Yearning for God's Word

Good Evening. I am glad we can be here together. I was thinking about what i wanted to share with you. One of the joys of studying the Bible is the imagery and the signs of the message of Jesus in the Old Testament. That is why tonight i want to look at a passage from Isaiah and what it has for us.

Isaiah 2:1–5 NIV

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.

In the Last Days

Here we have again a reference to the future events of this world. It is important to note that while this passage is a reference to the future it is also a reference to the now. It is important that we are reminded that these are days that we are to be in anticipation of in our lives. They are imminent and we are looking for them because they are coming but they haven’t come yet.

The Temple is established and nations will stream to it.

One of the most interesting things i noticed within this pasage is within verse 2. In the future God will establish his temple on the highest of mountains were all will see. it will b eexalted above all things. It is higher than anything else and all nations will stream to it.

Isaiah knew at this time that the people of Judah were subjected to Assyria. They had to report and to even worship their God. This is a problem because the people of Judah knew that they should only be subjected to God. This was the message that Isaiah was calling them to. This passage helps us see that in the future though there is the hope that this subjugation would end and all nations would answer to God.

I love being an American. We live in a great country. However, I also recognize that I am subjugated to the USA. I am a subject of this county. That at times my country may do things that i don’t agree with that are contrary to my faith. That is difficult because i want to be a good citizen. Yet, I also know that I am a citizen of God’s Kingdom and that I know that i am responsible to answer to God first.

At the end of the day though we know that one day we will all answer before him and we will all come before him.

We Go to be taught

Let us go to the mountain so he can teach us his ways. so we may walk in his path. One of the great challenges we face today is our quick gratificaiton culture. We don’t want to always put in the effort to take the time to learn. Yet we are called to go up to the mountain to be taught.

We are called to be students of God. We are called to seek him and to learn from him. To engage not only our hearts but our minds.

He will Judge

This is one of the most challenging things for many of us today. WE hear all the time that God is Love. that Love is the defining attribute of God. While this is true we forget that Love also comes with Judgement. That God will Judge all of us one day for our actions. Not only will he Judge us but he will Judge the Naitons and he will settle all disputes.

Have you ever thought about how our world would be different if we were able to go to God to settle disputes.

What would happen if we were able to walk before him and have God almighty settle the troubles we may be facing. Man that might be more difficult than we can imagine. He knows our hearts he knows the hearts of others. Yet, at the end there would be no doubt about the fact that his judgement would be righteous.

Are we ready though to accept his judgement?

It is in his judgement that we see that there is no longer any need for swords or spears. There is no dispute with the Word of God.

This is the future that we get to look forward to. A place where the Word of God Reigns and of peace. It is in this place that we can walk in the light of the Lord.

Jesus the Light

If we look to the New Testament we know that Jesus is the light.

John 8:12 NIV

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

While we wait for this time when all will answer to the Word of God we have been blessed with the presence of God through Jesus. We can walk in his light and live a life that is following after him. We can be free of the darkness.

1 John 2:3–8 NIV

3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

We are called to live in his light to live a life that is serving of God. We are called to live in Jesus, and if we do that we must love God with all of who we are.

This idea become truer with every day that passes. We need to yearn for the word of God and to seek after him and to follow Jesus so that when the day comes that the nations and the people are streaming to his temple we know the path and we are prepared for his judgment and we are at peace with our work and we can look to the future in hope not in fear because we are confident of who he has made us.