Isaiah 2:2-4
2 In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
3 Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for 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.
My Parents once lived in a flood plain. Unbeknownst to them when they purchased the house, but the new housing development in which they purchased the second house was next to a creek and the creek liked to overflow. But, the developer, built the house on a hill, higher than the water level when the creek floods. So, when the creek overflows, the water goes over the road and into the fields but yet the house stood dry because it was built on a high hill and the water would not come up to it.
So too, is it with the house of Yahweh. The prophet Isaiah says, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains and shall be raised above the hills. Just as my parent’s house stood on the crest of a hill above the flood plains so too has the “house of Yahweh” been established on the highest of the mountains and raised above the hills. Isaiah was looking and thinking of a time to come when the temple of Solomon was considered to not be the highest in physical elevation, but the highest in spiritual elevation. The passage takes on new meaning, when the house of Yahweh is transfigured from the Temple of Solomon made of cedar and brick into the Temple of Jesus made of flesh and bones. A temple is the building or container in which the divine spirit rests. Jesus is in fact the new temple of the Holy Spirit, and due to his exaltation, He has been established as the “highest of the mountains and raised above the hill.”
The point Isaiah is longing for is the time when all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, Come let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. Not just a Jewish thing, excluding all others deemed unholy or unclean, but a time when the house and mountain of God receives true glory, when all peoples desire to approach God through the temple. Once again, he is probably thinking of a time when everybody worships in the temple of Solomon, but however takes on new context in Jesus Christ. Instead of tied to a physical location require a physical pilgrimage on the behalf of the human, the temple of Christ now makes a spiritual pilgrimage to be where the man or woman is. The pilgrimage longed for by Isaiah is no longer people making pilgrimage to the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem but the people making pilgrimage to the Temple of Jesus Christ inside them.
But what would be the point of such a journey, either to Solomon’s temple or Jesus’ temple? That he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. The point of coming to Jesus’ temple is to be taught his ways or perhaps way of life, and that we may walk in his paths or perhaps his attitudes and behaviors. The way of life, the way of righteousness, these are the reasons for being instructed from the Word of God which comes from the House of God.
But what would be the point of such instruction? He shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. The point of the instruction is for God to instruct and teach his people peace. Through the Word of God going forth and the instruction from God leaving the temple, God teaches people peace and wellbeing instead of conflict and warfare.
After only a cursory glance at our world, one can easily see the need for our world to continue our studies in peace and wellbeing. How many bombs and bullets are spent each day to maim and obliterate lives and livelihoods? How many words and accusations are spewed each hour to divide and attack both allies and enemies? How many blows, either physical or emotional are thrown at our friends and family, to control and hurt? Nations against nations, peoples against peoples, neighbors against neighbors, destruction, and ruin, instead of wholeness and well-being. Swords and spears instead of plows and pruning hooks.
But, if God’s house is the highest, if the nations stream to Jesus Christ, if instruction goes forth from Zion, if Jesus shall judge between parties, then… they will beat their swords into plowshares. The very tools of death and destruction become the tools of life and creation. Nation shall not life up sword against nation. Instead of lifting instruments of violence and ruin, those instruments will be lifted against each other for love and compassion; because of Christ. This means that now is the time for the swords and spears to be transfigured from tools of destruction to tools of creation. Now is the time for war and conflict to become unity and edification. Now is the time to build up instead of blowing up each other. Now is the reign of Peace and Well-being of Christ and the doom of war and destruction!
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