MEDITATIONS FROM ISAIAH

 

October 26, 2005

Reading: Isaiah 5:1-7

 

“What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Isa 5:4

My soul, think upon this question asked by the Lord of Hosts. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Great I AM who led Israel out of bondage and established them as a nation and whom He called “My people,” asks “What more could have been done?” He did everything: “He dug it up and cleared out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, and also made a winepress in it.” He prepared it, planted it, protected it, and processed it, but the result was that it produced nothing but “wild grapes.” The expectation was it would bring forth good fruit, fruit that would please the Husbandman and make the finest of wines for His pleasure. All the preparation in the world still produced wild grapes, fruit fit for burn pile.

What more could have been done? Once more this simple allegory points to your Savior for He is the answer to this question. God answered His own question by sending His only Son who said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” John 15:1. You are not the vine—He is. Do not think more of yourself than you should. If you know Jesus as your Savior you are a branch, an outgrowth of Him. The vineyard has the same Husbandman as in our text but the Vine is different. The expectation is “that it may bear much fruit.” The Husbandman cares for the Vine by pruning it so it will bear “more fruit.” If the fruit is good the Husbandman will do what is necessary to obtain a maximum yield. The only difference is Jesus, the True Vine.

Soul of mine—what fruit do you yield? Is it that which is expected or is it “wild grapes?” If it is bad fruit it will be cut off and destroyed. If, however, it is good fruit, that which is expected from a branch of the True Vine, it will receive the nurture and care of the Husbandman.

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” Gal 5:19-25.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light’" Eph 5:8-14.