Isa 5:6-7
"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.
NKJV
The setting of these verses is a time when the nation of Israel had turned away from God. They were no longer honoring His Law or observing His Commandments. Oppression, and chaos were everywhere. Their leaders were immature, foolish, and corrupt. The prophet writes a metaphor of this with God singing to Israel as the Beloved to His vineyard. It is a beautiful picture of God’s love and care. But even with all the careful sowing, tilling, planting, pruning and watering, the vineyard produced wild grapes instead of good, sweet ones. He grieves and mourns the loss of the vineyard. In spite of everything He did, the vineyard failed. Now He must withdraw His hand, and let it go. Even the rain is commanded not to fall on it.
Ultimately, God provides everything we need to thrive. Whether or not we use those things wisely, is up to us. He does not force us, He wants us to chose the Right. If we do not, then He will simply step back and leave us to our own devices.
I thirsted in the barren land of sin and shame,
But nothing satisfying there I found.
Unto the blessed cross of Christ one day I came
Where springs of living water did abound.
(Springs of Living Water)
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4 comments:
In our modern world, the idea of what what "thriving" is, has changed drastically from eras past.
It makes me wonder if there are things that we would call droughts or catastrophes that are actually freeing us to do and be more.
As beautiful as ever :-)
Janeva,
I like reading your thematic words regarding rain. Growing up in the early years of childhood in Cuernavaca was a feast for the eyes.
Moving to Oaxaca after fifth grade, was a different story. The vast dryness and barrenness of the long dry season made the landscape ugly except for the Sierra Madres surrounding Oaxaca Valley, which were perpetually beautiful in the distance. But when the rainy season hit, there was much joy for the agrarian Indians of Oaxaca who depended on such things to earn their living in the marketplaces of the cities.
The clouds would usually march across the mountain peaks in the afternoon to dump the biggest drops of rain onto Oaxaca city, usually about four p.m. Hard rains would last for maybe two hours. The clouds would move off and we would return to our clear skies where the stars at night blanketed the vast darkness of the Oaxaca Valley.
As it is Christmas I miss the many traditions of the open air markets of Oaxaca. Noche de los Rabanos was one of my favorite events. But right now my turkey is looking like an anemic food offering compared to a robust tamale de mole negro wrapped in banana leaves. Throw in some Abuelita hot chocolate and it is a feast!
Merry Christmas to you and those whom you love, Janeva.
On a completely different note...
Can you send me your new e-mail address? The one I had suddenly stopped working.
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