Isaiah 27

The title of today’s blog post seemed like a no-brainer. After all, how many Bible passages are (1) spoken directly by God, and (2) spoken so clearly? “On that day sing about a desirable vineyard: I, Yahweh, watch over it; I water it regularly. I guard it night and day so that no one disturbs it. I am not angry, but if it produces thorns and briers for Me, I will fight against it, trample it, and burn it to the ground. Or let it take hold of My strength; let it make peace with Me—make peace with Me.” (vs 2-5)

I am not angry.

That seems like an odd thing to say, right before you mention that if the vineyard produces thorns, you’ll burn it to the ground. I puzzled over this for a long time. I read these verses in every Bible version imaginable. Why declare so adamantly that you are not angry and then threaten to do something that sounds so angry?

Perhaps that’s precisely why. God knows that to burn down the vineyard would look like a decidedly angry act—even if He wasn’t angry at all. He knows that it is this sort of thing that tends to cast doubt upon the idea that God is love and perfect love casts out all fear. It is this sort of thing that has caused so many to misunderstand Him as an angry God.

But the best discipline is never carried out in anger, for the point of true discipline is not to express anger, but to effect a change in the one who is disciplined. God reveals that this is also His motive when He offers an alternative to war—”let it take hold of My strength; let it make peace with Me.”

This is God’s ultimate desire—that we would be His friends. This is God’s ultimate desire—that we would not shut Him out (as walls of thorns were used as a hedge around vineyards to keep people out), but that we would surrender ourselves willingly to Him.

He is the keeper of the vineyard; without His constant care and protection, the vineyard would be destroyed. This, of course, is also true of the vineyard of our souls. And if we try to shut Him out of our hearts, He will not go without a fight. But it’s peace He’s after, not punishment. He is not angry.