I read the prophecy of Isaiah 2 on two levels. (1) In His earthly ministry, Jesus fulfilled in part what we will read in the text. (2) As humanity reaches God’s goal for history, this prophecy will be completely fulfilled.
The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,
And 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 the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1-3).
During Isaiah’s era, ordinary citizens had a hard life. They were plagued by mighty nations like Assyria and Babylon and led by corrupt leaders. Isaiah’s prophecy may have been a hope they could cling to.
It probably stretched their faith to believe that Jerusalem would be a place where the nations would come to learn how to live the best life possible.
Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s message in part. For centuries, the nations have turned to His actions and teaching to learn how best to live life.
Yet, there is still a day to come when Jesus will be recognized as the King of all kings and Lord of all lord. When that takes place, we will have eternity to learn from the Creator and Lover of humanity.
However, we don’t have to wait until the end to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn. Notice the progression in these verses.
- People Come: We come to the Lord to learn His message of life.
I follow the direction of many spiritual leaders and read daily in the Gospels. Jesus is our teacher in the Gospels. He shows us how to live through His actions and teaches us as He instructs the disciples.
We can’t learn, if we don’t come.
- People Come to be Taught: I have a time, place, and method for reading the Gospels. After reading a small section of the text, I close my eyes and dialogue with Jesus about what I have read.
Almost every time I engage in this process, Jesus has a message for me. At times, it adds to my knowledge of the Bible. Frequently, what I learn involves an attitude or action Jesus wants me to adopt.
- People Come to be Taught, so They Can Walk: What we learn from Jesus is meant to affect how we live our lives.
I have a very poor sense of direction. If I’m left to my own best thinking, there is a good chance I’ll get lost. If I use the maps app on my phone, I will probably get to my destination.
We come to Jesus to receive course correction and guidance in life. Our best ideas are not good enough. Jesus knows what is best for us. That is why we come to be taught by Him, so we can walk in His ways.
The Road to Peace
James identifies the source of war.
Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?
You want something and do not have it, so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it, so you engage in disputes and conflicts (James 4:1-2).
Whether conflict is between two children fighting over a toy or nations fighting over their differences, the root cause is the desire to have something that the other denies you.
When God decides between people and nations, peace is the result.
He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; 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 (Isaiah 2:4).
As we witness conflict and war in every arena of life, we can ask God to cause people to follow the direction given in verse 5.
O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD (Isaiah 2:5).
Let’s not pray this for others and leave ourselves out of the mix. Let’s ask God to draw us to Himself, be our teacher, and help us walk in His light.
Real Voices 