8 Thus says the Lord,
“As the new wine is found in the cluster,
And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is [d]benefit in it,’
So I will act on behalf of My servants
In order not to destroy [e]all of them.
9 “I will bring forth offspring from Jacob,
And an heir of My mountains from Judah;
Even My chosen ones shall inherit it,
And My servants will dwell there.
10 “Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks,
And the valley of Achor a resting place for herds,
For My people who seek Me.
11 “But you who forsake the Lord,
Who forget My holy mountain,
Who set a table for [f]Fortune,
And who fill cups with mixed wine for [g]Destiny,
12 I will destine you for the sword,
And all of you will bow down to the slaughter.
Because I called, but you did not answer;
I spoke, but you did not hear.
And you did evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”13 Therefore, thus says the Lord [h]God,
“Behold, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry.
Behold, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty.
Behold, My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.
14 “Behold, My servants will shout joyfully with a glad heart,
But you will cry out with a [i]heavy heart,
And you will wail with a broken spirit.
15 “You will leave your name for a curse to My chosen ones,
And the Lord [j]God will slay you.
But [k]My servants will be called by another name.
16 “Because he who [l]is blessed in the earth
Will [m]be blessed by the God of truth;
And he who swears in the earth
Will swear by the God of truth;
Because the former troubles are forgotten,
And because they are hidden from My sight!
This whole section seems a contrast between those who still seek the Lord, and those who put their hope in luck and fortune (v. 11), or really in anything else. While the battle lines seem clearly drawn, and the contrast is obvious, let’s look again at v. 8. Here God tells them not to destroy the grapes, because they can still become a blessing (the literal translation for [d] benefit).
Now, I don’t know much about making wine, though I certainly like grapes. But when they start to get soft and mushy, that’s just gross. I imagine that’s kind of what this was, someone said, “Hey, these grapes are starting to turn!” And the wine maker says, “Hold up! I can use those…” It reminds me of bananas, when they are overripe and most folks wouldn’t eat them. But, you can still use them for banana bread, and make something good out of something gross.
So this is the picture we have, and God says, “Don’t give up on those people, lets not destroy them all. I can still redeem some of them and turn use them to be a blessing to others.” Which reminds me of God’s promise to Abraham, where God told him that his descendants would be a blessing to all nations.
The first lesson then, is not to give up on anyone. We don’t know their hearts, only God does, and He calls us to love people, to scatter seed, and leave the results up to Him. We might think some folks are pretty far gone, that they are unlovable or unredeemable. But God says, “Hold up! I can use those…” Not just that, but God has a plan for their lives if they will turn to Him and seek it. If you feel unlovable or unredeemable, don’t give up, because God hasn’t given up on you either.
The second, though similar, is that our current mess isn’t permanent. I’ve heard whole sermons preached on “this too shall pass…” As we see in this passage, God takes a whole cluster of grapes that are turning sour, and makes it into a blessing. What man saw as hopeless, God knew there was light at the end.
More than that, blessing and truth would prevail, as we see in v. 16. So much so, that “the former troubles are forgotten”. So again, don’t give up, because God is still working out His plan, and He has a part for you and I to play. It’s not easy in the moment, but God doesn’t leave us to deal with it alone. He is the master potter, making beauty from broken and misshapen pots. He wants to walk with you, take His hand and let Him hold you steady.