The Lord’s Probing Question

Introduction

Pleasant good morning to all, and certainly a cordial welcome to the many who are visiting in our audience today. The Lord has blessed us with a beautiful day physically, and what a privilege to come together with the saints, not only in this spiritual family, but also to have our audience graced by Christians from other places throughout our land. We’re thankful to have you here. And I hope everyone has brought a Bible. If you do not have one with you, that you could get one out of the pew in front of you, that you’ll be finding the passage in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 5. If you’ll find that, you’ll be able to follow along certainly much more easily with our lesson today. Perhaps you already know that Isaiah was one of the great prophets of the Lord, who lived approximately 700 years before Christ.

And his prophecy was to the people of God, namely around Judah. By the time of Isaiah, this people who were the descendants of Abraham. Abraham, to whom God had made the promise that he would make of his descendants a great nation and give them a land in which to live. And from that family would come the Christ, through whom God would bless all families of the earth.

But by the time of Isaiah, the people of Israel had become ungodly.

To turn back unto the Lord.

1. What More Could Have Been Done to My Vineyard?

That illustrates the people of God as though they are a vineyard that God has planted and from which he was expecting good fruit, but instead, by the time of Isaiah, they only brought forth wild grapes. If you would, please read with me. Isaiah chapter 5, verses 1 through 7. Now let me sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved regarding his vineyard. My well beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. He dug it up, cleared out its stones, planted it with a choice as vine. He built a tower in its midst and also made a wine press in it. So he expected it to bring forth good grapes. But it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between me and my vineyard.

What more could have been done to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? And now, please, let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I’ll take away its hedge and it shall be burned, and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will lay it waste, it shall not be pruned or dug, but there shall come up briars and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel. And the men of Judah are his pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold oppression. For righteousness, but behold a cry for help.

If you notice in this, just a quick summary what the Lord has described in this parable in the first two verses. This people of mine, God had planted. He had made it a great place to grow. He had dug it up, he had built a tower in the midst of it. Everything was set for, indeed, you might say, a perfect vineyard. But in verse 4, there’s a probing question. And that’s the title of my lesson today, The Lord’s probing question. It’s one that all to cause us to stop and think and examine what would be the answer to this question. When in verse 4 he says, What more could have been done to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Is it the Lord’s fault that they are the way they are?

2. Six Woes Describe Their Sinfulness

Or was it by their own choice? Had they come to this state that God would say, I’m just going to have to, I’m going to dig it up. I’m going to tear it up. It’ll not be mine anymore. Because of what they’ve done with the opportunities God set before them. In fact, as you go later in this same chapter, we can see why God would say, I’m ready to destroy this vineyard. In fact, if you have your Bible open there at chapter 5, look further with me. For example, six different woes are so described in this chapter that describes their sinfulness. For example, verse 8. Woe to those who join house to house. They add fill to fill till there is no place where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land.

There’s such covetousness, there’s such greed that they have that insatiable greed that it’s not just that they’re satisfied with what they have, they add fill to fill to fill to fill. You know, covetous people are that way. They’re never satisfied. And so what they’ve done, they bought up so much that even the poor had no place to dwell. But that’s not the only woe. In verses eleven through twelve. He says, Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may follow intoxicating drink, who continue until night till wine inflames them. The harp and the strings, the tambourine and flute and wine are in the in their feast, but they do not regard the work of the Lord, nor consider the operation of his hands.

They’re living only for today. You hear people sometime, you know, eat, drink, and be merry. The day we live, tomorrow we die. Sort of a light-hearted attitude toward life. And as you say in verse 12, they do not regard the work of the Lord. Unrestrained drinking. You might say, in our own day, could that be not only just the drinking of the alcohol, but even the drugs still. They just live for now. Woe to them. But then in verses 18 and 19, he describes their attitude toward God. In verses 18 and 19, woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity. Sin as if it as if with a cart rope. That say, Let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it.

And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come that we may know it. It’s sort of a mocking attitude. Well, we haven’t seen God do anything today. What makes you think God cares about what we’re doing? And if he’s there, just let him do something. Let him show us that we may see it. Kind of a defiance toward the Lord. Woe unto them. But then in verse 20, woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Who put darkness for light and light for darkness? Who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. You see the morality that’s just turned around. Surely we witnessed that in our generation, don’t we? Where there are those who, well, if society approves it, we call it good.

For centuries, marriage from God is a man with a woman. But today it is good, isn’t it, to have two gay people marry? It is good, isn’t it? Isn’t that which is sweet now, though once it was bitter? You see how things have turned around. That’s not new to our generation. Even in Isaiah’s day, that was one of the things that he listed as a woe from God. You look out because this is a grievance against the Lord, and there will be destruction or punishment from the Lord because of it. But then the fifth woe in verse 21 continues. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight. Why, they know how to guide themselves. We’re smart. It’s as if though we made things, and we can know exactly what is best for us.

Even as the wise men in Proverbs 14 and verse 12 said, There is a way that seemeth right unto man, but then thereof are the ways of death. And again, that is not just in our generation, long before us. God would say, That’s the way my vineyard is. Then finally, in verse 22 and 23, the sixth woe, when he says, Woe to men, mighty a drinking wine, woe to men, valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away justice from the righteous man. Now, this woe may seem like it’s uh much like the second one where there was unrestrained drinking, but it’s different from that one, and that these drinkers do not remain at the bar until dark, but they present a facade with their drinking as though they really are performing important functions of society.

3. God’s Complaint: Sick With Sin and Hypocrisy

Maybe they’re the judges or the lawyers. Perhaps we would say in our own day, isn’t it true that some we sort of think can be bought with a price? If you pay them enough, you know, maybe those who uh really uh the rich can get off, and and indeed uh they can pronounce judgments that really perverted righteousness and justice. Instead, here in God’s vineyard, are people who can be bought with a price, bribes, perverted justice. What a sad state. Can you not understand how God would be disappointed and could raise the question, what more could have been done? Is it God’s fault that they turned away from him? Is it God’s fault? What more could have been done? In fact, look back at chapter one of the book of Isaiah, and as you notice, this prophecy starts off with God’s complaint against Judah and Jerusalem.

And some pretty hard statements are made, but knowing how in this complaint of chapter five, why it would start this way. In Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 2. Hear, O heavens and give ear, O earth. For the Lord has spoken. I’ve nourished and brought up children. And they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner. The donkey its master’s crib. But Israel does not know. My people do not consider. Even the farm animals, the ox or the donkey, were more faithful to the Lord, uh to their master who fed them than to the than the Israelites were to the Lord who had nourished them. He had brought them after they had gone into a nation down in Egypt. God had brought them out of that bondage.

He had led them, protected them to finally they enter into the promised land. God had given them the law through Moses. God had sent his prophets, not only Moses leading them and later Joshua, in every way the Lord had brought to them his purpose. They were a special people, victory over their enemies when whenever they were faithful to the Lord. And yet they do not recognize God for who he is. And their responsibility to serve the Lord, who has blessed them this way, nourished them up. Even a dumb animal is more faithful to its master than the Israelites were to the Lord. In fact, verses four through six, he says they are so sick with sin from the sole of their feet to the crown of their head.

Verse 4 Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corruptors. They have forsaken the Lord. They have provoked to anger, the holy one of Israel. They have turned away backward. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores that have not been, they have not been closed or bound up or sued with ointment. That’s a pretty sad state. You know, someone who’s sick from soul to foot, uh soul of foot to the crown of the head, usually is going to seek out for some doctor or some medicine or something to be healed.

But they weren’t concerned with that. They were not aware, in fact, that they were that sick. You know why? They were people who were worshiping God. They were people who were God’s people. In fact, look at the verses 11 through 14 in chapter 1. When he says, To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me, says the Lord? I’ve had enough of burnt offerings of rams, the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or goats. When you come to appear before me, who has required this from your hand to trample my corpse? Bring no more futile sacrifices. Incense is an abomination to me. The new moons, the Sabbath, and the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.

Your new moons and your appointed feast, my soul hates. They are a trouble to me. I am weary of bearing them. Pause for a moment if you’ve been reading those verses and think about them for a minute. You mean God could get to a point that He says, I’m weary. I’m tired of this. I hate this. You gather and you bring sacrifices, and I can’t stand them. There are few would think of God in that way. The picture of God we’ve been given today is He’s just so loving, it just doesn’t matter what we do. And as long as we go to worship somewhere, it’s sometime that’s all that really matters. Is that the way we think? That’s the way they were because they were full of hypocrisy.

They did not realize how sick they were from the head to the foot. They didn’t realize it because with their hypocrisy. They thought, Well, we’re honoring God. We come to worship God. We bring forth sacrifices, aren’t we? Aren’t we God’s people? It seems like hard language, isn’t it? That God would say, Listen, don’t even pray to me. Look at verse 15. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. When he says your hands are full of blood, he’s speaking about the sin. You’re so full of wickedness and without consideration of my ways. In your hypocrisy, you think you can do like you want. Want with covetousness, unrestrained drinking, defiance toward God, calling evil good and good evil, and your pride or conceit has led you to this false sense that you can guide yourself.

And even you would take bribes and pervert jud you you think that God loves you anyway? I won’t hear your prayers. Don’t bother. It’s hard, isn’t it? Then, on top of that, he says, Let me tell you what I will do. Look back to chapter 5 where we started in that parable in verses 4 through 7 when he says, What more could have been done to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? Now, please let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned, and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will lay it waste, it shall not be pruned or dug.

But there shall come up briars and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold oppression. For righteousness, but behold a cry for help. Why would God tear it down? It’s because of their choices. God would have blessed them more. What could God have done if they had not done? What is it that is it God’s fault or is it their fault? It’s a choice that they have made. For some reason, you’re not getting my whole list up here, I guess. But the fact is that they were a people who were not serving the Lord.

4. Could That Happen to Us Today?

My point of this is could that happen to us today? Could it be that we are a people who are much like God’s vineyard of the past? Well, our nation is certainly not a theocratic nation. You could say, as a people, we we certainly are not like Abraham’s descendants, chosen by God for a special purpose. But our nation is a nation that was founded on faith in God. I mean, if you don’t believe that, just look at the coins in God we trust. We don’t have to argue that point. But in our time, what we have are people who have turned their backs on God. The very sins of the people covetousness and unrestrained drinking and so forth. Characterizes our nation today as well. Could God be saying, much like He did in Isaiah’s day, this is it, I’m finished?

Is our nation on the brink of being brought down because it has it has ignored its opportunities with the Lord? Well, history will bear out in time to come whether that will occur for us. But I want to make the lesson even more personal with you. As a Christian, and I know in this audience there are those who claim to be the children of God. And what is what is your reproach approach to the Lord? Last Sunday, Brother Adam challenged us all to stop and ask ourselves, what is your vision of this church? I know we have a lot of visitors, so I’ll ask you to think in terms of where you are a member. What is your vision and future? What is the work of the church where you are a member?

And if you’re part of this South Bumby family particularly, what is your view of this congregation? What do you want it to be like? You know where that starts? It starts with each individual Christian. What about you? Are you a person who would say, well, I believe the Lord looks at me as a person who’s really doing my very best. Really? In Luke chapter 14, the scripture of Jesus is being quoted when he said, If a man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Now, you know, to deny self, that’s asking a lot. We’re brought up in a time where we kind of can do what we please. We are a people who have the right to do what I want to do, and we sometimes, if not careful, carry that over even into our walk as a Christian.

Oh, that doesn’t mean that we’d go out and sin because we think we have a right to do that. But but maybe in our dealing with the Lord, we are not giving him the very best we have. We sometimes wouldn’t deny ourselves when it comes to coming to worship every time. You know, there are some things that are morally all right. You remember in our 9 o’clock assembly, the scripture from Luke chapter 14 was read about the parable where the invitation was sent out, and one came back and said, You know, I I’ve I’ve bought a piece of ground and I’ve got to go see about it. Another gave the excuse, I I’ve I’ve uh I I’ve bought oxen and I need to go prove them.

Another said, I’ve married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. Not a one of those things is considered sinful of itself. But the Lord in that parable illustrated they would not taste of his supper. They were not be saved, is really the point of the parable. Some things that are purely physical, morally right, but we let them hinder us from putting God first in our life. How many of us are here at this hour that could have been here at, say the Bible class period an hour earlier, if we had denied ourselves a little bit? Or maybe come Wednesday night if we deny ourselves, we could be present. But no, we we you know, we’ve got other things that are they’re good and moral, and it’ll be all right.

If every member were like you, would we even have a Bible class? So I ask you, what do you see yourself as being like? What does God see you as being like? And if every member were like you, what kind of church would this be? In the matter of preaching the gospel to the lost, reaching out with evangelism, trying to teach our neighbors, our loved ones, our family in some instances. If every member did as much as you did, what kind of fellowship would we have? But what how many people would be hearing about the Word of God because of what you’ve done? If every member were like you, what sort of a contribution would we have? Even as was taken up a little bit ago?

What kind of a would it be? Well, and I think there might be some who who come and they like what others are giving and making possible for them, but they’re just sort of bystanders. They’re not really participating. They want the classes and they want the preaching and they want the assembly place to meet, but don’t ask them because they’re not giving or very little. I mean, you think about it. Are we maybe like Jesus described some of his own day in Matthew 15? When he said, You honor me with your lips, you draw nigh with your mouth, but your heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men? Could it be that some worship God in vain, empty, worthless?

Oh, I’m here, Lord. Like the Israelites of Isaiah’s Isaiah’s day? We brought sacrifices, Lord. But the Lord said, I don’t want them. I’m weary with them. I’m tired of that hypocrisy that puts up the show but doesn’t really give me your heart. What does God think about you? When you really take a look and you say, okay, Lord, am I like maybe those of past time who, maybe like the animal of the field, gave more credence and appreciation to the one who fed it than to the Lord who’s fed me? You might ask yourself, why does the Lord, what more could the Lord do for us? What would inspire us to give our very best, totally committed to the Lord, even denying ourselves some things in order to put him first?

5. What More Could the Lord Do for Us?

Well, you stop and think about it. What has the Lord done for us? If I had my chart up here, I’d show you. There are about six things in the very same of the six woes of the past. But the good side. First of all, he’s given us his only begotten Son. John 3 and verse 16, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. That’s a gift. God didn’t have to do it. But because he loved you and he loved all the world. But not only did Jesus came and died for us, but we have some knowledge about what God’s will is. We’re not left to say, well, you know, I guess we can just do whatever we want to do when we want to do it, and God will like it.

That’s not the way we read in the Bible. God has had a standard for us people in Isaiah’s day, and when they weren’t following him, they received the reproof from the Lord. And in our generation of time, do we have any knowledge of God’s will? 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verses 10 through 13 speaks how that the Spirit searches the deep things of God. And then he raises the point. No man can know the mind of a man save the spirit of man that’s in him. In other words, you can’t do mind reading, can you? Person across the building from you right now, what’s he thinking? You don’t know. Maybe even the person sitting next to you, you can’t even guess. And if you cannot guess people that you can see with your eyes, how can we guess what God wants for us?

The scripture in 1 Corinthians 2 describes how that the Spirit searches the mind of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. So what has God done for us? Not only has he given his only begotten Son, but he’s revealed His Word that we can know what His will is. And He’s provided the means of salvation. Jesus Christ Himself, in giving what we call the Great Commission of Mark 16, said, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved. He who believes not shall be condemned. Pretty simple message, isn’t it? Urgent, though. Go preach it, obey it. What has God done for us? Well, he’s made the means of forgiveness of sins possible.

What more could the Lord have done? In fact, he has purchased the church. He’s given us a place where we commute together as brethren. Acts 20 and verse 28, he said that he purchased the church with his own blood. As our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ, we become joint partakers, heirs. We’re the Son of God Himself. And brethren one of another to encourage and exhort and to find strength from helping one another. What has God done for us? He’s made a place for those who are saved to be encouraged. Furthermore, he’s given us some direction. He didn’t just say, okay, baptism, and that’s the final. Nothing else to worry about. He didn’t say baptism is the end. He said baptism is the point at which we become the child of God.

And he made Christ the head over all things to the church. He has given the church direction. Christ being the head. We don’t gather together as men and try to decide what we like and vote on it every year, what this church is going to do or not do. It isn’t governed by majority rule of the society. It’s governed by what Christ has said and led in his word. What has God done for us? He’s given us direction. More than that, he’s given us all spiritual blessings. In Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ. You ever thought about the power of prayer?

And you want God to answer your prayer, not be like he did with the Israelites of Isaiah’s day. But as you’re faithful to him, he’ll be faithful to you. If you’re not faithful to him, he won’t hear your prayer either. But it’s a blessing. I say to you, when you think about these things, the gift of his son, the blood purchased church, the knowledge of God’s way, the direction from the Son of God. Could God raise the question, the probing question he raised of his vineyard? What more could I do? If you and I are not zealous for the Lord giving our very best, that’s a question we need to stop and ask. Why? In fact, ask yourself why. Is it God’s fault if you spend eternity in hell?

6. His Mercy Continues to Be Extended

Think that one through. Because if you’re not serving the Lord faithfully, you know the destiny. Bible makes it pretty clear. It’s not a part-time religion. Jesus wants us to give our all. Deny self and take up your cross daily and follow him. Take some time to read the Word of God. Take some time to give your best unto him. But if you have your Bibles open, please go one more time to the book of Isaiah. For the Lord, of course, after speaking, of course, his complaint against Israel. The Lord always, through Isaiah and even to our day, extends an opportunity. His mercy continues to be extended. I’m reading Isaiah chapter 1. For he says in verse 16, wash yourselves. Make yourselves clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes.

Cease to do evil. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Rebuke the oppressor. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widow. What’s he say? You can find the favor of the Lord if you will put away the evil of your doings. Wash yourself. In fact, on down in verse 18, come now and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you’re willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

God holds out an opportunity to be blessed if you will repent. But if on the other hand you choose to rebel, then you shall be devoured by the sword of the Lord. The Lord said to the vineyard, Let me tell you what I’ll do. And let me tell you what the Lord has promised to us today as Christians. Look at John, the Gospel of John chapter 5. In John chapter 5, chapter 14, verses 1 through 7, Gospel of John chapter 14, Jesus in fact teaches us all what he will do. I’ll get it right in a minute. John 15, verses 1 through 6. Where Jesus said, I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away.

And every branch that bears fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean before, because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. But if you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Conclusion

I ask you, are you a branch? Are you in the Lord? Are you as one who is bringing forth good fruit or no fruit at all? What does the Lord think of you? What you believe. The Lord would say, should he come this very day? We’re going to sing a song. We call it an invitation song. And that’s exactly what it is. An opportunity to turn around and to obey the Lord. If you’re not a Christian, don’t let the opportunity pass this hour. You may not have another day. But if you believe Jesus to be the Son of God and willing to repent, to confess your faith in Him, you can be immersed, baptized into His death. On the other hand, maybe you’ve done that in days past, but you have not really given God your heart the best that you have.

If you need a public way to make things right with God and God’s people here, then we offer you an opportunity to come confessing faults. We’ll pray with you and pray for you. Be tenderhearted. Recognize God loves you. But God wants you to love him. And that’ll mean an attitude of obedience to all that he’s asked. If you’re subject to the invitation of the Lord, we bid you come while together we stand while we sing. I am resolved.