Scripture Reading : Isaiah 5
Theme : Woe to Israel, God’s Vineyard
Israel as Vineyard (1-7). Most likely this is God the father speaking to God the son about the Son’s vineyard. The Father has done all that is expected of a vinedresser, but the vineyard did not produce fruit. So God asks Israel what He should do to it. Naturally, they would all say, tear it down. So God agrees with them and reveals that the vineyard is Israel (cf. 2 Sam. 12:7). God has brought Israel to the promised land and cultivated it, but instead of producing righteousness, Israel produces outcries of injustice and bloodshed. So God will tear them down.
Woe to Israel (8-23). God pronounces woes/judgments on Israel with sadness (cf. Luke 19:41-44). The Jews were kiasu in regards to drinking alcohol, doing wickedness and stealing. They taunt God by saying where is His judgment so that they can see it and believe Him. They did the same to Jesus when He was on the cross (Matt. 27:42).
Judgment on Israel (24-30). This judgment on Israel is referring to God’s ultimate judgment in the end times when He will bring the nations to attack Israel for their sins. In the end times, God will unleash His full wrath on Israel and the world for their gross sins and then completely take away the sins of Israel and the world. In the meantime, before this ultimate judgment in the end times, God will punish Israel by exiling them to Babylon for their many sins. But the ultimate judgment and restoration are reserved for the end times. These smaller exiles/judgments serve as patterns of the ultimate exile/judgment in the end times (Zech. 14:2).
Praying the Scripture
- God is angry and sorrowful over the sins of Israel and the world just as Jesus was both angry and sad toward the hard-hearted Pharisees (Mark 3:5). God is angry because He is righteous. He is sorrowful because He loves sinners. He does not want to punish them but He must punish them for their wickedness in order to satisfy His justice. When we see sins in the world, we also ought to be angry because of our love for God’s righteousness. But we also must be sad for the sinners because of our love for them. If you are always angry toward sinners, but never grieved by their sins then you are out of balance and need to grieve more and be angry less. You need to love and grieve over sinners because you do not want to see them be destroyed but to repent. But, if they do not repent, there will be a day of reckoning. You must warn people of this day. Pray that God will help you to love sinners by grieving over their sins.
经文：以赛亚书5
主题：祸哉，以色列，神的葡萄园
以色列是葡萄园（1-7）。这大有可能是天父向圣子述说有关圣子的葡萄园之事。天父已尽了园丁的责任，但葡萄园仍没有结果子。因此，神问以色列祂当如何行——他们自然会说把葡萄园拆毁。神也同意，并表明以色列就是那个葡萄园（撒下12:7）。神已将以色列领到应许地，还栽培她，但以色列不但没结公义的果子，还产出不义的哀声和血流。因此，神会将它拆毁。
以色列有祸了（8-23）。神以哀恸之心向以色列宣告审判和祸患（参路19:41-44）。犹太人在喝酒、行恶与偷窃众事上不输人。他们嘲笑神，试问祂的审判何在，让他们看见，好叫他们能相信祂。耶稣被挂十字架时，他们亦是如此（太27:42）。
对以色列的审判（24-30）。这里的审判是指神在末日时对以色列最终的审判；祂要因以色列的罪领列国攻击她。到了末日，神要因以色列及全世界的万般罪孽在他们身上倾倒祂全然的愤怒，然后完全除尽以色列和世界的罪。然而，当末日的大审判还未降临，神还会因以色列的罪惩罚她，将他们流放至巴比伦。最终的审判和复兴已为末日保留。这些较小规模的审判和流亡只是末日时最后的审判及流亡的影儿（撒14:2）。
用经文祷告
- 神为以色列及世人的罪愤怒、哀伤，犹如耶稣对硬心的法利赛人一样，既气愤又伤感（可3:5）。神愤怒，因为祂是公义的；神哀伤，因为祂爱罪人。神不想惩罚他们，却因着他们的恶行必须施行惩罚，满足祂的公义。当我们看到世上的众罪时，我们当因着爱慕神的公义心感愤怒。但与此同时，我们也当因着对罪人的爱感动忧伤。你若一向对罪人愤怒，从不为他们的罪哀恸，你已失去平衡，必须多忧伤，少愤怒。你必须爱罪人，为他们感动可悲，因为你不希望看到他们得毁灭，而是悔改。然而，他们若不肯悔改，必要面临审判日。你必须告诫人这一日的到来。祈求神能帮助你爱罪人，为他们的罪忧伤。
