ISAIAH
Prophecies concerning the Nations
Chapter 5
TO BE REVISED
The destruction of the vineyard of the Lord (5:1 to 7)
Isaiah asks to sing a love song for your beloved (the Lord), which illustrates the disobedience, rebellion and idolatry of the people of Jerusalem and Judah.
In this song the Lord had a vineyard on a fertile utinga River place located on a hill. He cultivated the land, planted the best vines, built a Tower (for Defense) and built a mill (to extract the juice from the grapes). Expected to produce grapes, but only gave it brought forth wild grapes (small, acidic and useless).
Outraged, the Lord asked the residents of Jerusalem and men of Judah, what else could he have done to the vineyard, that I haven't already done? And why the vines don't live up to your expectations?
Without waiting for an answer, because there was no, you said you were going to do with the vineyard: destroyed his fence and surrounding wall that protected, and take everything that was there, in order to make a local desert. Would be left to him to grow weeds and thorns, but would not allow him rain more.
Finishing, Isaiah clarifies that the "vineyard of the Lord of hosts" the song represents the House of Israel, and the men of Judah vines (what was left of the Kingdom of the Jews, for the Kingdom of Israel had already dispersed). He expected to exercise Justice (obedience, gratitude, love, worship, service), but they were disobedient, rebellious and bloodthirsty, and adds "here's cry"-the cries of those who asked for mercy for suffering oppression.
Knowing the facts already, we know that in 588 BC, Jerusalem fell under the Chaldean army of Nebuchadnezzar, little more than a century after Isaiah write this prophecy, and took captive the whole population from Jerusalem to Babylon.
The punishment of the wicked (5:8-30)
In verses 8 to 23 we have six "s", being the continuation of the first in Chapter 3. The woes are pronounced as follows:
- "Ai of that rake House home, of which adds field by field, until there is no more room, so that living alone in the midst of the Earth! ”
Are greedy landowners who are trying to build up for the real estate market, until there is an acute shortage of houses and lands. They plan to live in solitary splendor, while others do not have their own housing. But the captive will leave many empty houses, and the Earth will produce fewer crops because of a lack of farmers.
The application to the Christian: If we are not aware that everything we are and we belong to Christ, we can be led to this misuse of what has been entrusted to us, and we seek to serve our own purposes thereby, bringing the disaster of sterility and spiritual need.
- "Woe to the rising early to go behind the strong drink and continue until night, till wine warm up! "
These are alcoholics, you never quench. Make your banquet accompanied by instrumental music, in total disregard of God and his works. It is for this kind of irrational behavior that approached the exile. Honorable men and the crowd will suffer hunger and death. But God will be vindicated for his righteous judgment, when Bedouin shepherds feed their flocks, foreigners in the ruins of Israel.
The application to the Christian: the self-indulgence dulls the spiritual sense by which we understand the ways of the Lord.
- "Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and Sin as risers.
Are the liars and those who defy God, that join to sin and drag the guilt and punishment. They defy God to accelerate Their punishment that promised them.
- "Woe to the evil that call right, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, and the bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! ”
Are those who maliciously confuse evil with good, darkness with light and sweet with the bitter. Subvert the moral principles, denying the difference between good and evil. Do not accept the concept of morality.
- "Those who are wise to your own eyes, and shrewd in its own concept.
Are vain and conceited men, who do not accept advice from others wiser than them. This condition is closely linked with those mentioned under both "s" above. Is the natural concomitant of the rejection of the word of God and the subversion of the customs.
- "Woe to the that are mighty to drink wine, and valiant for mixing strong drink; those who justify the wicked for suspected, and to the innocent you take your right! ”
Are the judges, respected for his ability and skill in the use of alcoholic beverages and to pervert justice and take the right of the innocent by bribes. The Prophet again is sarcastic. They are "powerful", that is, men of renown, in its dual criminality.
By rejecting the law and the word of the Lord, these wicked men will be consumed like grass in a fire, their roots will rot and your honor will be rid as the powder.
That's why the Lord was Wroth against his people and the injured, killing many of them. But still angry and will continue her punishment. Shall invite the Nations from far, from the ends of the Earth, and they will come very quickly, in perfect physical condition, perfectly uniform, well armed. Horses and cars will approach quickly and furiously. The troops will attack like a lion on the population and then take the people into exile. It will be a black day for Judah.
The General description given of punishment by the Lord not only applies to the invasions of the Chaldeans, but also of the subsequent powers, reaching a climax in the Roman conquest and the eventual destruction of the city and the dispersal of the people.
This fifth chapter, therefore, has three parts:
- Planting and care provided by the Lord to his vineyard and his disappointment with his failure (verses 1 to 7).
- The transgressions of the rulers and the people, complained under the six "ais" (verses 8 to 23).
- The punishments that would fall on them (verses 24 to 30).
God in his grace nothing left undone so we can be profitable for his glory, for his spirit and his word. If we solve not only fruitless, but practicing many forms of evil, "the trial must start in the House of God" (1 Peter 4:17).
R David Jones
The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed
1 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill.
2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes.
3 "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.
4 What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?
5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it."
7 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.
Woe to the Wicked
8 Woe to those who join house to house; They add field to field, Till there is no place Where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land!
9 In my hearing the LORD of hosts said, "Truly, many houses shall be desolate, Great and beautiful ones, without inhabitant.
10 For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, And a homer of seed shall yield one ephah."
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning, That they may follow intoxicating drink; Who continue until night, till wine inflames them!
12 The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute, And wine are in their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the LORD, Nor consider the operation of His hands.
13 Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge; Their honorable men are famished, And their multitude dried up with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged itself And opened its mouth beyond measure; Their glory and their multitude and their pomp, And he who is jubilant, shall descend into it.
15 People shall be brought down, Each man shall be humbled, And the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.
16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.
17 Then the lambs shall feed in their pasture, And in the waste places of the fat ones strangers shall eat.
18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as if with a cart rope;
19 That say, "Let Him make speed and hasten His work, That we may see it; And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, That we may know it."
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!
22 Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!
24 Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 Therefore the anger of the LORD is aroused against His people; He has stretched out His hand against them And stricken them, And the hills trembled. Their carcasses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.
26 He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, And will whistle to them from the end of the earth; Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly.
27 No one will be weary or stumble among them, No one will slumber or sleep; Nor will the belt on their loins be loosed, Nor the strap of their sandals be broken;
28 Whose arrows are sharp, And all their bows bent; Their horses' hooves will seem like flint, And their wheels like a whirlwind.
29 Their roaring will be like a lion, They will roar like young lions; Yes, they will roar And lay hold of the prey; They will carry it away safely, And no one will deliver.
30 In that day they will roar against them Like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land, Behold, darkness and sorrow; And the light is darkened by the clouds.
Isaiah chapter 5