Thursday: Ominous Love Song
(Isa. 5:1-7)
Read the song in the above verses. (Isaiah 5:1-7) What is the meaning of this parable?
God explains the meaning of the parable only at the end, in verse 7.
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
By using a parable, He helps the people to look at themselves objectively in order to admit their true condition. God effectively used this approach with King David (see 2 Sam: 12:1-13). By calling this a “love-song” (NRSV), God reveals at the outset His motive toward His people. His relationship with them originates from His character, which is love (1 John 4:8). He expects a response of love in return. But instead of “grapes,” He gets “wild grapes,” which means, in the Hebrew, “stinking things.”
What does the Lord mean when He says in Isaiah 5.4-5, Isaiah 5:6, NRSV).
When we sin, God does not immediately cut us off from Himself by removing His protection and destroying us. He patiently gives us an opportunity to receive forgiveness (see 2 Pet: 3:9). He does not cut off anyone who responds to Him. He appeals as long as there is hope for a response. He does not immediately take No for an answer, because He knows we are ignorant and deceived by sin. But if He gets nowhere with us, He ultimately acknowledges our choice and lets us remain the way we have chosen to be (see Rev: 22:11).
If we persistently reject God’s appeals through His Spirit, we can eventually pass the point of no return ( Matthew 12.31-32). Turning away from Christ is dangerous (Heb: 6:4-6). There is only so much God can do, because He respects our free choice.
| Take the concept found in Isaiah 5:4, about “What more could have been done to My vineyard,” (NKJV) and look at that in light of the Cross, where God offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, paying with His flesh for our violation of His law. What more could have been done for us than what He did there? How does dwelling on the Cross give us assurance of salvation and motivate us to repent and change our ways? |
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When I read the parable of the vineyard, I immediately thought about old orange orchards that I have seen. Most orange trees are grafted trees. That is, the root tree is different to the fruiting tree. They do this for a variety of reasons, one being that the trees are more robust and resistant to root fungal diseases. In our area one of the popular root stocks was a citrus known as trifoliata. Trifoliata is a weedy tree with long 75mm sharp thorns. In an orange orchard, all those beautiful navel orange trees are grafted on to trifoliata stock and you would never know it because the graft is only 15cm above the ground. The Trifoliata produces no branches and leaves of it's own. All the leaves and the fruit are produced by the grafted navel orange tree.
However, left to its own devices, the trifoliata will produce what are known as suckers from its roots that will take over the fruiting tree if not cared for producing lots of thorny spikes and no edible fruit. I have seen old orchard that have fallen into disuse and they look quite awful.
Perhaps the orange orchard illustration does not quite fit, but it does illustrate the tension between our allegiance to God and our tendency to do evil (or our neglect for doing good). We can flourish only when we allow the orchardist to tend us to ensure that the "suckers" do not take over. The difference between the orchard parable and real life is that we are not passive like plants. We actively make choices to allow or disallow the orchardist to tend to our needs and care for our upkeep.
And to end the year I quote this verse, read by King George VI in his Christmas speech 1939 at the beginning of World War II. He had been directed to the poem by his then 13 year old daughter, the current Queen Elizabeth II. Given our current circumstances, it is still relevant.
God is so patient to His vineyards(people) in that He does everything so as they produce good grapes (fruits Galatians 5:22_23)but if they produce wild grapes instead, He give them a chance and if they don't respond positively,He will sadly destroy them and let no any rain to rain over them ie God will harden the hearts of those who negatively respond to his expectations( Revelation 21: 11) Thanks
Isaiah 5:4-6 - Throughout the Scriptures, to establish Righteousness is the focus of the Father’s concern for mankind; instructing us that Righteousness cannot be found outside of His Will.
Isaiah 5:4 – Do we not ask ourselves the same question: ‘what could I have done differently’? God asks this question knowing the most hidden thoughts and secrets of the heart of His children Israel; He knows there was nothing else left to give to motivate them to turn to Him, love Him and live their lives in righteousness according to His Will.
What are the consequences of unrighteousness? The dimmed sight cannot see them cleary; some in this world find wealth and power in unrighteous living, some are destroyed by it; some find it serving them just fine as a means to an end, and others are crushed by the unrighteousness of others. It *appears* that even a life of unrighteousness can produce winners and losers.
But the world has received God's standard by which to know ‘Righteousness’ and so can calibrate their acts by it. The Spirit has gone out to all the world, and I believe that all the believers are now considered to be the vineyard of the Lord; He prunes as He finds need to do so, and the faithful would not want it any other way – Prov.3:11,12KJV.
His pruning takes away that which hinders the vine's fruitfulness, that which does not contributing to the growth and health of the plant; why would the believer reject this? If the old stock, the living in our old nature, should take over the living in our new nature, would we not be happy to have it ‘cut-out’ from us and so become productive in the power of Light and Life within us?
The Father has planted a new vineyard where the Fruit of the Holy Spirit can flourish with abundance – the Father has provided and planted a new vine from which righteousness grows!
John 15:1-27KJV –
v.1-5“I AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in Him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
Maurice, may I borrow from you this line item that you make mention of? '(left to its own devices, the trifoliata will produce what are known as suckers from its roots that will take over the fruiting tree if not cared for producing lots of thorny spikes and no edible fruit)'. I have often seen this to be so true. Too often we as individuals will carry our own ideas and or ideology that will eventually leads to our own demise and destruction. Is it any wonder then that we must ask God to completely build a hedge around us that we can unlearn the things we hold un to that is not salvific!
Certainly - you are welcome to.
What is it about human nature, why do I feel that because the LORD pointed out Judah's lack of good grapes it gives me the right to generalize and accuse everyone in our community of faith of problems while implying it doesn't apply to me?
I must confess it makes me feel superior, I am like the gatekeepers of the temple keeping out the unclean.
What does the LORD have to say to me? Remove the beam in my own eye before pointing out the splinter in their eyes. If I have a issue with another first go to them personally to try and work it out before bringing it to the whole church. Be specific and work together to solve the problem.
But most of all examine my own heart, why do I point the finger? The LORD did it because He loved His vineyard so much and He wanted them to love Him back.
And say, Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite. Ezek 16:3.
Here the Lord described who were the Israelites from the beginning of time. Abram and Sari. Then they had a child of the promised, then grandchildren, then great-grandchildren and the genealogy continued. The Israelites were the youngest nation in their time with nothing. The Lord had chosen them and made the nation into what was expected, and to a light to all the other nations. They were supposed to be the blue print of his government in all areas of their lives, but they departed from his ways and follow after other gods and forgot who had brought them through all their sorrows. Ezek 16:1-63
Being an immigrant I met a lot more immigrants from other countries who are/or supposed to be SDA. To be here was a very difficult road for many. Prayers, fasting and supplications many days/night. Now some have forsaken the God who brought us and turn away from him. Some have become the very Israelites we are warned about.
A few yrs ago I was praying for my child who had departed from Jesus. As I was praying and asking the same questions- what did I do that was wrong in the training. I heard the answer- the child did not rebelled against you, but against me. When I heard those words, I began to pray even more. To rebel against God is to find ourselves in a difficult position.
“Ominous Love Song” indeed, extends on the theme of choices and consequences. In John 15, Jesus stated clearly the positive consequences of abiding in him -
the “true vine”: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (Verse 5) “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (Verse 6)
Then in John 15: 9: He assures us of his love and invites us to continue in his love: “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue in my love.”
Let’s abide in Jesus: He loves us with an everlasting love. He does not desire to see us perish.
I see grace that God knows we are born into a sinful world and yet He still "looks for" us to fruit with a delicious crop (Is 5:2). The Lord of the vineyard seems to "expect" to have a loving relationship with those He blesses. Why don't more people have a deep gratitude? Why the wild grapes of ingratitude?
In 2010-2011, I was blessed to volunteer travel for 5 1/2 months through New Zealand, Cambodia, and Thailand. I wish I could share some pics of the smiles on faces. A family in the sugar fields in Thailand sweating with machetes and bundling the heavy canes all for $2 a day. So poor for that country too. They're sincerely beaming with joy. Getting a massage in Cambodia was $6 an hour or $12 for 2 hours. (American massage is $80 an hour.) So poor. Yet I recall seeing the provider biking later that day with a wave to me and a radiant smile on his face.
I understand why Jesus said it is difficult for the rich to walk with God (Matt 19:23-26). Comfort seems to lead to complaints. Ease segues to boredom. Having so much materially seems to isolate us in our cars and suburban homes and we forget how to live in community. Concern for maintaining our "stuff" and watching "news" overtakes concern for those in our own neighborhoods and towns who are struggling. In fighting for important personal freedoms we've extended it to selfishly making unfair demands on others and not thinking of our collective welfare.
In our Scripture for today I hear the Lord of the vineyard asking, "I am your Creator. What about My rights?" Has our culture passed the point of no return? Can the rich in things recognize they're poverty-stricken in spirit? In a nation reaping a bitter harvest of gluttony what sweet nutritious fruit of love and obedience has God planned for me to bear? For us to bear?
This verse expresses Gods love and goodness 👇🏿
Exodus 34:6
```“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”```
That is the God we serve all we need to do is respond positively to Him. He truly loves us and wants us to be saved.
The sacrifice of Christ on Calvary's cross is a demonstration of His ultimate and unmatched love for us ...for me. Rather than immediately walking away or cutting me off, when I am betrothed by sin, He demonstrates His character of love ...of justice and love, by allowing additional "grace time", for my acceptable response to Him. Psalm 36:5-6
May we, during these difficult times, not be deceived by the entrapments of the enemy, but rather, yield in response to the patient appeal of our life-giving Lord.
I choose your free gift, Dear Lord.