The God Pause Daily Devotional from The Luther Seminary of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Monday, 2 October 2017 - Isaiah 5:1-7

The God Pause Daily Devotional from The Luther Seminary of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Monday, 2 October 2017 - Isaiah 5:1-7
Isaiah 5:1

 I want to sing a song for someone I love,

a song about my loved one and his vineyard.

My loved one had a vineyard

on a very fertile hill.

2 He dug up its stones and cleared them away,

planted it with the choicest vines,

built a watchtower in the middle of it,

and carved out in its rock a winepress.

He expected it to produce good grapes,

but it produced only sour, wild grapes.

3 Now, citizens of Yerushalayim and people of Y’hudah,

judge between me and my vineyard.

4 What more could I have done for my vineyard

that I haven’t already done in it?

So why, when I expected good grapes,

did it produce sour, wild grapes?

5 Now come, I will tell you

what I will do to my vineyard:

I will remove its hedge,

and [its grapes] will be eaten up;

I will break through its fence,

and [its vines] will be trampled down.

6 I will let it go to waste:

it will be neither pruned nor hoed,

but overgrown with briars and thorns.

I will also order the clouds

not to let rain fall on it.

7 Now the vineyard of Adonai-Tzva’ot

is the house of Isra’el,

and the men of Y’hudah

are the plant he delighted in.

So he expected justice,

but look — bloodshed! —

and righteousness, but listen —

cries of distress! (Complete Jewish Bible)

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Isaiah speaks of a vineyard not well tended. That vineyard--the house of Judah, the community, the people of God--had become overgrown with weeds, its plants stressed and the wall and well damaged. This hadn't happened overnight; but whenever the community is not well tended, it becomes stressed and what one expects to discover, is disappointedly absent.
For most of us the Lord's vineyard is our local congregation. How well is your congregation being tended? I don't mean is your pastor well tending you, I mean is the community using the gifts of grace planted in your midst to be a fruitful vineyard? What would I find if I visited your community of faith? If I looked for justice, would I find bloodshed? If I looked for righteousness would I find a despairing cry? If I looked for compassion would I find contention? If I looked for hope would I find gossip and backbiting? If I looked for love, would I find indifference born of personal agendas?
That sort of thing doesn't happen to a congregation overnight. Tending a vineyard, garden or a congregation is a never ending task. Is it time for you to give some attention once again to what has been planted in you by the Lord of the church? Attention to the Lord's gifts to you of faith, hope and love?
Lord of the church, don't let us grow weary of the work required to be fruitful. Rain upon us grace and mercy so that we might bear fruit of love and forgiveness. Amen.
Sherman Bishop, '80
Senior Pastor, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Westlake, Ohio
Isaiah 5:1 Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
2 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; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
3 And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
5 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.
6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry! (New Revised Standard Version)
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