WALK IN THE LIGHT OF THE LORD Isaiah 2:1-22

1 WALK IN THE LIGHT OF THE LORD Isaiah 2:1-22

2 Text: Isaiah 2:1-22, WALK IN THE LIGHT OF THE LORD 1. Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz. 2. In the future the mountain of the Lord s temple will endure as the most important of mountains, and will be the most prominent of hills. All the nations will stream to it, 3. many peoples will come and say, Come, let us go up to the Lord s mountain, to the temple of the God of Jacob, so he can teach us his requirements, and we can follow his standards. For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem. 4. He will judge disputes between nations; he will settle cases for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not take up the sword against other nations, and they will no longer train for war. 5. O descendants of Jacob, come, let us walk in the Lord s guiding light. 6. Indeed, O Lord, you have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. For diviners from the east are everywhere; they consult omen readers like the Philistines do. Plenty of foreigners are around. 7. Their land is full of gold and silver; there is no end to their wealth. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots. 8. Their land is full of worthless idols; they worship the product of their own hands, what their own fingers have fashioned. 9. Men bow down to them in homage, they lie flat on the ground in worship. Don t spare them!

3 10. Go up into the rocky cliffs, hide in the ground. Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord, from his royal splendor! 11. Proud men will be brought low, arrogant men will be humiliated; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. 12. Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, for all the high and mighty, for all who are proud they will be humiliated; 13. for all the cedars of Lebanon, that are so high and mighty, for all the oaks of Bashan; 14. for all the tall mountains, for all the high hills, 15. for every high tower, for every fortified wall, 16. for all the large ships, for all the impressive ships. 17. Proud men will be humiliated, arrogant men will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. 18.The worthless idols will be completely eliminated. 19. They will go into caves in the rocky cliffs and into holes in the ground, trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord and his royal splendor, when he rises up to terrify the earth. 20. At that time men will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made for themselves to worship, into the caves where rodents and bats live, 21. so they themselves can go into the crevices of the rocky cliffs and the openings under the rocky overhangs, trying to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord and his royal splendor, when he rises up to terrify the earth. 22. Stop trusting in human beings, whose life s breath is in their nostrils. For why should they be given special consideration? (NET) Commentary:

4 Isaiah wrote this amazing book about 700 years before Christ. Yet he revealed some remarkable truths about Christ and His church which were fulfilled in detail in the days of the New Testament. Isaiah was a great prophet of God. The prophets were powerful preachers to their own generation; they also pointed to the coming Messiah and His kingdom. Stephen spoke of the prophets saying, Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers. (Acts 7:52) It is clear that Isaiah two points to the age of the New Covenant. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. (Isaiah 2:2) Isaiah was pointing to things that would take place in the last days. It was during the last days that Jesus Christ spoke and established His church. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. (Hebrews 1:1-2) This that was to be established was called the Lord s House. (Isaiah 2:2) We learn in 1 Timothy 3:15 that the Lord s House is the church. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. This house or kingdom of which Isaiah spoke would embrace all nations. Jesus said, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20) Isaiah lived under a religion that was for Jews only but he foretold of a kingdom saying, all nations shall flow unto it (Isaiah 2:2) He said the word of the Lord would go forth from Jerusalem. In Acts 2 we read that the gospel of our resurrected Lord was first preached in Jerusalem. This Kingdom of which Isaiah spoke is a kingdom of

5 peace. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4) This should be no surprise since Jesus is pictured as the Prince of Peace. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) Faith, repentance, confession, and baptism are the terms upon which a person can come to, and be added to this kingdom. (Acts 2:47) God s kingdom is a place of peace Isaiah 2:1-5: Isaiah s message was a message concerning Judah and Jerusalem and the spiritual kingdom that God would establish there. Isaiah is pointing to the establishment of the church. Membership in our Lord s one church is available for all to flow into it. The church of Christ teaches the Word of God. God alone can give a revelation of His own will. The Bible is the written word of God and it came forth from God Himself. This message was first preached in Jerusalem by inspired men. (Acts 2) Obedience to this message brings people into the church or kingdom of our God. In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 the church is called the temple of God. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. When we allow the Prince of Peace to control our life there can be peace within. With God s law written in our heart we can live in peace with God and with our fellow men. The exact same message is found in Micah 4:1-3. Those who become Christians are God's children. They should never allow themselves to walk in darkness. Choosing other things instead of God Isaiah 2:6-9: The nation of Israel had made some very bad choices. They had picked up the sins of their godless

6 neighbors. They started worshipping the false gods of the land. They became very worldly in their living. They were living in darkness and God was no longer hearing their prayers. God has always called upon His people to be holy and separate from the world. People make it impossible for God to bless them by living godless, worldly lives. Those, among their nation, who claimed to love and serve God had even become soothsayers like the evil Philistines around them. Apparently the wealth of the Philistines and their military power had drawn Israel away from God. God s people had given Him up in order to have earthly and godless things. The Hebrews had even turned to making and worshipping idols. The Second of their Ten Commandments said, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (Exodus 20:4) An idol is nothing. Paul wrote, As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. (1 Corinthians 8:4) The only way this people could expect to receive God s blessing would be to turn from those evil things. God s judgment will come upon the haughty Isaiah 2:10-16: The people could not hide their haughty, ungodly hearts from God. God sees and knows what is within us. Israel was a mixture of bad and good. They were haughty and idolatrous, but some of their number also still feared God. They would worship idols and then hide for, fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. Here God calls upon this sinful people to repent. Repentance should take place, especially in view of the coming judgment that awaits mankind. In Philippians 2:10 we read, That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. Pride and arrogance cause man to not even be able to recognize his need for God. The coming of God s judgment will be seen in nature as the trees are burned up. The high mountains and hills will be brought low, just as proud and

7 arrogant men are humbled as they face God s judgment. No one is above the judgment and punishment of God. The high towers and fenced walls might keep out enemies but they cannot and will not hinder the judgment of God. Great ships and great works of art can not equal Almighty God, nor be a rival to Him. The Lord alone should be exalted Isaiah 2:17-22: Many have both a false security and a false sense of their own worth. They have a false sense of worth because of the things of this world. However, all of these things shall be made low. The Lord God Almighty alone shall be exalted. Those who put their faith in things have nothing. They and their things will be brought low. Those who put their trust in the Lord will be exalted with Him. As for the idols God will utterly destroy them. God hates idols and He will not tolerate their worship. In this picture of judgment, God is manifested in His greatness and glory. It would only be false thinking to imagine that we could hide from God in any way! Idols would be found worthless and would be cast to the moles and to the bats. Here in the south our expression would be throw them out to the dogs. Idols are nothing and even man without God has nothing to offer and no way to help when the end comes. In Jeremiah 17:5-6 we read, Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. We are warned, Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. (Psalm 146:3) This text is a warning to stop trusting in mankind. Stop trusting in the power of man for this power is very limited. Instead, Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. (Isaiah 26:4) Stop trusting in the example of man for his example is always imperfect. Instead, Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. Stop trusting in the character of man, because you will be

8 disappointed by flaws in their character. Instead, Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. Stop trusting in the knowledge of man because that knowledge is so uncertain. Instead, Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. The only hope for mankind is to turn from idols, repent and serve the one true and living God. Those that obey the gospel of Christ are saved and added by the Lord to His church. His church is that kingdom of Isaiah two. When one becomes a Christian he is added to that church. To become a Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus (John 8:24), repent of sins (Acts 17:30), confess Christ as Lord (Acts 8:37), and be baptized to be saved. (1 Peter 3:21) For fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty love and serve Him until death. Trust in the Lord forever! By Charles Box, Walnut Street Church of Christ, P.O. Box 551, Greenville, Alabama 36037 USA

9 Questions on Isaiah 2:1-22 (Questions 1-14 are based on NET text.) 1. In the the of the s will as the of. All the will to it. 2. Many will come and say,, let us go up to the s, to the of the of, so he can us his, and we can his. For will be the for ; the will issue from. 3. will between ; he will for. 4. They will their into, and their into. will not take up the against, and they will no longer for.

10 5. O of,, let us, in the s. 6. Indeed, O Lord, you have your, the of. For from the are ; they consult like the do. of are. Their is full of and ; there is no end to their. Their land is of ; there is no to their. 7. Their is of ; they the of their own, what their own have. 8. to them in, they on the in. 9. them! men will be, will be ; the alone will be in that. 10. For whom and for what has God planned a day of judgment?

11 11. men will be, men will be ; the will be in that. 12. The will be. 13. What will people do to try to escape the dreadful judgment of the Lord? 14. in, whose s is in their. For why should they be given? 15. wrote this about years before. Yet he revealed some remarkable about and his which were in detail in the days of the. 16. Isaiah clearly points to the of the, the.

12 17. Isaiah under a that was for, but he a into which all would. The of the would go forth from. 18. What was the kingdom of peace of which Isaiah spoke? 19. s was a concerning and and the that would there. The is the of. When we allow the of to our there can be within. With s in our we can in with and with our. 20. Write Micah 4:1-3 here.

13 21. What bad decisions had the nation of Israel made? 22. What were the results of these bad decisions? 23. What influenced Israel to make these bad choices? 24. The only way we or ancient Israel could expect to receive God s blessing was and is to. 25. The could not hide their, from. and what is within us. was a of and. calls for his to.

14 26. No one is above the and of. The and might keep out but they and the of. 27. Those who put their in have. We are not to put our in, nor in the of, in whom there is no. We are to in. 28. In what or in whom have you placed your trust through the years? 29. What does it mean to trust in the Lord? 30. " ye in the : for in the is.