The thing that shows the man is his willingness to accept responsibility for himself and his actions. Only a tinhorn blames what he is on his folks or the times or something else besides himself.”
–Louis L’Amour (Tucker)
“What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes?”
–Isaiah 5:4 (NKJV)
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The first part of Isaiah 5 gives a dire warning. It is directed to Israel, but it is important to remember that prophecy is of a local nature, but can also be for other nations in the future, and at times even directed at individuals. Before looking at the first part of Isaiah 5, I want to give some important principles of interpreting prophecy. There is so much junk floating around out there that we need some guidance, and I hope these three principles will help.
1) The historical contemporalnuity–prophecy was for the people of the time. They knew what the prophets were speaking about.
2) The covenant background–we must always keep in mind the covenants of God when looking at prophecy.
3) Eschatological arguments–many prophecies were meant for the day in which they were given or in years of the writing of the Bible, but many are also for the last days.
It is imperative that you read Isaiah 5:1-7. It is directed toward Israel, but it is also a summary of what God is saying to all men. Israel is a type through which God can speak to all of mankind. As you read the verses, keep the United States in mind; keep yourself in mind and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Opinions are rampant out there, some of which are complete foolishness and nonsense. Progressive culture, woke, cancel culture, critical race, revisionism, and so many others we need to go back and look at the Word of God. Men and women are in trouble because they do not want to believe the truth. Man’s truth is relative, therefore, there is no satisfaction, but only frustration and the development of a new “truth.”
Man is responsible to God. He may not like this idea, but the truth is there. Perhaps that is why some choose to say “there is no God,” but there can be no denial. Man was made to live according to a certain standard but have become unreasonable in their beliefs and actions. The have mocked Him; they have scorned Him; they have turned their backs on him and gone in the opposite direction. Because of this rebellion man is no longer reasonable–they are fools! Instead of good grapes they are wild grapes that set the teeth on edge. Lloyd-Jones states, “The world is producing nothing that is of ultimate value. It is producing a sham, an appearance of living that is not living; it is existence, and an evil and finally useless existence.”
What will happen when God withholds His blessings? What will life on this planet be like? God says, “There is no peace…to the wicked (Isaiah 57:21) so what is the outcome? Desolation…despair…despondency…depression. God planted, God cultivated, He worked, He removed the stones from the field. What He planted was the choicest. Now He is going to break down the hedge (no protection); He is going to let it go to waste (the weeds of anarchy will rise); He will allow briers and thorns to grow (false teachings and ideologies). Then there will be drought…the drought of God’s Word.
America has been blessed like no other nation. But what is now happening to us? Natural calamities, fools in leadership positions, insolence, arrogance, mockery against the standards of God’s Word, the election of those with “antichrist” beliefs and actions, the acceptance of foolish notions–are we ready, for it could be that God has removed His hand of blessings and is letting the thorns and briars grow.