Week 4, Day 6

Day 6: Isaiah 2:1-5

The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established
at the top of the mountains
and will be raised above the hills.
All nations will stream to it,
and many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us about his ways
so that we may walk in his paths.”
For instruction will go out of Zion
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will settle disputes among the nations
and provide arbitration for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plows
and their spears into pruning knives.
Nation will not take up the sword against nation,
and they will never again train for war.
House of Jacob,
come and let’s walk in the Lord’s light.

Quadriga:
1. Isaiah is giving a prophecy of hope, not only for the people of Israel, but for all the nations of the world. It is an echo of the great promise God made to Abraham to bless all the families of the earth through his descendant. Given the less than ideal circumstances of the people of God during the days of Isaiah, this vision is extraordinary. Isaiah sees the whole world streaming to the worship of the true God, accepting instruction from him, and turning away from warfare, conflict, and all the old rivalries that bring division between people from time immemorial. The vision is final, total, and absolute peace for all people, everywhere.
2. Jesus is the mountain of the Lord’s House, he is the one who will teach that humanity may walk in his paths. He is the word of the Lord that goes out from Zion. He is the only way to settle disputes among nations. He is the Lord’s light in which those in peace walk.
3. As the people of God today we should live our lives in this kingdom that has come and is coming yet. To train for war is antithetical to the Kingdom of God. Ours is to beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks, looking always to turn conflicts between persons or nations to constructive purposes. To walk in the Lord’s light may be agonizing at times, because the Kingdom is still coming, but it is the only path to peace.
4. The path to peace is real, and the day of the Lord is coming. There will be a full end to the nations warring against nation. There will be peace everywhere, forever. The instruction of God will cover the world, and all his people, from every tribe, nation, and tongue, will come to worship him.