What is the meaning of Isaiah 5:4? What more could have been done for My vineyard than I have done for it? • The “vineyard” is God’s chosen people, lovingly transplanted and tended, just as Psalm 80:8–11 pictures the Lord bringing a vine out of Egypt and planting it with care. • Isaiah 5:1–2 details everything the Owner provided—fertile soil, clearing stones, a watchtower, and a winepress—symbolizing covenant promises, the Law, prophets, and worship. • Hosea 11:1–4 echoes the same heart: God nurtured, healed, and led with cords of kindness. • Like 2 Peter 1:3 reminds believers today, nothing essential for godliness was withheld. God’s question drives home that the fault cannot lie with the Vinedresser; He exhausted every righteous means. Why, when I expected sweet grapes, • The Owner’s expectation is reasonable. Sweet grapes picture the harvest of righteousness and justice (Isaiah 5:7). • Micah 6:8 summarizes the fruit God seeks: “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly.” • John 15:1–8 shows the same pattern: the true Vine anticipates fruit that glorifies the Father. • Galatians 5:22 speaks of character fruit—love, joy, peace—that naturally grows when the branch abides in the Vine. God’s “expectation” underscores accountability: privilege carries responsibility. did it bring forth sour fruit? • Instead of righteousness, there was bloodshed; instead of justice, cries of distress (Isaiah 5:7). • Jeremiah 2:21 laments, “I planted you a choice vine… How then have you turned into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?” • Jesus retells this indictment in Matthew 21:33–44, warning that unfruitful tenants forfeit the vineyard. • Hebrews 6:7–8 says land that bears thorns is in danger of being cursed, stressing that present-day believers also must watch for “sour fruit.” • James 3:11–12 asks if fresh water can flow from a salty spring—an echo of Isaiah’s shocking contrast. summary God’s question pierces then and now: He has done everything necessary for a fruitful people. The problem was never insufficient provision but stubborn hearts that traded sweetness for sourness. Remembering His lavish care, we respond with repentance, abiding, and the genuine fruit of lives aligned with His righteous expectations. |
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