Are any of us keen gardeners? Seeds are carefully selected. They are planted and everything is taken care of so that the plants can grow well and bear fruit as expected. But when the day comes, the plants do not grow as expected or there is a sudden event that makes the plants grow improperly. There must be a feeling of disappointment and sadness at the same time. Imagine if the owner of the vineyard was God and we were the disappointing vineyard.
In our current reading, the prophet Isaiah delivers his prophecy figuratively. God is referred to as "my beloved" who has a beautiful vineyard. The location is favourable for farming. He took good care of it. However, it turns out that the grapes produced are not as expected because they produce sour grapes. Some interpreters attribute the situation to the covenant relationship that Israel had broken. God had provided all the ideal conditions for Israel to live righteously. However, the result was that they moved away from God and did what was not right before Him. Why did Judah become sour grapes? God found no justice and only iniquity. He expected righteousness but there was only confusion. Notice the use of the word in Hebrew: God expected righteousness (mishpat) and justice (tsedaqah), but what He found was iniquity (mishpakh) and tumult (tse’aqah).
The Vineyard Owner seems to have run out of ideas about what is happening to his garden. They felt they could grow without the owner's intervention. Until one day God, as the owner, totally deconstructed the garden. The hedges are cut down and the clouds are driven away to prevent rain. This reshaping process may be painful, but it is necessary for the garden to return to what it was originally designed to be. Just as Judah also received punishment and refinement, not to destroy her but to reshape her to be as He intended.
Perhaps God is educating us right now. Not to destroy us but to educate us in righteousness. We are God's workmanship and God wants us to be in accordance with His will. Sometimes, the process of formation is not comfortable but surrender to Him because God wants the best for us His creation.
