Continuing his celebration of God's wrath on sin and sinners, Isaiah personifies them as their master, Satan. From the earliest Hebrew literature, the symbol of the dragon, the sea monster, or other dangerous reptiles represented Lucifer, the fallen Cherub of Covering. While there is still a sort of terrible beauty in his form, it now represents an untameable threat against God's people. All God's acts of wrath and judgment are against Satan. The implicit warning is people in Israel are allowing themselves to be devoured by this Serpent. We can choose to let the Lord chase that Serpent out of our lives, or be driven away and destroyed with him.
When sin is judged, and lives cleansed, the result is the very choice vineyard of God. This is the resurrected image from chapter 5, purified and producing the fruit intended from the beginning. His presence there is not marked by anger over sin, but a quiet Spirit of Peace. Instead, He directs all wrath against those who seek to destroy His Vineyard Kingdom. Cares of this world? They are devoured by His divine presence. Those who would attempt to ruin His Kingdom by planting such worldly temptations would be offered a chance at God's powerful saving grace. It will be their only chance at peace with God. If they do turn to Him, they will also be planted in His Vineyard Kingdom, rooted in what Israel was meant to be, producing fruit that changes the world.
But earthly Israel has failed. He has punished her, but not nearly so harshly as He punished those He used to punish her. The idea was to cleanse, not kill. She was crushed, but not to powder. More like grain, she was threshed to remove the useless parts. So this cleansing will remove all the pagan habits, because their stone altars will crumble like chalk, and wooden images like ash. Every thing which draws off God's people, dilutes their commitment and faith in Jehovah, will be destroyed.
It will require a complete change in the soul. Not just a change of heart as in obeying the Law from fear, but a much more radical cleansing which removes every element which hinders fully serving the Lord in faith, the faith of Abraham. Isaiah pictures this as a return to the purity of the nomadic life of Abraham, living in tents. The trappings of high civilization would actually be a hindrance, because it is what man has built. This kind of faith sweeps it all away, and returns life to the pastoral existence which finds no value at all in fortresses, but trusts in the Lord for protection.
Like a dead tree, the branches of sin will fall off and become firewood, gathered by women. There is a warning here for those who cling to sin, for they will be destroyed with their sins. These spiritually dead people have produced nothing of value, and rejected His call to be a Kingdom of Priests. For these He will have no use, and they will perish in their sins. All the favor He once promised earthly Israel will be forgotten in the New Covenant. Indeed, He will ride a heavy threshing sledge over all Israel, and only a few will remain. These will be gathered up as precious grain, and will be truly His People in the Spirit.
The people of Israel will be offered one last chance to repent fully, and turn in faith to God. Even those exiled in Assyria, or whose hearts never really left Egypt and slavery to sin. God will summon those who have spiritual ears to hear His call, and return to the Temple -- the true Temple in Heaven.
The highly symbolic celebration of deep spiritual truths comes to an end here. What follows are several chapters of more specific condemnations to explain why it is the nation of Israel will be threshed.
Return to Isaiah Index
[<-- Previous]
[Next -->]
By Ed Hurst
16 December 2008
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: People of honor need no copyright laws; they are only too happy to give credit where credit is due. Others will ignore copyright laws whenever they please. If you are of the latter, please note what Moses said about dishonorable behavior -- "be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23)