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.
-From the power of evil and Satan.
-From fear, temptation, loneliness
He has shown us how to live as we face enemies, struggles, illness, and so much more. Yet we struggle to keep him in the first place in our hearts.
When I consider the cross and what Jesus has done for us that we could not do for ourselves … I wonder… what more could God do?
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
You do not live in a lack of ability to live a fruitful life!
-Christ - in you and with you!
-One Another - united in bringing Christ to the world!
-Wealth - goods, money, land, this facility.
-A Community filled with people who need God!
-Scriptures with encouragement and information needed.
-Spirit-given talents and abilities to serve and love.
We live in God’s Vineyard today - how will we respond to His provision?
3. God’s Provision of A Fruitful Life?
When we follow God’s will for our lives, the fruit that is produced will honor Him!
Justice and Righteousness.
"The people had forgotten that the Lord was kind and merciful to them, so they should also be kind and merciful to others. The Lord had blessed them with peace and plenty so they could share with others from their bounty. The Lord had given them great blessings and they returned thanks to God by lives of wickedness, violence, injustice and oppression. And they would be punished." Kegel
The fruit they should have produced in their lives was absent. The Bible uses vineyards / fruit in various ways.
The fruit of your salvation Philippians 1:11 NLT May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
The fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
John 15:4,5,8 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Is God finding among us the fulfillment of His expectations?
4. How Can We Cultivate a Good Vineyard?
Be Attentive to those who struggle around you. Injustice / unrighteousness exist in the world around.
Pain is real. Hurtful circumstances bring suffering. How can you be light in that darkness? As a church: Benevolence, Collections, Meals on Wheels. As individuals: Daily offering care, compassion, kindness.
Be Attentive to the need for Jesus in world around you. How can you bring the light of Christ into your world?
Are we guilty of neglecting the presence of Christ?
Conclusion
God has given us everything we need to live the life that honors Him and reaches to the hurting people around us.
God Is Intimately Concerned About His People
-He is observant about how we live our lives.
-He has feelings about how we live our lives.
-He reacts as he watches us live our lives.
-We have a living relationship with a living God!
-This should encourage us to remain focused on living out His purposes.
3. Jesus is the ultimate answer of God to our needs
Isaiah 11:1-5 NIV A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;?from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,? the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
God moved to relieve the world of sin by sending Jesus.
Jesus lived a life characterized by righteousness/justice. He calls us to the same.
What steps do you need to take today to draw closer to the Jesus Life?
Reconnect with God:
-He Reigns
-He Calls
-He Provides
How willing are we to receive the provision He offers?
___________________
To receive sermon notes in your email inbox, subscribe here:
https://forsythesermons.substack.com/
To receive emails from John Dobbs on topics of faith, books, photography, and miscellany:
https://johndobbs.substack.com/
To watch videos of sermons from Forsythe Church of Christ:
https://www.youtube.com/c/ForsytheChurchofChrist
Our church website is http://facoc.org
___________________
Discussion Questions
1. What aspects of the Vineyard imagery stand out to you the most? (Isaiah 5:1-2)
2. How does the imagery of a vineyard help us understand God’s relationship with His people?
3. How does God respond to the unfruitfulness of the vineyard (5:7)? In what ways might the removal of the hedge and the trampling of the vineyard serve as a metaphor for the consequences of sin in our lives?
4. How can we ensure that we are bearing good fruit in our lives? What practical steps can we take to cultivate righteousness?
5. How does the message of grace factor into the overall narrative of Isaiah 5:1-7? Can you find elements of hope or redemption in the passage?
6. Isaiah 11:1-5 is a Messianic prophecy - in what ways does Jesus give us an example of living in God’s purpose?
7. What’s one thought you take away from the study of this Vineyard song - and what’s one prayer you can pray this week to help you live into God’s purpose?
______________________
Resources
Dixon, Francis. How God Delivers His People
https://www.wordsoflife.co.uk/bible-studies/study-10-how-god-delivers-his-people/
https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/isaiahs-vineyard-song-2/commentary-on-isaiah-51-7-111-5-3
Kegel, James D.Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful, Lord
https://sermonwriter.com/sermons/isaiah-51-7-let-the-vineyards-be-fruitful-lord-kegel/
