John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 5:6

"and I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor hoed; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it." — Isaiah 5:6 (ASV)

I will lay it waste. God will not take pains to dig and prune it, and consequently it will become barren for want of cultivation; briars and thorns will spring up to choke its branches; and furthermore, by withholding rain, God will dry up its roots.

Therefore, it is evident how many weapons God has for punishing our ingratitude when he sees that we despise his kindness.

Isaiah is undoubtedly still proceeding with his metaphor and, to obtain more eager attention, adorns his style with figures of speech.

But we should simply conclude that, just as God continually bestows innumerable benefits on us, so we should be earnestly on our guard, lest by withdrawing first one and then another, he punish us for despising them.

Regarding the government of the Church, the more numerous the kinds of assistance that she needs, the more numerous are the punishments to which she will be subject if she wickedly corrupts what God appointed for her salvation.

Nor should we wonder if today so many distresses threaten ruin and desolation. For whatever calamity happens to us—whether there is a lack of instruction, or the wicked abound, or foxes and wolves creep into the Church—all this must be attributed to our ingratitude, because we have not yielded the fruit we should have and have been lazy and inactive.

Therefore, whenever we are justly deprived of those great favors he freely gave us, let us acknowledge the anger of the Lord.