and refuse to give the innocent what is right.

‌We Are God’s Vineyard

In the New Testament, Jesus uses the same picture to discuss God’s people. There is a parable in Matthew 21:33-46 where God has created and owned the vineyard, but the workers refuse to give him the fruit. So, surprise, surprise, he will destroy them. Then, in John 15, we see Jesus talk about himself as the vine, and we are the branches. It takes the vineyard imagery to a whole new level. If Jesus is our vine, we have no excuse for producing wild grapes or not producing at all. He supplies us with all that we need.

‌We must look at ourselves and consider what kind of grapes we produce. Are our lives resembling Israel’s? These “Woes” show us what is wrong in Israel. Some of the sins are the sins that our nation is guilty of as well, but what about us?

‌What Do We Do With Grace?

The truth is that we have received even greater grace than Israel. God has provided us with every spiritual blessing he has ever promised, and we will have those blessings for all eternity.

‌Hebrews 10:14 (ESV) — 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

In offering Jesus, God has provided perfection. We can be made perfect through this one offering. He forgives and works with us to make us better than ever, sanctified and holy to God.

‌The expectation of God is given to us in verses 19-25 of Hebrews 10. He tells us to draw near God with faith, hope, and love. We should be stirring one another up to love and good works as we meet. That’s God’s plan for our lives.

‌But he also tells us that we can go in the opposite direction. We can receive the grace of God in vain. Listen to what the Hebrew writer says.

‌Hebrews 10:26–30 (ESV) — 26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

He says that some might choose to go on sinning wilfully after receiving the grace of God. They shouldn’t expect to have that sacrifice covering their sins. They should expect judgment. Just because grace was given at the point of obedience does not mean grace remains available to the wilful sinner. Isaiah 5 reveals judgments on Israel that are bad. They will experience Exile, Humiliation, and destruction. But reread verse 29 because it’s essential.

‌Hebrews 10:29 (ESV) — 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

What Is God After?

God wants his people to glorify and magnify his name on the earth. By doing this, his grace can spread to more people, and that evil can be overcome by good. Isaiah 5:24 tells us that they have rejected the law of the Lord and despised his word. His word is the bedrock upon which we must build our lives.

‌I did a little research on this, and it turns out that this happens when you don’t select the choice seed, don’t choose the right location, or when the vines start to cross-pollenate with other, more sour grapes. Based on all that we know, cross-pollination is the problem.