God’s charge against Israel
God had many reasons for His judgements. So He gave different assignments to each of the prophets. Some were to speak to the northern kingdom of Israel, others to the Judea. Some, like Jonah, were sent to a specific city. Still others brought God’s warning to the Gentile nations!
Nevertheless, the fundamental difference of God’s judgement between Israel and the nations was His unique relationship with the Jewish people. God gave the Jewish people great privilege and responsibility therefore His heart broke and continues to break when His people reject His love and rebel against His expectations.
Isaiah 5:1-7
Now let me sing to my Well-beloved
A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:
My Well-beloved has a vineyard
On a very fruitful hill.
He dug it up and cleared out its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst,
And also made a winepress in it;
So He expected it to bring forth good grapes,
But it brought forth wild grapes.
“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.
What more could have been done to My vineyard
That I have not done in it?
Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes,
Did it bring forth wild grapes?
And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard:
I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned;
And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
I will lay it waste;
It shall not be pruned or dug,
But there shall come up briers and thorns.
I will also command the clouds
That they rain no rain on it.”
For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,
And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant.
He looked for justice, but behold, oppression;
For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
Today, the Jewish people rely on that special relationship with God, but are still in rebellion against His expectations of faith and trust.
PRAY ALL ISRAEL WILL REPENT AND BECOME GOD’S BELOVED VINEYARD THROUGH FAITH IN THE MESSIAH.
