‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭30‬

I came across this passage in my daily Bible reading yesterday and it struck me. Now I want to create a context for why this struck me first and foremost. This passage talks of a vineyard that did not yield good fruit and therefore it was cut off and destroyed. But what is the significance of the Vineyard? The scriptures depict Israel as being the Vinyard of the Lord’s. His people are his Vineyard and again we see it in the New Testament with John 15:5 and Romans 11 where we are grafted into the Vineyard. 

At first this passage starts out with a beautiful plan for a vineyard that had all the resources it needed to be a fruitful vineyard.

“Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?”(1-4)

And there it stood producing fruit all right, but of wild nature. This wasn’t choice fruit, to be made into wine. It was useless. He had done everything you could to prepare a choice crop.

“And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!” (5-7)

So what did he do? He left it to its own devices. He no longer protected the vineyard and let nature run its course. And what happened? Destruction. Bloodshed. Now can you see why this passage pricked my heart? Maybe you still don’t understand the significance. 

Let’s read John 15:1-6 real quick;

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

Don’t you understand, don’t you see it. WE are the vineyard now WE are the ones bearing the fruit. The destruction that came upon Israel will also come to us as individuals. This past week I think we have seen the very obvious example of what happens when the world is left without Jesus. I think we have seen the wild fruit showing who they truly are.

“’What sorrow for you who buy up house after house and field after field, until everyone is evicted and you live alone in the land. But I have heard the Lord of Heaven’s Armies swear a solemn oath: “Many houses will stand deserted; even beautiful mansions will be empty. Ten acres of vineyard will not produce even six gallons of wine. Ten baskets of seed will yield only one basket of grain.” What sorrow for those who get up early in the morning looking for a drink of alcohol and spend long evenings drinking wine to make themselves flaming drunk. They furnish wine and lovely music at their grand parties— lyre and harp, tambourine and flute— but they never think about the Lord or notice what he is doing. So my people will go into exile far away because they do not know me. Those who are great and honored will starve, and the common people will die of thirst. The grave is licking its lips in anticipation, opening its mouth wide. The great and the lowly and all the drunken mob will be swallowed up. Humanity will be destroyed, and people brought down; even the arrogant will lower their eyes in humiliation.” (8-15)

The more selfishness we are taught as a society, the more we are told that it is good to satisfy the flesh, the more destruction we bring upon ourselves. On the surface it brings many parties and temporary happiness but deep down it is rotting away at our flesh. It produces wild fruit.

“But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture, and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, who say: “Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!” 

Sound familiar? Do you also know the significance of lambs? The righteous are considered the lambs in Revelation. Therefore the righteous ones will be the ones blessed by the destruction of the wicked. It says “Woe to those” Woe is a heavy warning laced with deep meaning. Woe means a very serious consequence is about to be unleashed. Woe would be the proverbial belt for which to swat with. When you see Woe, pay attention! Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood. Basically it just said, watch out to those who make up lies that paint a picture of sin.

Now does it sound familiar? That’s all we see littering the media. People spewing hateful lies, making up the righteous to be sinful. Calling good evil and evil good. 

“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! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!” (20-23) 

This is the very lifework of Charlie Kirk written in three simple verses. He was called to reach those who exchange light for darkness. Those who are wise in their own eyes. All he ever did was share the truth. He stood for justice, truth, and life. And he was shot down for bringing humility to their pride. So what does the Lord say to those who acquit the guilty for a bribe or deprive the innocent of his right? 

“Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.”(24-26) 

“He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come! None is weary, none stumbles, none slumbers or sleeps, not a waistband is loose, not a sandal strap broken; their arrows are sharp, all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs seem like flint, and their wheels like the whirlwind. Their roaring is like a lion, like young lions they roar; they growl and seize their prey; they carry it off, and none can rescue. They will growl over it on that day, like the growling of the sea. And if one looks to the land, behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened by its clouds.” (27-30‬) 

I do truly believe that with the death of Charlie Kirk something was awakened and the whole world felt it. “Nations far away” felt it and all came together to scream for justice in the streets  with their “roaring like a lion”. That day will be remembered for all eternity. There will be a “growl” over September 10 and the “light will be darkened by clouds”. Nations all around the world have been grieving for the loss of the one man bold enough to speak out in the darkness and unashamedly speak the truth. To tear through the cord of lies. Through this event I believe God will weed out the wild grapes to uncover the true fruit.

1″I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. … 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. … 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” (John 15:1-2, 4-6, 10-13)