Familiar to every Israelite were the hillside vineyards of the fertile land God had given his forefathers. They yielded their fruit in season every year for the enjoyment of the owner of the vineyard, generally paying him back bountifully.
Isaiah, led by the Spirit of God to consider Israel as God’s vine, in this chapter brings before His people what God had done for them, and the shameful return they had made for all His care.
The 80th Psalm completes the picture of Israel as the vine, first as the work of God, and then in the desolation which was the fruit of their sins.
In Matthew 21:3333Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: (Matthew 21:33); Mark 12:11And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. (Mark 12:1) and Luke 20:99Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. (Luke 20:9) and following verses, the Lord convicted the Jews of their crowning sin: their land was the vineyard; God was the husbandman. He had sent messenger after messenger to them, seeking fruit, and these servants were cruelly treated; He at last sends His Son, and they become His murderers. He was, as come into the world, the true vine (John 15:11I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. (John 15:1)), taking the rejected Israel’s place and bearing fruit for God. Afterward, in Revelation 14:18-19,18And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. (Revelation 14:18‑19) we read of the vine of the earth—a corrupt thing of religious profession, to be swept away in judgment. Then Israel will be restored, and there will be fruit for God from that reborn nation.
Israel was favored and blessed as no other nation had been, having every advantage that could be given by a benefit cent and wise Creator; redeemed from Egypt’s slavery, and given to know the true God, while the world in general was sunk in the darkness of idolatry and immorality; brought by His power into possession of the richest land on earth, and there set apart with Him as their Head and Protector, from all around that would have defiled and corrupted; His word in the 5 books of the Pentateuch given through Moses, with an admirable religious system provided by God for their case. Such and more was Israel’s place as set up in the land. But this favored vine, which should have brought forth in abundance the choicest grapes, produced wild (or bad) grapes.
What will the owner of this vineyard do? He will take away its hedge and break down its wall, that enemies may come in; the vineyard shall be trodden under foot; He will make it a waste, neither pruned nor hoed; briers and thorns shall come up, and He will command the clouds that they shower no rain upon it.
This accounts for the present condition of the Holy Land; some small patches have been put under cultivation by returned Jews from other lands, but the country as a whole waits for Israel’s change of heart in the days to come, when judgment shall have accomplished what the gospel has not.
WOE is now pronounced upon the rejectors of the claims and the mercy of God; these are grouped under six heads, six classes of humanity, and all of them are at least as plainly to be found today as they were when Isaiah wrote.
The first group is described in verse 8. These bring to mind the men of Genesis 11, and the rich farmer of Luke 12; an hour comes for which they are totally unprepared. Men justify such, but God says, “Thou fool!” Israel’s blessings, unlike the Christian’s are connected with this earth, and so we read of the very, very poor return (verse 10), they got for all their work—6 1/2 gallons from 10 acres of vineyard, and of the seed planted only one-tenth harvested.
Verses 11 and 12 describe the second class; pleasure is their object in life. Thus does Satan lure many nowadays to destruction. It will be noticed that the word concerning such, in verses 13, 14 particularly, is especially solemn.
The third class of people is named in verses 18 and 19. Here are they who think nothing of sin, and laugh and sneer at the warnings and pleadings of the servants of God.
In verse 20 is the fourth group whose numbers, or whose boldness, or both, have been growing rapidly of late. These devote themselves to the breaking down of right conduct, and of recognized moral standards, of corrupt mind, they seek to corrupt everyone else. This is very noticeable in the literature of the present time.
The fifth group or class of the enemies of God is singled out in verse 21. These are the learned, or would be learned, the philosophers, professors and teachers, and such like; not all of them, thank God, for there are faithful men of God among the highly educated. But there is a very evident class of thinkers, doctors of religion, scientists, etc., who push aside the Word of God and substitute the conclusions of their own minds—science falsely so-called.
Verse 22 names the sixth and last class of mankind who desire not the knowledge of God. These appear to be the corrupt men in the governments, and judges who accept bribes. Upon these last the judgment of Jehovah of hosts will fall in consuming power.
But because of all this, the anger of Jehovah was kindled against His people; He had stretched out His hand against them, and smitten them, and His hand is stretched out still (verse 25).
He was about to call a nation far off, the Assyrians, or not long after the Babylonians, to execute His judgment upon the despisers of His Word. But the language of verses 26 to 30 cannot be limited to the events of Hezekiah’s reign, and of the last two kings of Judah; evidently the fulfilment of this prophecy awaits the day to which the prophetic Scriptures nearly all point, when Judah will be again in the land of Palestine.