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Divinity for Advanced Secondary Schools

Their land will be invaded by foreigners In this parable, the vineyard, as shown
who will take them into exile and have in Figure 4.2, was the nation of Israel of
their city Jerusalem destroyed together the Lord Almighty (Isa. 5:7). According
with other cities. To the proud who to the parable, the vines are the people
misused their wisdom by turning good of Judah whom God expected to do
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into evil, he warned them that God what was good. The gardener or owner
would abandon them. Their gods would of the vineyard represented the Lord
be left in the streets like rubbish (Isa. God Almighty with the people of Israel
5:25). The land of the rebellious people and Judah when he settled in the fertile
would become unproductive, and its land of Canaan.
leaders would starve to death.
The gardener dug the soil and cleared it
He said that the day of the Lord will out of stones, which symbolically meant
not be a day of victory but destruction. that God had cleared the land of Canaan
Isaiah said that God would send locusts and removed all obstacles that would
to attack their gardens, resulting in hinder them from settling peacefully
severe famine. in the land. Additionally, the gardener
planted the finest vines, symbolising
God will employ fire to destroy their city His choice of Israel as a special nation
of Jerusalem. That God will elect for among other people.
them young and inexperienced people
to govern them in their land. The vineyard owner built a watch tower
in the middle of the garden. This meant
The significance of the song of the that God monitored all their activities
vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-7) in the new land. The gardener also built
a hedge and wall around the garden to
prevent wild animals from trampling on
the vines. This meant that God protected
the Israelites against their enemies. The
gardener dug a pit to crush the grapes. It
meant a perfect harvest; God expected
the Israelites to do what was good
since he had done a lot to protect them.
However, this was not the case.

The gardener expected sweet grapes
from the garden. Unfortunately, the
Figure 4.2: A vineyard garden disappointed him; it produced

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