I will sing for the one I love
a song about his vineyard:
My loved one had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside.
2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones
and planted it with the choicest vines. (Isaiah 5:1-2)
Love songs are probably one of the most common things in human existence. There have to be millions written over time. The oldest love song was usually considered to be the Song of Songs in the Bible, but there appears to be at least one even earlier than that dating to thousands of years ago. They are poems, but apparently ancient poetry was often sung. The phenomenon continues up to the present time, when just this year there are at least enough to make up a “top 100 love songs of 2023” list.
This love song in Isaiah 5 is fairly unique in that it’s about a vineyard. But there’s plenty of love in gardening and working on a farm. You who know the joy of sowing and caring for new plant life. You also know the work and love that goes into it. Here God is the gardener. We are the vineyard.
God has gone to a tremendous amount of trouble to plant you in his kingdom and take care of you as you grow. If you were blessed to be called by baptism early on and have continued in the faith over a long life, you might be a 70-year growing season or more for the Lord!
No matter how long you have planted in faith in Christ, God put things into place for your baptism, sent people to watch over your faith and support you, provided his Word and fellow believers for encouragement, and lifted your soul with the hope of eternal life. Minute by minute. Hour by hour. Over a lifetime.
Unfortunately, if you read Isaiah 5, the people of Israel who are the vineyard do not produce a good crop of grapes, but instead only bad fruit. The warning is to not show a lack of appreciation to our loving and gracious gardener.
Instead, we remain close to Jesus and his Word and bear good fruit to the glory of his name! I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)