Isaiah 2:1-5 1 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.
I have really poor eyesight. I have worn glasses or contacts since I was four. In fact, one of my mom’s favorite stories about me is telling how, as we left the optometrist’s office and I was sporting my brand spanking new black glasses, I exclaimed something like, “Wow mom, I can see the leaves on the trees!” I guess that explains why I ran into so many things as a toddler.
Isaiah saw things too apparently, things much more significant than leaves on trees, things that would instruct a whole bunch of people. He saw them coming to the Lord’s mountain and getting instructions on how to live their lives. This isn’t bumping into coffee tables people; this is important stuff.
Above all else he saw a way to peace and an end to fighting that was an enlightened path. The path was shown by the Lord’s wisdom. It was a path dependent on His judgment of who was right and who was wrong. We need to go that route ourselves today, even if we’re not taking up swords and spears against each other.
Today our weapons more often are hurtful words or social media disservice. We’re not doing physical but mental harm to each other. We need to find peace and light to follow and we need to be that same peace and light to others. If this
past political season has taught us nothing else it should be instructive on the ability of ill will and rancor to turn one against another.
Now, there’s probably some sort of metaphor tying my youthful inability to see leaves on trees and perhaps our adult difficulty for seeing the forest for the trees but I’ll let you fill that in however you like. I’ll just close with encouragement to have a vision for the light of the Lord. I think that’s worth looking for today and every day.
What would more light in your life mean to you and the people around you? What is God’s vision for you today? I’d like to hear your thoughts if you’d like to comment below.
If this made you think a bit and you think maybe it might do the same for someone you know, please feel free to pass it along. We’ve provided some of the social icons below to help you out.
If you would just like to return to the home page, you can click here.