Luxuriant, but Tasteless

“Israel is a luxuriant vine
    that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
    the more altars he built;
as his country improved,
    he improved his pillars.
Their heart is false;
    now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord will break down their altars
    and destroy their pillars.

For now they will say:
    ‘We have no king,
for we do not fear the Lord…
so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds
    in the furrows of the field…
The high places, the sin of Israel,
    shall be destroyed.
Thorn and thistle shall grow up
    on their altars,
and they shall say to the mountains, ‘Cover us…’
I will discipline them…
Sow for yourselves righteousness;
    reap steadfast love;
    break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
    that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

You have plowed iniquity;
    you have reaped injustice;
    you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your own way.” Hosea 10:1-4,8,10,12-13

“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;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
    but it yielded wild grapes…

What more was there to do for my vineyard,
    that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
    why did it yield wild grapes?

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 its wall,
    and it shall be trampled down.
I will make it a waste;
    it shall not be pruned or hoed,
    and briers and thorns shall grow up;
I will also command the clouds
    that they rain no rain upon it.

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
    is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
    are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
    but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
    but behold, an outcry!” Isaiah 5:1-2,4-7

The Lord in love and generosity did everything for His people to make them a fruitful vineyard, burgeoning with rich and abundant fruit. And grow they did, yet away from their Root in many a wrong and wild direction. Willful rebellion and idolatry left them untamed, languishing in spiritual drought, heavy with sour grapes that could not nourish.

The world has many devices to make us look pretty and pretend at luxury. The measure of success in the world’s eyes is askew from God’s standards. Glossy exteriors and an abundance of stuff can give a false impression of fruitfulness, but many an extravagant life wanders astray, meaningless and lacking flavor. God treasures the inner person and directs us to heavenly riches. (Matthew 6:19-21)

How has the Lord tended the vineyard of my life, family, job, surroundings, even with discipline? Am I grateful, or do I take His supply and care for granted, worshiping created things and self-effort rather than Him? What needs to be removed from my mindset or activities for me to flourish in righteousness? Realizing all He’s provided compels us to bear fruit as His pleasant planting. (Romans 1:20-25)

Lord, break the fallow ground in my heart, that I may reap love and delicious fruit that pleases You.