Let Us Go Up to the Mountain of the Lord

Isaiah 2:1-22

Have you ever considered how much of your life is dictated by your perception of how things are? Some of you, for example would be considered optimists, you’re convinced things will work out, people’s intentions are probably good. Some of you would probably be more considered pessimists. You aren’t really sure that things will work out. Maybe people don’t actually have the best of intentions.

This is just true about how people are wired differently. Who is to say which one is right in any given situation? Of course it matters how we carry ourselves and interact with each other, but I can’t say one of you is more correct than another in any particular given circumstance.

What is true about both parties? Well I think you could say that each is acting on their perception of the present. In fact, isn’t this really where most of us find our reasons for doing what we do? Thinking the way we think?

The future is a very uncertain thing isn’t it? If we knew the future, we could be very secure in the present. Its a wonder, isn’t it, that psychics don’t have the lottery market cornered each week.

No I think the reality is that we rely on God, trust in him to a certain extent, but if we really had our comfortable situations removed from us, many of us would quickly come to realize that much of our hope isn’t grounded in certain knowledge of who God is and what he’s done, but rather in our present surroundings and things.

Now i’m not calling anyone out in particular here, I think this is just true of us especially where we are in a comfortable middle class 21st century bay area California. But God uses events that strip away our false comforts to open up our eyes to the realities of life. It’s in these places and times where Christ ministers to us and teaches us to rely on him.

Well see Isaiah is working, I think, with this same idea in mind. His purpose in this chapter is to open up for us a more grand vision of the reality of life. As God’s prophet he allows the people to see a blessed city with a blessed future.

Against that backdrop in the first 5 verses he paints a picture of the current reality of the people, which is bleak and dying. And he calls us to strip away those idols that govern our lives now, come to the mountain to worship Christ, and keep a heavenly perspective of life as we walk through the details of it.

First let’s look at this view of the hopeful future that, for Isaiah was coming, but for us is now here.

READ 1-4

The latter days. The New Testament’s understanding of the last days or the latter days are that they take place between Christ’s first and second coming. Hebrews 1:2 for example. or 1 John 2:18 “18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.”

What we have pictured here in these verses is the glorious fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant in Christ that Christ will be the blessing to the nations.

What is the mountain of the house of the Lord? Well he’s referring to the temple as it was understood in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament as we saw in Hebrews the temple is no longer a physical building but the people of God. Hebrews 12 explains that Mount Zion is not something that can be touched, but it is the city of the living God, which is the people of God.

So listen to what Isaiah says, in the latter days, the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, lifted above the hills and nations shall flow to it. People will come and say “Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord!” Why? Because God teaches there, his ways are taught.

Now understand this picture here, because in some sense this would be crazy to someone living in Judah. Nations coming and being taught by God his ways? His law?

Look at Acts 2 with me for a moment. Notice this list of names. Maybe you aren’t a geography or history expert. Let me point something out to you. Who came to Jerusalem, hearing the word of the Lord going forth, came and were at peace with each other joined together in the same family which we call a church?

Medes, Romans, Egyptians, would anyone like to venture a guess what place Cappadocia occupied? Ancient Assyria. You have in the founding of the New Testament church people, not just from the nations, but from the enemies of Israel throughout her history. “at one time you were enemies but you have been reconciled to God.”

You don’t quite understand the end times significance of the church you sit in do you? This is what was promised. What attracts the nations? It’s that the word is taught. Christ! The nations are drawn by the preaching of Christ! There’s peace. Christians should be a people who don’t even remember how to fight each other anymore. Because we have been reconciled to God.

We have this now, Isaiah speaks to a people who couldn’t even picture it, but preaches to them, see verse 5…. Come, let us walk NOW in the light of the Lord.

Isaiah didn’t say to this people, since for you these promises are far off, don’t worry about them… He says rather, since this is true, since God is a reconciling God, since God is going to be exalted above all the gods and idols of the world, walk in his light now.

Christian isn’t it true that we haven’t received all of the things promised to us yet? Walk in the light of God’s revelation in Christ now.

See perhaps your spiritual situation is more akin to Isaiah’s people in the rest of this chapter than you are ready to admit. Notice 6-11 he uses the word “full” 4 times. Money isn’t bad, horses aren’t bad. But they are filled with these things to the point of reliance on them. We are to be a spirit filled people, are we? Or are we filled with the things of the world?

Now again, Isaiah is not looking for behavior modification. You could read this and easily say “ok well i’ll cut my fun money budget down a little and that’ll solve my issues.” No It’s the same issue we talked about last week. God’s people may be giving him some of their heart and their reliance, but not all of it.

Isaiah can taste the disgusting nature of this half hearted worship to the point that he exclaims “do not forgive them!” in 9. Really it can be translated as a question. How on earth can God forgive a people like this? This is a good question. And a question we should often think about? How can God forgive a person like me?

Church, how can God be for a people like us who have given him some of our hearts, but not all of it? He says, he’s not. The haughty will be brought low. God’s mountain high, this people low.

Then Isaiah explains judgment. And you’ll get used to how Isaiah does this as we go through this book, but he’s very repetitive when he wants you to get the picture. Against, against, against.

Now a lot of this has to do with just nature. Maybe sometimes you read the prophets and wonder, what is God’s problem with trees? Well God doesn’t have a problem with trees, but he often has a problem with the way we use them or think about them.

This is how wicked the human heart can be. Look how big that tree is, I own that. I’m so special. Isn’t that crazy? These trees would be used for gloating, or for masts of big ships. It’s the haughtiness of man that is at issue in verse 17. The trees aren’t the problem, its your heart, Isaiah says once again.

And the Lord has a day against all of it. It is all going to get leveled like a war zone. And just like in Revelation 6 the people will enter into caves and run and hide from the terror of the Lord when it comes.

Do you sense the irony of this? Since day one when judgment comes we have run from the Lord, when the only salvation is to run to him.

The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1–39 (3) Reduced to the Caves (2:18–22)

Here is the paradox of faith: to attempt to exalt myself is to become nothing, adrift in a meaningless universe, in dread over nameless horrors which threaten me; to submit to the exalted Lord is to know myself picked up, declared his child, and made vice-regent of the universe, my Father’s home.

Some of this is terrifying to hear. And we must ask why and how we respond to it. Are you afraid because standing exposed to this great judge means doom for you? Are you afraid because once these precious idols which promise comfort and protection are taken away that all hope is lost for you?

Isaiah has a word for you in the last verse. Stop placing your hope in man in whose nostrils is breath. Considered the juxtaposition, man who at the very least relies on breath (and much more), and God who exists in himself.

There is salvation offered up to the people, to all peoples. Come to the mountain and hear his word. Not simply to hear it, but Isaiah says “that we may walk in it.” This word is transforming then. That’s the gospel we preach. That’s the Christ we worship. He draws all people’s to himself by his word, and rather than war and destruction, peace.

Rather than living your life based upon our skewed sinful perceptions of reality, base it upon Christ and his coming glory. His death has set you free from experiencing this judgment, but more than that, he has purchased this peace with God by his work.

Do you believe that God is able to satisfy the desires of your soul? If not, why not? Where has God failed? Stop valuing things that will pass away and learn to enjoy God. His promises are sure and never failing. And there is everlasting joy only to be found in him.