Isaiah 5:1-12

I. The vineyard as a symbol of Israel (5:1-2; Ps. 80; Jer. 12:10; Mark 12:1-10)

A. “My Well-beloved” = God
B. “The choicest vine” = Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
C. “Wild grapes” are poisonous and toxic

II. A song of lament (5:3-6)

A. Similar in method to Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-15) and Jesus (Matthew 21:33-43; Mark 12:1-9)
B. Limits of God’s power: He will not violate man’s free will (Matthew 23:37; 2 Peter 3:9)

III. The meaning of the parable (5:7)

A. Paronomasia (pun in which the words sound similar but have different meanings)
B. Justice (mishpat) vs. oppression/bloodshed (mispah)
C. Righteousness (sedakah) vs. a cry (seakah)

IV. The first woe (5:8-10)

A. Against land-grabbing (Micah 2:2; Jeremiah 22:13-17; Habakkuk 2:9-12)
B. Drastically reduced harvest (Lev. 26:20; Deut. 26:15, 18; Haggai 1:5-6)

V. The second woe (5:11-12)

A. Against drunken revelry (1 Peter 4:1-4; Eph. 5:18; Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:19-21)
B. God was not a priority (Amos 6:1-7; Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:1-2)