The Work of the Lord
Isaiah 5:1-12
February 27, 1998

Introduction to Isaiah

A. Isaiah: a mini Bible (39 + 27)
B. Time:

1. covers 40 to as much as 60 years beginning about 740 B.C.
2. covers the reign of 4 kings (Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah)

C. Author:

1. Had close contact with the royal court
2. His wife was a prophetess and they had two sons
3. He died under Manasseh’s reign by being sawn in two

D. Christ in Isaiah

1. Many prophecies of the 1st advent: e.g.

a. 7:14 (Matt. 1:22, 23)
b. 52:13 – 53: 12

2. Some prophecies of the 2nd advent: e.g.

a. 4:2; 11:2-6, 10; 32:1-8; 49:7; 52:13, 15; 59:20, 21; 60:1-3 & 61:2,3

E. Keys for understanding Isaiah

1. Isaiah’s name: "Salvation is of the Lord"

a. "salvation" appears 26 times in Isaiah
b. only 7 times all together in all other prophets put together

2. Key verse: Isaiah 9:6,7 and 53:6

9: 6-7 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

53: 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

F. Outline for the book

1. Prophecies of Condemnation (1-35)
2. Historical Parenthesis (36-39)
3. Prophecies of Comfort (40-66)

I. The Vineyard

A. The Parable of the Vineyard (1-2)
hope, work and disappointment

B. Vineyards of Israel

  1. terraced fields and rock walls
  2. lots of work: verse 2:
    dug... cleared.. planted.. built.. made..
  3. similar to the rock walls of our area
  4. Thompson Seedless Grape was invented in Sutter

C. The Interpretation (7)

  1. vineyard belongs to God
  2. the plants were the men of Judah (NOTE: this is not just mankind... men are held responsible
  • the Lord had worked at taking out the stones from their hearts
  • He planted the choicest Vine (Jesus): "I am the vine and you are the branches" i.e. He gave them Himself
  • He built a tower in the midst of the field to watch over it : these were the summer houses for the farmer to protect his crop – the Lord built the Temple and staffed it with priests to watch over the people. (Holy Spirit)
  1. the expected fruit was justice and righteousness
    Gal. 5: 22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
  2. the wild fruit was oppression and weeping

Gal. 5: 19-21 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

D. The Work of God

  1. He called them out
  2. He brought them out
  • He planted them in
  • He provided the best setting

II. The Courtroom Scene

A. The Plaintiff is God
B. The Defendant and Jury is Judah
C. The Case

  1. What more could God do? (3-4)
  2. What judgment God will now do. (5-6)
  • take away its hedge: i.e. its defining boundaries
  • break down its wall: i.e. its defenses
    * it seems that the Horses of the Apocalypse and the trumpets and vials could be not so much God doing direct harm to His creation but tearing down the defenses He has setup to protect man from himself --- for example biological and nuclear warfare.
  • lay it waste: i.e. the total destruction of the land
  • no rain on it: i.e. change the weather pattern over Israel

D. The Evidence -- 7 woes

  1. Joining house to house... (8)
  2. Partying and leisure (11)
  3. Work at sin & mock at the Lord (18-19)
  4. "Calling evil good and good evil" (20)
  5. Pride
  6. Brag at how much they can drink (22)
  7. Pervert judgment (23)

III. God’s Assessment of the Cause

A. They do not regard the work of the Lord

  1. though they saw the work of the Lord, they completely missed it
  2. Ps. 95: 10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways."
  3. John 5: 17 "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."
  4. "Nor consider the operation of His hand" i.e. they gave no thought and no energy to joining in God’s work
  • What is God’s work?
  • How can you join in with Him?

B. They have no knowledge

  1. They were completely unaware that there captivity had already started
    "they have gone into captivity" i.e. it is already taking place
  2. Captivity of self-interest
  3. Blindness of materialism