"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 and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes."
The phrase "Well-beloved" comes from the Hebrew word yĕdiyd which means "one who is beloved, lovely, pleasant, amiable" the first time it is used in the bible is used of the context Benjamin being beloved of the LORD (Deut 33:12)
The phrase "my beloved" comes from the Hebrew word dowd which can mean "the relationship between a friend, an uncle, one loved" and is used 39 times in Song of Songs.
The song is from Isaiah to the LORD. Interestingly, this poem is unique in the whole book, Isaiah does not write any other poems like it. And it is the only one where he sings. Without too much thought we can understand that the relationship with Isaiah and the LORD is one where he knows He is loved, he is a friend, and the way that he feels about the LORD is with familiar feelings - amiable, lovely, pleasing, and loving.
But why would God's response to Isaiah be one of judgment, and admonition against His brothers and sisters? Later the LORD says these words:
And 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 briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it."
For all of their good intention (for God does not change the way He sees them) the vineyard has been burned, and God has allowed briers and thorns to grow up in their midst. This paints a pretty bleak picture of the self-righteousness of Judah and Jerusalem. They did not do as the LORD wanted, and turned away from Him, so He removed the hedge of protection around them, and broke down the walls.
Is this what love is really like? Is love jealous? Is love vengeful? Am I hearing Him right? That shocks me! God is setting a high standard! What does that mean for me, someone who wants to approach God, and do His will. I can say one thing, God is certainly not selfish!
It's like he's painting another picture. When the rich young ruler came to Jesus, he said "Go sell all that you have, and come, follow me" at this he went away very disappointed. He later said "What is impossible for man, is possible to God" What man couldn't do in all of their strength and bravado, God did in weakness. He sent His Son, became a slave, became poor, so that we would become rich, became a servant and saved us. Oh! wow! I just realized that is the way God does things all the time! When the hammerblow came down, it was the Lamb of God who took the punishment. That means my Beloved really is! He has achieved all my most magnificent dreams in Himself.
Let me consider something else that runs through the story. He begins speaking to Isaiah, but His words say "Now, Judah, and you children of Judah, you judge, judge between me and my vineyard" so He has in mind Judah, and the children of Judah. And then His next response is "now see what I will do to my vineyard" - He continues the work that He started in making Judah the garden of His delight (5:7), the first description is a process that He begun and worked out and now He continues His work. As if to say "this work of redemption is beyond you, I will pay for you myself" it was in weakness that he was confirming all His promises to Israel, which He is still going to be faithful to. Sending His Son, the fullness of Himself in flesh, did you know that they achieved His purpose? That is still in His mind.
As long as He comes He gets all the glory, because He speaks the truth - He did it all, because I want Him.
Lets remember this is all about Jesus.
What has this got to do with John? This has everything to do with the Gospel of John! He met the man! He heard the man! He was with the man! He discovered Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And He believed in Him. It says "to those who received Him, to those who believed in His name - He gave the right to become children of God" to those who sing to Him, to those who He lives inside of, their name is beloved. John takes up this name that is still available.
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