Sermon Isaiah 2:1-5 “Out of Zion Goes Instruction”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Sermon Isaiah 2:1-5 “Out of Zion Goes Instruction”
December 1, 2019

Today we start a new church year with the Season of Advent.   Advent is a period of four Sundays leading up to our great celebration of Christmas.  During Advent, we look at the prophecy and events of Jesus’ birth and we anticipate his coming again.  For our Thursday mornings, our Bible study will look at the Book of Luke and examine the story of Jesus’ birth.   Beginning today on Sundays we will look at the Book of Isaiah and examine some of the prophecies of Jesus’ coming.  Today we look at a vision of the prophet Isaiah which is the foundation of our hope as Christians.   We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, as we begin this Advent season by examining the prophecies of your son’s birth, bless us with wisdom and understanding.   Help us to know the Savior we worship.  And prepare us for his coming into the world.   We pray this in Jesus’ glorious name.  Amen.

The eighth century before Christ was a time of trial for the small, vulnerable, kingdom of Judah.  Since the time of David and Solomon, Judah had been blessed by God with peace and prosperity.   A security agreement with the neighboring countries of Israel and Syria had kept enemies at a distance.  But all that was about to change.  The Assyrian Empire was growing.   Syria and Israel fell like dominos before the Assyrian onslaught.   And Judah was next.   Ahaz, a descendant of David and King of Judah,  had to make a decision.  Here is what he faced.

The Judean army was no match for the Assyrians.  So there was no military solution available  King Ahaz.  What he should have done was to rely on Yahweh, the Lord God of Israel, for protection as his ancestors had done.  He should have relied on the covenant between God and King David.  And if he did God would protect him and his country.  Here is the covenant between God and Ahaz’s ancestor David.

2 Samuel 7:16 Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me;[c] your throne shall be established forever.

But King Ahaz was afraid.   He refused to rely on this covenant with God.  So he went to see Tiglath-Pileser, King of Assyria, to beg him for peace.   Tiglath-Pileser agreed and told Ahaz what he had to do.   The Assyrian gods were to be worshiped in the Jerusalem temple.   And King Ahaz agreed to this blasphemy.
So God sent a prophet, Isaiah, with a message for King Ahaz.

Isaiah 1:2 Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth; for the Lord has spoken:  I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.  3 The ox knows its owner, and the donkey it's master’s crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.

King Ahaz and the nation of Judah had abandoned God.   But God had compassion on them and wanted his people to come back.

18 Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.  19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The choice was up to King Ahaz.   Will he and his country return to God or not?  Will he remove the Assyrian gods from the Jerusalem temple or not?  And if he does return what will God do for him?  Here is God’s answer.

Isaiah 2:2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.  3 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 forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; 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 any more.

God’s promise is that Jerusalem will be on the “highest of mountains”.   Now, I have been to Jerusalem twice.  It is built on a small hill.  It only takes a few minutes to walk down from the temple mount area to the Kidron Valley.  In fact, the Mount of Olives, on the other side of the Kidron, is much bigger.  So I don’t think that God is talking about geological height. 

God is talking about authority and power.   Jerusalem will have the greatest authority on earth.   And all people on earth will respect this authority.   What is the source of this authority?  The highest authority on earth is this, the Bible, the holy word of God.

In ancient times, empires built their capitals on mountains surrounded by walls for protection.   They projected their authority and power by sending out armies.    These armies plundered surrounding kingdoms and brought back loot to pay for the military expeditions.  But Jerusalem will not be projecting its authority and power by sending out destructive armies.  No!  They will be sending out teachers equipped to proclaim the word of God.   

And what happens when everyone on earth respects the authority of scripture?   Wars come to an end.   And the implements of violence are melted down to become things that serve us.   “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.”

This prophecy of Isaiah was partially fulfilled, two thousand years ago, when Jesus was exalted on the mountain of Jerusalem while nailed to a cross.  News of Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension have gone forth from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. 

The promise of scripture is that the day will come when Jesus returns to earth with a new Jerusalem.   All nations will come to the city and bow their heads to Christ our Lord.  And we will have peace on earth. 

Shortly after Jesus’ return to heaven, a group of apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, left Jerusalem as witnesses of what Jesus said and did.   They took this good news to the ends of the world to prepare the world for his return.  And today we proclaim this word of God as the highest authority on earth praying for the day when Jesus will return as the Prince of Peace. 

King Ahaz was succeeded by his son King Hezikiah.  Hezikiah accepted the Lord’s offer to protect the nation.   He removed the Assyrian idols from the Jerusalem temple and returned the nation to God.   In return, God blessed him and his nation and protected them from the Assyrians.  Although the Assyrian army encircled Jerusalem, God would not let them enter and sent them home defeated.  This demonstrated that our God is the most powerful force on earth.  And his word goes out with supreme authority.

Like Jerusalem of the eighth century before Christ, American has enjoyed God’s protection and prosperity for hundreds of years.   The first settlers in this area believed that they were coming to a shining city on a hill, the promised land.   This church was established as a place where the word of God would go forth projecting God’s authority and power through the proclamation of the gospel throughout this land.

But today, sadly, the influence of the church is waning.  Our congregations are smaller.   Many people refuse to worship God.  Many people reject the authority of scripture.  Many people are worshiping gold and silver and the things these idols can purchase.   According to popular television commercials, our supreme God seems to be a Lexus with a big red bow sitting in the driveway.
This is dangerous.   If we as a people decide to break our covenant with God, then God’s protection may be lifted and our peace and prosperity vanish.   So return to God.   Help your family to return to God.   Witness to the work of God in your lives to everyone you meet.  Let’s bring this land back to the God of our ancestors.

Our popular culture tells us that the sounds of Christmas are jingle bells.  But we Christians know that another kind of bell will ring this season.   If will be the sound of a hammer on an anvil turning the implements of violence and war into things that make life better for all.   This is our Christian hope. Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, help us to remain the shining city on a hill as our ancestors expected.   Keep us ever faithful to the covenant relationship with you.   Help us to bring others to the saving faith in Jesus Christ.   Help the world to accept the Bible as the supreme authority in all matters of morals and faith.   And send the Prince of Peace, our Lord Jesus Christ, to return and bring peace on earth.   This we pray in his glorious name.   Amen.