"Wild Grapes"

"Wild Grapes"

Having gone to extraordinary lengths to nurture and cultivate his vineyard, Jehovah rightfully expects it  to become "a vineyard of foaming wine!"  (Isaiah 27:2) However, instead of producing usable fruit, it produces "wild grapes," literally "stinking things" or "putrid (rotten) berries."  (Isaiah 5:2; Jeremiah 2:21)  Therefore, Jehovah declares that he will remove his protective  "hedge" from around the nations.  The nation will be 'set as a thing destroyed' and will experience abandonment and drought.  (Read Isaiah 5:6)  Moses had warned that they would undergo such things if they disobeyed God's Law. -Deuteronomy 11:17; 28:63, 64; 29:22, 23.

God expects the nation to produce good fruits.  Isaiah's contemporary Micah declares:  "What is Jehovah asking back from you but to exercise justice and to love kindness and to be modest in walking with your God?"  (Micah 6:8; Zechariah 7:9)  However, the nation fails to heed Jehovah's exhortation.  "[God] kept hoping for judgment, but, look! the breaking of law; for righteousness , but, look! an outcry."  (Isaiah 5:7b)  Moses predicted that the unfaithful nation would produce poisonous grapes from "the vine of Sodom."  (Deuteronomy 32:32) Likely, then, sexual immorality, including homosexuality, is part of their deviation from God's Law.  (Leviticus 18:22)  The expression "breaking of law" can also be rendered "outpouring of blood."  Such brutal treatment has no doubt resulted in "an outcry" from mistreated ones-an outcry that has reached  the ears of the Planter of the vineyard. -Compare Job 34:28.

Jehovah God is "a lover of righteousness and justice."  (Psalm 33:5) He commanded the Jews:  "You people must not do injustice in the judgment.  You must not treat the lowly with partiality, and you must not prefer the person of a great one.  With justice you should judge your associate."  (Leviticus 19:15)  we must therefore shun partiality in our dealings with one another, never allowing such things as race, age, wealth or poverty to color our judgment of people.  (James 2:1-4)  It is particularly important that those serving in positions of oversight ' do nothing according to  a biased leaning,' always seeking to hear both sides of a matter before making judgment. -1 Timothy 5:21; Proverbs 18:13.

Further, it would be easy for Christians living in a lawless world to develop a negative  or a rebellious attitude toward godly standards.  But true Christians must be "ready to obey" God's Laws.  (James 3:17)  Despite the sexual immorality and violence of "the present wicked system of things" they need to 'keep strict watch that how they walk is not as unwise but as wise persons.'  (Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 5:15)  They want to shun permissive views of sex, and when disagreements arise, they should settle these without "anger and wrath and screaming and abusive speech."  (Ephesians  4:31) By cultivating righteousness, true Christians bring honor to God and gain his favor.

Next time: The Price of Greed

From the Book Isaiah's Prophecy Light for all Mankind