Isaiah 27: The Lord's Vineyard Restored

Isaiah 27 (WEB)

1 In that day, Yahweh with his hard and great and strong sword will punish leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and leviathan the twisted serpent; and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea.

2 In that day, sing to her, “A pleasant vineyard!

3 I, Yahweh, am its keeper. I will water it every moment. Lest anyone damage it, I will keep it night and day.

4 Wrath is not in me, but if I should find briers and thorns, I would do battle! I would march on them and I would burn them together.

5 Or else let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me. Let him make peace with me.”

6 In days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom and bud. They will fill the surface of the world with fruit.

7 Has he struck them as he struck those who struck them? Or are they killed like those who killed them were killed?

8 In measure, when you send them away, you contend with them. He has removed them with his rough blast in the day of the east wind.

9 Therefore by this the iniquity of Jacob will be forgiven, and this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: that he makes all the stones of the altar as chalk stones that are beaten in pieces, so that the Asherah poles and the incense altars shall rise no more.

10 For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness. The calf will feed there, and there he will lie down, and consume its branches.

11 When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off. The women will come and set them on fire, for they are a people of no understanding. Therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them, and he who formed them will show them no favor.

12 It will happen in that day, that Yahweh will thresh from the flowing stream of the Euphrates to the brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered one by one, children of Israel.

13 It will happen in that day that a great trumpet will be blown; and those who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and those who were outcasts in the land of Egypt, shall come; and they will worship Yahweh in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

Isaiah 27 (KJV)

1 In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

2 In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.

3 I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.

4 Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.

5 Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.

6 He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.

7 Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?

8 In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind.

9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up.

10 Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.

11 When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.

12 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.

13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.

Isaiah 27 (ASV)

1 In that day Jehovah with his hard and great and strong sword will punish leviathan the swift serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent; and he will slay the monster that is in the sea.

2 In that day: A vineyard of wine, sing ye unto it.

3 I Jehovah am its keeper; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.

4 Wrath is not in me: would that the briers and thorns were against me in battle! I would march upon them, I would burn them together.

5 Or else let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; yea, let him make peace with me.

6 In days to come shall Jacob take root; Israel shall blossom and bud; and they shall fill the face of the world with fruit.

7 Hath he smitten them as he smote those that smote them? or are they slain according to the slaughter of them that were slain by them?

8 In measure, when thou sendest them away, thou dost contend with them; he hath removed them with his rough blast in the day of the east wind.

9 Therefore by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be forgiven, and this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: that he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, so that the Asherim and the sun-images shall rise no more.

10 For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.

11 When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off; the women shall come, and set them on fire; for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have compassion upon them, and he that formed them will show them no favor.

12 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah will beat off his fruit from the flood of the River unto the brook of Egypt; and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.

13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great trumpet shall be blown; and they shall come that were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and they that were outcasts in the land of Egypt; and they shall worship Jehovah in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

Summary

On that day the Lord takes up his great sword to punish leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and to kill the dragon of the sea—a picture of every hostile power crushed beneath his hand. Then he turns to sing over a very different scene: a pleasant vineyard that he himself keeps, watering it every moment and guarding it night and day so that no one can harm it. The vineyard once judged in Isaiah 5 is now tenderly cared for; wrath is not in him, and even briers and thorns are invited to make peace by taking hold of his strength. In days to come Jacob will take root and Israel will blossom, filling the surface of the world with fruit. God's discipline of his people has been measured, never matching the fury poured out on their enemies, and its purpose is the removal of sin: the altars of idolatry are ground to chalk and the Asherah poles rise no more. Fortified cities of pride are left desolate, for they are a people without understanding. Yet the chapter ends in hope: the Lord will thresh and gather his children one by one, and a great trumpet will sound to bring home the perishing from Assyria and the outcasts from Egypt. They will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

Key Figures

Yahweh (the LORD) — The keeper of the vineyard who waters and guards his people night and day, slays the serpent, removes Jacob's guilt, and gathers the scattered home to worship.
Jacob and Israel — The covenant people, disciplined in measure for their sin, whose idolatry is purged and who are promised to take root, blossom, and fill the world with fruit.
Leviathan, the serpent and dragon — The chaotic, hostile powers of evil that oppose God and his people, which the Lord will punish and destroy with his hard and great and strong sword.

Key Verse

Isaiah 27:3 (WEB)

I, Yahweh, am its keeper. I will water it every moment. Lest anyone damage it, I will keep it night and day.

Lessons Learned

God himself is the keeper of his people, watering and guarding them moment by moment.
The Lord's discipline of his children is measured for their good, never the unrestrained wrath reserved for his enemies.
The purpose of God's chastening is to remove sin and idolatry, not to destroy.
Even now God invites the briers and thorns to lay down their hostility and make peace with him.

God watches over his people without ceasing. “I, Yahweh, am its keeper. I will water it every moment… I will keep it night and day” (Isaiah 27:3, WEB). His care is constant, not occasional.
Wrath is not God's disposition toward his own. “Wrath is not in me” (Isaiah 27:4, WEB); he would rather his enemies take hold of his strength and make peace than be consumed.
Peace with God is offered to the rebellious. “Or else let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me” (Isaiah 27:5, WEB). The hostile are invited to be reconciled.
Discipline aims at the removal of sin. The fruit of God's correction is “taking away his sin,” so that idolatrous altars and Asherah poles “rise no more” (Isaiah 27:9, WEB).
God gathers his scattered ones home. A great trumpet will sound and the perishing and outcast will come to “worship Yahweh in the holy mountain at Jerusalem” (Isaiah 27:13, WEB).

How does this vineyard differ from the vineyard of Isaiah 5, and what has changed?
What does it mean that God keeps his vineyard “every moment” and “night and day”?
How is God's discipline of Jacob described as different from his judgment on the nations?
What is the surprising invitation God extends to the “briers and thorns” in verses 4-5?
Where do you most need to trust that God is keeping watch over your life night and day?

In Isaiah 5 the vineyard is judged and abandoned to ruin; here the same vineyard is sung over, watered, and guarded. The difference is grace—God's purpose has always been restoration, and after discipline he tends his people with tenderness.
The phrases stress unceasing, vigilant care. There is never a moment when God's attention lapses or his protection sleeps. Encourage the group to rest in a God who never grows weary of watching over them.
Verses 7-8 say God strikes his people “in measure,” not as he struck their oppressors. His correction is restrained and purposeful, designed to bring forgiveness and fruit rather than destruction (27:9).
Though they are hostile, God invites them to “take hold of my strength” and “make peace with me” (27:5). Even toward those who oppose him, his desire is reconciliation, a foretaste of the gospel offer to enemies.
This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name an area of fear or striving and to picture God already keeping watch there. As leader, keep the tone restful, pointing to the Keeper who never sleeps.