What More Can The Lord Do?

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard:  My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What 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? Isaiah 5: 1-4, NIV.

Dear God, here we are again, waiting for Your blessing. You have done everything in Your power to save us. Today as we study Your Word, please help us to accept the gift of eternl life, on Your terms, in the precious name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, we pray. Amen.

We could describe the first seven verses of this chapter as an Old Testament parable. The first thing we will do is identify the different personalities in the parable. It is a love song that tells the story of God’s dealings with His people. It also speaks of an indictment and judgment against the house of Israel. The beloved one, and owner of the vineyard, is the Lord (Isaiah 5: 7a). The vineyard is the house of Israel (7b). It is planted on fertile ground (Matthew 13: 8). All the nutrients necessary to enhance growth are in the soil. The ground has been loosened and freed of stones (5). Every obstacle that could impede the free spreading of the roots downward have been removed (6).

I found a rather interesting definition of watchtower that spread some valuable light on our study:  “An observation tower on which a guard or lookout is stationed to keep watch, as for enemies, for forest fires, or over prisoners” (The Free Dictionary, by Farlex, emphasis provided). This was no ordinary vineyard. A look-out site was constructed on the grounds to be able to immediately detect any fires starting, or any enemies approaching. It is obvious that the owner treasured His vineyard, and took every measure to keep it safe, while it reached maturity!

He “cut out a winepress as well.” The owner had invested in the vineyard, and expected to receive dividends in proportion to His investment; so he had the winepress built in anticipation of the abundant harvest that would yield Him much sweet, fresh, fruit of the vine! The day came when the juice was pressed from the grapes, and the owner of the vineyard was given the first taste. Imagine His horror, when, instead of fresh, sweet, grape juice, He tastes this sour wine! It was a spoiled crop of grapes; it was bad fruit!

Now He calls upon Judah, and the house of Israel to be the judges:  How did this happen? What more could I have done, that I did not do? He inquired! In asking His people to be the judges they had to reflect. They had to remember every effort that God had put forth in helping them to “get it right.” They had to admit, that He had done everything possible! They were therefore deserving of whatever disciplinary measure He would apply.

Let us take a look at spiritual Israel, of the twenty-first century. All who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives, by faith, have become Abraham’s seed (Romans 9: 8). We are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (8: 17). In our parable (John 15), God the Father is the Gardener (1b), Jesus is the Vine (1a), and we are the  branches (5). The Father and the Son have done everything possible to help us reach spiritual maturity (2, 3), and have made known to us what we need to do to bring forth “good fruit:” “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ‘ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. . .” ‘ ”

If we, through our disobedience do not give heed to the warning, and we become disconnected from the Vine, our only source of life and salvation, we will have no excuse. On that day, what will we answer the Lord when He asks us, “What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it?”