The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
One of the first things that strikes me when I read Isaiah chapter 2 is the potent language used in describing what God is going to do specifically with Jerusalem and Judah as well as the world at large. As I described in my first post, dissecting passages such as this one feels strange to me, because it is simply unlike any other Biblical genre that I am comfortable interpreting. In spite of this, there are several points in this chapter that I find noteworthy and theologically rich.
1) The house of the Lord is established as a place of peace and justice.
In the first four verses of the chapter, an interesting theological assertion is brought forth; namely, that the God of Israel is interested in being a “judge between the nations” and in arbitrating “for many peoples” (v. 4). The mountain of the Lord, the house of the God of Jacob, is prophesied as a place of instruction and justice for all. In fact, it is even suggested that weapons of war will be changed into instruments of peace (the sword to a plowshare, the spear into a pruning hook), and the nations will no longer war with each other as a result of the justice and arbitration of the Lord. The Lord is a God of justice and peace, even for all the nations that are not Israel.
2) Israel has been unfaithful in its charge to be a light to the nations.
The prophet makes it clear that Israel has “forsaken the ways” of which its people should be upholding. Their land is full of treasures, weapons of war, and idols.
3) Because of their unfaithfulness, the Lord will humble the proud.
This is an important theme in the duration of the book, particularly the first arc (the first 39 chapters). This importance cannot be stressed enough for several reasons. The charges leveled against the proud in these early chapters are largely directed at the Israelites themselves, not foreign nations. It should be noted, judgment upon foreign nations that ignore the will of Yahweh also shows up in the prophetic literature.
In viewing passages like Isaiah 2, I am struck by a large movement in the prophetic literature of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel; namely, that God opposes all who are proud, ignore the needs of the marginalized, and do not practice justice. God does not play favorites! This is a mistake that many first century Jews made during Jesus’ ministry, they simply assumed that because they were God’s chosen people, He would only judge the foreign nations who opposed them, but overlook their own sins. This is simply not the case, the ushering in of God’s Kingdom is good news for many peoples. This theme plays heavily when Jesus reads from Isaiah 61:1-2 at the outset of his ministry, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me, to bring good news to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners…To comfort all who mourn.” God, give us eyes to catch our own pride and arrogance, and give us a humble spirit and love for those who need.
