Religion Essay, Research Paper

Korey Madson

Religion 100

Dr. Kantiok

11/17/99

Take Home Test Paper

(2) What was Isaiah’s message in the parable of the vineyard?

V. 5: 1-2

” My beloved had a Vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes.” What the message of this quote is that God has made a wondrous promiseland for the Israelites, and they in turn have destroyed it.

God sent Isaiah to give the message to the Israelites (the wild grapes according to the verse) that God has given them a wonderful world and that they are destroying it. They are destroying it by injustice, oppression, violence, greed, debauchery/drunkenness, arrogance, perversion and cynicism.

V. 5: 4

“What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes.” What this quote is saying is that God is very angry that the Israelites have not listened to him. He is questioning why they haven’t obeyed him. God is saying that the Israelites punishment is going to be that he is not going to protect them any more.

V. 5: 5

“And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down the its wall, and it shall be trampled down.” God has given up on the Israelites. He is no longer going to watch over them and protect them. Enemies will be allowed to come and defeat, leaving a path of death and destruction- symbolic roaring of the lion and the power of the sea. What results in the disobedience against God is that historically the promise land is attacked by the Assyrians during the 8th century BC, destroying the temple in Babylon and enslaving the Israelites.