A Voice in the Wilderness
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" the Vineyard "
(Isaiah 5)
"Now I will sing to my Beloved a song of my Beloved concerning His
vineyard. My Beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. And He
fenced it, and cleared out its stones, and planted it with choice vines,
and built a tower in its midst, and hewed out a winepress in it; and He
looked for it to produce grapes, but it produced rotten grapes. And now,
O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, please judge between Me
and My vineyard." (vs1-3)
Notice the similarity between this and Jesus' parable...
"A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went
into a far country for a long time. Now at the right time he sent a
servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit
of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away
empty-handed. And again he sent another servant; and they beat him also,
treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he
sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. Then the owner
of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son.
Perhaps they will respect him when they see him. But when the
vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is
the heir. Come, let us kill him, so that the inheritance may become
ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore
what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy
these vinedressers and give the vineyard to others. And when they heard
it they said, Let it not be!" (Lk20:9-16)
Remember from last month...
"Jehovah will enter into judgment with the elders of His people, and
their rulers. For you have eaten up the vineyard, the plunder of the
poor is in your houses" (Is3:14)
What was one of the arguments of the rulers amongst themselves when Jesus made claims to being the Son of God?
"If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe into Him, and the
Romans will come and take away both our place and nation... Then, from
that day on, they took counsel to kill Him." (Jn11:48,53)
From these passages is it not clear that Israel is the "vineyard", both
at the mouth of Isaiah and Jesus. The leaders and rulers were supposed
to tend to the vineyard; make it grow and deliver its fruit to the Owner
(God). Scripture speaks much of sheep and shepherds, the unfaithful
shepherds due God's judgment. (Jer23) The same is illustrated with the
vineyard. Jesus said of Himself and His followers...
"I am the vine, you are the branches" (Jn15:5)
Again we can look at Israel and the Church together; not to mention the
rulers of British Israelism. Same principles.
When the branches refuse to bear fruit, God tears it all down and
smashes it. (vs5-6) He prunes away and burns the unfruitful branches.
(Jn15:6, Rom11:17,19-20)
In Jesus' day the rulers did not care about God, but about "[their]
place" next to Rome. Today many pastors build up THEIR OWN empires
politically and financially. They do not care about God's
flock/vineyard. They care only about themselves. They do not care about
justice; they do not care about righteousness. (vs7) What are they into?
"Woe to those who join house to house, laying field to field, until
there is no more space for you to dwell alone in the midst of the earth!
Truly many big and pleasant houses shall be laid wasted, without
inhabitant" (vs8-9)
Even more than Israel in the OT, this sounds like today's UN "Agenda 21" of "sustainability". These are the ones who wish to reduce earth's
population by 90%, leaving 10% survivors, to be herded into "sustainable
communities" of limited space, to leave the majority of earth to the
wild animals. Their agenda is to kill billions of people by means of
-contrived- emergencies, catastrophes, 'natural' disasters, massive
accidents, warfare. If one is familiar with prophecy, particularly in
Revelation, the goals of Agenda 21 are pretty much already described in
prophecy. God pronounces "woe" to them.
They are characterized by drunkenness. (vs11) They are entertained by
their rock bands and ignore God's creation. (vs12) We do not need to
fear their prognostications; God will bring them down. They scoff
against God...
"Let Him hurry and hasten His work, so that we may see it; and let the
purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, so that we may
know it!" (vs19)
You say God exists? Prove it! Like the first Russian cosmonaut went up
into space, looked around and, "I don't see God up here!" You say there
is going to be a Rapture where Jesus will come to collect His Believers?
(Jn14:3) How many years have gone by and He hasn't come. They scoff and
say, "Where is the promise of His coming?" (2Pt3:4)
Woe to those... who...
--Call evil good and good evil.
Situational ethics. What's good for one person might not be good to
another. There is no "black and white", as the Bible teaches, but life
is full of "gray areas". It's OK to kill babies in the womb. But don't
you dare say that a "gay" couple are living in sin; who are you to pass
judgment?
--Wise in their own eyes and understanding in their own sight!
There is a "simplicity" that is in Christ (Ac2:46, 2Co11:3), but
academia will think -deep- thoughts about psychology, mythology,
philosophy, and every other "ology" and "osophy"...while refusing Godly
wisdom.
--Mighty to drink wine
Is this not self-explanatory. And today it's not merely drinking, but
also drugs. In this country Marijuana has become pretty much "legal" all
over, as long as one has a 'prescription' for it. Why, there's even a
"Medical Marijuana Dispensary" scarcely a block away from my store. But
there's nothing "medical" about it. It's part of the culture of calling
"evil good".
--Who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away justice from the
righteous
With this one where does one even begin and end?! If you are even
half-awake to the news and politics, you can likely write your own
treatise on the subject.
The devastation they are seeking to implement? God is going to do it.
Those big houses the rich love? They will be laid waste. (vs9) The land
will not produce much, the homer (65gal) will yield an ephah (10 times
the homer). Nowhere near the 30/60/100 fold Jesus spoke of in the
parable. (Mt13:8) Ten acres yielding one bath (9gal)? I don't know what
vineyards normally produce, but reason and logic suggest that is a
-very- poor harvest. And against Israel?
"Therefore the anger of Jehovah is kindled against His people, and He
has stretched out His hand against them, and has stricken them; and the
hills trembled, and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the
streets. In all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is
stretched out still." (vs25)
And notice the vehemence with which the devastation will come...
"And He will lift up a banner to distant nations, and will whistle to
them from the ends of the earth; and behold, they shall come with speed,
swiftly. No one shall be weary nor stumble among them; no one shall
slumber nor sleep; neither shall the waistband of their loins be
loosened, nor the thong of their sandals be broken" (vs26-27)
Notice it says He will "whistle" for them. This suggests to me the image
of a person who whistles to his dog to "attack". How do such dogs
attack? Quickly and with efficiency. If you read the following verses
you will see what I mean. "GET'EM!!" or as in older days, "SIC'EM!!"
But notice how God's judgment closes with, "But His hand is stretched
out still" (vs25b) Even though God's righteousness and holiness requires
punishment of the wicked, He never "purposed for any to perish" but that
"all should come to repentance" (2Pt3:9) His desire is to "snatch them
out of the fire" (Ju1:23) He invites, "Come, now, and let us reason
together!" (1:18) As Jesus invited...
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly
in heart, and you will find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy
and My burden is light." (Mt11:28-30)
And once the rulers have been judged, God will restore the lambs. (vs17)
When the haughty rulers have been brought low...
"But Jehovah of Hosts is exalted in justice, and the Mighty God, the
Holy One, is sanctified in righteousness" (vs16)
But judgment will come, just like recorded in places like Revelation and
Joel ch2.
"...and if one looks to the land, behold darkness and distress; and the
light is darkened by clouds" (vs30)
What a song!
Jesus said the vineyard would be taken away and given to others.
Jeremiah writes...
"And I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the lands where I
have driven them, and will bring them back to their folds. And they
shall be fruitful and multiply. And I will set up shepherds over them
who will feed them. And they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed; nor
shall they be lacking, says Jehovah. Behold, the days are coming, says
Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King who
shall reign and act prudently, and shall execute justice and
righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel
shall dwell safely. And this is His name by which He shall be called,
JEHOVAH, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." (Jer23:3-6)
Amen!
Next Chapter: Here Am I - Send Me!
Other Isaiah Studies
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