Isaiah 5:1-7 (NIV)
Read by: Kim Koi
Have you ever tried gardening? My wife and I have attempted to have a garden for the past 5 summers. Some things have grown well, others haven’t. The herbs kind of do their own thing and always produce more than enough. Our strawberries keep coming back, but we haven’t pruned them well, so they’re really really small. One year we had an amazing tomato crop, but we didn’t realize it until they were smushed at the bottom of the garden, having all ripened in the two weeks we were out of town. But the ones that have been really disappointing are those we put a lot of time and effort into–growing them from seed, transplanting them when they’re seedlings, watering and weeding diligently, only to get fruit that tastes awful… or no fruit at all.
Today’s passage is about a kind of garden—a vineyard. If you walked with us through Mark’s gospel, it might sound familiar to you. Jesus takes this very passage and reworks it to speak truth to the Jewish leaders in their context, and today we’ll find out why it hit home with them.
Remember the themes we’re hearing so far from Isaiah. They fill these first chapters and connect us from yesterday’s reading to today’s: A call to repent, a warning of judgment. Israel has abandoned the Lord. They’ve forgotten who they are and who they were meant to be. They’ve spent their energy pushing down those they should be helping, indulging in their wealth and worshiping their own reflection. A remnant will remain, but not without a difficult and painful season of purification.
----------REFLECT----------
1. What feelings came up in you as you listened to the passage?
2. What feelings do you imagine God felt as he surveyed Israel, his vineyard? Is there something in your life that you’ve poured your heart into, only to be disappointed?
3. It’s hard for our modern ears to hear the sort of apocalyptic language used by prophets and others in biblical literature. And yet, when we see violence and evil oppression, don’t we feel things just as deeply? What system, structure or power do you long for God to undo, tear down, or “lay waste to?” Ask the Lord to help you pray for his justice, from the depths of your heart.
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Bible Project: Isaiah 1-39 >>
BP Exploring My Strange Bible Podcast: The Meaning of Hope >>
InterVarsity Press Selections: Isaiah >>
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