A Celebration of Grace: Heeding the Wisdom in Isaiah 5
If you’ve ever cracked open Isaiah 5, you may have noticed that it shows a celebration taking place—but one that is godless, and void of remembrance for all the Lord has done. And it’s a problem.
In this portion of Scripture, Israel is being judged for the way they have totally neglected the loving care of the Lord, and have gone their own way. Rejecting not only the ways of the Lord, but the acknowledgement of his faithful provision.
This passage of God’s Word (Isaiah 5:1-3) opens with a beautiful metaphor regarding God and his people—God is like the creator of a vineyard who has provided everything his vines need to grow and thrive. They have fertile soil that has been cleared of stones and weeds, it is overlooked by a watchtower and is even equipped with a winepress to help the grapes of the vine create fruitful products.
This lovely metaphor take a turn however, when God comes to check out his vineyard and finds only rotten fruit where good fruit was intended to grow. (Isaiah 5:4) This fruitless vineyard represented Israel—God’s beloved nation—at the time, and while we are shielded from the wrath they were delivered due to the extravagant sacrifice of Jesus Christ, there is still a lesson for us today as we consider the heart of God and what he longs to see in our lives.
Because you see, as this interesting chapter leads on, God describes what these fruitless individuals were actually partaking in; we get a glimpse into what this rotten living looked like practically, and what’s there might surprise you…
There is a picture painted of a people who are swept up in celebration. Now, this word “celebration” has a beautiful connotation to it, doesn’t it? I imagine party balloons, laughter, and joy. And yet, when Israel’s revelry is described here, there is a distinction to their celebration that moves it from the category of joyful and good to arrogantly unrighteous.
Ready for the kicker? Enter verse 12:
“They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands.” Isaiah 5:12 NIV
Compare that to Psalm 103, Psalm 104, or Psalm 150—powerful, punchy works of art that mention timbrels, dancing, and even wine—but do so in a way that points to the maker of every good thing, with God proclaimed as the true source of blessing. God is worshiped in these Scriptures for the work of his hands, and his loving deeds to mankind.
And while I will spare you—for this moment—the gruesome descriptions of what follows in Isaiah 5 for the ones who spurned God’s Word and neglected to turn to him, I will say this: for as much as there is a problem with ignoring God’s gracious provision, there is a beauty to each and every thing we do as believers to remember the love of the Lord.
Coming through this passage and reflecting on the value of remembrance has filtered into the most obscure moments of my days and colored them with meaning and significance. And I believe it can do the same for you, too! Let me explain…
My family and I say a prayer of gratitude before each meal. Maybe you do, too? And while I always saw some value in this, after reading this chapter of Isaiah, I realized that the intention of coming before God before every meal is precious in his sight.
It really matters to God—not just that we have what we need—but that we acknowledge it as coming from him.
There is another area this beauty sept into my heart and colored purpose and meaning into something that otherwise felt semi-valuable but at times, trite: my work as an artist.
You see, I’ve used the tagline “a celebration of grace” for a long time, and while I knew what that meant to my heart, there was something about this Isaiah 5 passage and my time with the Lord in it that revealed to me a piece of God’s heart.
Because this is what it comes down to: a flower isn’t just a flower. Just like a meal at the table with your kids isn’t just a meal. It matters where you set your intention when you take in a piece of what the Lord has made or provided.
Some might look at a flower and say, “hey, that’s pretty,” but never acknowledge God’s grace and love in forming something so delicate, fragrant and beautiful for mankind to enjoy.
Or they might gloss over Genesis 2:9 which states that, in God’s creation, some elements are made for practical purposes and some are made to be pleasing to the eye.
The beauty we see in creation is evidence of God’s grace and his loving generosity to create things that simply quicken our hearts or delight us. And may we always behold these gifts for what they are: provisions from our loving creator.
So then, if I may circle back to this tagline, “a celebration of grace”, I hope it’s a phrase that can move beyond my shop and into the hearts of believers in all circumstances, by which they are able to see the Lord’s goodness touching down in their lives in tangible ways.
May our lives and homes be filled with tools and rhythms for remembrance of our loving and gracious God.
May we not be like the Israel of Isaiah 5—who parties hard with a complete disregard for who God is, what he desires, and all he provides—but may we be consecrated celebrators, honoring the Lord in all we do and receiving each and every gift with gratitude, letting the love of our Maker wash over us with every sunset, every delicious meal, and—you guessed it—every. single. flower.
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I hope you enjoyed this writing and that it opened the eyes of your heart to the goodness of the Lord and his gracious provision! Check out my shop for artwork for your home intended to spur remembrance of who the Lord is and his benevolent grace. Or, if there is a specific way God’s kindness has shined down on you and your family, consider the investment in a piece of Ebenezer Artwork—custom works that capture your story with God and will live in your home as a steady reminder of His unfailing love and faithfulness.
