Read Is 2:1–22
Isa 2:2 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 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… 11The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. (12) For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up–and it shall be brought low;
The second chapter of Isaiah speaks of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. What will it be like for those who have trusted in the promises of God from the Old and New Testaments? It speaks of a better day when men shall trust in God and his Christ alone. It speaks of how the Lord alone will be exalted on that day and into eternity. God himself will teach us. The Lord Jesus Christ shall put on his righteous paths.
A stone at the United Nations misquotes verse four and gives the impression that humanity, our current fallen humanity will bring this to pass. But it is only Jesus and his reign that makes this possible. Only Jesus and his reign over humanity’s heart by the Holy Spirit can bring this Utopian society about. There in the new age, only the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will be exalted and praised.
This current age does not recognize or submit to the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed it does everything it can to fight against it. It does recognize or praise the mercy of God found in Christ Jesus. It only recognizes power and those who exert it. Along with power the world looks to its wealth as chief among the gods because wealth buys power over men’s hearts and minds. People will look to everyone and everything, they will make up gods in their hearts to gain power and wealth. They cannot trust in Christ alone for all good things; they cannot look to the Father of lights to be merciful and kind to them. And so like rebellious five year olds, humanity pushes away the hand of God and says, “I can do it myself.” Yet it then turns to creation and the imagination of men’s hearts and worships them instead of the God who created and makes such thinking even possible. All that is lifted up as God and against faith in God and his Christ shall be brought low, humbled and made for naught on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ and the ushering in of his visible reign among us. Only those who have humbled themselves before Jesus and trusted in his work and his word shall be exalted together with him. Jesus is inviting you this day to cast aside your pride, to cast aside all created things, and everything you trust as God and to believe and trust in him for your eternal salvation and for all temporal goods in this world.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant us such faith in you that we may humble ourselves now, casting aside everything tempts us to trust in created things for every good to the end that we may dwell with you in the world to come and be exalted with you on the day of your second advent. Amen.