THE SONG OF THE VINEYARD WOES AND JUDGMENTS ISAIAH...

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THE SONG OF THE VINEYARD

WOES AND JUDGMENTS

ISAIAH 5:1-30

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The Song of the Vineyard

Woes and Judgments

Commentary

by

Ron Thomas

Text: Isaiah 5:1-30, 1. I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2. 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. 3. "Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4. 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? 5. Now I will 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. 6. 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." 7. 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. 8. Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. 9. The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. 10. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine, a homer of seed only an ephah of grain." 11. Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. 12. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands. 13. Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of under-standing; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst. 14. Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite and opens its mouth without limit; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. 15. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. 16. But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness. 17. Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich. 18. Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, 19. to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it." 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 clever in their own sight. 22. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, 23. who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. 24. Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25. Therefore the LORD's anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. 26. He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! 27. Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal thong is broken. 28. Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses' hoofs seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind. 29. Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue. 30. In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be darkened by the clouds. (NIV) Commentary:




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 will 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. (NIV) I. These seven (7) verses consist of poetic excellence!

A. “The fugitive rhythm, the musical euphony, the charming assonances in this appeal, it is impossible to reproduce. They are perfectly inimitable” (Keil & Delitzsch, E-Sword). B. “It is in fact an outstanding example of the way the inspiring Spirit employed human language to convey the divine message” (Grogan. p. 47).

II. In the land of Palestine, the imagery here is vivid (5:1-2).

A. Isaiah 5:1-2, 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. (NIV) B. Where rocks and dirt is the landscape, the Lord paints a picture much more ideal.

1. So the ground is nurtured and all that comes forth from it is something other than what was planted. 2. Hailey describes an idyllic scene; the ground is prepared after much work had been done; the location of the prepared ground is ideal, the sun reaching it on all sides (p. 63). 3. The ground is prepared, the crop planted, and the fruit that came forth was not what was planted at all!

C. What more could the Lord have done than what He did to get the proper fruit (5:3-4)?

1. Isaiah 5:3-4, "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? (NIV) 2. This question leaves open all sorts of answers.

a. The only correct answer is that the Lord had done all that was needed to accomplish the purpose. b. It might have been that some of the people were expecting more, but that was frivolous.




i. The fickleness of people is remarkable.

c. In order to appease a conscience, one will come up with something that seeks to lay blame on another (in this case the Lord); in order to appease the conscience, one will simply redefine what is right; in order to appease the conscience, one will not allow knowledge to find a home.

D. Because the Lord did all that was necessary (more than necessary), and nothing was produced that was planned and planted properly, the Lord will tend to the matter in His own way (5:5-6); “Since the vineyard had not produced in spite of all the husbandman had done, he had no alternative but to remove his protection and leave it to its fate” (Willis, p. 130). This is a great comment!

1. Isaiah 5:5-6, Now I will 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." (NIV) 2. The Lord’s activity is so unknown to mortal man; he thinks that by his own virtue, good and sound judgment, that good will result in the places he resides. 3. So many fail to consider that the Lord is in control and when He removes His protection the field is quickly run over by weeds. 4. The application (5:7) is that this will be the final end of the people of Israel.




a. The Lord prepared His people, and they produced a product the Lord did not recognize. b. Isaiah 5:7, 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. (NIV)

Isaiah 5:8-23, Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine, a homer of seed only an ephah of grain." Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands. Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of under-standing; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst. Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite and opens its mouth without limit; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness. Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich. Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we




may know it." 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. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. (NIV) I. The Lord did not recognize the substance of the crop.

A. Land greed seems to plague some people (5:8-10).

1. Isaiah 5:8-10, Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine, a homer of seed only an ephah of grain." (NIV) 2. “What is denounced is the selfishness of vast accumulations of land in single hands” (Rawlinson, p. 79).

B. It has been noted that Isaiah speaks nothing about an improper acquiring of the land in accordance with lawful methods, but he does speak against it because, as he certainly knew, it was a land that belonged to the Lord (Leviticus 25:23).

1. Leviticus 25:23, The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. (NIV)




2. Greed is something that plagues every generation. 3. It is not something that can be seen in the heart of a person, but it is something that can be seen in the accumulation of possessions. 4. In this portion of Isaiah, greed plagued a people so badly it became a weight around their neck as they sought to swim in the ocean of wickedness. 5. They accumulated land and planted many crops, but what they were able to harvest was a mere pittance of what was sown.

C. Greed was merely one problem; the other was drunkenness (5:11-12).

1. Isaiah 5:11-12, Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands. (NIV) 2. The ASV uses “strong drink,” the NKJV renders it “intoxicating drink,” and the NET simply says “beer.” 3. Note how Isaiah describes what takes place: as soon as people arise in the morning they are interested in their crutch, their solution, their “medicine” for the day. 4. All day long they live to drink; such activities at feasts (parties) result in God’s being forgotten and His works not even being considered.




5. The festive times of the year were to bring to the forefront a spirit of gratitude for God’s blessings, but the people of Judah were not interested in that!

D. Why did Judah act as it did?

1. Because the people know not God (5:13-17) and the knowledge here includes the idea of relationship (Shackelford, p. 82). 2. Isaiah 5:13-17, Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of under-standing; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst. Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite and opens its mouth without limit; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness. Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich. (NIV) 3. Thus, knowledge is much more than an academic venture; it is the accumulation of information that results in application of that pertinent information. (cf. 1:3).

a. Isaiah 1:3, The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." (NIV)




4. As the Lord looks upon those who know Him not, He is exalted in judgment while they are brought low in death (5:14-16).

a. Isaiah 5:14-16, Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite and opens its mouth without limit; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness. (NIV) b. Those who suffer at the hands of the Lord bring about the desolation of the land; when the Lord is “finished” with them. c. What remains will be “eaten” by those left behind – but it will be a waste land (5:17).

i. Isaiah 5:17, Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich. (NIV) ii. It is difficult to know if “lambs” is figurative or literal. Grogan (Willis, Hailey) thinks it is literal, while Rawlinson (Barnes) thinks it is figurative.

Isaiah 5:18-23, Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it." 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. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. (NIV) I. There are six woes in this chapter (5:8, 11, 18, and 21, 22 [22 twice] ), and some of the more well known Biblical “woes” are found here.

A. Isaiah 5:8, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22, Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, 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. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, (NIV) B. The Lord speaks against those who would draw to themselves that which it is sinful to do; which becomes a load to be carried, rather than a desire to be enjoyed. C. On the other hand, a variation of this is as follows: “The sinners are so attached to their sinful ways (compared to a heavy load) that they strain to drag them along behind them” (NET translator note, E-Sword).

1. However it might be best understood, it is clear that the Lord is against them that do such things.




2. To make matters worse, note the brazen attitude of 5:19.

a. Isaiah 5:19, to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it." (NIV) b. Willis caught the sense of this when he said that those who were hearing Isaiah were tired of his message (p. 135); the Lord, at this point, had not brought judgment on them – “Isaiah! Stop your preaching! If the Lord will bring judgment, let Him do it now!” c. In expressing this sentiment they had no idea what they were saying; that is why it is clearer when the Lord was on the cross and spoke words to the same effect: “Father, forgive them...”

D. The fourth woe is pronounced; they began to speak of their evil deeds as being things that were right (5:20).

1. Isaiah 5:20, 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. (NIV) 2. Morality, in our day, has also been turned upside down.

a. The “elite” are quick to point out that the teachings of the Bible are out of date, and that there is a new morality or no morality at all.




b. Television programming lets it be known that our society is a hedonistic society; the only rule we should live by is a rule that is self-satisfying it is said.

E. A fifth woe is on those who are wise in their own eyes.

1. Paul spoke of those who were wise in their own eyes when he wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:18-24; in fact this was the second epistle; cf. 5:9)

a. 1 Corinthians 1:18-24, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. (NIV)

b. 1 Corinthians 5:9, I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: (KJV)




2. Proverbs 26:12 says that such a man has, essentially, no hope; no hope at learning what real wisdom actually is because anything other than his own opinion is less than his opinion!

a. Proverbs 26:12, Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. (NIV)

F. The sixth woe is pronounced on men (judges) who, with bravado, drink their wine, and are better known for their mixing ability than their judging ability.

1. In this verse (5:22) are two “woes”, though they are only counted as one.

a. Isaiah 5:22, Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks. (NIV)

2. The word “wine” is best understood in the parallelism as strong drink, though it is not required to be understood as strong drink.

a. They are mighty at degradation, and when called upon to judge righteously they fail miserably (5:23).

i. Isaiah 5:23, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. (NIV) ii. Their minds are clouded with self-ab-sorption and the dethroning of God.




iii. With God no longer in the heart, the people are abused. iv. Bribery is the modus operandi! v. It is interesting to note that in the NET, they give the force of these woes like this; they are as good as dead! vi. “The exclamation – (hoy, “woe, ahz”) –was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kings 13:30; Jeremiah 22:18; Jeremiah 34:5) and carries the connotation of death” (translator note, E-Sword). vii. 1 Kings 13:30, Then he laid the body in his own tomb, and they mourned over him and said, "Oh, my brother!" (NIV) viii. Jeremiah 22:18, Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: "They will not mourn for him: 'Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!' They will not mourn for him: 'Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!' (NIV) ix. Jeremiah 34:5, you will die peacefully. As people made a funeral fire in honor of your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so they will make a fire in your honor and lament, "Alas, O master!" I myself make this promise, declares the LORD.' " (NIV)




Isaiah 5:24-30, Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the LORD's anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal thong is broken. Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses' hoofs seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind. Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue. In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be darkened by the clouds. (NIV) I. All these pronounced woes are simply the result of each person’s contributing to the fall of the nation.

A. While the leaders were instrumental, the subjects allowed it to go unchecked.

1. Why would they do such a thing?

a. They would do such a thing because they rejected the Lord’s Way and became rotten to the core (5:24).

i. Isaiah 5:24, Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down




in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. (NIV)

B. A terrifying judgment is forthcoming (5:25).

1. Isaiah 5:25, Therefore the LORD's anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. (NIV) 2. “Though this punishment will be in the form of an invading army, the Assyrians (vss. 26-30), it will originate from the Lord (vss. 24-25), the invisible commander of that army (vs. 26a-b)” (Willis, p. 136).

a. Isaiah 5:24-30, Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the LORD's anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! Not one of them grows tired or




stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal thong is broken. Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses' hoofs seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind. Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue. In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be darkened by the clouds. (NIV)

3. From what the Lord has previously said, there is a forthcoming judgment, the Lord’s banner will call the attention of all the appropriate nations to be involved in the attack/destruction of Israel. 4. The army will speedily come to the land of Palestine and without weariness cart a people off to another land (5:26-27).

a. Isaiah 5:26-27, He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal thong is broken. (NIV)

5. They were a warrior group, a people prepared for war and with the necessary equipment; they will advance and continually do so until defeat is experienced by Israel; when one looks for help, all that will be seen (or experienced) is despair (5:28-30).




Conclusion: I. The parable of the vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-7) is a story speaking to the Lord’s care and expectation of his people only to have His children turn out to be a crop unfit for living.

A. 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 will 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. (NIV) B. For their hedonism, six woes were pronounced on Israel; viz.,

1. Avarice.

a. Isaiah 5:8-10, Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. The LORD




Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine, a homer of seed only an ephah of grain." (NIV)

2. Strong drink. a. Isaiah 5:11-12, 22-23, Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. (NIV)

Note: Interlude Judgment Scenario. Isaiah 5:13-17, Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of under-standing; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst. Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite and opens its mouth without limit; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness. Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich. (NIV)

3. Regarding sin as a light thing.

a. Isaiah 5:18-19, Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as




with cart ropes, to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it." (NIV)

4. Calling evil good (vice versa).

a. Isaiah 5:20, 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. (NIV)

5. Those who think much of themselves.

a. Isaiah 5:21, Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. (NIV)

6. Those who acquit the guilty for a bribe.

a. Isaiah 5:23, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. (NIV)

Note: Their judgment will be vicious and destroying. Isaiah 5:24-25, Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the LORD's anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. (NIV) II. What more can the Lord do?




A. Parable of the vineyard.

1. 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 will 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. (NIV)

B. Problems detailed:

1. Isaiah 5:8-23, Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine, a homer of seed only an ephah of




grain." Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands. Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of under-standing; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst. Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite and opens its mouth without limit; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness. Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich. Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it." 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. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. (NIV) 2. Greed.




a. Isaiah 5:8-10, Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine, a homer of seed only an ephah of grain." (NIV)

3. Indulgence.

a. Isaiah 5:11-12, 22, Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, (NIV)

4. Exaltation.

a. Isaiah 5:14-15, 21, Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite and opens its mouth without limit; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. (NIV)

5. Confusion.




a. Isaiah 5:18-20, Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes, to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it." 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. (NIV)

C. Purpose of the Lord.

1. Isaiah 5:24-30, Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the LORD's anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal thong is broken. Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses' hoofs seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind. Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue. In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at




the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be darkened by the clouds. (NIV) 2. State of man.

a. Isaiah 5:13, 24, Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of under-standing; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst. Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. (NIV)

3. Consequences for man.

a. Isaiah 5:14, 25-30, Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite and opens its mouth without limit; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. Therefore the LORD's anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal thong is broken. Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses' hoofs seem like flint,




their chariot wheels like a whirlwind. Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue. In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be darkened by the clouds. (NIV)

D. Application:

1. What more can the Lord do?

a. To ask the question is to answer it. b. There is nothing more the Lord can or will do; He has done it all!




Questions

on

Isaiah 5:1-30

by

John C. Sewell

1. In Isaiah 5:1, who is “I” and who is “the one I love”? Give rea-sons for your answers. ___________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Relate, in your own words, “The Song of the Vineyard”. _____ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What is the meaning of lesson being taught by “The Song of the Vineyard”? _________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




4. What more could God have done for his vineyard? __________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Why did the vineyard yield only bad fruit? ________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. What had God decided to do to his vineyard? ______________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. When did the events mentioned in Isaiah 5:5-6 occur? _______ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. In his vineyard God had looked for ___________________, but saw _______________________; for _______________________, but ________________________ _________________________ of ____________________________.




9. On whom was the first woe pronounced? See Isaiah 5:8. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10. When did this literally occur? __________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11. Exactly how much is a “homer” and an “ephah”? _____ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12. On whom was the second woe pronounced? See Isaiah 5:11. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 13. “They had no _________________for the _______________ of the _________________, no ___________________ for the ________________________ of his _______________________.” 14. “Therefore my ________________ will go into ____________ for _______________________ of _____________________;




their ___________________ of _______________________ will __________________ of ___________________________ and their _________________ will be ______________________ with __________________. Therefore the _______________________ _________________________ its _____________________ and ______________________ its ______________________ without ______________________; into it will _____________________ their ___________________ and ______________________ with all their ___________________ and ______________________. So ______________________ will be brought _______________ and _______________________ _______________________, the _______________________ of the _________________________ _____________________ .” (NIV) 15. How and when was the Lord Almighty exalted by his justice and shown to be holy by his righteousness? _________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. When did sheep graze in their own pasture and lambs feed among the ruins of the rich? _______________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 17. On whom was the third woe pronounced? See Isaiah 5:18. ___ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18. On whom was the fourth woe pronounced? See Isaiah 5:20. __ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 19. Give biblical, historic and present day examples of people calling evil good and good evil. ___________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 20. On whom was the fifth woe pronounced? Isaiah 5:22, 23. ____ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 21. What will happen to these wicked people? ________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 22. How would you like to be remembered? … as heroes at drinking wine, champions at mixing drinks, as people who acquit the guilty for a bribe? ____________________________________




______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 23. Israel had ___________________ the ___________________ of the ____________________ _________________________ and ___________________ the __________________________ of the _______________________ of _______________________. God was so angry the ________________ ___________________ and ___________________ _________________________ are as plentiful as ______________________ in the ________________. Yet for all this, his ____________________ is ________________ ______________________, and his ______________________ is ____________________________________. (See NIV) 24. When did or will the judgments of Isaiah 5:26-30 occur? _____ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 25. In Isaiah 5:1-30, what was God really telling Israel … and us? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



THE SONG OF THE VINEYARD WOES AND JUDGMENTS ISAIAH...

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