Outline ------- A. Judgement (1:1-39:8) 1. Indictment of Israel and Judah (1:1-5:30) a. Israel's Sins (1:1-1:31) b. Zion (2:1-2:5) c. Judgement Against Idols (2:6-2:22) d. Judgement Against Judah and Jerusalem (3:1-4:1) e. The Branch (4:2-4:6) f. The Vineyard Parable (5:1-5:7) g. Judgement on Unjust (5:8-5:25) h. Invasion (5:26-5:30) 2. Prophecies of Christ (6:1-12:6) a. Calling of Isaiah (6:1-6:13) b. Birth of Christ (7:1-7:21) c. Son of Isaiah (8:1-8:10) d. Disciples of Isaiah (8:11-8:20) e. Wanderers (8:21-8:22) f. Prince of Peace (8:23-9:6) g. Fall of Northern Kingdom (9:7-9:20) h. Injustice (10:1-10:4) i. Assyria Instrument of God (10:5-10:27) j. Sennacherib's Invasion (10:27-10:34) k. Rule of Christ (11:1-11:9) l. Union of Judah and Ephraim (11:10-11:16) m. Thanksgiving Son (12:1-12:6) The Vineyard Parable (5:1-5:7) ------------------------------ The metaphor of a vineyard is a common metaphor in the scriptures and occurs in many places. One of the most famous is Zeno's allegory in Jacob 5. A similar parable is found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the image is made use of throughout the scriptures. Here Isaiah uses the image with the Lord as the vine-master. He has done everything he could to save his crops until there is no more that he could do. In the context of the surrounding verses this parable is to justify the destruction of Israel. Structurally this parallels the opening chapter of Isaiah. There we had the image of Atonement in 1:18-20, but that was followed by the judgments upon the wicked. Likewise the creation of Zion, the Messianic capital is followed by sections dealing with the Lord's judgement against idols, Judah, and Jerusalem. Here we have the description of the Messianic Branch who will "purge Jerusalem's blood from her midst" (5:4) but who here is unable to cure his wild grapes. His only choice to make a beautiful vineyard is to destroy the vineyard. For an interesting set of contrasts, compare Isaiah 5:1-7 with Song of Solomon 4:12-1. Taking the traditional interpretation of the bride here as being Israel, we have the following: Song of Solomon Isaiah Israel as Garden Jerusalem and Judah as Garden Choice orchard Choicest vines Fountains of living waters Draught Rare fruits Wild fruits Lord enters garden Lord destroys vineyard The idea is that Israel could have had Zion, they could have had the presence of the Lord, even at Sinai, but they reject the Lord and bring forth wild fruits. Structurally this parable described the entire destructions that befell Israel after the time of Isaiah. However the principles of the parable hold true eternally. Note the repeating structure labeled A-B-C where we can see the contrasts. This forms a piece of composite poetry where each repetition builds on the previous theme, culminating in the most explicit statement, which here is the meaning of the parable. A My friend had a vineyard vineyard = Lord's chosen people, on a fertile hillside separated from world with special blessings B He spaded it, The Lord's people are given guidance, have cleared it of stones, and many of the difficulties of life removed for planted the choicest vines them and are an elect people Within it he built a watchtower and hewed out a wine press The Lord prepares his chosen people to become a choice vintage. The watchtower may be a type of the temple or the Lord's ordinances with even the elect (the grapes) being made even greater (the wine) C Then he looked for the crop of grapes but what it yielded was wild grapes The Lord's people have rejected the Lord and turned to the world. Thus they are now the same as the wild grapes found outside of Zion. A Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah Judge between me and my vineyard: B What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done? C Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes did it bring forth wild grapes? A Now, I will let you know what I mean to do to my vineyard B Take away its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall let it be trampled Yes I will make it a ruin: it shall not be pruned or hoed but overgrown with throns and briers; I will command the clouds not to send rain upon it. A The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the host of Israel, and the men of Judah are his cherished plant B He looked for judgement, but see, bloodshed! for justice, but hark, the outcry! This can also be viewed chiastically with the preparation being the first part (5:1-2), the judgement the center part (5:3-4), justice (5:5-6), the identification (5:7). Interestingly the center part is the judgement where it is Israel themselves who judge the nature of the vineyard, only to have the vineyard identified as themselves. This is quite a masterful work of structure. Symbolically the judgements poured out are to be merged into the world, to be conquered by other people (the grazing), to lose their Zion (the tearing down of the walls), to be polluted (the thorns), and to loose revelation (the lack of rain). Ironically the people looked for judgement (ie. to have their enemies defeated) but instead they find bloodshed, which really is their judgement. In the same way many of us today oft times cry for justice from our enemies when really what we are facing are the consequences of our own actions. We cry for justice when what we desire is injustice. You can see this quite frequently today in many of the cries in the world which are only bringing the destructions of the Lord upon the people. Judgement on the Unjust (5:8-5:25) ---------------------------------- After giving a parable showing how apostate Israel deserve judgement, Isaiah now gets rather explicit. The judgements on the unjust are structured as six woes. This is a common structure in the scriptures. For example Jacob uses a similar form in his 10 woes in 2 Nephi 9. 1. Woe to wealthy landowners (5:8-10) Judgement falls upon the people who gather up all the land until there is no land for anyone else. The property of each landowner borders to proper of the other landowners. This makes it impossible for the poor to live. They have no means to even start out of the pit of poverty they are in. The rich have ensured that the rich will remain rich and the poor remain poor. This violated the Law which reads The land shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is mine, and you are but aliens who have become my tenants. Therefore, in every part of the country that you occupy, you must permit the land to be redeemed. -- Lev 25:23-24 (NAB) The wealthy think that their property is their own and will make all sorts of arguments about the primacy of private property. What they forget is that the Land is not theirs but the Lord. We are given a stewardship of the land to see if we will use it righteously. The principle is the principle of the law of consecration. Whereas the world views all things as objects to be bought and sold, we are to be stewards and caretakers of the land, recognizing that fundamentally there is no difference between us and the poor. The judgement pronounced upon the landowners is an economic depression. There will be no consumers, their production will be lost, and their land will be in ruins, reverting back to the land it once was. The image of the sheep in verse 17 may represent the idea that the people of the Lord (represented by sheep) will inherit the land and live on it. Symbolically the empty houses is also a prophecy of the fact that the land which represented the people of each tribe is depopulated. Thus this is a prophecy of the dispersion of the tribes. All of this is in fulfillment of the warning of Moses in Deuteronomy 7. There the people are told that all their wealth is a gift from God, but that they must take care "not to forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery." (Dt 7:12) Thus this portion of Isaiah is very similar to cycle found among the Nephites. Perhaps this is one reason that Nephi quoted it in his plates. For the Nephites would constantly get rich, divide themselves from the poor, and then suffer the judgments of the Lord. 2. Wo to drunkards and partiers There are those who do nothing but party, drink, and carouse. They forget the Lord and rather than make use of what the Lord has given them, the care only for themselves. They produce nothing and thus are equally guilty of an abuse of the land as the landholders are. Their judgement is to lose their position and their opportunities for laxness and excesses. Isaiah here prophecies of the dispersion as well saying, "my people go into exile." (5:13) The judgement is that what they have abused is taken away. Thus they lose their freedom, their food, their drink, and their positions. Ironically it is hell that feasts at this point. In a sense their world is turned completely on it's head. In the same way we today have quite a bit of pleasures and "consumer goods" that have been given us. Do we utilize these with our minds on the Lord, or do we spend all our time seeking our own pleasures? By the type Isaiah gives here, our goods may be taken away as well. 3. Wo to conspirators Here the judgement is pronounce upon those who lay their wicked plans for their own personal gain. They "tug at sin with ropes." They dare the Lord to punish them, probably not believing that he is there. These are those who are like Korihor, denying the words of the Lord themselves. 4. Wo to those who call evil good and good evil These are those who justify any action, making sin the rule of the day, completely corrupting the rule of the land. 5. Wo to those who are "wise" 6. Wo to those who aquit the guilty Notice that all of these sins can be found among the Nephites, but also among our own people. We have philosophers, teachers, and theologians who have destroyed the moral codes of the land. What was once commonly recognized as evil is now not only acceptable, but to be sought after. Likewise the traditions that taught us what were good are now considered either out of style or even evil. We have set ourselves up as the wisdom of the world, ignoring the Lord, and our justice is frequently less concerned about true justice than who has the best lawyers. We come up with complex plans to get gain. We promote wealth, gain and greed as the virtues to be sought after, and treat our ownership of the land as the prime importance, regardless of what we do with that land. Likewise the Nephites got caught up in riches, denied the teachings of the Lord, had corrupt judges and lawyers, thought themselves wise, and made parties and social cliques of prime importance. The judgement that is poured out is that their "roots shall become rotten." The foundations upon which the culture is founded are gone. This is why the capitalists face economic ruin. They themselves destroyed their own foundation. Likewise with the partiers, they produced nothing and lost their own foundation. The corrupt judges destroyed the law which is what held them in place. Ironically it is the natural consequence of these actions that they destroy what allows for the actions in the first place. Thus a person who destroys all the farm land for money suddenly has no farm land for food. The rich who spend their time pursuing idle pleasures spends all their money and have no production left to replace it. Those administering the law lose the law when they stop administering it. Invasion (5:26 - 5:39) ---------------------- Now that Israel has destroyed her foundations: spiritual, economic, and legally, the Lord calls in a foreign power. This power is able to destroy Israel because of her weakness. In contrast the foreign power is extremely powerful, with huge armies, everything in top shape, and they never grow weary. In every way Israel is weak, the foreign power is strong. Historically these most likely refer to either Assyria which conquered the Northern Kingdom, or perhaps Babylon as well, which conquered Judah. For the Nephites the enemy was always the Lamanites, who were provided by the Lord to keep the Nephites in repentance. Eventually the Nephites weakened themselves so that the Lamanites could destroy them. In the last days this may refer to the powers of the north that arise after the collapse of civilization. The prophecy would then refer to the economic and spiritual collapse of civilization. After the civilization has lost it's foundation a new power arises to conquer it. In Revelation John portrays this as being done by the beast. Interestingly Isaiah does not talk about any natural destructions here. It is purely an economic/societal collapse followed by war. Among the Americas this may refer to the rising up of the remnant of the Lamanites to conquer the gentiles. Some people have attempted to read some of the types here as descriptions of airplanes, tanks and the like. But I think that rather fanciful. I think the idea of the lions and the roaring of the sea is to convey the power of the armies. The final line of this judgement is the idea of darkness covering the earth. Isaiah later uses this same imagery to convery the idea of redemption. Only look at the country: darkness and distress, and the light flickers out in shadows. (5:30) The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. (9:1) Some people actually feel that (5:30) is supposed to be just before (9:1) and place it there in their translations. While it does flow very nicely there, this is still controversial. /// Clark Goble //// cgoble@fiber.net ///