Isaiah 2:1-16: a reflection

1This is what Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. 3Many peoples shall go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the law shall go out of Zion, and the LORD’s word from Jerusalem. 4He will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 5House of Jacob, come, and let’s walk in the light of the LORD. 6For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled from the east, with those who practice divination like the Philistines, and they clasp hands with the children of foreigners. 7Their land is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures. Their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots. 8Their land also is full of idols. They worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. 9Man is brought low, and mankind is humbled; therefore don’t forgive them. 10Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the glory of his majesty. 11The lofty looks of man will be brought low, the arrogance of men will be bowed down, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. 12For there will be a day of the LORD of Armies for all that is proud and arrogant, and for all that is lifted up, and it shall be brought low— 13for all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, for all the oaks of Bashan, 14for all the high mountains, for all the hills that are lifted up, 15for every lofty tower, for every fortified wall, 16for all the ships of Tarshish, and for all pleasant imagery.

Isaiah is given a vision of a coming day of peace, when all nations will stream to the mountain of the LORD to learn his ways, and war itself will cease. Many peoples will go and say, come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, that he may teach us his ways, Isaiah sees; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. The vision is of a day when peoples of all nations come to God to be taught his ways, and when the instruments of war are turned into tools of peaceful labor, and war is learned no more. It is a vision of the deep peace God will bring. This shows the hope of God's coming peace, when war ceases and nations learn his ways. God will bring a day of peace, when war ceases. Nations will stream to God to learn his ways. Swords will be beaten into plowshares; war learned no more. God's coming reign brings deep and lasting peace.

Notice the beauty and hope of this vision. Isaiah sees a coming day when the mountain of the LORD, his house, is exalted, and all nations stream to it, saying, come, let us go up to learn his ways and walk in his paths. The peoples come to God to be taught, eager to learn and walk in his ways. And the result is a deep peace: God judges between the nations, and they beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, turning the very instruments of war into tools of peaceful, fruitful labor; nation no longer lifts sword against nation, and war itself is learned no more. It is a vision of the peace God will finally bring, when his reign is established and all come to him. This is our hope. The world is full of conflict, war, and violence, which can seem endless and inescapable. But God has promised a day of peace, when nations will come to him, learn his ways, and war will cease. This hope steadies us amid the conflicts of the present: the present strife is not the final word, for God will bring a day of deep and lasting peace. And it calls us, even now, to walk in the light of the LORD, to live as people of the peace God will bring. God has promised a day of deep and lasting peace. The present conflict is not the final word; peace is coming. God's coming reign will end war and bring peace. Live now in the light of the peace God will bring.

That is worth resting in, for God has promised a day of deep and lasting peace, when nations will come to him and war will cease, so that the present conflict is not the final word. We can be discouraged by the endless conflict, war, and violence of the world, as though it were inescapable; but Isaiah saw a coming day when nations would stream to God, learn his ways, and beat their swords into plowshares, learning war no more. Peace is coming. When you are discouraged by the world's conflicts, remember God's promise of a coming day of peace, and live now in the light of it. Rest in the truth that God has promised a day of deep and lasting peace, when all nations will stream to the mountain of the LORD to learn his ways and war itself will cease, as Isaiah saw a coming day when the peoples would say, come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD that he may teach us his ways, and they would beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, nation no longer lifting sword against nation, neither learning war any more; for the vision is of a day when peoples of all nations come to God to be taught his ways and the very instruments of war are turned into tools of peaceful labor, a deep peace God will bring when his reign is established, and this is our hope, since the world is full of conflict, war, and violence that can seem endless and inescapable, but God has promised a day of peace when the present strife will not be the final word, which steadies us amid present conflicts and calls us even now to walk in the light of the LORD and live as people of the peace God will bring.

Lord, Isaiah is given a vision of a coming day of peace, when all nations will stream to your mountain to learn your ways, and war itself will cease. Many peoples will go and say, come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, that he may teach us his ways, Isaiah sees; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. The vision is of a day when peoples of all nations come to you to be taught your ways, and when the instruments of war are turned into tools of peaceful labor, and war is learned no more. It is a vision of the deep peace you will bring. Show me the beauty and hope of this vision. Isaiah sees a coming day when your house is exalted, and all nations stream to it, eager to learn and walk in your ways. And the result is a deep peace: you judge between the nations, and they turn the very instruments of war into tools of peaceful, fruitful labor; war itself is learned no more. It is a vision of the peace you will finally bring, when your reign is established and all come to you. This is my hope. The world is full of conflict, war, and violence, which can seem endless and inescapable. But you have promised a day of peace, when nations will come to you, learn your ways, and war will cease. This hope steadies me amid the conflicts of the present: the present strife is not the final word, for you will bring a day of deep and lasting peace. Take that to my heart, for you have promised a day of deep and lasting peace. When I am discouraged by the world's conflicts, help me remember your promise of a coming day of peace, Lord, and live now in the light of it, walking in the light of the LORD as one of the people of the peace you will bring.