Created by God to Create for God

Isaiah 5:1–2 (ESV) Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 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.

God creates things to create. You may have never thought about it, but it's true. In the creation narrative, the sun was created to create light. The plants were created to create seeds which create more plants. Mankind was created to create out of creation more intricate and wonderful creations. 

Likewise, God enters into a covenantal relationship with people to cause them to create. What must they create? More God-like living and reality in the world. More joy, harmony, justice, righteousness, truth, faith, love, and compassion. Sadly, Israel failed in these creative endeavors and their hearts turned sour by the sins they so readily enjoyed.

The song of Isaiah 5 is beautiful. God had done all that was necessary for Israel to produce the fruits He expected. 

Isaiah 5:3–4 (ESV) And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 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?

They did not produce what God planted them to produce and the judgment was inevitable.

Isaiah 5:5 (ESV) 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.

God is likened to horticulturalists. He sees the lack of fruit and is ready to cut His loses and start again. 

What were the things that kept Israel from its purposes? Isaiah enumerates them in the rest of Isaiah 5:

Isaiah 5:8 (ESV) Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.

Excessive prosperity which led to the exploitation of the poor is first mentioned. The people used their increase to shut themselves off from each other so as not to be generous and supportive of one another.

Isaiah 5:11 (ESV) Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them!

Excessive pleasure seeking. Israel wanted only to enjoy drink and song. Meanwhile, people suffered. There is nothing wrong with pleasure, but when pleasure comes at the expense of people, God brings judgment. 

Isaiah 5:18–19 (ESV) Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, 19 who say: “Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!”

The next stage of deviation from the Lord is to mock Him as is illustrated in the above text. They lie and cheat and do so quickly while mocking that the Lord does not see. 

Isaiah 5:20 (ESV) 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!

The reversal of morality is another sign of a deviant culture. How much our modern age has entered into this very thing. The tolerant are most intolerant of those from whom they sought tolerance in the first place. 

Isaiah 5:21 (ESV) Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!

When we think what we think is right despite what God says, we begin to forfeit our future to judgment. 

Isaiah 5:22–23 (ESV) Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, 23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!

When we seek drunkenness and libation and turn a blind eye to justice for the innocent - a nation is doomed. 

What was Israel's great sin? They forgot that God made them FOR creating and cultivating a world that blessed others. Their greed turned to exploitation, lusts, pleasure pursuits and ultimately - purposelessness. The great lie of sin is that it only offends God. It does that for sure. But it also undermines our God-given purpose, destroys others and makes men useless.