Isaiah 5

1. Isaiah 5 • 1I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one [The LORD] had a vineyard [Israel] on a fertile hillside [Canaan]. • 2He dug it up [Joshua] and cleared it of stones [Cananites] and planted it with the choicest vines [His chosen people]. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, [righteousness]but it yielded only bad fruit. [unrighteousness] • 3"Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. • 4What 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? • 5Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: [exile]I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. • 6I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it."

2. 7The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. • And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. • 8Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field [by dispossessing the poor]till no space is left and you live alone in the land. • 9The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses [rich]will become desolate [poor], the fine mansions left without occupants.

3. Isaiah 5 summary • The LORD wanted people in his vineyard to produce the fruit of justice and righteousness • Because his people produced bloodshed, and cries of distress from those dispossessed from the landThe LORD sent them away to exile. • So what is the following story about?

4. Matthew 21 • 33"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. • 34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. • 35"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. • 36Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them in the same way. • 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said. • 38"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.' • 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

5. 40"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" • 41"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time." • 42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes'? • 43"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. • 44He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." • 45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them. • 46They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. Thank God for his written Word to us

6. So what was it about? • In Isaiah 5 it was about people (the vines) producing fruit. • I think there may be two meanings both of which Jesus intended.

7. 1) A violent peasants’ revolt fails • 33"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner [who had bought up land from peasants “adding field to field” as it says in Isaiah] • who planted a vineyard [this is a rich man’s crop]. He put a wall around it [to keep the poor people out], dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers [quite possibly the people who used to own the land]and went away on a journey. • 34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants [tax collectors] to the tenants to collect his fruit. [This is the injustice – the fruit belongs to the farmers –because God gave them the land and because they did the work] • 35"The tenants seized his servants; [Here is a peasants revolt]they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. [Violence seems to be the only weapon against injustice]

8. 36Then he sent other servants to them, [servants are expendable]more than the first time, [violence is met with increased force]and the tenants treated them in the same way. • 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. [Pilate?]'They will respect my son,' he said.[These peasants will respect their betters] • 38"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.‘[This escalates the peasants’ revolt] • 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. • 40"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?“[The revolt ends as all revolts do ..] • 41"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.“[There are more peasants who have no option to be exploited]

9. This begs a question • If us resisting injustice through violence fails, how does God deal with injustice? • This time let the landowner be God, and let’s see how He deals with injustice

10. 2) The Lord’s way of dealing with injustice • 33"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner [The Lord] who planted a vineyard [Israel]. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it & built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers [pastors]and went away on a journey .[The Lord seems to be absent] • 34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants [prophets]to the tenants to collect his fruit [which they don’t want to do]. • 35"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third [John Baptist]. • 36Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them in the same way. • 37Last of all, he sent his son [Jesus] to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said. • 38"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.' • 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Summary: All the violence is done to God not by GodGod chooses to put himself in the place where violence is directed

11. 40"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" • 41"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.“ • 42Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;[The death of the Son]the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes'? • 43"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. • [Those who pray “Thy Kingdom Come – Your Will be done”]

12. All the violence is done to God not by GodGod chooses to put himself in the place where violence is directed • 44He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.“ • We will die with Christ either now or in the future. • Let’s be broken & humbled now, rather than crushed in the future • 45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them. • 46They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

13. God chooses to put himself in the place where violence is directed • We will die with Christ - either now or in the future. • Let’s be broken & humbled now, rather than crushed in the future • The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes? • He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed. Such Love – I see the king of glory

14. Blessing • Go forth into the world in peace;be of good courage;hold fast that which is good;render to no one evil for evil;strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak;help the afflicted; honour everyone;love and serve the Lord,rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit; • 1 Thessalonians 5.13-22 • And may the Blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Our Gathered worship ends, our Worship continues, our Service begins