Sermon Podcast

Isaiah(6):- When It Only Yields Bad Fruit

Is 5:1-7 Rev Evan Seah

18 February 2024

Even when God was determined to judge Israel, Isaiah could perceive that through the lens of God’s love. This is because he understood the heart of God – the anger, despair, and pain that God feels for Israel. As such, Isaiah was able to ‘sing for the One he loves’ (V1) and make God his ‘loved one’ (V1). We therefore should not respond to God’s judgement with a heart of “Why does God hate me?” but rather of “He did this because He loves me.”

God demonstrated His love by planting Israel – His vineyard – on a ‘fertile hillside’ (V1); even digging up & clearing the soil of stones; and building a watchtower over it (V2). God did not create His people & then leave them alone; rather, He was personally involved in providing all the conditions necessary for them to grow & become the “choicest of vines” (V2) – best of the best i.e. perfection. Hence, if we trust in God’s love, there is no condition in life that we are unable to grow or bear fruit in.

As such, considering all the grace that God has given, there is no excuse not to grow. However, Israel not only failed to bear good fruit (‘justice & righteousness’ V7), it bore ‘wild’ fruit instead – ‘bloodshed & causing distress to others’ (V7). Imagine if you had a child but your child grew up and became a monstrous beast. What would you feel? That is God’s heart towards His vineyard – after all the blessings He has poured out, Israel did not respond but rebelled. Hence, we need to know our lack of growth, i.e. remaining as nominal Christians, pains the heart of God.

In hoping to awaken Israel, God removes the hedge of protection He made over Israel – exposing them to danger & attack, which they did not realise they had been shielded from by God all along. We need to appreciate that, despite of times where we may not walk rightly with God, God still protects us. E.g. we would have died in a car accident if God had not protected us. Hence, we need to be sensitive to the ‘warning signals’ from God and return to Him swiftly, or else we will become a ‘wasteland’ (V6) that God has abandoned (Rom 1:28).

Thus, the person who lives by grace & understands the love of God will surely grow & bear fruit. For “If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).

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