Isaiah 2: The Mountain & Day of the Lord

• v.1-5 Jerusalem to be exalted in the last days (Prophecy)
• v.6-8 The State of the Land (Prayer)
• v.9-22 The Coming Judgment – the Day of the Lord (Prayer & Prophecy)

[Preliminary Comment: This chapter looks at both the present and the long-term future. Verses 2-4 are prophecy of what will happen in ‘the last days’, Jerusalem being exalted above all else as a place of worship to God. But the tragedy is that present-day Israel (Judah) is full of affluence but empty of spiritual life and so in v.6-9 Isaiah prays to the Lord, acknowledging its state. The back half of the chapter (v.10-22) is prophecy declaring what will happen when the Lord deals with the land. The ‘day of the Lord’ can mean a day in the near future or The Day when He brings judgment when His Son returns]

v.1-5 Jerusalem to be exalted in the last days (Prophecy)

v.1 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

v.2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

v.3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

v.4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

v.5 Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

[Notes: Isaiah’s next vision about Judah & Jerusalem reveals the place of God’s worship on earth will be greater than any other (false) worship on earth and many people will come seeking Him. He will reign in nations and peace will come. So, this is a call to come to this Lord.]

v.6-8 The State of the Land (Prayer)

v.6 You, Lord, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs.

v.7 Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots.

v.8 Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.

[Notes: For the present God seems to have stepped away because of the folly of His people. Materially they are well off but they are also foolishly idolatrous.]

v.9-22 The Coming Judgment – the Day of the Lord (Prayer & Prophecy)

v.9,10 Prayer & Warning

v.9 So people will be brought low and everyone humbled— do not forgive them.

v.10 Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty!

v.11-16 Warning of what will come against the proud & haughty

v.11 The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

v.12 The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled),
v.13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan,
v.14 for all the towering mountains and all the high hills,
v.15 for every lofty tower and every fortified wall,
v.16 for every trading ship and every stately vessel.

[Notes: The prophet calls to the Lord [v.9], and then to the people [v.10], warning them that God will deal with the proud [v.11,12] so everything that signifies strength will be humbled [v13], everything that signifies might will be humbled [v.14], everything that speaks of security will be brought down [v.15] and everything that signifies business security will fall [v.16].

v.17,18 The nature of the purifying

v.17 The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
v.18 and the idols will totally disappear.

[Notes: Pride will be brought down as God is exalted, and idolatry will be removed.]

v.19-22 What will happen to the people, and a challenge

v.19 People will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.

v.20 In that day people will throw away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship.

v.21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.

v.22 Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?

[Notes: When the Lord comes, fear will make the ungodly and unrighteous flee and people will abandon the idols they have relied on as they will hide from the Lord’s greatness. So, wise up, stop trusting in weak humans.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: