Isaiah’s Remit: Isaiah 1-6 (5)

Pray Psalm 80.14-18.
Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine
And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.
It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
Then we will not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

Read Isaiah 5.

Reflect.
1. How had the people of Judah and Jerusalem failed in their calling as the people of God?

2. How does bringing judgment against His people cause the Lord to be exalted (v. 16)?

Meditate.
This chapter is composed as a song. God frequently uses song to communicate with His people. Song engages both the mind and the heart, as well as bodily strength, and can thus be quickly learned and easily recalled. God wanted to make sure His people understood why they were being taken away into captivity (v. 13), and this song of lament and woe would have done the job.

The people would have sung this song on their journey into captivity and upon arriving in Babylon. This song – of lamentation, woe, shame, and punishment – is a far cry from that which the faithful but persecuted Cherokee sang – “Lead On, O King Eternal” – as they were force marched from Georgia and Tennessee to Oklahoma along the Trail of Tears. That song gave hope, while the song of Isaiah 5 brought only condemnation and woe.

God expands on the vineyard image which He used in chapter 4. He was looking for specific fruit from His people, and He got just the opposite instead (vv. 1-4). What else could He do but to clear the ground and let it return to thorns and waste (vv. 5-7)?

Instead of multiplying the fruit of righteousness unto the Lord, the people had occupied themselves with material gain, leisure, and sensual diversions (vv. 8-12). Having become captive to sin and self-indulgence, God would send them into captivity to Babylon, depriving them of the blessings of His land and presence, and turning them over to their own choices (vv. 13-17).

Verses 18-22, with their repetition of “Woe,” make it clear that this sojourn in Babylon is not going to be a vacation on the Tigris. The people have rejected God and His Law (v. 24); therefore, He will reject them as His people (v. 25). They will fall into the hands of a powerful, pitiless foe, and be transplanted into the land of darkness – an appropriate place for those who chose darkness rather than light, and captivity to lust rather than the freedom of God’s Word.

Prepare.
1. Why does God use song at times such as we have seen in Isaiah 1-5? How does song contribute to or affect your faith? Can you give an example?

2. God was seeking the fruit of righteousness from the vine of Israel. What fruit is He seeking from us (Jn. 15.1-8)? Will He sit idly by if that fruit is lacking?

3. Meditate on Hebrews 12.3-11. Should we expect God to discipline His people today? Why? To what end? How does this exalt and glorify Him? 

See then how very bad sinning is, that they may be delivered to Satan, who holds captive the souls of those forsaken by God—though God does not forsake without cause or judgment those whom he has abandoned. For when he sends the rain for the vineyard and the vineyard bears thorns instead of grapes, what else will God do except order the clouds not to sprinkle rain on the vineyard? Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD), Homilies on Jeremiah 1.4

Lord, I know You are seeking fruit from me today, so help me to…

Pray Psalm 80.
Since the focus of this chapter continues on the Lord’s vine, we’ll pray Psalm 80 again, seeking the Lord to revive us and restore His vine to fruitfulness.

Sing to the Lord.
Psalm 80 (St. Theodulph: All Glory, Laud, and Honor)
O God of grace, restore us, and shine on us Your face!
O save us, Lord, work for us; renew us by Your grace!
Give ear, O gracious Savior, Who leads us as Your flock:
Stir up Your pow’r and favor, our King and Lord and Rock!

How long will You ignore all Your people’s fervent prayer?
Shall bitter tears fall ever? O Lord, renew Your care!
Our neighbors mock and scorn us, they laugh at our distress;
Renew, O Lord, and turn us, look down on us and bless!

You set us free from sin, Lord, and planted us in grace;
We rooted in Your strong Word have spread from place to place.
Our shadow covered mountains, our branches reached the sea;
Your grace flowed like a fountain of life, abundantly.

Now You in wrath have spoken and bruised Your chosen vine.
We languish, Lord, are broken by wrath, deserved, divine.
Once more, Lord, hear our pleading: return and heal this vine!
Look down on us, so needy, and show Your love divine!

Though we be burned and perish because of Your command,
Revive us, Lord, and cherish this son of Your right hand.
Then let us not return to our sinful, selfish ways,
But call on You and learn to surround You with our praise.

T. M. Moore

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