Woe to the Vineyard

“Lift every voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; …
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.”

The lyrics of James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” convey a hope for justice. Former enslaved Americans and their descendants have sung these words for decades to express hope that God would heal the deep rifts in American society. The song asks our just God to act in accordance with His own character.

Isaiah 5 presents another song of justice, only this time the singer is the Lord Himself. The lyrics sing of His failure to find the fruit for which He has labored in the fertile soil of the vineyard of His beloved. From the opening allegory in which God portrays Israel as a vine, it is evident that the fruit He seeks is justice and righteousness rather than bloodshed of the weak.

Israel’s disregard for the words of the Holy One of Israel brings woe. The Lord prepares a merciless nation to devour them into the darkness of exile. With great poetic justice, Israel will taste the disregard it has had for the most fragile members of society.

Justice is tied to the just and righteous character of the Lord. Bloodshed and violence against the poor came from a disregard for the word of the Holy One. In Isaiah’s vision, God’s people need repentance that leads to obedience to the word of the Lord. As James reminds the church, “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5).

Pray with Us

On this Independence Day, let’s thank the Lord for our students, Christian leaders of tomorrow. Ask God to give them a refreshing and relaxing summer break and a year that will challenge, inspire, and equip our student body for kingdom work.

BY Dr. Eric C. Redmond

Dr. Eric C. Redmond serves as a professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and as associate pastor of adult ministries at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Ill. He is married to Pam and they have five children. He is the author of Say It!  Celebrating Expository Preaching in the African American Tradition (Moody Publishers), Where Are All the Brothers? Straight Answers to Men's’ Questions about the Church (Crossway), a commentary on Jonah in the Christ-Centered Exposition Series (B&H Publishers), and a study guide on Ephesians in the Knowing the Bible series (Crossway).