The Vineyard
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Isaiah 5:1-2
1. Let me sing for my beloved a love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2. He digged 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; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
Psalm 80
1. Psalm. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou who leadest Joseph like a flock! Thou who art enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth 2. before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh! Stir up thy might, and come to save us! 3. Restore us, O God; let thy face shine, that we may be saved! 4. O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry with thy people's prayers? 5. Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. 6. Thou dost make us the scorn of our neighbors; and our enemies laugh among themselves. 7. Restore us, O God of hosts; let thy face shine, that we may be saved! 8. Thou didst bring a vine out of Egypt; thou didst drive out the nations and plant it. 9. Thou didst clear the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. 10. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches; 11. it sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River. 12. Why then hast thou broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? 13. The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it. 14. Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, 15. the stock which thy right hand planted. 16. They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance! 17. But let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man whom thou hast made strong for thyself! 18. Then we will never turn back from thee; give us life, and we will call on thy name! 19. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! let thy face shine, that we may be saved!
John 15:1-2
1. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
In the first two passages, the vine refers to Israel. In John, of course, Christ refers to Himself. In Psalm 80, Asaph, a Levite, and one of the leader’s of David’s choir, questions God on why He has withdrawn His favor from the people of Israel. He recalls how lovingly God has cared for and protected His chosen people in the past. He “reminds” God of how much He lovingly stoops down from heaven to be involved in the unfolding history of the people. Further, he sees into a bright future with a Savior, long-promised, and yet to be revealed.
Isaiah understands that even with all of God’s loving direction, correction, and promises, man is not capable of living without sinning. Asaph admits to himself and to God that he personally, and mankind, generally, will forever fall short without God’s help. But is Asaph accepting responsibility for Israel’s (and his own) sins? Or is there an air of “Why did you let us stray so far from you?” When we stray from God, we feel forsaken. We go through the motions of living, but the farther we stray, and the longer we wait to turn back to God, the more uneasy and insecure we feel.
When we are separated from God we feel vulnerable, unprotected. We look around and realize we are like little children lost in the woods. And it feels terrible. I think Isaiah understands that it isn’t God who moves away—who withdraws from man. It is rather man seeking his own greatness, his own wisdom, his own power. We remain like children, thinking we are invincible on our own – but we are really only like toddlers—able to take a few uncertain, unsteady steps, but ever reaching for a table or a sofa, or the open arms of a bigger, stronger, loving parent to keep us on our feet.
We are God’s chosen people. He loves us and is always, always available for us. Even when we stray; even when we defy Him and try to stand our own. He knew that we could never flourish on our own power, so He sent His Son—the true vine who lovingly taught us that God never abandons us. And when we turn away from Him, he waits for us to return; and He lovingly stretches out His arms and rejoices. Like parents who clap their hands every time their baby does something “incredible,” God is filled with joy when we run back to Him.
So when we feel ill-at-ease in this world, when we feel alone and adrift in the stormy seas of life, it is not because God has abandoned us. It is because we have forgotten upon whom and what we should be relying for direction in our lives. Jesus is the only way to spiritual peace, and to eternal life. When we turn our lives over to Him, we find strength and courage and peace and comfort. When we ask God for help, He scoops us up before we hit the floor!
I hope you spend your day running to God, confident that He will never let you drift so far that you can’t find your way back to Him.
Mary
