A Love Song

In this brilliant parable, the prophet transforms the notion of a love song into courtroom proceedings. "I will sing" turns into "judge between me and my vineyard." As you read this parable, watch for the shifts in address and tone.

I will 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;
he expected it to yield grapes,
but it yielded rotten grapes.

And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem
and people 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 expected it to yield grapes,
why did it yield rotten 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 wasteland;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns;
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 people of Judah
are his cherished garden;
he expected justice
but saw bloodshed;
righteousness
but heard a cry!
(Isaiah 5:1-7)

God expected good grapes from God's vineyard. It was a labor of love from the Divine Vigneron. But the grapes were rotten! We get a clue at the end of this passage during the interpretation as to the details of this situation. God expected justice and righteousness, but saw bloodshed and heard a cry. We have here a nice wordplay in Hebrew which cannot be reproduced in English. The words "justice" and "bloodshed" sound similar as do the words "righteousness" and "cry."

The parable has brought judgment upon the audience slowly but surely. They are invited into the story, then it becomes a mirror for them to see themselves more clearly.

Jeremiah for the Rest of August

This month we are exploring together the Revised Common Lectionary passages from Isaiah and Jeremiah. The last two Sundays of the month explore the early chapters of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 1:4-10 (August 21)
Jeremiah 2:4-13 (August 28)

Gospel of Luke Coming in September

Uncle Ishmael will focus its commentary on the Luke passages in the Revised Common Lectionary passages during September.

September 4 Luke 14:25-33
September 11 Luke 15:1-10
September 18 Luke 16:1-13
September 25 Luke 16:19-31

Advent Planning

It's time to start thinking about Advent! But don't worry I love Advent so much I wrote a book about it (and Isaiah). Look for lots of resources in the coming weeks and months as you plan for Advent. You can also explore Unto Us A Child Is Born: Isaiah, Advent, and Our Jewish Neighbors (Eerdmans, 2020).

A Benediction (Or Miscellaneous Thoughts)

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