COme Bible Study with me (Isaiah 5)

Welcome back. We are now in chapter 5 of the book of Isaiah.  This chapter goes deeper into God’s disappointment of the people of Israel and why He must bring about His righteous judgment. We are going to dive right in with our strategy What S.T.U.C.K. as we walk through this chapter. 

Summary of Chapter: 

Let's begin with the summary. I have used the 5 w's and the H reading strategy below: 

Who?Isaiah is writing about his beloved's (The LORD's) vineyard on a very fertile hill. 

The vineyard is the house of Israel, the men of Judah, the plant the LORD delighted in. 

Who is Isaiah addressing? Israel’s elite and the farmers who exploited the people.

What?      His beloved had broken up the soil, cleared it of stones, and planted it with the finest vines. 

He built a tower in the middle of it and dug out winepress there. 

The LORD speaks through Isaiah, “What more could I have done for my vineyard than I did? Why did it yield worthless grapes?"

“Now, I will remove your hedge, and you will be consumed.” 

“I will tear down your walls, and you will (the vineyard) will be trampled.” 

“I will make you a wasteland.” 

There were physical vineyards in the hills of Judea. 

When?Commentary states that Isaiah prophesied during the years of 740-700 BC.

There was an economic boom during the reign of Uzziah but before Assyria. 


Where?Judah and Jerusalem 


Why?Why did God plant them there (the Vineyard)? 
He expected it to yield good grapes, but it yielded worthless grapes. 


Why is God now removing their hedge of protection? 
He expected justice but saw injustice instead. He expected righteousness but heard cries of despair. Because of their rebellion. Because they celebrate their sin and mock God (see verse 19). They call good evil and evil good and substitute darkness for light and light for darkness. They consider themselves wise, get drunk, acquit the guilty, and deprive the innocent. They have no fear of the LORD. 


Why did God have to judge them? 

• The LORD’s anger burned.
• To humble humanity.

• The LORD is exalted by his justice.  
• He demonstrates His holiness through His righteousness.

How?  
How will God carry our His judgment? 
He will send in a ruthless army, roaring like a lion (Assyria in 701 BC)

• The people will go into exile. 
• Her dignitaries will starving, and her masses will be parched with thirst. 
• Dignitaries and masses will die.

• Their large homes will be left empty. 

What Stood Out? 

Next, what first stood out to me was revealing of the free will. God placed them in the land and provided what they needed to prosper, grow, and be successful. However, the leaders, in their own wisdom practiced injustice, rebelled against God's laws, and celebrated their sin. It is evident that God spoke to them through the prophets numerous times, but they refused to listen. 

God's righteous judgment also stood out to me. Many often ask the question, "Why would God do such a thing as destroy a people or cause an evil enemy to come upon them. If we look closely at verse 16, "the holy God demonstrates his holiness through his righteousness," we notice that God shows that He's holy through His actions toward the evil that was taking place in the land.

We also see in verse 24, "for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Armies, and they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel." This means that as many times as God had spoken to get them to turn back, they chose their own way. They even went as far as mocking God (verse 19). 


What Truth is Revealed?

The truth revealed in this chapter is pretty much repeated throughout 1-5. It is, "The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the LORD" (Psalm 24:1 CSB). Therefore, the people and the land of Israel belonged to God, and they chose to not walk in His wisdom, but in their own, which brought about moral confusing and injustice. People were suffering as Israel had suffered in Egypt. God raised up the deliverer (Moses), and He used him to lead them out of captivity. So, the only true God, who is holy, responded as such. He would make the land "whole" again by removing the evil. 


What's the Universal Lesson?

The LORD of heaven's armies changes not. The same way he brought about justice to those who practiced evil and walked in their own way then, he will do it again. We should never fear the evils of man, how they exalt themselves and attempt to create their own truths, and their own "Christ." Why? Because God sees and He hears. He will render justice to all who practice false religion and operate in evil, the leader and the citizen in the land. 


What’s the Connection to Your Life? 
The connection to my life is our current climate all across the world. I must stand on God's truth, know what His word says, and place my whole trust in Him as the righteous judge and the LORD of all. 


Finally, let's kneel and seek the LORD for our nation and world. Here are some example points to pray:
-Ask God to help you stand on His truth in a world that chooses their own truth.
-Ask the Lord to fight for and protect the innocent in the land. 
-Ask Him to help you humble yourself under His mighty hand and exalt His holy name.
-Ask the LORD to help you to store up your treasures in Heaven, not on earth. 
-Ask the LORD to keep you when He releases His judgment. 

Leave a comment below with your answers to “What STUCK with you?” Also, leave any questions or commentary. 
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Be Blessed & Keep Studying with "HOPE in CHRIST" 
Denise M. Walker 
Founder of Hope-in-Christ Ministries