January 25

1.1 The Universal Language of Song

Everyone loves a good song, but even more than that, we love love songs. It doesn’t matter if it’s a ballad about deep devotion, a nostalgic melody about the past, or a sad song about a painful goodbye—these are the songs that stay with us. They last because they bridge the gap between the singer and the listener. They invite us to share an experience, making us connect the music to our own lives and memories.

1.2 A Personal Connection: Michael Bublé’s "Home"

I remember the first time I heard Michael Bublé’s song "Home." I was a student in Toronto back then. As the melody played, it didn’t just stay in my ears; it went straight to my heart. The lyrics about longing for home and memories of a place left behind immediately took me back to Korea—to my parents’ house and the friends I had left six years before. At that moment, the song wasn't just Bublé’s story; it was my story. It became my favorite song because it expressed exactly how homesick I was feeling.

1.3 The Shift: A Different Kind of Love Song

I’m sharing this because today’s passage, Isaiah 5, is written as a song. In fact, it’s often called the "Song of the Vineyard." It starts with the gentle language of a love poem: "Let me sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard." But as we listen closely, we realize that although it looks like a love song, it carries a very heavy message. It starts with intimacy but ends with a serious warning. It’s a beautiful melody that hides a difficult truth.

1.4 The Main Question

Today, through this ancient "Song of the Vineyard," I want us to listen carefully. Beyond the poetry and the metaphors, what is the song that God is really trying to sing to us? What happens when the "Beloved" looks at His vineyard and finds that the music has gone out of tune? Let us read Isaiah 5:1-7. 

Isaiah 5:1–7 ESV

Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug 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.

And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall,

and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry! 

2.1 The Setting: Prosperity with a Hollow Heart

Before we get into the main points, we need to understand the "terroir"—the environment—of this song. Isaiah was preaching during the reign of King Uzziah. For Judah, this was a "Golden Age." The economy was booming, and the military was strong. However, it was like a house that looks beautiful on the outside but is rotting on the inside. Judah’s wealth was built on the backs of the poor. Because of this, God stops speaking in plain prose and starts singing a "love song" that eventually turns into a courtroom trial.

• Point 1: The Lavish Devotion of the Vintner (vv. 1-2)

• Point 2: The Mystery of the "Stinking" Fruit (vv. 2, 4)

• Point 3: The Echo of Injustice (v. 7)

Let's begin with Point 1.

Point 1: The Lavish Devotion of the Vintner (vv. 1-2)

The song doesn't start by demanding fruit; instead, it describes the hard work that went into the garden. Before the Owner expects anything from the vineyard, He gives it everything. Isaiah uses specific action words to show us that this vineyard didn’t just happen—it was a masterpiece.

3.1 The Perfect Foundation: "A Very Fertile Hill"

The Bible says the vineyard was on a "very fertile hill." In the original language, this literally means "a son of fatness," implying the richest soil and the best sunlight.

3.2 A Lesson from Pelly: Don’t Judge by the Surface

Why does Isaiah focus so much on "clearing the stones" and the "fertile hill"? Because anyone who has ever tried to garden knows that looks can be deceiving.

3.3 When I lived in Pelly, there was a patch of land at the parsonage that I wanted to turn into a garden. I was so excited! I tilled the ground and planted my seeds. From the outside, the soil looked dark and rich—I was sure I’d have a huge harvest. But as time went passed, nothing grew. When I finally dug deeper, I found the truth:

• The Hidden Stones: Beneath that thin layer of black soil, the ground was full of rocks.

• The Hidden Thieves: There were three massive trees nearby. I loved them because they gave me shade while I worked, but those same trees were "stealing" the sunlight and water from my seeds. Their roots had completely taken over the ground.

My garden looked good on the outside, but it was hollow on the inside. It didn't have what it needed to support life.

3.4 The Difference with the Divine Vintner

This is where our story is different from God’s. Unlike my failed garden in Pelly, God’s vineyard had no hidden flaws.

• He Cleared Every Stone: He didn't just cover them up; He removed them.

• He Provided Full Light: There were no "shady trees" blocking the sunlight of His presence.

• He Planted the Best Seeds: He gave them the best "DNA"—the Torah, the Covenants, and His own Spirit.

3.5 Investing in the Future: The Tower and the Wine Press

Finally, He built a watchtower for protection and carved a wine press into the solid rock. These are symbols of commitment and expectation. You don't carve a press into rock unless you are 100% sure there will be a massive harvest of joy.

3.6 Application

God has done for us what I couldn't do for my garden in Pelly. He has given us the perfect environment for a holy life. He has removed the stones of our past and given us the "sunlight" of His grace. We can't say, "I didn't have enough light," or "The soil was too rocky." In God's vineyard, the preparation is perfect. The question is: How are we responding to such incredible devotion?

Point 2: The Mystery of the "Stinking" Fruit (vv. 2, 4)

After describing the perfect preparation, the song takes a dark and heartbreaking turn. Verse 2 ends with a word that changes everything: "But." It says, "He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes."

Isaiah 5:2 NLT

He plowed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle he built a watchtower and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter. 

4.1 The Reality of Be'ushim: More Than Just "Wild"

In our English Bibles, we see the term "wild grapes." This might make us think of small, slightly sour grapes. However, the original Hebrew word used here is Be'ushim. This word literally comes from a root that means "to stink" or "to rot." These weren't just unrefined grapes; they were disgusting. They were foul-smelling, poisonous, and completely useless. Imagine the Owner’s heartbreak: He planted the sweetest vines, but the vineyard produced "stinking rot."

4.2 The Vintner's Question: "Why?"

In verse 4, God asks a question that has echoed through the centuries: "What more could I have done for my vineyard? When I expected good grapes, why did it produce stinking ones?" This is the "Mystery of Evil." 

Isaiah 5:4 NIV

What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? 

In my garden in Pelly, there was a clear reason for the failure—the hidden stones and the shade. There was a "why" that I could actually explain. But in God’s vineyard, there is no excuse. The soil was perfect, the light was bright, and the care was constant. When God asks "Why?", He is pointing out that sin makes no sense. It’s irrational for a heart filled with grace to produce the "stink" of rebellion.

4.3 When the Music Goes Out of Tune

Think back to our introduction about songs. Imagine you are at a concert. The lights go down, the band starts playing a beautiful melody, and the singer walks out. But instead of singing beautifully, he starts screaming. He sings so out of tune and makes such a foul noise that you have to cover your ears. That is the spiritual "stink" Isaiah is describing. God provided the melody, the lyrics, and the stage. He expected a "song of praise," but what He heard was the "noise of rot."

4.4 Application: The Scent of Our Lives

The "wild grapes" in Isaiah’s day weren't just private mistakes; they were the "stink" of a people who had become indifferent to God’s grace.

• They had the "Tower" (the Temple) and the "Wine Vat" (the Sacrifices), but their lives smelled like injustice.

• They enjoyed the "Sunlight" of God's protection, but they only cared about themselves.

4.5 We have to ask ourselves: What do our lives smell like today? When people look at our church or our families, do they catch the sweet aroma of Christ? Or do they smell Be'ushim—the stink of hypocrisy, the bitterness of a judgmental spirit, or the rot of spiritual pride? The tragedy of Isaiah 5 is this: the better the preparation, the more offensive the rot becomes.

This final section of your sermon is incredibly impactful, especially with the Hebrew wordplay and the ultimate hope found in Christ. Here is the revision in polite, natural daily English, followed by the explanation and Korean translation.

Point 3: The Echo of Injustice (v. 7)

In the final verse of this song, the music stops, and the metaphor is finally explained. The Owner identifies the vineyard: "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel." Here, Isaiah uses a brilliant but devastating play on words to show the heart of the problem.

Isaiah 5:7 ESV

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry! 

5.1 The Sound of Deception: A Tragedy of Wordplay

Isaiah shows us that the tragedy of the vineyard wasn't just its failure, but that it produced a "fake" version of what God wanted. In the original Hebrew, there is a contrast in sound that is lost in translation but heartbreaking to hear.

From Order to Chaos

• God Expected: Mishpat (Justice)

• He Found: Mispach (Bloodshed)

• The sonic shift: A religious surface hiding a violent reality.

God says He looked for Mishpat (justice), but instead, He found Mispach (bloodshed). To a casual listener, these words sound almost the same. Society might have looked religious on the surface, but to God, that tiny shift in sound represented a total corruption of the soul. 

From Harmony to Heartbreak

• God Expected: Tsedaqah (Righteousness)

• He Heard: Tse'aqah (A Scream)

• The spiritual shift: God leaned in for a hymn of praise, but heard a shriek of pain.

Isaiah continues: God looked for Tsedaqah (righteousness), but instead, He heard a Tse'aqah—a "scream" from the oppressed. God leaned in to hear a beautiful hymn of praise, but all He heard was the shriek of people who had been hurt. The music of the vineyard had turned into a noise of pain.

5.2 Why Doesn't Grace Change Us?

This leads to a tough question: Why? Why do we receive so much grace—the "sunlight" of God's presence and the "cleared soil" of His forgiveness—and still produce "stinking fruit"?

The answer is the direction of our hearts. During that "Golden Age," people were distracted by wealth and success. Their bodies were in the "Tower" (the Temple), but their hearts were already out in the world. Grace doesn't fail because it’s weak; it fails because it isn't given a home in a committed heart. When our hearts are scattered, the grace we feel on Sunday becomes a fading melody by Monday morning.

Acts 28:26–27 NKJV

saying, Go to this people and say: “Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” ’

5.3 The Scattered Heart vs. The Rooted Heart

Going back to my garden in Pelly—those seeds couldn't grow because the ground was already "owned" by the roots of those massive trees. Our spiritual lives can be the same. We want the "fruit of the Spirit," but our inner soil is crowded with other roots: anxiety about money, greed for more things, or pride. The soil is already occupied. Because our hearts aren't fully set on God, our lives naturally go out of tune.

5.4 Application: Bringing the Heart "Home"

To produce the fruit God wants, we have to stop living with scattered hearts. We need to ask: "Where is my heart truly at home?" If our hearts are truly "at home" in God’s grace—just like that song "Home" reminded me of my family—then our behavior will follow. We will move from being "stinking fruit" to being a "pleasant planting" that brings God joy.

Conclusion: The Hope of the True Vine

Isaiah 5 ends with a heavy warning. But in the New Testament, we find the answer. Jesus Christ told His disciples: "I am the True Vine." 

John 15:1 MSG

“I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. 

John 15:5 MSG

“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. 

Where the first vineyard failed, Jesus succeeded. He took the Mispach (bloodshed) and the Tse'aqah (the cry of pain) upon Himself on the Cross so that we could be grafted back into the source of life. We don't have to struggle to "not stink" on our own. If we stay connected to Him—if we make our home in the True Vine—His life flows into us. Let’s bring our hearts back home to the One who planted us and let Him play a new song through our lives.

Quiz: Test Your Understanding

Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each, based on the provided sermon context.

1. Why does the speaker begin by discussing love songs and Michael Bublé's "Home"?

2. What was the historical context of Judah during the time Isaiah delivered this message?

3. According to the sermon, what specific actions did the Vintner take to ensure the vineyard had a perfect foundation?

4. What was the central problem with the speaker's personal garden in Pelly, and how did it differ from God's vineyard?

5. What is the literal meaning of the Hebrew word Be'ushim, and why is it more significant than the English translation "wild grapes"?

6. The sermon refers to the "Mystery of Evil." What question does the Vintner ask in verse 4 that highlights this mystery?

7. What is the first example of Hebrew wordplay in verse 7, and what does it reveal about the state of Judah?

8. What is the second example of Hebrew wordplay in verse 7, and what does it contrast?

9. According to the sermon, what is the primary reason grace "fails" to change a person's heart?

10. How does the New Testament, specifically John 15, provide a resolution or "hope" to the heavy warning in Isaiah 5?

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Answer Key

1. The speaker uses love songs as a universal example of connection and personal experience. The story about the song "Home" illustrates how a song can become personal, setting the stage for Isaiah 5, which begins as a love song but delivers a heavy message of warning and judgment.

2. The sermon was delivered during the reign of King Uzziah, which was a "Golden Age" for Judah. The nation was experiencing a booming economy and military strength, but this prosperity was built on injustice and the oppression of the poor, creating a society that was rotting from the inside.

3. The Vintner provided a perfect foundation by planting the vineyard on a "very fertile hill," clearing it of all stones, planting it with "choice vines," building a watchtower for protection, and hewing out a wine vat in anticipation of a great harvest.

4. The speaker's garden in Pelly failed because, beneath a thin layer of good soil, the ground was full of rocks, and large nearby trees stole the sunlight and water. This contrasts with God's vineyard, which had no hidden flaws; God had removed every stone and provided the full "sunlight" of His presence.

5. Be'ushim comes from a Hebrew root meaning "to stink" or "to rot." This is more significant than "wild grapes" because it implies the fruit was not merely unrefined but foul-smelling, poisonous, and utterly useless, highlighting the disgusting and offensive nature of the people's sin.

6. In verse 4, the Vintner asks, "What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?" This highlights the "Mystery of Evil" because, unlike the garden in Pelly, there was no logical reason or excuse for the vineyard's failure.

7. The first wordplay is the contrast between Mishpat (justice), which God expected, and Mispach (bloodshed), which He found. The similar sounds represent a society that looked religious on the surface but was hiding a violent reality.

8. The second wordplay contrasts Tsedaqah (righteousness) with Tse'aqah (a scream or outcry). This signifies that God leaned in expecting to hear a hymn of praise from His people but instead heard the shrieks of the oppressed.

9. Grace fails when it is not given a home in a committed heart. The sermon explains that people's hearts were "scattered" by distractions like wealth and success, so the grace they received was a "fading melody" that didn't take root in their lives.

10. The sermon connects Isaiah 5 to John 15, where Jesus declares, "I am the True Vine." Where the first vineyard (Israel) failed, Jesus succeeded, taking the bloodshed (Mispach) and the cry of pain (Tse'aqah) upon Himself so that believers could be grafted into Him and produce good fruit.