5:1 I will sing to my love— a song to my lover about his vineyard. My love had a vineyard on a fertile hill. 

 

The “I” referred to Isaiah.  He was singing a prophetic song to his “love.” His “love” was God the Father. Isaiah possessed an intimate relationship with God the Father. Out of all of the prophets, Jehovah revealed to Isaiah the virgin birth, the triunity of God, and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. This song was about God’s vineyard. The vineyard was Israel. God planted Israel the vineyard on a fertile hill. The fertile hill was the agriculturally-rich land of Canaan.

 

5:2 He built a hedge around it, removed its stones, and planted a vine. He built a tower in the middle of it, and constructed a winepress. He waited for it to produce edible grapes, but it produced sour ones instead.

 

God the Vinedresser spent a lot of time on Israel the Vineyard. He protected Israel from foreign nations by placing a hedge around her. He removed the stones from Israel (which there were many). He planted only the best vines. He built a watchtower to guard the vineyard. He constructed a winepress, anticipating that Israel would produce the very best wine. However, Israel turned out to be sour grapes. The Hebrew word for sour grapes is בְּאֻשִֽׁים (bishesim), meaning stinky grapes.

 

5:3 So now, residents of Jerusalem, people of Judah, you decide between me and my vineyard!

 

Jehovah asked the people of Judah to judge this situation of conflict between Jehovah and Israel.

 

5:4 What more can I do for my vineyard beyond what I have already done? When I waited for it to produce edible grapes, why did it produce sour ones instead?

 

What else could Jehovah have done to make sure that he received good grapes?

 

5:5 Now I will inform you what I am about to do to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there.

 

Since the vineyard was unproductive, Jehovah was going to have to destroy the vineyard and start over. He would remove the protective hedge and allow the beasts to come into the vineyard. The beasts were the Gentile nations.

 

5:6 I will make it a wasteland; no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, and thorns and briers will grow there. I will order the clouds not to drop any rain on it.

 

Jehovah would turn Judah into a wasteland. As long as the land is waste, then none of the other Gentiles would want to settle there.

 

5:7 Indeed Israel is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies, the people of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight. He waited for justice, but look what he got—disobedience! He waited for fairness, but look what he got—cries for help!

 

The vineyard was identified as Israel and Judah. Jehovah wanted good fruit from His vineyard. He wanted justice from His vineyard, but He received disobedience. He wanted fairness, but He received cries of distress. The judges were not judging righteously.

 

5:8 Those who accumulate houses are as good as dead, those who also accumulate landed property until there is no land left, and you are the only landowners remaining within the land.

 

The Mosaic Law allowed their citizens to sell houses permanently in a walled city. However, selling houses in unwalled cities and fields was allowed only until the Year of Jubilee. Then, the property would revert back to the original tribal owner. The purpose of this law was to keep the wealthy from exploiting the poor by buying up all of the property during times of despair. This law kept a middle class in Israel at all time. The wealthy owners broke this law. Since corrupt judges would not enforce this Mosaic Law, then God enforced it. The judgment was death. God did not allow the wealthy to exploit the poor.

 

5:9 The Lord who commands armies told me this: “Many houses will certainly become desolate, large, impressive houses will have no one living in them.

 

After the Babylon Captivity, these mansions of the wealthy would become vacant.

 

5:10 Indeed, a large vineyard will produce just a few gallons, and enough seed to yield several bushels will produce less than a bushel.”

 

According to the Mosaic Law, violation of this housing act would cause national crop failure. Normally a large vineyard would produce many gallons of wine, but here the amount would be a mere six gallons. Six bushels of seed would normally produce many bushels of grain, but this grain would be only one-half a bushel. The Mosaic Law promised ten-fold, but God would only allow one tenth.

 

5:11 Those who get up early to drink beer are as good as dead, those who keep drinking long after dark until they are intoxicated with wine. 

 

Instead of spending time on the Lord’s work, Israel was addicted to alcohol. They woke up early in the morning  and began drinking beer. They drank wine into the night. Since the corrupt judges would not judge this sin, God would do it. The penalty was death. It is important to note that the Bible never condemns drinking, but it does condemn drunkenness.

 

5:12 They have stringed instruments, tambourines, flutes, and wine at their parties. So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing, they do not perceive what he is bringing about.

 

Israel was so busy getting intoxicated at parties, that she cared nothing about God’s sovereign plan for them. She mixed licentious music with alcohol.

 

5:13 Therefore my people will be deported because of their lack of understanding. Their leaders will have nothing to eat, their masses will have nothing to drink.

 

Israel was so busy partying, that she did not understand that she would be defeated by Babylon. She did not understand that her partying would lead to famine. One hundred years after this prophecy, Babylon invaded and enslaved Judah. Therefore, Israel never lacked the knowledge. They possessed the Bible doctrine, but they refused to study and learn. The biggest sin of Christians today is their ignorance of the Bible.

 

5:14 So Death will open up its throat, and open wide its mouth; Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it, including those who revel and celebrate within her.

 

Death will open its mouth and swallow all of the drunkards.

 

5:15 Men will be humiliated, they will be brought low; the proud will be brought low.

 

All of the proud people would be humbled, regardless of their previous economic situation in life.

 

5:16 The Lord who commands armies will be exalted when he punishes, the sovereign God’s authority will be recognized when he judges.

 

Whenever God judges sin, then He is exalted. This is because He is not a corrupt judge who takes bribes. He judges evil and gives evil men what they deserve.

 

5:17 Lambs will graze as if in their pastures, amid the ruins the rich sojourners will graze.

 

The houses of the wealthy would become desolate. Lambs would graze in their front yards.

 

5:18 Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, who pull sin as with cart ropes.

 

Israel was chained to sin by cords and ropes. There were many people questioning whether God was in control of the nation. This flurry of complaints was all empty talk. God would judge these complainers by divine capital punishment.

 

5:19 They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, so we can see; let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take shape and come to pass, then we will know it!”

 

Israel challenged God to act quickly and save her nation, yet they did not want to give up their sin.

 

5:20 Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter.

 

Those who called evil good and good evil were going to be judged by divine capital punishment. In Israel during this time, fornication, adultery, demon worship, child sacrifice, occultism, temple prostitution, homosexuality, lesbianism, transgenerism, sex with animals, alcoholism, sorcery (drugs), murder, and theft were all called good, but worship of Jehovah was called evil. 

 

America is guilty of calling evil good. Fornication is called pre-marital sex. Pornography is called adult entertainment. Homosexuality and lesbianism are called same-sex marriage. Transgenderism is called courteous  Child sacrifice is called planned parenthood. Alcoholism is called a social disease. Illegal drug usage is called recreation. Demon worship is called multiculturalism. Blasphemy is called evolution. Satan worship is called the new world order. Satanism is called secular humanism. Christ-rejecters are called liberals. Believers are called egotists and narrow minded. 

 

5:21 Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, those who think they possess understanding.

 

Israel thought that she was so wise and clever that she did not need God’s power to deliver her nation. She thought she could protect herself. She would receive the divine death penalty by sword, famine, or disease.

 

5:22 Those who are champions at drinking wine are as good as dead, who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.

 

The government officials o Israel thought that they were heroes. They were only champions of drunkards. They loved their alcohol, but they refused to help the poor. Therefore, they were going to receive divine capital punishment by sword, famine, or disease.

 

5:23 They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff, they ignore the just cause of the innocent.

 

The corrupt judges were accused by Isaiah of accepting bribes. Isaiah was not tickling the ears of his listeners.

 

5:24 Therefore, as flaming fire devours straw, and dry grass disintegrates in the flames, so their root will rot, and their flower will blow away like dust. For they have rejected the law of the Lord who commands armies, they have spurned the commands of the Holy One of Israel.

 

The people of Israel were so evil, that God would burn them just as fire burns dry gas.

 

5:26 He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth. Look, they come quickly and swiftly.

 

God would raise a banner of war against Israel. God would whistle and Babylon would come from the east and attack Israel with a military invasion.

 

5:27 None tire or stumble, they don’t stop to nap or sleep. They don’t loosen their belts, or unstrap their sandals to rest.

 

After the Babylonian army heard God’s whistle, then just as a dog obeys its master, then they would come quickly and attack Israel. They would not become fatigues from battle. They would not stumble and make mistakes. They would not sleep until the invasion was completed. They would not take a break until the invasion was completed.

 

5:28 Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows are prepared. The hooves of their horses are hard as flint, and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm.

 

The Babylonian soldiers would be well-armed with the most modern weapons.

 

5:29 Their roar is like a lion’s; they roar like young lions. They growl and seize their prey; they drag it away and no one can come to the rescue.

 

The Babylonians would fight like ferocious lions. Israel would become lion’s prey.

 

5:30 At that time they will growl over their prey, it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks. One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster, clouds will turn the light into darkness.

 

The Babylonian soldiers would cover Judah like the sea. There would be such a dark cloud of soldiers, that they would blot out the sun.

 

Notice that Isaiah was not a seeker-friendly pastor. He told a God-rejecting nation of liberals that they were headed to the grave. Isaiah would not be invited into many modern pulpits today, because he is not seeker-friendly. He does not tickle the ears of his congregation.