by Larry Ferrell | December 2, 2017
The heading in 2:1 is an abbreviated version if the book’s title in 1:1. Together these two headings alert us again to the comprehensive nature of the version which the book contains. This opening unit of chapter 2 completes a movement which anticipates the movement of the book as a whole, from the Zion that is to the Zion that will be, via purifying judgment.

Mountains played an important part in the religions of Israel’s neighbors. They were points where heaven and earth were thought to meet and were therefore highly favored as sites for alters and temples. The Canaanites worshiped their gods at the high places, and these became a snare to the Israelites, even when such high places were removed, the surrounding nations continued to worship their gods on their holy mountains. Isaiah here foresees the day when one holy mountain will stand supreme, reducing all others to utter insignificance. In this sense Isaiah’s vision is exclusive. It is also inclusive, however, because it envisions all nations and many peoples coming to Zion to share with Israel in the blessings of the Lord’s rule. Finally, it is a vision of universal peace, described in terms which have reverberated down through the centuries (v.4). But Isaiah sees that this peace will become a reality only when the nations are willing to submit to the word that goes forth from Zion where the one true God revealed Himself. Peace on any other terms is a cruel delusion, a truth we need to bear in mind constantly as we seek to be faithful to God’s Word in our own, modern world of religious pluralism.

The mountain of the Lord, then, is a symbol of the coming kingdom of God, in which a purified and restored Zion is destined to play a crucial role. An Isaiah summons his contemporaries to live now in the light of that glorious prospect (v. 5). Isaiah was not blind to present realities. He spoke out against injustice, faithless politics and hypocritical religion with a passion that few could match today. But it was this vision of the future which inspired him. Religion for him was never an escape from reality, but the source from which he drew the strength he needed to face it squarely. It is how we must live too.

Isaiah 2:1-5 Reflection Questions:
How does Isaiah 2:3 have an effect on us as Christians today (see Luke 24:47)?
Is your faith an escape from reality, or is it a source of strength for you as you go through your day?

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