Isaiah 5:1-7.. “Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.” vs. 1
Isaiah imagines the Lord singing a love-song for the nation of Israel and it’s rather like a country western. It starts with an image of a vineyard, one planted with care on a very fertile hill, but the refrain turns dark in a hurry, “when I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?” Isaiah’s song reflects the deep disappointment that God had for the much loved people of Judah and Jerusalem. The prophet could not imagine that God would continue to have patience and that God would act soon to ravage the vineyard so carefully planted and nourished.
Such feelings have been expressed by faith leaders, contemporary prophets, concerning our own country. We have long believed that our country is under God and exists to be a blessing for the whole world. We have enjoyed great prosperity and have been a beacon of light for the global community. But now some are questioning and wondering if we have lost our focus. Aid programs are being abandoned if they have no direct benefit to our own prosperity. We’re more interested in deporting refugees than in welcoming them!
Part of this can be traced to our obsession with prosperity and accumulating wealth beyond the imagination of ordinary folks. Billionaires have taken control and have little interest in making life better for the poor. And the Lord’s love-song has become only a distant memory!
Thought for the Day: Which nations does God favor?
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