"The word which Isaiah the son of Amos saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it will come about that 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; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will 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 concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.' For the Law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations and will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war." Isaiah 2:1-4 NASV Capitalization mine.

Note that this prophecy of Isaiah has never yet been fulfilled and indeed cannot be until the Messianic Reign of Christ. It is clear from its context that it is yet to come, IN THE LAST DAYS. Many, in their study of eschatology are caught up by the judgments of the Apocalypse, a study that is both rewarding and frightening. But to ignore this passage in that study is dangerous and misleading. Both prophecies must come to pass.
Note also that although this prophecy is given concerning Judah and Jerusalem, it refers to the entire world. It is not so much Judah and Jerusalem that will be coming to Jerusalem, but the peoples of the entire world, ready and eager to hear from His Own Mouth the word of God.
What an amazing prophecy of hope this passage is. As small as the mountains and hills of Judea are, they will be lifted up. There will be an upheaval, not only figuratively, but I suspect literally. The mountain of the Lord will be pre-eminant. Can we comprehend a tectonic shift in which the entire area of Israel is suddenly lifted up? Other Old Testament prophecies mention that the mount of Olives will be split in two, that a fountain of water will flow from Jerusalem to the dead sea bringing it to life, and other amazing changes in the very geography of the area. These prophecies all refer to amazing changes not only geographically but also politically that will affect the entire world.
Here we are told God's word will flow forth from Jerusalem to the entire world. He Himself will judge between nations and peoples. And War will be put behind forever, never to be learned again. We can hardly even conceive of such an upheaval in world affairs, yet it will and must and is going to come to pass. Although there will be a false pretender who aspires to this and convinces many that he is the fulfilment of this prophecy, the True Christ will return and establish His reign here on earth, bringing war to an end.
How much of the world's resources are devoted to war and its preparations? How many people make violence their lifetime work? What changes could come about if no resources were ever again used for war or violence? God hates violence. It has never been His intention. He is a God of Peace. And during His reign there will be Peace.

"How the faithful city has become a harlot, she who was full of justice? Righteousness once lodged in her but now murderers. Your silver has become dross, your drink diluted with water. Your rulers are rebels and companions of thieves. Every one loves a bribe, and chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, nor does the widow's plea come before them. Therefore the Lord God of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel declares, 'Ah;, I will be relieved of My adversaries, and avenge myself on My foes. I will also turn My hand against you, and will smelt away your dross as with lye. And will remove all your alloy. Then I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; After that you will be called the city of righteousness, a faithful city." Isaiah 1:21-26 NASV

God goes on to describe the change from the past to the present in "the city." Clearly He is speaking of a particular city here, and it is identified in verse 27. Zion (or Jerusalem) will be purified.
The process is going to be much as described in verses 16-20, for the same reasons. Note that God first spells out the general process for the whole world, then applies that process to a specific city, Jerusalem. The standard is the same for the world at large as it is for the Holy City. Although Jerusalem was once full of justice and righteousness it has become so corrupt and evil that God feels impelled to restore it to righteousness by any means necessary.
God's Holiness will not long abide unrighteousness. His nature demands justice, especially for the weak, the orphan, the widow. And so the thieves and murderers who had taken over the city would be removed and God Himself would redeem the city: 'Zion will be redeemed with justice, and her repentant ones with righteousness.'
What an amazing line of prophecy. How descriptive of the Messiah who would come to do exactly that. Those who repent will be restored to righteousness and justice but those who repent have another end coming: "But transgressors and sinners shall be crushed together, and those who forsake the Lord shall come to an end. Surely you will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you will be embarrassed at the gardens which you have chosen, for you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away, or as a garden that has no water. And the strong man will become tinder, his work also a spark, thus they shall both burn together, and there will be none to quench them." Even this early the picture of destruction given for those who choose to continue in rebellion is destruction by fire.
God's heart cry is obvious: He longs for his City to turn from their rebellion and be restored. But His very nature demands justice and righteousness so that if pushed, He will destroy with fire those who refuse to repent.
For those having difficulty making application to their own lives, I'd like to point out that God's city Zion was comprised of His people. In many ways it is like the church. Today thieves and murderers have crept into the leadership of many denominations, taking over the organizations and leading them into terrible actions contrary to God's righteousness and holiness. Some church "leaders" endorse homosexuality, others abortion, others insist that that Jesus was just a good teacher, and many have fallen to the point that they even deny the One who had bought them. Zion, and the church, WILL be purified. Those who mislead her WILL be brought to account. Those who repent will be restored to righteousness but those who continue in rebellion and wickedness WILL be destroyed by fire. It behooves all of us to make sure that our lives are not in rebellion earning the wrath of God but that we have repented of any sin and are seeking to live in Holiness and purity.

"Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah. 'What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?' says the Lord. 'I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle, And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. When you come, to appear before Me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts. 'Bring your worthless offerings no longer, their incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies - I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me. I am weary of bearing them. So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you, Yes even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of bloodshed. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless; defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. If you consent and obey you will eat the best of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.' Truly the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 1:9-20 NASV

Note three objections God raises to the continued offerings and assemblies of those of "Sodom and Gomorrah". First He objects to their hypocrisy. Notice that He states clearly that even while they are multiplying their sacrifices and assemblies and feasts, they are also multiplying their iniquities and violence. God cannot and will not abide hypocrisy. He would rather they not have any sacrifices, even though He Himself had ordered them, than to have hypocritical sacrifices. Because of their hypocrisy, their sacrifices are termed worthless and abominations. Even the Almighty has become weary of the hypocritical feasts and festivals. Such a state of affairs He will not allow to continue.
The second emphasis is upon their iniquity. Their sins are no longer individual missings of the marks; instead they have become lifestyles and habit - iniquity - which has pervaded the society until the whole society is not only hypocritical but also corrupt.
These iniquities have led finally to the third objection God gives: "Your hands are full of bloodshed." Here he means not just the bloodshed of bulls and goats but of humans: the orphan, the widow, they weak who have become the prey of the ruthless.
Notice the societal progression we have here. First comes hypocrisy, then iniquitous lifestyles, and finally violence. Do we see this pattern anywhere else in the world today? I think if we are honest, we will have to admit yes.
These three objections of God to the rulers of Sodom and Gomorrah are accompanied with three promises. First He states "I will hide my eyes from you." In His mercy God will not continue to look on their iniquity forever. He will first hide his eyes to give them time to repent. Secondly He promises "I will not listen" to their multiplied prayers. God is not impressed by numbers of prayers, nor the length of them, nor of their eloquence. He will NOT listen to hypocritical prayers. The only prayer He will listen to at that point is a prayer of true repentance. The third promise He makes is of coming justice. If they repent and become obedient, then they will be blessed by Him and His presence. But if they do not repent, and continue in rebellion, then they will be destroyed.
But notice the eagerness of God that they repent. He spells out for them what they must do. "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight, Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord. God wants to reason together with us that we may be transformed and changed from our old habit patterns into patterns of truth, justice and love. He longs for us to end our rebellion and become obedient that He may bless us. He is not willing that ANY should perish, but if they insist His justice demands that they must be allowed to make their choice and be destroyed as it were by their very actions and choices.
Isaiah 1:18 is one of the great memory passages of the Bible. If you haven't memorized it, I highly encourage you to do so. Teach it to your children. It's truth is so precious and so powerful. However don't stop there. Memorize verses 19 and 20 as well. I pray that all who read these words will heed and reason together with the Lord, thereby receiving the best. May God bless each of you.

"Alas, sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the Lord, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him. Where will you be stricken again? As you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick, the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, welts and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandages, Nor softened with oil. Your land is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire, Your fields - strangers are devouring them in your presence; It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, Like a watchmans' hut in a cucumber field, like a beseiged city. Unless the Lord of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah." Isaiah 1:4-9 NASV

Who IS this sinful nation that is addressed here? The standard and usual answer would be that it refers to Israel. Most commentators agree on that. But I would like to suggest a broader reference here in light of what we discussed yesterday. The whole book is addressed to the heavens and the earth. So perhaps this passage refers not only to Israel, but also to ANY sinful nation, describing the results of rebellion against the Holy One of Israel. Notice the description here and ask yourself if it seems to apply to any other nations we know today. First the Lord says that they are a sinful nation, a people "weighed down with iniquity." Now we don't tend to think of weight as a result of iniquity. Much has been made of our tendency to obesity these days. Is this passage giving us a spiritual cause of that sudden explosion of obesity in our midst? Could it be the direct result of iniquity in our lives? What is the difference between iniquity and sins? Theologically we are taught the technical difference between sin and iniquity is that sin is an act of "missing the mark", a failure to live up to the standard, a breaking of the law. A sin is a one time act. Iniquity, on the other hand, could be termed a lifestyle. It is where sin has been repeated to the point that it has become habit and has it's own power in a person's life. It is much harder to root out iniquities than it is to deal with a sin. Iniquities have put down roots and have a firm hold in one's life. Sins may be repented of and be forgiven fairly quickly; iniquities have gained such power in one's life that they almost seem to control the person, like an addiction. It would be a sin to eat that huge piece of chocolate cake when you know the Lord has told you not to. It would be an iniquity to eat a daily chocolate cake when you know you shouldn't. Could it be our current health crisis of obesity is an indication of iniquity in our own nation?
Next God terms them "Offspring of evildoers, sons who act corruptly." There is a generational aspect to iniquity that may be passed on from one generation to another, up to four generations. Lifestyles are usually learned from others before us. If our parents used food, or drink, or drugs or whatever we are more likely to use the same coping mechanisms, and thereby inherit the same lifestyle and iniquities. Note that even though they are in rebellion, God still terms them sons, but makes crystal clear He is fully aware of their corrupt ways. He does so where He spells out that they have "Abandoned the Lord", "despised the Holy One", and have "turned away from Him." Notice the progression here. First sin enters, then becomes iniquity, then is passed on to the next generation, which becomes more currupt, then it causes first the abandonment of God, then a despising of God, and finally a turning away from God. It is interesting that this progression is repeated worldwide in the history of nations, beginning with Israel, but also in other nations as well.

Having identified to whom He is speaking, God then asks a question: Where will you be stricken again, as you continue in your rebellion?" Note that they will be stricken is a given. The only question is where. God is a just judge, a righteous God, and his justice and righteousness demands that sin must be punished. The problem is that their sins and iniquities have so wrecked them and their nation that there is little left to strike. Everything is a picture of disaster: where should God send the next disaster as a result of their rebellion? If we were to stop here, we would indeed be depressed. The parallels to our own nation are obvious, at least IMHO. But verse 9 gives us a glimpse of hope: "Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah." Sodom and Gomorrah were totally destroyed. Here God is giving an indication that He intends at least some survivors, unlike Sodom and Gomorrah. We will talk about that further tomorrow, but let me state here, that God's intention here is not to discourage us but to call us back from a path to destruction. He wants us to repent, to change our ways and follow Him, instead of rebelling against Him. He longs for us to be faithful sons, instead of rebellious ones.
I know this seems to be a pretty negative daily meditation, but I think there are some germs for meditation here if we are willing to accept them. In making the application, ask yourself if there are patterns in your lifestyle that are leading to destruction. Are they forms of rebellion against God? If so, repent and turn from that path of destruction to the path of Life in following God. May God bless each one that reads these words.

Valentine's

On Valentine's tradition says 'tis best
For every man to find a special gift
For his beloved. It will not do to rest
Until its found to give his love a lift.
Now gifts are often bought from off the shelf
But true love overflows to other things.
He knows the truth the real gift is himself
And when he is accepted his heart sings.
Sometimes he stops and writes a little rhyme,
Prepares a song or paints a bit of art.
True Love has come and sought, has spent His time
Looking for some way to speak His heart.
His body, soul and spirit put on line
To call us forth to be His Valentine.

Copyright 1994