Isaiah, Week 5, Day 6: Isaiah 27

 2. How is the vineyard of verses 2-6 different from the one in 5:1-6? 

In Isaiah 27:2-6, The vineyard is pictured as one that the Lord waters continually, "every moment I water it" (v. 3).   He watches over it night and day.  He has no wrath and urges them to make peace with him (v 4-5).   Jacob will take root and Israel will blossom.

Isaiah 5:1-6 emphasizes all that the Lord did to create this vineyard (dug it, cleared rocks, planted it with choice vines) but that it bore wild grapes.  He challenges Israel to think "what more could I have done for it?"  In v.5-6 the Lord says he will remove his hedge and it will be devoured, trampled down.

The similarity in the passages is that the Lord cares for it in each case.  The difference is that in Isaiah 5, the task is a thankless one that produces poor grapes.  In the second one, the fruit will take root and bloom.  There is peace between the vineyard and its keeper.

3.  He punished Israel by exiling her, to "call her to account." (v 8, NLT)  He did this to "purge her wickedness, to take away her sin" (v.9)  I think the implication is that He will judge them until idols are destroyed. Judah will be desolate for a time, but ultimately, his people will be regathered. In verse 13, a trumpet sounds calling exiles back from Assyria but also ultimately, Israel back into the Church.