Isaiah 2:1-5, 12, 17-20, 22 NIV
This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, and the idols will totally disappear. People will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. In that day people will throw away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship.
Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?
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Isaiah shares a prophetic oracle about the future of Jerusalem. He begins by saying "in the last days." What does he mean by that? I'd assume he means the end of the world, but that's because I got really bad theology pumped into my head when I was younger with fears of the so called Apocalypse. What did that phrase mean to Isaiah?
The phrase "in the last days" is a way of saying, "some day" or "at some point in the future." Isaiah was not thinking about the end of the world. He gave us a picture of what God had in mind for Jerusalem. God's vision for the future is to build holy community with Jerusalem at its center. The whole world will acknowledge the God of Israel and long to live in His righteousness. The knowledge of God will engender peace among nations and war will come to an end because, living in the paths of the Lord, justice will prevail and true equity will be established. The blessings of the Lord will be plentiful. Everyone will have enough and no one will despise another or covet another's belongings. This is God's vision for the world.
Sadly Jerusalem is not helping to build such a world. How can the rest of the world see hope for the future if Israel does not live according to God's right ways? And so Isaiah warns of the coming of a day God has planned for the arrogant and exalted among us, mainly the king of Israel and his nobles and apostate priests, but the warning applies to all who worship something less than the living God. On the day of the Lord's righteous coming the arrogant will be humbled. Idolaters will flee to hide from the holy presence of God, like cockroaches running for cover when the kitchen light suddenly exposes them. They will leave behind their idols in caves and ditches and rocky crags, wherever they had taken shelter in their fear of doom. They will leave their idols to become the property of bats and moles. They will come to Jerusalem to worship the living God, who cannot be imagined as a creature of the earth or as a body in the sky, like the sun or moon. God is beyond our comprehension. That is why God commanded to not make any graven images depicting God. (Exodus 20:4) Yet we Christians have created images in our artwork which can limit our understanding of God to an old man with a long white beard and flowing robes, pointing his finger and zapping sinners with a lightning bolt. God is more than that.
While the frightening image of the day of the Lord may cause us to wonder about God's goodness, it is important to recognize that these words are directed at the idol worshipers and the arrogant rebels who ignore God's claim on their lives. It is they who run and hide from the presence of God. The righteous and faithful have no need to hide, though none are worthy to stand before the pure holiness of God. This warning is meant to turn the hearts of the people to the only One worthy of worship, that it is Yahweh. By doing so they will have life.
The oracle continues with a directive: Stop trusting in mere humans. That word seems sudden. Why not say stop trusting in your idols? Perhaps it is because mere humans make the idols and create religions to direct worship toward the work of their hands. Perhaps it is because kings and other political, business, and religious leaders have the attention of the people, but the Lord does not.
Isn't it true that we also place our trust in mere humans to the detriment of our faith? Do we hope in presidents and political parties to make a better world? Do we hope in denominational leadership, like the new pope or the new pastor? Do we keep our hearts and minds fixed on our favorite sports figures, movie stars, musicians or other idols? Do these allegiances get in the way of our faith in God?
I know I'm giving loads of attention to the new Star Wars film coming out. I'm very excited. If I allowed it, my fun little obsession could turn me away from God and keep me distracted in fantasy amusements. Isaiah helps me to see that the future is not in the creation of George Lucas and Disney magic. It is in the Lord and in His right ways. Isaiah turns my heart toward the suffering of this present world and gives me hope that with God's help, and the dedication of those who believe, some day in the future the world will stop war and begin expending resources on caring for each other. I am moved to join that work by faithful living and witness to God's love and wisdom.
May my life be a light that points to Christ and His kingdom of love to come. May we all be drawn to the true temple where Christ is exalted in our hearts.
Jesus is Lord!
Our Prince of Peace reigns forever!
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