Sermon – The Neglected Vineyard

Sermon – The Neglected Vineyard

Scripture: Song of Solomon 1:4-9 “Draw me, we will run after You, The King has brought me into his chambers; we will be glad and rejoice in You, we will remember Your love more than wine; the upright love You. I am black, but comely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. Do not look on me, that I am black, that the sun has looked on me. My mother's sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but my vineyard I have not kept. Tell me, You whom my soul loves, where do You feed, where do You lie down at noon? For why should I be as one who is veiled beside the flocks of Your companions? If you know not, most beautiful among women, go in the footsteps of the flock; and feed your kids beside the shepherds' tents.”

The King James Version says in verse 6 “Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.”

The key takeaway from Song of Solomon 1:5-6 is that it does not matter what a person looks like on the outside, for true beauty is not found in physical features, but rather moral character and purity.

Introduction: I have entitled this message, “the Neglected vineyard.” These haunting words are most challenging to all who are engaged in the service of the Lord, and they should be read in conjunction with Proverbs 24:30-31, “I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.” If you like to sleep, you may resent this proverb. If you procrastinate, you may not like it either. If you are undisciplined, you may resent the author. Solomon identified lazy and undisciplined people by the condition of their personal and professional property.

The one who confesses her neglect in this passage was not neglectful because of laziness. Having prevailed against her, the sons of her mother used her like a slave, putting her to the most difficult labor, the keeping of their vineyards. They made her labor so hard that they left her no time to mind her own; they hindered her from doing her own duty, and from minding her own concerns. And therefore, it is no wonder that she has become uncomely and scorched by the sun. She had been made black by the sun as she had labored in the vineyards of others in the heat of the day. She was made the keeper of the vineyards, but she had neglected her own vineyard. The duty of a vinedresser includes caring for the vines, managing the pests, irrigation, pruning, and harvesting. Properly kept grapevines produce fruit for thirty to fifty years for the owner. Therefore, the vinedresser comes to know each vine like a shepherd knows each sheep.

The person in the text was young, gifted, and black. The brothers recognized her giftedness and made her the keeper of their vineyards. Notice the text says, “They made me.” They limited her opportunities and mistreated her on every turn. We are not told how long she worked before she looked at her own vineyard with sadness. But finally, she said to herself, “They made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.” The potential has been undeveloped, opportunities for increase was lost, vines were running wild, and bug infested because my own vineyard I have not kept. Let each one of us think about the vineyard God has given us. Think of our own selves, our own gifts, talents, abilities, and opportunities. What is the condition of your vineyard. This text does not criticize how others have treated her, as much as she emphasizes how she has neglected her own valuable assets. We cannot help what others do, how they treat us, the most important thing is how we treat ourselves.

This song could have been sang by sharecroppers who kept their children out of school farming the crops of another limiting the future of their own children. Or the student who went to school but failed to learn the lesson taught and now they must face life unprepared. Or maybe it’s about the mechanic who repaired the cars of others while his own car was in disrepair. Or Maybe a Carpenter who repaired the roof for others when his own roof was leaking. The song may be closer to home than we would like to admit. This could be the story of a Christian who failed to take advantage of the means of grace, now they are babes in Christ, full of childlessness and immaturity. All can sing, “they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.”