He Provides Series

Reconnect With God: He Provides      

Isaiah 5:1-7

Introduction

Reconnecting with God is crucial for us - as humans we often make the kind of choices that end up moving us farther away from God rather than closer to Him.

In our series Reconnect with God we are focused on four images and four messages.

-With Elijah the image was fire and the message He Reigns.

-With Hosea the image was an infant and message He Calls.

-Today we visit Isaiah and the image is a vineyard, He Provides.

Isaiah’s book belongs to the Major Prophets - 66 chapters. Isaiah is known for his prophecies of Jesus - many of which are quoted in the NT. Isaiah’s prophecy came in the year that King Uzziah died (IS 6:1). Uzziah was one of Judah’s better kings, though he finished poorly because of pride. (2 Chronicles 26). He entered the temple to burn incense to the Lord - a priestly duty. When confronted by the priests he became angry and the Lord struck him with leprosy. He lived the rest of his days alone in a separate house.

God had informed Isaiah that his ministry would not appear to be that successful.  He was to proclaim God’s message “until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant…and the fields ruined and ravaged” (Isaiah 6:11). The population of Judah would go into exile (6:12). But there was always hope for the future … a time when there would be peace, justice, and righteousness.

In Isaiah 5 is a kind of parable, a song - a reminder that the things we want the most in life are provided by our heavenly Father. Our problem is that we keep looking for it in other places. Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard is a distinctive plea for us to be aware of our need to be focused on God’s provision.

Isaiah 5:1-7 NIV - The Song of the Vineyard

5 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 people 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 nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in.

And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

1. God’s Provision of the Perfect Vineyard

The Vineyard is a symbol of wealth and blessing. In this song, this blessing is provided to God’s people Israel.  Did you notice the way that God prepared His vineyard in such detail, with care, with intentional meticulous plans. We have read of God’s dealings with Israel.

-God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt.

-From the beginning he led them by day and by night.

-He turned the bitter waters sweet at Mara.

-He provided manna and quail to sustain them.

-He rescued them from those who would harm them.

-He led them to his Holy Mountain and shared his will for living with them.

Here we see God’s amazing provision of grace, mercy, forgiveness, strength, and hope. He desired for them to serve Him with their whole heart and to be a light to the nations.  But what we see over and over is the rejection that is handed back to Him. No matter how the detailed plans were put into place, the vineyard failed to produce the fruit that was intended. “The good grapes God expected would be mercy and love, stewardship of time and talents. Instead God saw the sour grapes of selfishness, corruption, wickedness.” James D. Kegel. That leads to that haunting question - What more can I do? (Isaiah 5:4)

2. God’s Provision of the Perfect Opportunity

This is often our dilemma today - God has invested in each one of us the same kind of meticulous care and love. He did all of this to rescue us!

-From the guilt and penalty of our sin.

-From our own choices and consequences.