Isaiah 5: 1-7  Isaiah writes a song for the Lord.  In this song he tells about the Lord's vineyard.  It was God Himself who planted the vineyard - Israel.  He planted it in a choice land. He planted it with "the choicest vine".  He did everything for His vineyard, so that it would bring forth the best fruit.. but it only produced "worthless" grapes. 

Because of the worthless fruit produced by Israel, God would remove "the hedge.. break down the wall.. and lay it to waste".  It would be consumed, trampled, arid, and full of briars and thorns.  Israel would be as worthless as the fruit it produced.  

The Lord  had desired a nation filled with justice and righteousness. .. good fruit.  But, Israel had become a nation of bloodshed and distress.  Therefore, He would remove His favor and protection from His land. 

v8-10  Isaiah identifies six indictments that the Lord was bringing against His people.  The first one is this, "Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field."  The wealthy were taking over the inheritances of their fellow countrymen. They were not obeying the Law to return the land during the Year of Jubilee. They were building themselves mansions while their brothers became impoverished.  This was not how God's people were supposed to live.  God would judge this injustice and make these houses "desolate".  Empty.  The fields would stop producing grain. The vineyards would stop producing grapes.

 Jeremiah also wrote about this. "Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness and his upper rooms without justice, who uses his neighbor's services without pay and does not give him his wages, who says,' I will build myself a roomy house with spacious upper rooms, and cut out its windows, paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red' Do you become a king because your are competing in cedar?

 Did not your father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then it was well. Is not that what it means to know Me?' declares the Lord. But your eyes and your heart are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, and on shedding innocent blood and on practicing extortion." Jeremiah 22:13-17

We hear so much about justice these days , indeed "social justice" has become a rallying cry across our country.  We need to understand  what God's Word teaches us about justice..   The Hebrew word here is mishpat - it means a verdict, a judicial pronouncement - the act, the place, the suit, the crime and the penalty.  It implies a correct judgement made in a lawful manner.  Judah's practices of usurping the land of others was a flagrant violation of God's Law. 

If we truly want to "do justice and righteousness" we need to honor God's Word. We need to act in a way that upholds His commands- to help those who are in need, to stop taking what we want at the expense of others... To stop the "lust of the eyes" - never satisfied or content with what we have, but always wanting more.. often at the expense of others.  This was the sin of Judah and Israel.  It is the sin of America.  And it will bring about God's just judgement.. 

Father in heaven, You are a Faithful God, who always does what is right and good and just.  You will always act in accordance with Your own Word.  We pray with the psalmist - " Adonai, teach me your way, so that I can live by Your truth; make me single-hearted, so that I can fear Your name."  Help us to choose justice and righteousness - according to Your Truth - in all we do.  May we learn to be content with whatever we have and treat others with love and grace.  We need You, our God who is "merciful, full of compassion, slow to anger and rich is grace and truth."  We praise Your Name for you alone are God. Thank You for our Savior who clothes us in His righteousness and for Your Spirit who guides us in Your ways.  We pray in Jesus' name. amen.