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by Sandy Shaw
Isaiah Chapter 5 - we keep the sequence, and the continuity.
Probably Chapters 5,6 are among the best-known Chapters in the first half of the Book of Isaiah - but as we have seen we must not stop in the middle of a Chapter but read the entire Chapter to understand what God is saying through the prophet – remembering that this is God's holy Word.
Isaiah has seen some wonderful things - revealed to him by God - the coming of Jesus into our world - but Isaiah has also had some very hard and challenging things to say to the people of Israel - and he speaks about them being taken away captive - with vivid descriptions.
The people were getting tired of Isaiah's preaching and prophesying. Imagine God choosing a man - raising up a man - placing that man in the nation - and giving him a very special message - and the people reject his message.
They will not hear him - they will not listen to his preaching.
And Isaiah begins to sing - so that they will pay attention and hear his message.
Can you imagine him in one of these busy Jerusalem streets and market places? Isaiah begins to sing a love song. Now everybody loves a love song - it is strangely compelling. They gather to hear Isaiah singing a love song. They had never heard this before – ah, this is different! The words grip the crowd. Some of them would have kept vineyards - this was familiar.
A hillside had been cleared of stones - and these stones formed a wall.
The soil is carefully prepared - and the finest vines planted. A winepress was cut out of the rock - dug so that the wine would flow and be gathered and harvested in storage containers. The intention was well-being and prosperity. Everything was done.
At first it sounded like an ordinary love song - but four amazing things emerge.
It is a song which should have been sung by a woman - and not a man. It is about a lover who has a vineyard - and this made them sit up and listen carefully.
This is what my love did - he did everything he could - but he didn't pick a single grape - only wild grapes! Wild grapes are small - full of stones - with thick skins.
Isaiah sings out - verse 4 - "What more could I have done?" The owner lavished all on this vineyard - it had everything it required.
Isaiah is using a prophetic parable - to enable these people to make a decision about something before he presented them with the real meaning.
All the people are nodding and saying - O there was nothing more that could have been done. Can you hear them saying - Everything had been done?
How many parents have said that - "What more could I/we have done?"
Isaiah moves on and explains - "I am going to let it become wild."
The nation of Israel was soon to be carried of captives and prisoners in Babylon for some 70 years.
If that is ‘wild’ living – if that is a ‘wild’ life – where you lose everything that has been so precious to you – do whatever you can to avoid it. Such judgment is sore!
“Gracious God – as we read and study the Bible – may we come to that place where we do not want to miss what You are saying – and when the prophet begins to sing to gain our attention – enable us to join in – not just in the singing – but co-operating with truths that touch our hearts. Rescue us from life that is ‘wild’ – the consequences are painful – and the fruit bitter. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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