Read Isaiah 5 and 6 at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph divisions:
Isa 5:1-7 {p} The song of the Lord’s vineyard, which did not yield its fruit
Isa 5:8-10 {s} Woe to those who eat up houses + fields/ great houses shall be made desolate
Isa 5:11-17 {s} Woe to those who drink + feast/ everything lofty shall be brought low
Isa 5:18-19 {p} Woe to those who embrace sin + mock at the Lord’s coming judgment
Isa 5:20 {s} Woe to those who call evil + darkness + bitter, rather good + light + sweet
Isa 5:21 {s} Woe to those wise + prudent in their own eyes + sight
Isa 5:22-23 {p} Woe to those who justify the wicked + condemn the righteous
Isa 5:24-30 {p} Because they have rejected the Law of the Lord, His people will be taken into captivity
Isa 6:1-13 {p} Isaiah’s vision of the Lord’s glory + his call to prophesy to Israel + Judah of the judgment + remnant
The strong themes:
Isa 5:8-19 {s+s+p} Woe to those who increase at the expense of others + drink, feast + embrace sin
Isa 5:20-23 {s+s+p} Woe to those who call evil good + wise in their own eyes + justify the wicked
Isa chapter 5 chaistic structure:
1a) Isa 5:1-10 {p+s} The Lord’s vineyard, which did not yield its fruit + it shall be laid waste + not produce
1b) Isa 5:11-12 Woe to those who feast + drink with music from dawn to dusk;
1c) Isa 5:12b, But they do not regard nor consider the work of the Lord + operation of His hands;
1d) Isa 5:13, My people have gone into captivity because they have no knowledge (of sin + righteousness);
1e) Isa 5:14-15, The fat + lofty who exalt themselves in pomp + jubilation shall be brought down to Sheol;
central axis) Isa 5:16, The LORD of hosts + holy God shall be exalted in judgment + hallowed in righteousness;
2e) Isa 5:17 {s} The lambs + strangers shall feed in the pasture of the fat;
2d) Isa 5:18-20 {p+s} Who to those who embrace sin + mock at God + call what is evil, good;
1a) Isa 5:18, Woe to those who embrace sin;
central axis) Isa 5:19 {p} That say with mockery, “If the Lord judges sin, let us see and know it;”
2a) Isa 5:20 {s} Woe to those who call evil + darkness + bitter, rather good + light + sweet;
2c) Isa 5:21 {s} Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes + prudent in their own sight;
2b) Isa 5:22-23 {s} Woe to the intoxicated, who justify the wicked + condemn the righteous;
2a) Isa 5:24-30 {p} The Lord’s people, who rejected His Law + they shall be taken captive.
The vineyard of His people did not yield the fruit that He was expecting when He came to collect its fruit (Isa 5:1-7). This is similar to Jesus’ parable of the wicked vinedressers, who, when the master sent servants to collect the fruit of the vineyard, he could not collect it because the vinedressers would not yield it (Mat 21:33-46). Do we yield our Master’s fruit when He sends someone to collect it from us? Do we yield love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self- control when the LORD sends for His fruit (Gal 5:22-23)? Do we yield money for missions, widows, and the poor, when the LORD sends someone to collect it (we are stewards of our property after all, and what we own is not really ours but His). Do we yield our time and our giftings in service when the LORD sends to us to collect His fruit? Not yielding the expected fruit is one of the charges against Judah and Jerusalem that brought judgment upon them.
The captivity of the people of God will come upon them, because they have no knowledge (Isa 5:13). Knowledge of what? They have rejected the Law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel (Isa 5:24). God’s Law is His word. For lack of knowledge, His people perish (Hos 4:6; if we continue reading that verse in Hosea, we see that it is knowledge of the LORD’s Law that they do not have).
The Torah of God defines righteousness and sin, and it is righteousness and sin of which the Holy Spirit convicts (Joh 16:8). So we see that the Word and the Spirit agree and walk hand in hand. Father, by Your great mercy and power, give Your people ears to hear, and a heart to understand, I ask in faith in the name of Yeshua!
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