If I were to rename this song found in Isaiah 5:1-7 I would call it the song of great potential. It’s a song about planned greatness and broken expectations. It’s a song of a brokenhearted God.
God calls the men of Judah, ‘the garden of his delight’. The men of Judah were intentionally planted and cared for. God took delight in his garden. He loved the site of His garden because it showed so much potential. He carefully and meticulously removed the weeds. He exposed the garden to the proper amount of rain and sun so that the garden could grow and reach its beautiful and certain greatness. After all, if we do our part in preparing the garden and giving it all that it needs aren’t we assured that it will grow? Don’t we expect it to grow? Shouldn’t it grow?
God asks an interesting question… “What more could have been done for my vineyard? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?”
I can just hear the disappointment and brokenness in His voice. It’s not a statement of anger, although the consequences may seem it. It’s a statement of hurt. I remember a family experiencing some trouble with one of their children. Despite the proper ‘planting’, the child rebelled. I can remember the voice of the parents crying, “What more could we have done?”.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
There must be a release of responsibility from our souls. It’s not our responsibility to grow the garden. It’s our responsibility to build the garden with the potential for growth. We cannot seek validation through the success of others, the potential of others, or the failure of others.
What fruit will God discover as He scours the vineyard He has prepared for us?