"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?"
Most Christians would probably say that God will always get what God expects. Why? Because God plans out everything, so why would He not get what He expected? This seems fairly reasonable if God truly orders every action, every happening, and every motion leads to what God has planned all along. There are however at least two instances where God does not get what He expected.
Isaiah 5:1-4 gives a very nice, and honest, example of something not turning out as God had expected. I say honest because some will say that God is not being honest at all. The common thought is that God already knew the outcome; if so then why even use language that would seem to imply God was surprised? That, at least to me, does seem honest. God is honest, right? Of course He is; so when the scriptures use language that indicates that God is surprised by the outcome of a situation then I believe it.
Isaiah speaks of God singing a song about His true love, Israel. The picture is of a vineyard which is very well cared for. As with Job, there is a hedge about the vineyard to protect it from wild beasts and those who would destroy it. Think of the Judges; when Israel was under a Judge things went well, they were protected. When the Judge died, Israel went astray and the protection fell away with terrible consequences. The adversary complained to God that Job was protected and this was the reason that Job worshiped God. The difference is that Job did worship God when protected by the hedge, Israel on the other hand did not.
One would expect that a vineyard so well cared for would produce very fine grapes. The husbandman was none other than God. This vineyard had divine protection and nurturing. What else could possibly happen beside perfection? Sour grapes, the unexpected. The husbandman is certainly surprised and dismayed. Isaiah 5:4 describes this unexpected turn of events. Just as in Jeremiah 3:7 where God thought something would turn out a particular way, it did not. In Isaiah, God sincerely asks, or wonders, what more could I have done? God seems to be going over a list in His mind, checking off all He has done to ensure sweet wine grapes. It would appear that everything possible was done yet the result was far less than satisfactory.
Way back in Exodus 33:5, God had a similar problem with Israel. God had to ask, 'what am I going to do with you'? At that point God decided not to travel with them based on what little he had seen already. This seems to be a recurring issue in their relationship, God's and Israel's. God asks a similar question in Hosea 6:4; God asks what is He to do with them? The case in Hosea certainly seems to be more of a sarcastic question, if you read the book you will understand why.
So by now you might be wondering how is it possible that God did not know the vineyard would yield sour grapes? God genuinely thought that at some point the relationship would work out for the good that He expected. Clearly, it did not.
Isaiah 5:7 gives us at least some of the reason why the hedge is to be removed. Israel is unjust to others and those they oppress, from among their own kind, are crying out to God for justice. Things that God definitely expected not to happen among a people that He provided, protected, and cared for so deeply.
"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?"
I believe this verse is an honest assessment of a situation which God had not planned on. Therefore, God was genuinely surprised and honestly wondered what could have been done differently. The answer is nothing, God did all He could. What does God desire? Hosea 6:6 gives us what God was looking for all along.
Hosea 6:6 NRSV
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Steadfast love, the kind God gave Israel, is what God expected. In a true relationship there are two people and both must be completely involved for the other for the relationship to be fruitful. Israel and Judah both failed to be faithful so God walked away from the relationship, at least temporarily.
beyond what I have already done?
When I waited for it to produce edible grapes,
why did it produce sour ones instead?"
Most Christians would probably say that God will always get what God expects. Why? Because God plans out everything, so why would He not get what He expected? This seems fairly reasonable if God truly orders every action, every happening, and every motion leads to what God has planned all along. There are however at least two instances where God does not get what He expected.
Isaiah 5:1-4 gives a very nice, and honest, example of something not turning out as God had expected. I say honest because some will say that God is not being honest at all. The common thought is that God already knew the outcome; if so then why even use language that would seem to imply God was surprised? That, at least to me, does seem honest. God is honest, right? Of course He is; so when the scriptures use language that indicates that God is surprised by the outcome of a situation then I believe it.
Isaiah speaks of God singing a song about His true love, Israel. The picture is of a vineyard which is very well cared for. As with Job, there is a hedge about the vineyard to protect it from wild beasts and those who would destroy it. Think of the Judges; when Israel was under a Judge things went well, they were protected. When the Judge died, Israel went astray and the protection fell away with terrible consequences. The adversary complained to God that Job was protected and this was the reason that Job worshiped God. The difference is that Job did worship God when protected by the hedge, Israel on the other hand did not.
One would expect that a vineyard so well cared for would produce very fine grapes. The husbandman was none other than God. This vineyard had divine protection and nurturing. What else could possibly happen beside perfection? Sour grapes, the unexpected. The husbandman is certainly surprised and dismayed. Isaiah 5:4 describes this unexpected turn of events. Just as in Jeremiah 3:7 where God thought something would turn out a particular way, it did not. In Isaiah, God sincerely asks, or wonders, what more could I have done? God seems to be going over a list in His mind, checking off all He has done to ensure sweet wine grapes. It would appear that everything possible was done yet the result was far less than satisfactory.
Way back in Exodus 33:5, God had a similar problem with Israel. God had to ask, 'what am I going to do with you'? At that point God decided not to travel with them based on what little he had seen already. This seems to be a recurring issue in their relationship, God's and Israel's. God asks a similar question in Hosea 6:4; God asks what is He to do with them? The case in Hosea certainly seems to be more of a sarcastic question, if you read the book you will understand why.
So by now you might be wondering how is it possible that God did not know the vineyard would yield sour grapes? God genuinely thought that at some point the relationship would work out for the good that He expected. Clearly, it did not.
Isaiah 5:7 gives us at least some of the reason why the hedge is to be removed. Israel is unjust to others and those they oppress, from among their own kind, are crying out to God for justice. Things that God definitely expected not to happen among a people that He provided, protected, and cared for so deeply.
"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?"
I believe this verse is an honest assessment of a situation which God had not planned on. Therefore, God was genuinely surprised and honestly wondered what could have been done differently. The answer is nothing, God did all He could. What does God desire? Hosea 6:6 gives us what God was looking for all along.
Hosea 6:6 NRSV
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Steadfast love, the kind God gave Israel, is what God expected. In a true relationship there are two people and both must be completely involved for the other for the relationship to be fruitful. Israel and Judah both failed to be faithful so God walked away from the relationship, at least temporarily.
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