An Exposition For Our Time - Isaiah 2

Isaiah 2:1-5

Isaiah 2:1–5 CSB

1 The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. All nations will stream to it, 3 and many peoples will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths.” For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He will settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war. 5 House of Jacob, come and let’s walk in the Lord’s light.

It is in the last days that we see the people of God to be established in finality

The beginning of the establishing of God’s people in history, who believe in Him by faith,

surely began in the past with God’s choosing of Abel over Cain on the basis of the heart of faith

For the Apostle John comments saying:

1 John 3:11-20

1 John 3:11–20 CSB

11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, 12 unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him—how does God’s love reside in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth. 19 This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things.

“Will be” here in v. 2 is Qal Imperfect, thus referring to an incomplete action that happened previously.

It is the final establishment of this people that will, at once, be exalted above the creation.

Beginning with His choosing of it, lead then to His death on behalf of it (John 10:7-18),

it is the final establishment of it that is His final act of love towards it as it is the crown jewel of His creation

This will be a people of peoples.

A singular, unified people under the banner of Christ,

But peoples none the less, who are gathered from all over and united thus (Revelation 7:9-11, 21:1-4)

The centrality of those, of this people of peoples, is the glory of God who establishes it through the Word of God