The Vineyard of the Lord
The first
seven verses of this chapter are well known – but not as well known as they
should be. These verses comprise a
logical analogy to the relationship of God and His people. They are worth pausing over and meditating
upon. We are also in a relationship with
God, and we need all the help and advice we can get so that our relationship
with God stays fruitful and productive!
In the
analogy, God takes time to select very fertile ground before even beginning to
plant. Then, God clears the land of
obstacles of growth. Then, God sets up a
watchtower to make sure that the vineyard is neither destroyed nor
vandalized. He even made preparations to
enjoy the fruit! Yet it gave only wild
fruit. Wild fruit is an analogy to fruit
that is small, underdeveloped, and practically useless.
In other
words, even before God planted the Hebrew people in Israel he chose fertile and
valuable property (which the land of Canaan absolutely is). He cleared the land of obstacles (the people
living within the land). He set up a
watchtower over the land (Law and the Prophets). Yet the Hebrew people were wild. They were not faithful. They were pulled in every direction away from
God. They worshipped foreign gods. They worshipped their possessions. They worshipped the land. They were wooed by the world.
So God
asks us to judge His vineyard. What else
could God have done for them? He set
them up in a land where they should have been successful. They had the resources that they needed. He gave them ways to live in peace with one
another. He gave them access to
Himself. They had it all, but they
rebelled.
As I read
through these verses, I must ask myself the same questions. In fact, I have to be even stricter upon
myself! I know about Jesus Christ. I know about God’s grace and love and mercy
in its completed form. He has not only
made Himself available to us, but He has come and dwelled with us! He has set me (and each of us) in an even
more fertile spiritual place than the Hebrew people. I wonder what God thinks of my fruit? I pray that He is pleased. I pray that He does not consider my fruit to
be wild fruit.
So what
does God promise to do? God promises to
tear down the protective hedge that He has established. He will break down the protective wall. His chosen people shall be trampled. They will become a wasteland, unpruned and
unproductive. Here is the warning. God desires relationship. God desires repentance. God desires that we rend our hearts. When we do not do any of these things we offer
cheap grace to a world that learns to abuse and take their relationship with
God for granted. This is why it is
absolutely worth looking at this analogy, for nobody is exempt from being this
vineyard! We need to learn how to avoid
becoming this vineyard. It is good to be
put in fertile ground; it is horrible to become trampled because we squander
God’s provision.
Woes to the People
The woes
in verses 18-23 are woes that I have always found particularly haunting. I think they haunt me because I find them so
easy to do. We cannot truly judge a
person’s heart, so how easy is it to get “good” and “evil” mixed up? How many times I have set out to do good and
got it messed up along the way? How many
times have I been “wise in my own eyes” or met people who were “wise in their
own eyes?” How many times have I watched
as our culture celebrates alcohol and drunkenness? How many stories have I heard about a
person’s fame or status or wealth allowing them to be treated differently when
they transgress the law? How many times
have we seen that sometimes the difference between punishment and freedom is
not guilt/innocence but rather who you know?
These verses haunt me because I know how closely they strike to not just
myself but the culture in which I live.
In fact, I’m willing to bet that they strike a chord with many people
and many cultures all throughout time!
Then comes
the threat of verses 26. God will
whistle and bring the nations near. Now,
these aren’t friendly nations. These
aren’t nations coming to be embraced into God’s family. These are nations with sharp arrows and bows
ready for action. Their horses are
capable. Their chariots and wagons are
capable of coming swiftly. They come
with a growl. They seize their prey.
No. These aren’t the nations coming to bow at the
feet of God. These aren’t the nations
coming to humble themselves before their savior. These are the nations coming to be God’s
implement of justice upon God’s own people.
The time for discipline draws nearer.
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