A. The
Prophet as a Social Critic
1. The
Text - Is
5:1-7
1 Let me sing for my
beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard:
“My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2 He dug it and cleared it
of stones, and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
he expected it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.”
3 And now,
inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more was there to
do for my vineyard
that I have not done
in it?
When I expected it to yield
grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?
5 And now
I will tell you what I
will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge, and it shall be
devoured;
I will break down its
wall, and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns;
I will also command the
clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
7 For the vineyard of the
LORD of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting;
he expected justice, but saw bloodshed;
righteousness, but heard a cry.
Related Texts
Isaiah 1:23 Your princes are rebels and companions of
thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do
not defend the orphan, and the widow's cause does not come before
them.
Isaiah 3:14 The
LORD enters into judgment with the elders and princes of his
people: It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
the spoil of the poor is in your houses. 15 What do you mean by crushing
my people, by grinding the face of the poor? says
the Lord GOD of hosts. 16 The
LORD said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with
outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they
go, tinkling with their feet;
2. The Structure
I. Title of the song (v.1a)
II. Narrative part of the song (v. 1b-2)
III. Invitation to judge the song (vv. 3-6)
IV. Identification of the characters in the song (v.7)
3.
Commentary
a. Strong Contrasts
b. From Ambiguity to Clarity
4.
Theological-Pastoral Implications
a. The prophet as a social critic
b. The prophet on the side of the poor.
c. Prophetic ministry and Jesus’
vision of the Kingdom of God.
