Isaiah 5 Commentary
There are consequences for fruitlessness. That’s the subject of the second section of Chapter 5. But coming up first is a song in the first section. It all culminates in an all-important question: “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 fruit?” Verse 4.
The statement in Verse 4 confounds the common belief that humanity is without the capacity for holiness.
The Creator God planted the choicest vine on a fertile hillside. He watched over it; he cared for it. But alas, the vine produced only worthless grapes.
The fruit is bad not because the soil is bad. Not because the seed is bad. Not because care isn’t sufficient. Who would want to accuse the all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present God of negligence?
The LORD God is perfect! Deuteronomy 32:4.
Let the gospel come with the understanding that the LORD God has done everything perfectly well for mortals. The ball is in the mortals’ hands!
We could seek help, but only to understand, or see the open door for escape.
Fruitlessness attracts scattering. Humanity experienced the first scattering in the Garden of peace and tranquility. Adam and Eve were scattered from Eden and could no longer enjoy the presence of their heavenly Father. The sinful Cain was scattered and wandered everywhere aimlessly. We saw another scattering at the Tower of Babel.
Sinful Israel is now facing yet another scattering. Whenever humanity has gathered in sinfulness, the LORD has moved in to scatter.
The LORD Jesus Christ puts it this way: “and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
The picture of bound Jews trooping out of a burning Jerusalem is what many of us know about the scattering. There is actually more. The LORD takes away the hedge of protection. The wall is broken down. And it’s never a physical wall! Divine care is withdrawn. The vineyard is no longer cultivated. Instead, thorns and briers take root.
Then the LORD God commands the clouds not to rain on the land. Elements of nature are under instructions not to cooperate with sinful man. Men call evil good and good evil. They put darkness for light and light for darkness. Perversion. Perverted hearts.
The prophet has Eden in mind as he writes. The LORD commanded rain on the land and the Garden flourished. Withdrawal of rain is a direct blow to prosperity.
There is a lot more behind the symbols in this book.
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