Reading for April 17th

Read Isaiah 5.1-7. In 5.1-30: The song of the vineyard. In verses 1-7: The parable of an unfruitful vineyard is an apparently unremarkable story whose full meaning only becomes clear when the storyteller reveals that he is describing Israel and Judah. The verdict of v. 6 is valid also for this larger meaning: The land must soon suffer utter devastation and ruin. This is the theme-message which underlies all the prophecies of chs. 5-12 (see especially 6.11-13). The parable is more complex by the opening address in which the speaker declares: Let me sing for my beloved my love song. As a "friend" of the injured vineyard owner, the speaker is an interested onlooker or perhaps the owner's supporter at a feast. In this case, the claim to preent a love-song suggests that the story will be about a disappointed lover (see the use of the vineyard imagery for courtship in Song 8.11-12). In verses 7: The vineyard represents both Israel and Judah. Comments or Questions..