Isaiah 2:1-5
The Mountain of the Lord
2 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
3 and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.
5 O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the Lord.
Big Idea: Jesus Christ redeems, restores, and reigns. We are called to walk in His light.
a. Isaiah Chapter 1 was a firm rebuke of Judah and Jerusalem. The Lord sought to reason with the people, offering them the opportunity to repent and return.
Chapter 2 begins at the end – where God has judged, and only the righteous remain.
Point 1: Zion will be lifted high, and Jesus (the Word) shall stand victorious, reigning over his bride.
a. Read
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,
…For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
b. Explain
A very similar account of these first verses is found in Chapter 4 of Micah. Micah was one of Isaiah’s contemporaries, and both prophets were active around the mid 8th century BC. Scholars can only theorize as to how or why this account is repeated.
“In the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills
Zion occurs 47 times in the book of Isaiah. Zion was captured from the Jebusites by David (2 Sam 5:6-10) and was particularly associated with the Davidic king, even in exile. Zion is thus both the city of Jerusalem and a symbol of the city to come, through which the river of God flows (Rev. 22:1-3).
Zion is the secure rock on which the Lamb stands (Rev 14:1-5)
Compared to other hills and mountains in the area, Zion was not as tall. In a time when many religions sought out high places to worship their Gods, make sacrifices, and present offerings, the higher the mountain – the closer the people could be to their god.
Although Zion wasn’t the tallest, it was the most revered and Holy. The new Zion will be “chief of the mountains.” It will be raised above the hills. This will be a better Zion.
The oracle explains a time after “The Day of the Lord” – a time when a redeemed people actively seek out their redeemer. Yes, Jesus redeems; Jesus also restores. All of this is the basis for our faith in Jesus.
; and all the nations will stream to it.
No longer is salvation restricted to only chosen Israel. Chosen Israel now consists of all the Gentiles who have accepted Jesus and placed their trust in Him.
Jesus shared in our humanity, so that we could share in His kingdom. Jesus came to Earth and was humble when the world was full of sin, pride, and self-indulgence. Jesus will return to be exalted as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and the world will be humbled. God’s mountain will be lifted above all. No mountain, no idol, no false god will compete with the one true God.
Illustration 1: (My example)
Just as God’s people wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, I too wandered for 40 years. I was raised knowing of Jesus – but I didn’t KNOW Jesus. I had propped up and worshiped my own idols – setting them up on mountains higher than God. It wasn’t until He called me that I realized what I had been doing. The Holy Spirit convicted me. The veil was lifted, and I was able to see exactly how much I was sinning against God.
But then He called me. The blindfold was removed, and I realized what I was doing – and the effects of those actions. I was living in darkness.
Plato’s Cave:
Darkness and Ignorance
The Cave: Prisoners live in total darkness, mistaking flat, artificial shadows for true reality.
Jesus: Humanity exists in spiritual darkness and sin, blinded to the higher reality of God. Jesus presents himself as the "light" that shines into this darkness.
Liberation and Truth
The Cave: One prisoner is freed and makes the painful, blinding ascent out of the cave and into the warm brilliance of the actual sun.
Jesus: Salvation and divine revelation pull people out from spiritual blindness, offering new life and a transition from darkness into marvelous light.
The Return and Rejection
The Cave: The enlightened prisoner goes back underground to help free the others, but the remaining captives mock, resist, and threaten to kill him because his new truth feels threatening and incomprehensible.
Jesus: Christ descends into the earthly world of human suffering to bring divine truth, but is ultimately rejected, persecuted, and crucified by the very people he came to save.
So what does all this mean for us?
d. Apply
a. The Jesus from whom all things were created…The Jesus who gave himself up for all, the Son of Man who is alive today, OUR Christ Jesus loves us and seeks us out. He leaves the 99 for me – He leaves the 99 for YOU. If we abide in HIM, He even calls us His friend…what an amazing thought! Are we going to let Jesus pick us up and carry us back to His flock, or are we going to continue to run and stray from His divine presence? We must take off our blindfolds. We’ve got to listen to the lyrics of that song, “Amazing Grace,” and let them take root in our hearts. Will we truly hear the calling of our Lord, and are we prepared to give it all for HIM? Because that’s what He requires.
Bridge: We are given great insight into what the future holds. We are also given a choice. Remain in the darkness or step into the light.
e. Point 2: Walk in the Light of the Lord
a. Read 2:5
O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
b. Explain
Jesus brings true knowledge, moral purity, and the light that displays the very presence of God.
f. God is light
1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
James 1:17
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow
g. Walking in the light of the LORD is walking in His grace, his mercy, His forgiveness, His goodness, obeying His commands to love HIM and to love your neighbor.
Illustration 2: Light Brings Life
I woke early this morning... I looked up and saw rays of light piercing through the edges of my curtains. As I slowly opened my eyes, I realized the sun’s light had erased all darkness within my room. Careful examination of these majestic rays revealed tiny particles of dust floating - carried along by the invisible flow of air within the confines of my room.
Light will reveal even the simplest of things. Light does not discriminate. It illuminates everything it touches. It erodes the darkness of night, erases the most defined shadows, and makes the unseen visible. Light determines the final resting place of darkness. Light gives life.
Genesis 1:3-4
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness
Without light, we would not know what darkness was. Just as knowing what good is instructs us in the depravity of evil. Light will never retreat; it only transitions from one position to another. But as light moves, darkness surely comes to take its place. Just place a stick in the ground and observe. Over time, as the Earth’s position changes relative to the Sun, light will illuminate a different part of the ground. You will find a shadow – surely following behind. This has a name. It’s called the Shadow-Tip Method. It allows you to find cardinal directions using only the sun and the ground without a compass. Our true compass is our Lord Jesus. His direction is the only direction we need.
“Let us walk in the light of the Lord.”
John 1:4-5
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it
John 3:19
“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil
John 8:12
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
Application:
If we are to walk in the light of the LORD, we must be following the LORD. When we stop – when we fail to continue following, darkness is sure to prevail. It’s not because the LORD failed to shine. It’s because WE failed to follow. The LORD does not change – He will never cease to radiate the light of HIS glory. He will always light our path if we are willing to give up EVERYTHING for Him. We must put HIM on top of our mountain.
Bridge:
The light of the LORD brings truth, salvation, and life. In HIS love for us, God allows us to accept this light, or to reject it completely. You can be a lamp, a light to someone’s path right here in this place. You can exhibit the fruits of the Spirit that Galatians 5 references. Be joyful, be patient, give without condition.
Call to Action: “Let us walk in the light of the LORD.” Let us follow HIM with all our minds, our hearts, and our souls. Let us put away our idols, hurl our lusts into the darkness, and shed our skin of pride. Let us reflect the light of the LORD onto others. Let us hold firmly to our faith when darkness tries to pierce through from the shadows. “Let us walk in the light of the LORD.”
Let’s pray.
