Cat0493

The Vintner's vision for his vineyard was that it would yield good fruit. And that he would use his fruit to produce wine. That was his intention for the vineyard. He picked a fertile place, cleared the land and set up hedges and a watchtower to protect the vineyard as it grew. A winepress was made to make the expected good grapes into good wine. The vineyard had all it needed to bring that vision to fruition. But when the crop came in, it only produced wild grapes. Small, sour smelling, useless grapes. The Vintner then asks why? Why had this happened, what more could he have done? The vintner then says I will take away it's protection of the hedges and the walls, the vineyard of wild grapes will be trampled and destroyed, and he will command the clouds that they do not rain on it. The verses here in Is 5 1:6 is talking to the vineyard that is bearing wild grapes, Judah and Jerusalem - and how God has provided all that is needed for the vineyard to be a beautiful vineyard that has been placed on a beautiful fertile place, is protected, nourished, pruned and tilled so that it could thrive. But because it only provided wild grapes the Vintner will remove His hedge of protection. Is 5:13 goes on to say, "therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; ...their multitude dried up with thirst".

I wondered if this is a picture of the remnant of each nation called out by God. Now every nation does truly seek God, at least a remnant of each nation. That remnant will have traded it's desire to conquer with the sword for the spoil in for the desire to reap the harvest at hand.

Hi there, my name is Cat. I have lived in Utah, US for the past 9 years with my husband, step kids and now a grand baby. I have been on Pastor Ralph's mailing list for a few years now and I enjoy his studies in God's word. I am going into a "desert" season, as I have rotating work shifts and I knew that I would not be able to attend Sunday morning worship for several months and wanted to make sure I still had a place to learn and engage. It seemed like the Isaiah study showed up right at the time I made the decision to find a study group. It is hard to find something in this area that met my current time restraints, so as usual, God is right on time, and Pastor Ralph is faithful. I have not really studied Isaiah before and often feel it is pretty over my head. So this is something that I am really looking forward to. I have walked with Christ for about 20 years now, and He is true to His word when He said He would give us an abundant life. Praise the Lord!

It seems to me that Israel in this chapter is being called on the carpet. They have forgotten that they have the most high God as their Lord and Master. They have been provided for, set apart and it has been revealed to them. So they are a knowledgeable, blessed people that the Creator of all things has set aside, saying "these are mine". But poor Israel has a lateral view. They stopped even looking up. God says that they don't even consider what the the ox and donkey know. As Christians today, I would say for myself, I too have seasons of forgetfulness, but God forbid that I walk long that way. I would spend days, just as any other Christian,with wasted moments serving idols, and marking days, and my borders would be just as weak as Israel's here in Isaiah. Weakened borders around my family, spiritual walk and the work that God has called me to. God accuses Israel of all sorts of things, but the thing that most stands out to me is this statement, "bring no more futile sacrifices, in vs. 13 of Chapter 1. In vs. 11 it is said " To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?"... "I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of the lambs or goats." It is something that I needed to hear again, and it said to me, "where is your heart, Cat? These things were so that you would look at your heart in alignment with Me and My Heart". Oh yeah! It is unreasonable for me with so much at my disposal,(grace, mercy, a direct line to the Creator of all things) to rely on ordinances, pass times in place of worship, and miss the garden of that grace that is available to me. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor, Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.