The Gospel of Isaiah: Highlights of Chapter Two

The Gospel of Isaiah: Highlights of Chapter Two. 

WANTED: An imaginative scribe who can write exquisite poetry. A faithful, articulate believer in Yahweh who can switch from one extreme to another at the Lord’s command… from a sublime vision of God’s glory, to a ridiculous demonstration of shameful nakedness; from confronting the people over their sinfulness, to comforting people with hopefulness; from being an outspoken messenger one minute, to a living object lesson the next; from having one foot in the immediate surroundings one minute, to one foot in the future messianic realm the next. Must be adaptable, thick-skinned, and extraordinarily brave. Person who answers “Here I am. Send me!” will be especially considered. (from The Jerusalem Post, 740 BC).

“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established as the most important mountain. It will be regarded more highly than all the other hills, and the center of the whole world. All the nations will stream there, flowing like a river into it. Many people will go and say, ‘Everyone, come! Let’s go up higher to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob! He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion will go forth Torah, the teachings of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge fairly between the nations and settle disputes among many peoples. Then they will hammer their swords into plow-blades and reshape their spears into pruning-knives; nations will not raise swords at each other, neither will they learn war anymore.” (2:2-4).

Johnny Cash – Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream

The New Jerusalem. Isaiah is peeking into the future messianic reign in this beautiful passage, and his inspired vision gives us the privilege of seeing a world when God will be the perfect judge, when war will be a thing of the past, when all people will earnestly seek out the Lord’s guidance and instruction. Isaiah is granting us a vision of God’s goal for all of us on His earth… Shalom. Imagine a time when instruments of death and cruelty will be converted into tools for life and flourishing and peace. What was once lethal will become life-giving. Isaiah opens the curtain for us and reveals what the New Jerusalem will be like.

SHALOM. The ancient Hebrew word translated as peace: completeness or wholeness, as in the joining together of opposites; integrity, as in the effective holding together of separate pieces; to give/restore harmony; fulfillment; health; security; abundant well-being; the state of having the vitality needed to thrive and flourish; tranquility; freedom from disquiet and disorder; reconciliation; resolution of conflict/war; healing of division; prosperity. The Greek word for peace in the New Testament is “Eirene,” and means the same thing as “Shalom” in the Hebrew Bible. Shalom ranks the highest of all values in the Hebrew Bible, according to Jewish scholars. Shalom is the most important goal in all of life. “Rabbinic teaching describes it as the only vessel through which God’s blessings can flow into this world.” (Rabbi Arthur Green, These are the words: A Vocabulary of Jewish Spiritual Life).

Mt. Zion. Once again we have a reference to Zion as the “mountain of God.”  is like a sacred bar of soap. Every time we think we grasp at its meaning, it slips out of our grasp and means something else. Mt. Zion has morphed from the mountain stronghold that David conquered (2 Samuel 5) to the New Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22-23), and everything in between. As the Bible story progresses, Zion added to its meaning. Yes, it is a rather smallish mountain in Jerusalem, along with Mt. Moriah. A little backstory… Those two mountains were separated by a valley in ancient times, but through the centuries that valley has been filled in so much that those two mountains in Jerusalem have been more-or-less joined together. Mt. Moriah has remained a literal, physical location in the minds of the Jews, the place where the holy Temple Mount is located. But Zion is as much a spiritual place as it is a physical place. Modern Zion is the highest point in Jerusalem, just outside the walls of the Old City. No one seems to mind that Zion has been moved, figuratively, from being an Eastern mountain to a Western Mountain to being in the Southeast of the city. Mt. Zion is a symbol as much as anything else, so they don’t mind if modern Zion might actually be in a different locale than ancient times.

Gospel Song – I Shall Wear A Crown – Christian Refuge

An Overview of Zion. Is it any wonder why Mt. Zion is mentioned over 150 times in the Hebrew Bible? And seven times in the New Testament? Or why Zion is spoken of in the Psalms 40 times? Zion means so much in so many different contexts, that we can perhaps understand the significance of Zion if we mention what it represents in Scripture:

(1.)  The City of David. The city of Jerusalem in ancient times was a Canaanite fortress in an excellent location for David’s purposes. It was built on a small mountain called Zion. So David decides to conquer this stronghold and claim it as the capital of Israel in his kingdom. After this victory, the city was named thereafter as “the City of David.”  (2 Samuel 5);

(2.)  The City of Jerusalem. Zion came to represent the city of Jerusalem in the minds of the Israelites, and those two terms were pretty much interchangeable. (Isaiah 33:20; Isaiah 40:9; Psalm 51:18);

(3.)  The Nation of Israel. Zion also came to symbolize the Jewish nation as a whole. The entire population of the nation was collectively referred to as Zion, being called the “sons of Zion” as well as the “daughters of Zion.” (Isaiah 33:14; Zechariah 9:13;

(4.)  The Messianic City. Zion has been the central site of the future messianic rule since the time of David and then the prophets. “I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion.” (Ps. 2:6). Also refer to Ps. 48:1; Isaiah 1:26, 2:2-3; Joel 2:32);

(5.)  The Dwelling Place of God. Because generally speaking the Temple rested on Mt. Zion, with Mt. Moriah right there with it, Zion was mentioned in Scripture as where the Lord dwelt with man. Zion represented God’s presence on earth. Time and again, the words of Isaiah 8:18 are repeated through Scripture, “… The Lord of Hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion.” (Ps. 74:2; Ps. 9:11; Ps. 50:1-2).

(6.)  The New Jerusalem. Christian believers have long believed that Zion represents what we have waiting for us in heaven. “What you have come to is Mt. Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where millions of angels gather in a joyful celebration, with the whole Church of first-borns, enrolled as citizens of heaven. You have come to God Himself… and to Jesus.”  (Hebrews 12:22-24). Also Isaiah 35:10, Micah 4:7, and Revelation 14:1.

Gaither, Romance Watson – Tis’ The Old Ship Of Zion (Live)

The Symbol that is Real. Yes, Zion has been referenced as a symbol in many, many ways: the fruitful spouse of Yahweh (Isaiah 66:13); the visible sign of divine favor; the pledge of messianic promises; the unity of the Chosen People; the restoration of Israel; the site of the triumphant Messiah; the holy place of salvation; a sanctuary and safe homeland. Zion has been used figuratively since biblical times as well. During the slavery era in the United States, for example, the slaves were referring to Zion as the safe place they could escape to, the sanctuary they were seeking, the welcoming homeland that would protect them. Note the number of spirituals that refer to Zion. So how did Zion evolve into meaning so much to so many different people? To a spiritual location as well as a physical location? What started in Scripture as a pagan fortress grew into an eternal fortress, from the City of David to the City of the Son of David. “Though Yahweh Lord is very great and lives in heaven, He will make Zion His home of justice and righteousness. In that day He will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. The reverence of the Lord will be your treasure.”  (Isaiah 33:5-6).

“May Your will be done here on earth the same way it is done with You in heaven!” (Matthew 6:10).

Messiah’s Ambassadors. If God’s desire is to bring His kingdom to earth right now before the New Jerusalem, His heaven that is full of harmony, shalom, peace, and wisdom, how else could it happen except through His followers? God’s ambassadors represent another Country, God’s Kingdom, bringing offers of peace, well-being and wholeness from the King to all people in all situations. The Jewish understanding of peace, shalom, would include a sense of well-being within and harmony with others. In fact, when asking someone about their general well-being, the people of the Bible would ask, “How is your peace?” If one was at peace within and without, one would be living in shalom, thinking that “all is well.”  A peacemaker is one who will seek to:

1. Reconcile the world to God through Christ, the Prince of Peace, in His ministry of reconciliation. (II Corinthians 5:18-20).
2. Walk into a volatile situation in which there is more heat than light, able to turn down the heat and add some new light.
3. Bring two competing parties to cooperate for the common good.
4. Heal brokenness between people who have hurt each other.
5. Build an atmosphere of prayerful serenity.
6. Enable uncompromising people to come to a truce and have further discussion.
7. Inject one’s own peace of mind into a troubled situation and create a calm atmosphere.
8. Ease the fears in those who need peace of mind and spirit.
9. Help persons to feel comfortable with an “agree to disagree” negotiation.
10. Stimulate others to flourish in wholeness, not merely survive.
11. “We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them.” (II Cor. 5:18-20, Message).
12. Helping people live in harmony with their deepest differences.
13. Develop the tools and relationships needed to heal racial discord.
14. Advocate for the unjustly treated, in order to bring about a lasting change and a humane concord between the powerful and powerless.
15. Enable two groups to talk productively instead of argue counterproductively.
16. Bring a spiritual balm to a festering wound between injured persons.
17. Add a winsome objectivity to people stuck in being selfishly subjective.
18. Help people to resolve their personal conflict and restore their relationship.
19. Help a conflicted person to resolve inner conflicts and enjoy peace of mind.
20. Provide the spiritual direction needed to restore a friendship between God and a person hostile to the Faith.
21. Help battling people or parties to “trade their swords for shovels and their spears for rakes.” (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3).

Making Isaiah’s Vison True Today. Seek God’s guidance and wisdom in daily life and reflect his instruction to others around you; live in harmony with others; intentionally help in the combining of separate people into a unified whole; lend a helping  hand in reconciling apparent differences with others; adjust yourself in order to fit together with others; as much as is possible, honestly be of the same mind with others; be agreeable and forgiving; join together with others in a unifying purpose; actively listen to achieve mutual understanding; bravely pray that God’s shalom will flood the atmosphere with His presence.

Down By the Riverside feat. Grandpa Elliott | Playing For Change | Song Around The World