The Tended Vineyard and the Conquered World Text: Isaiah 27:2-6
Introduction: The Song of a Fruitful War
The Bible is a book of songs. From the song of Moses at the Red Sea to the song of the saints in Revelation, God's people are a singing people. And they sing because they have a reason to sing. They sing of deliverance, of judgment, of salvation, and of victory. Here in Isaiah, after a sweeping prophecy of God's judgment upon the whole world, symbolized by the great sea dragon Leviathan, the prophet is commanded to strike up a new tune. It is not a dirge, but a song of a vineyard. But this is no ordinary vineyard, and this is no ordinary song.
This passage is a picture of the Church of Jesus Christ. It is a portrait of God's relationship to His people, a relationship of tender care, fierce protection, and glorious purpose. In a world that sees the Church as irrelevant, weak, or a nuisance, God declares that it is His "vineyard of delight." While earthly empires rise and fall, this vineyard is kept, watered, and guarded by Yahweh Himself. It is the center of His work in the world.
But it is also a war song. It speaks of thorns and briars, of battle and burning. And this is where we moderns get squeamish. We like the idea of a gentle gardener, but we are uncomfortable with a warrior God. Yet the two are inseparable. God's tender care for His people necessitates a fierce opposition to all that would threaten them. His love for the vineyard requires Him to burn the thorns. And as we will see, this passage contains a glorious invitation, an offer of peace to the briars themselves, showing that God's ultimate goal is not destruction, but a fruitful, reconciled creation.
This passage, then, is a potent dose of biblical optimism. It is a prophecy of the certain, global, and fruitful victory of the people of God. In a day of cultural pessimism and eschatological jitters, these verses are a trumpet blast of confidence. God is tending His garden, and His garden is going to fill the world.
The Text
In that day, "A vineyard of delight, sing of it! I, Yahweh, am its keeper; I water it every moment. Lest anyone damage it, I keep it night and day. I have no wrath. Who would ever give Me briars and thorns in the battle? I would step on them, I would burn them completely. Or let him rely on My strong defense, Let him make peace with Me, Let him make peace with Me." In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and bud, And they will fill the whole world with produce.
(Isaiah 27:2-6 LSB)
God's Delighted Keeping (vv. 2-3)
The song begins with a command to sing about a special place, a vineyard that brings God delight.
"In that day, 'A vineyard of delight, sing of it! I, Yahweh, am its keeper; I water it every moment. Lest anyone damage it, I keep it night and day.'" (Isaiah 27:2-3)
The phrase "in that day" points us to the new covenant era, the time after Christ has dealt the death blow to Leviathan, the serpent (v. 1). The Church is God's vineyard. This imagery is deep in the Scriptures. In Isaiah 5, Israel was a vineyard that God planted, but it yielded wild, sour grapes, and so was judged. But here, in the new covenant, the vineyard is one of "delight." This is the Church in Christ, the true Vine (John 15). We are not delightful in ourselves, but in Him, we are God's good pleasure.
And notice the intensity of God's care. He does not delegate this task. "I, Yahweh, am its keeper." The sovereign Lord of all things is our personal gardener. He waters it "every moment." This is not a weekly sprinkling; it is a constant, moment-by-moment infusion of grace, Word, and Spirit. Without this constant watering, the Church would wither in a day. Our life is entirely dependent on His unceasing provision.
His care is also protective. "Lest anyone damage it, I keep it night and day." This is a promise of divine preservation. The world, the flesh, and the devil are constantly seeking to damage the vineyard. Heresies creep in, persecutions arise, and our own sins threaten to spoil the fruit. But God's watchfulness never ceases. He is on guard around the clock. This is why the gates of Hell cannot prevail against the Church. It is not because the Church is so strong, but because her keeper is.
Wrath, Thorns, and an Open Door (vv. 4-5)
Next, God describes His disposition toward His vineyard and its enemies. This is a remarkable and often misunderstood passage.
"I have no wrath. Who would ever give Me briars and thorns in the battle? I would step on them, I would burn them completely. Or let him rely on My strong defense, Let him make peace with Me, Let him make peace with Me." (Isaiah 27:4-5)
"I have no wrath." How can this be? The Bible is full of God's wrath against sin. The key is the object. Toward His vineyard, His people in Christ, He has no wrath. All the wrath we deserved was poured out upon Jesus at the cross. He drank that cup to the dregs. Therefore, for those in the vineyard, there is now no condemnation. God's disposition toward us is one of settled delight, not anger.
But that lack of wrath toward His people does not mean a lack of opposition to His enemies. He turns His attention to the "briars and thorns." These are the symbols of the curse (Gen. 3:18), representing all the hostile forces, ideologies, and rebellious people who set themselves against God's kingdom. God's posture toward them is one of war. He asks a rhetorical question: who would be foolish enough to set a briar patch in the path of an advancing fire? "I would step on them, I would burn them completely." This is a promise of certain judgment for all who persist in their rebellion. God's holiness cannot tolerate the thorns.
But then comes the most astonishing turn. In the very breath that He promises to burn the thorns, He offers them a way out. "Or let him rely on My strong defense, Let him make peace with Me." The "him" refers to the briar, the thorn, the enemy. God offers His own strength as a refuge to His enemies. The very power that would destroy them is offered as their protection. How? By making peace. The repetition is emphatic: "Let him make peace with Me, Let him make peace with Me." This is the gospel call extended to the whole world. You who are briars, you who are enemies of God, do not have to be burned. You can be reconciled. You can lay down your arms, grab hold of the strength of God in Christ, and have peace. This is exactly what Paul says in Romans 5: "while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son."
The Unstoppable Harvest (v. 6)
The song concludes with a glorious, sweeping promise of the vineyard's ultimate success.
"In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and bud, And they will fill the whole world with produce." (Isaiah 27:6)
Here, Jacob and Israel refer to the covenant people of God, the Church, which is the true Israel, composed of believing Jews and Gentiles. The promise is one of profound stability and explosive growth. First, they will "take root." A healthy plant is a rooted plant. The Church will be established, grounded in the truth of the gospel, and it will not be moved.
From this deep rooting comes visible growth: Israel will "blossom and bud." This is the picture of a healthy, vibrant community, displaying the beauty of holiness and the life of the Spirit. It is the Church living out her faith, attracting the nations with the aroma of Christ.
And the result is global. "And they will fill the whole world with produce." This is a postmillennial exclamation point. The "produce" or "fruit" is the fruit of the Spirit, conversions, righteous families, just institutions, and cultures transformed by the gospel. This is not a picture of the Church huddled in a corner, waiting for rescue. This is a picture of the kingdom of God advancing like a mighty orchard, progressively filling the entire globe. This is the Great Commission in prophetic form. The mustard seed will become a great tree. The leaven will leaven the whole lump. The knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. God's vineyard is not destined for failure; it is destined to fill the world.
Conclusion: Your Place in the Vineyard
This passage presents us with a stark choice, the same choice every person in every generation must face. You are either in the vineyard or you are among the thorns. There is no third option.
If you are in Christ, this is a song for you to sing. You are the object of God's delight. He is your keeper, watering you every moment, guarding you night and day. He has no wrath for you. Your security does not depend on your grip on Him, but on His grip on you. Therefore, be fruitful. Be about the business of blossoming and budding, knowing that your labor is not in vain. The future is bright, because it belongs to our God, and He has promised that His vineyard will fill the earth.
But if you are outside of Christ, you are a briar. You are fighting against your Maker. And no matter how strong or impressive your particular briar patch may seem today, it is set to be burned. God is marching against you in battle. But even now, in this moment, He extends the offer of verse 5. He offers you His own strength as a refuge. He invites you to make peace. How? By turning from your sin and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, who took the fire of God's wrath for thorns just like you, so that you could be grafted into the vineyard of delight. Let him make peace with Me. The offer is on the table. Make peace with Him today.