I will sing to my love—
a song to my lover about his vineyard.
My love had a vineyard
on a fertile hill.
He built a hedge around it, removed its stones,
and planted a vine.
He built a tower in the middle of it,
and constructed a winepress.
He waited for it to produce edible grapes,
but it produced sour ones instead.
So now, residents of Jerusalem,
people of Judah,
you decide between me and my vineyard!
What more can I do for my vineyard
beyond what I have already done?
When I waited for it to produce edible grapes,
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(Isaiah 5:1-4)
A love song gone sour. There is no better title to give this poem, that so eloquently articulates the emotional heartache of God. For centuries God labored to protect, cultivate, and bless His people. God heard the cries of His people while they were bound and shackled in the oppression of slavery, and He set them free. He guided them through hostile terrain, giving them substance from the sky and protection from their enemies. It was He who established their boundaries and gave them abundance. Yet, despite all that He did, the people continued to turn away from Him.
Nothing He ever did was enough. All of the fulfilled promises, acts of love, and periods of mercy, went unnoticed in the prideful and foolish eyes of the people. But God, in His infinite grace, continued to shower blessings upon them with a hope that they would see Him for what He is. In Jeremiah 3:19-20, God laments to Jeremiah saying,
“I thought to myself, ‘Oh what a joy it would be for me to treat you like a son! What a joy it would be for me to give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful piece of property there is in all the world!’ I thought you would call me, ‘Father’ and would never cease being loyal to me. But, you have been unfaithful to me, nation of Israel, like an unfaithful wife who has left her husband,’ says the Lord.”
But it was all failed expectations. It was a vineyard that failed to produce good fruit. In the place of love and commitment, betrayal and adultery were harvested. Instead of a satisfying marriage, a broken home stood.
Through all of this, one question remains in my head. How could the Israelites allow this to happen? How could they not see all the love and blessings that God has given them? How could they be so blind? But are we not the same? How many days go by in your life where you forget to see all that God has done? How many thoughts run through your mind that distract you from God? How many hours are wasted, trapped under the weight of anxiety and stress? The answer for myself is too many. I can almost hear the hurt voice of God drift down from Heaven as He whispers to me in my moments of weakness, “what more could I have done?”
We serve a God who has done everything that He can to guide you to the moment of trust and love. He has tirelessly worked in your life to bring about protection and joy, so that you can see Him through the fog. You are the vineyard that He is building and cultivating in hopes that you, unlike the one in Isaiah 5, reach His expectations. God has a life of purpose, love, and satisfaction ready for you. So, what will you do?
Bishop Darby
