THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD OF HOSTS
THURSDAY 22
“For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For
righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.”
Isaiah 5:7 (NKJV)
READ: Isaiah 5:1–12
In our passage, God said the house of Israel was the vineyard of the Lord being referred to in the parable.
The question God asked was that what could He have done that He did not do in His vineyard (Isaiah 5:4). The
vineyard did not bring good grapes, instead it brought forth wild grapes (Isaiah 5:4).
If God has invested in building you up, cleaning and making you to live right for Him, but you are still unyielding,
wallowing in your old ways of life, He would not be happy.
God said He would allow the vineyard to be burnt, because He will take away its hedge (Isaiah 5:5). He will also break down the wall and it shall be trampled down (Isaiah 5:5). It shall also be laid waste and not be pruned or dug or hoed, but be allowed to be taken over by briers and thorns (Isaiah 5:6). The clouds will be commanded not to rain any rain on it—signifying dryness and desolateness (Isaiah 5:6).
Why would God do that to the nation of Israel? Israel is the vineyard of God, and the people of Judah are His pleasant plant (Isaiah 5:7). God was looking for justice from them, but He could only see oppression. He wanted to see righteousness, but behold, it was a cry for help, or wailing, of the people who are being denied of justice—there was unrighteousness and oppression in the land (Isaiah 5:7).
The leaders or the bourgeoisie were accumulating houses, joining house to house, they add field to field, till there
was no place—it was like they wanted to dwell alone in the midst of the land (Isaiah 5:8). According to the prophet Isaiah in the passage; God said in his ears that many houses will be truly desolate, great and beautiful ones, without inhabitants (Isaiah 5:9).
He also said, about the fields they accumulated; ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, one tenth homer, and a
homer of seed shall yield one ephah (Isaiah 5:10). Bath, homer, and ephah are measurements used at the Bible
days. God was saying, the houses accumulated by the capitalists or the affluent ones would be desolate, and
the field they acquired would not be productive—being used for large scale farming (Isaiah 5:10).
The point being made is, those who acquire wealth through oppression would later regret because it would not yield any profit. Recently, the house and fleet of cars of one affluent person in the society was shown on social media, probably posted online by someone. The place was desolate, all big cars of those days which are now outmoded, lying waste, those cars and the house are useful for no one today.
Even if the cars are to be sold, they cannot get market for them, or who will buy the cars of eighties? What God is
saying in the passage is that if your wealth is gathered or accumulated at the expense of oppression, denying of other people, they would eventually become useless because your children and grandchildren which you think you are gathering them for would not even be able to make use of them (James 5:1–6).
Peace.
Reflect:
• If God looks at your life as His vineyard, will He find fruit or wild grapes?
• What briars and thorns (distractions, sins, or weights) do you need to clear from your vineyard?
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