December 2 – Isaiah 2:1-5
This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
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.
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. 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.
Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
This text has an incredibly bold and imaginative declaration. God’s people have been learning war for generations. The prophesy that there would come a time when God’s people would no longer learn war is so starkly in contrast to what the Israelites currently know, to what we currently know; it’s almost outlandish. However, the God of peace is absolutely meant to stretch our imaginations to what seems impossible. Truly, this is the gift of Advent, the coming of a King who ushers in the impossible.
Prayer: O God who comes into our crazy mess, our wars, our fights, our generational angst; thank you for a vision of what peace can look like. Stretch our own vision so that we might be more willing to live the peace you have offered. Amen.
