Isaiah 5: 1-7
I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.
“Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? Now I tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”
The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.
A Thought
God is asking the people of Israel and Judah what more that he could have done for them. God compares his people with the vineyard where God had provided the very best of fertile, cleared ground, a winepress and a watchtower for their protection. God wanted his people to be against evil, to carry out his work and to be righteous and just in their actions. Because of his vineyard producing only bad fruit, God says he will take away his protection and destroy his vineyard.
Our Prayer
Father thank you for your every provision for us to produce good fruit for your kingdom. Help us to fight against evil in our world today. Help us to sing praises to you; to be just and righteous in our choices while serving you and others. We ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
