Wednesday, October 2, 2024 PM

To those who have none. Water, clean water for those who are thirsty, and pray that you would supply every need of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and so amply supply their needs that they too are able to be generous to those outside the household of the faith, and that you would bring somehow, as only you can, bring great good and glory to your name through this disaster.

And Lord, I pray that you would help us to trust you and to fear you, to be thankful for the fragile gift of life, and remember that every breath we breathe is a grace from you. We thank you for these things and ask that you would help us as we study your word together tonight.

We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. In Isaiah chapter 2, we are encouraged to consider a restart for the people of Israel. There is a new introduction. We've already had an introduction. We've already begun the book, and yet chapter 2 sounds like we're beginning it all over again, because that's exactly what Israel needs.

That's exactly what Jerusalem needs, a fresh start, a new beginning. Whereas God, through Isaiah, begins this prophetic work and addresses all of the problems in Jerusalem and Judea, and showcases all the ways that Israel is doing it wrong.

Chapter 2, we have another introduction to the book, and everything restarts, and then we see God saying, here's how I do things, and he gives us this vision of a restored Jerusalem. So, Isaiah chapter 2, beginning in verse 1, we'll read through verse 5.

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, now it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it.

Many people shall come and say, come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, and we will, and we shall walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord. So, in this section, the first five chapters of Isaiah, the question really is, what hope is there for rebellious children? What hope is there for Judah, Jerusalem, and those who live there, given how deeply they have broken covenant with God?

What is God supposed to do? And as they suffer under the judgment of God, what hope do they have of restoration? How will the promises of God be realized? Certainly not through an unfaithful covenant steward like Judah.

And hope is expressed in a variety of ways in these five chapters, and this vision parallels with the Lord's vineyard in chapter four, but here we're looking at the Lord's house. And so, we are encouraged to look at a mountain and its setting.

So, in verse two, there are six lines of poetry that are written as couplets, and it really bleeds into the very first part of verse three. And the first two lines introduce the setting, telling us the when and the what.

We are invited to consider the mountain of the Lord's house, that's the what, and the when is the latter days. So, here is the setting of the vision. And then the next two lines tell us the where. That this mountain of the Lord's house in the latter days, now where is it located?

Ah, it's established and exalted above all the other mountains and hills. And then the last two lines of this triple couplet tells us who. All nations shall flow to it, many people shall come and say.

And that should be surprising to Isaiah's audience. This should be surprising to the reader that, I mean, given verse one is saying, this is the word that Isaiah, the son of Amos, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

And verse five is saying, come Jacob, let's walk in the light of the Lord. So, it should be somewhat surprising for the reader to find here, many people from all nations are swarming up into Mount Zion, lightly exalted above mountains and hills.

Now, when we think of this exaltation of the mountain and the city, when we think about the exaltation of a city, the exaltation of a society, the exaltation of a culture, men seek to make a name for themselves, generally, by making their own name great.

So, in the plains of Shinar, humanity gathered together with their one world preservation project. We're going to build the tower of Babel. We're going to cover the sides with pitch, just like Noah did the ark, because we're not drowning again.

And we're going to save ourselves. And they built such a tall tower, God had to come down just to see it. And they wanted to make a name for themselves. They conspired, therefore, against God, who told them, I made you in my image, go make a name for me.

But men make much of their political strength. They make much of their economic strength. Men make much of their religious strength, political, economic, military, religious strength. And if you listen to politicians debating, they're just flashing their merit badges in all these different areas saying, I know the most about this.

I'm the best qualified for this. I've made a name for myself. And so they will pit their heap of boasting against one another. But I think the Apostle Paul might look at that boasting as just one fool boasting to another that his pile of dung is higher than the other fool's pile of dung.

And the reason why it's so foolish is that man is dependent upon God. Man only exists because God is gracious towards us. We don't get the next breath unless God provides it. We don't get the next day unless the Lord has arranged for it.

Man has no aseity. He's not self-existent. God is self-existent. He doesn't need us. But why do we need God in every possible way? Because man has no aseity. He has no glory in and of himself. There's no true glory in and of man.

Man was made to glorify God. And living for oneself is vanity, vanity, always vanity, as Solomon explained in Ecclesiastes. So when we look at how Judah and Jerusalem tried to exalt themselves, make a name for themselves, and they had their shrines throughout their city, and they tried to do everything they could to make their city the best, and they truly made it a horrible place.

But when we look at how God makes a city, how he exalts a nation, how he exalts a city, we should pay attention to what he's up to and how he brings glory to his own name. Now we think about the vision.

We have the what and the when and the who. And we have the where. But we have to make several interpretive calls at this point in this passage, this early in Isaiah. Because we read that it's in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains.

So we have to answer, what are these latter days? And we have to define those. And then we're going to give some consideration to Mount Zion because just how is all this limestone, dolomite, chalk, and marl going to be elevated up out of the ground and situated, not falling apart, mind you, in such a way that all the other mountains are placed underneath that mountain to support Mount Zion's weight and shape.

Is that what the passage is saying? So we're just going to call this a metaphor probably, right? We're going to call this a metaphor. This is not God saying, we're excavating Mount Zion, jacking it up to a certain height, and then we're going to take all the other mountains and arrange them just nicely underneath.

And then, you know, so now we have a new contender for Mount Everest. Something's going to be higher. Everest is there. K2 is there. We're going to put all those underneath. And then, is that what he's saying?

No, that's not what he's saying. So what's going on? Well, first of all, if we read through the Old Testament, we have that expression time and time again, the latter days, the latter days, the latter days.

You come to the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles say, welcome to the last days. But the latter days in Old Testament prophecy are consistently the days of Messiah. Hey, in the latter days, Messiah is going to show up.

And the latter days also are the days of Israel's decline. The latter days in Old Testament prophecy speak about Israel's decline, the trouble of Israel, but also the exaltation of Messiah. So in Numbers 24, when Balaam is giving his prophecy, he says, in the latter days you're going to see this star, this scepter, rise up and bring judgment against evil.

In Deuteronomy 4 and Deuteronomy 31, Moses promises the people of Israel that in the latter days, because of their disobedience against God, he's going to bring all the curses of the covenant upon them and destroy their city and their land, and they're going to taste the full wrath of God because of their covenant breaking.

He says that's going to happen in the latter days. Ezekiel 38 says that in latter days, there's going to be a grand assault in the waning, declining years of Israel. There's going to be an assault upon them.

Daniel 2, and the vision that Nebuchadnezzar has and Daniel interprets about a rock falling from heaven and destroying the statue of man, of all of the man-made empires, he says that's going to be the latter days.

So that's what we're talking about. We're talking about in the latter days are the days of Israel's decline and the Messiah's revelation and exaltation. And Daniel even gives a calendar in Daniel chapter 9 where he says, you know, here's the calendar, here's how many years it's going to be, and in the latter part of those years, Messiah's week is going to happen.

So that's what this is looking at. So it's in the latter days, in the days of Israel's decline and judgment, which Isaiah is going to have a lot about to talk about that particular judgment, but also it's also in the days of Messiah's exaltation.

That's how this is going to come about. And you can read broadly in that, but when we think about the mountain, Mount Zion is... We need to understand what mountains are. Why are mountains always showing up in the Bible?

Mountains were understood as the intersections of heaven and earth. It's where heaven and earth meet. The religious and political centers for many nations in Isaiah's context were mountains. One mountain pit against another mountain.

People worshiped on mountains and they warred from mountains. When nations went to war, it was one mountain versus another mountain. They would pit God against God and army against army. And so in this, saying that there's a mountain above all the other mountains is another way of saying there's a king of kings.

There's a lord of lords. There is authority above all the other authorities. And there is one God who arranges this so that the worship of Him, all nations will be brought to peace when they all worship Him.

Now at the beginning of Isaiah chapter 1, God calls heaven and earth as witnesses against Jerusalem and Judah. And they were called upon in the formation of the covenant at Mount Sinai, but now they are called as witnesses because God is holding court.

Where does God hold court if you're a Jew, if you're an Israelite, and you've been to Jerusalem? Where does God hold court? Where's His throne room? It's in the temple. It's in the temple. The mercy seat is a seat.

It's a throne. It's God's throne on earth. And He is seated. His throne is in the throne room, which is the holy of holies in the temple. So He's holding court on Mount Zion, and He calls heaven and earth as witnesses.

This fits metaphorically in their worldview because, hey, if you're on a mountain, heaven and earth are both accessible witnesses. You're at the intersection. Call them both. Creation is defined by heaven and earth.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And the image of God was placed at their intersection on Mount Eden. Eden was on a mountain, right? Genesis 2 .10, a river came out of Eden that became four rivers and then watered the entirety of the earth.

Water flows downhill. One river turned into four, and it flowed out of Eden. It didn't flow uphill. Water flows downhill. So the covenants that God made invoke heaven and earth and are made on the mountains.

Covenant with Noah, in Mount Ararat. Covenant with Abraham, Mount Moriah. Covenant with Israel, Mount Sinai. Covenant with David, Mount Zion. All the covenants that God made were always on mountains, intersection of heaven and earth.

And so, when we just finish reading in Isaiah chapter 1, that Mount Zion and Jerusalem are all going to be consumed in fire, and there's a passing away of that whole order of things, then there's going to be a need for a new one.

There's going to be a need for a new one. This is why the mountain of the Lord's house needs to be established and exalted in the latter days. There's going to be, before the end of those days, before the end of the latter days, before the clock runs out on the old covenant, before that happens, there's going to be an establishment and exaltation of Zion.

And to this new Zion, we're being told in this vision, to this new Zion, to this new city, to this new temple, to this new covenant, many from all the nations are going to flow. They're going to come into that new mountain.

They're going to come into that new city. They're going to come to that new house of the Lord. So many from all the nations will flow into this new arrangement. Well, that's the person and work of Jesus Christ.

That's what he accomplishes. Here's an example from Zechariah chapter 8. In Zechariah chapter 8 and verse 3, thus says the Lord, I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Why did he leave?

Well, there was, you know, there was judgment. There was a vacating. Ezekiel chose the departure of the glory of God, Ichabod. The Spirit of God departs from Jerusalem. The Spirit of God departs and leaves by the east gate, crosses the Kidron Valley, and departs off the Mount of Olives.

And it's the exact same path Jesus took when he left the temple after declaring judgment on it. And he crossed the Kidron Valley and he walked up to the Mount of Olives and then declared that the whole place was going to be destroyed.

But God promises in Zechariah 8 verse 3, I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the city of truth, the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. Where did Zechariah get that idea?

Well, he gets the idea also from Isaiah. And, of course, Micah also repeated Isaiah's vision. And Daniel preached the same vision, the mountain of the holy mountain of God. So this is a theme. Well, what about this holy mountain?

What about this city? Zechariah 8 verses 20 through 23. Here's the vision. Thus says the Lord of hosts, peoples shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities. Sounds like Isaiah 2, all the nations coming up into this city.

Peoples yet shall come, inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, let us continue to go and pray before the Lord and seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.

Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. So that's the very same idea that we have in Isaiah chapter 2. In the latter days, the mountain of the Lord's house should be established top of the mountain, should be exalted above the hills, and all nations will flow to it.

Many peoples shall come. They're like, come on everybody, let's go. Well, verse 23, how do they know the way to get there? Especially since we're talking about a mountain that's metaphorical. This is not a limestone mountain sitting on top of K2 Mount Everest.

This is a metaphorical mountain. How do you find a metaphorical mountain? Someone's gonna have to tell you how to find it. Well, verse 23 tells you. Zechariah, thus says the Lord of hosts, in those days, ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

Who's that Jewish man? That's Jesus Christ. That's Jesus of Nazareth. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except by me, he says. Grab hold of Jesus, follow the Lamb wherever he goes.

He's the one who takes us to Mount Zion, which is why in Hebrews chapter 12 it says, if you have come to Jesus, you have come to Mount Zion. Right? How do you end up at Mount Zion? Because you have come to Jesus.

That's how. So, this is the essential hope that's being talked about. So, let's look at Hebrews 12 just briefly. In Hebrews 12, verses 18 through 29, offer us a contrast between two different mountains.

Mountains are important. Mountains are the intersections of heaven and earth. Heaven and earth is important because that represents all of creation. Creation fell because of the sin of one man, but creation is made anew by the righteousness of the other one man, who is the last Adam, Jesus Christ.

And all the covenants that were made on mountains pointed forward to that. So, Hebrews 12, verse 18, and this is again, I think this is Paul preaching, Luke transcribing, special message for the Jews in the synagogues, turning to Christ, those who have come to Christ.

Hebrews 12, verse 18, for you have not come to the mountain that may be touched. Right? So, you've not come to a mountain that can be touched, and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest.

Now, that's all a description of what happened back there in Exodus. Read Exodus 19 and so on. And the sound of a trumpet and the voice of word, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.

For they could not endure what was commanded, and if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it should be stoned or shot with an arrow. The guys that went and toured Mount Sinai, you know, their videography is great.

You know, the whole top of the mountain is black, just completely black, stoned on top, just turned to glass. And the rock there is there that was split. Massive water lines, erosion of water all the way around.

Nobody had water around, but there was water there. It's all over the place. They also found stones that were set along out on the outside of the perimeter of the mountain, and they have no idea why it's there, but it seemed logical, like maybe they put those stones there and said, nobody go past this.

But it was a terrifying thing. Terrifying. Moses was terrified. Verse 21, and so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I'm exceedingly afraid and trembling, but you have come to Mount Zion. Okay, so all right, so Christians, you've not come to a mountain that can't be touched.

Nothing wrong with taking a pilgrimage to Mount Zion or to Mount Sinai and go see these places that are still there. But what's our hope? Verse 22, you have not, but you have come to Mount Zion. This is in contrast to coming to a mountain that can be touched.

This is in contrast to that. This is not a mountain that can be touched. This is the metaphorical mountain of Isaiah 2. You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.

Do you hear that? This is the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. For context, in chapter 11 of Hebrews, this is the city that Abraham sought for, a city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

So you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, who are registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus.

You have come to Jesus. You have come to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, which means this is the new covenant Jerusalem. This is the new covenant Mount Zion, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

Abel's blood cried out from the ground. Where is justice? Where is justice? Where is justice? The blood of Jesus cries out. It is finished. It is finished. It is finished. Welcome to the new covenant.

So verse 25 concludes, see that you do not refuse him who speaks, for if they did not escape who refused him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven.

This is the main theme of Hebrews, speaking to Jews. Don't go back. Don't go back. There's nothing there for you. Whose voice then shook the earth, but now he is promised, saying, yet once more I shake not only the earth but also heaven, quoting Haggai.

And Haggai's context talking about the rebuilding of the temple, in Haggai chapter 2, God says that he's going to shake the whole empire to make sure that this temple gets rebuilt, but then goes past any prospect of that temple to talk about the glorious temple that he has in view.

And so everything has to, so there's going to be a shaking of things so that something, so that what is unshakable remains. So he says, verse 27, now this one yet once more indicates the removal of those things that are shaken as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

So the mountain that can be touched can be shaken, and the heaven and the earth, the orderly system, the ordered adornment of the old covenant, that could be shaken. But there are things that cannot be shaken that remains, and that is a kingdom.

Verse 28, therefore since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire. So later on in Isaiah 51, verses 6 through 8, God says, heavens and the earth are getting old, wore out, they're going to pass away, goodbye heavens and earth.

Like, well, that's a problem, you know. But he says, no worries, we're going to make a new heaven and new earth, and I lay the foundation for it. I'll plant the seed of it. So the old is going to pass away, but there's going to be a new.

There's an old, there's an ordered arrangement that's going to pass away, but there's a new ordered arrangement that cannot be shaken that is coming to pass. And that's what this metaphorical mountain is, it's the new arrangement.

The mountain of the Lord's house in the old covenant, everybody knew what that was, that was Mount Zion, and everybody knew what kind of rocks were there, and the path you had to take to get up there, and everybody knew that the temple was there, that was the Lord's house, and it was made with these amazing stones, and it was beautified, and there was all sorts of wonderful things there.

But the mountain of the Lord's house in the latter days, established on the top of the mountains, exalted above the hills, and all nations flowing to it, that's a mountain that cannot be shaken. And that is a mountain, as Daniel says from the interpretation of the vision, that not only smashes in and undoes the world empires of men, but it grows and it spreads to fill the entirety of the earth.

Why is that important? Because it's all the nations coming in, all the nations coming in, so that the kingdom is filled with people from all, every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. Which is why in Zechariah chapter 2, the young man in the vision, he's running with his measuring stick, and he's going to go measure and get ready to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and the prophet says, stop, no, no walls, too many people to contain, there won't be, we're not going to have a population limit like we had before, it's going to be too much, it's going to be too big.

So all men are called to exalt Christ, all men are called to submit to his rule and reign, as some will uselessly cry havoc against the Savior, some will kiss his ring and enjoy his embrace. Psalm 2 sets that out.

So the nations are coming to Zion, and these are Christ's sheep being brought into one fold with one shepherd, and then next time as we continue through verse 3, 4, and 5, we'll see not just this intersection of heaven and earth, but we'll see the instruction that comes from Mount Zion, and we'll see the intervention that God brings to bring peace, where you have those swords and spears being beaten into harvest or agrarian equipment, and then we'll look at that invitation in verse 5 of Jacob being invited to come along.

All right, let's turn our attention to prayer.