How good is your vision – not just any vision but your night vision? How well do you see in the dark?
I used to wonder a bit when Dad would indicate that he didn't like to drive at night anymore. Why would he say such a thing? Well, now that I'm getting older, I don't wonder about it anymore, because I've found out that my night vision isn't what it used to be. How's your night vision? How well do you see in the dark?
Even if you're young and have strong eyes, would you seek to drive your car at full speed on a moonless night without any headlights? You can't see the road; you can't see where you are going; and you can't tell if any obstacles lie in your path in the dark. Would you dare to drive so recklessly? Perhaps, but only if you're a crazy risk-taker. Such behavior would probably end in disaster for you and those who are with you.
Yet people do it all the time - in a different way - because people who live without the Lord Jesus in their lives are like people who seek to drive their car at full speed on a moonless night without using their headlights! That behavior will end in disaster. Destructive lives headed for eternal destruction.
In the midst of darkness, people are looking for light that guides - guides the soul, not the car. Sadly, many false lights shine out and receive attention. They shine for a while. But soon such false lights go out for they have no power to save, and they leave the soul in deeper darkness than before.
For us who by the grace of God are living in the light of the saving Gospel, how sad it is to see such darkness and how maddening it is to see such false lights! We know that God alone is the Giver of light and that Christ is the Light of the world. We confess with the psalmist, “With you, O Lord, is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light” (36:9). God has given us life and light in Christ. Then, dear Christian, Come, as Isaiah bids in our text; Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord. I. That light draws us to His mountain; and II That light guides us into peace.
I. That light draws us to His mountain.
Our text began, “In the last days the mountain of the Lord's
temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many people will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.'”
What is “the mountain” of which the prophet speaks? To answer that let me first ask you a different question. Which is the chief mountain in the world? And why?
Most people, even if they haven't studied a lot of geography, would probably answer somewhat readily: “Why, Mount Everest, of course?” Why would they say that?
They'd say that because Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world at a height of some 29,002 ft above sea level. That would be almost 5 ½ miles above us. No other mountain is that high. Because of its height, risk-takers are drawn to it to see if they can scale its heights. Many die trying. Yet, others continue to be drawn to it. It's an impressive, fear-inspiring peak from that standpoint. No wonder many consider it the most prominent mountain in the world.
But God doesn't consider it that way. To Him “the mountain of the Lord's temple” is much more prominent because of what He has done there.
Now you've got to put yourselves into the shoes of the people who first heard this to understand the prophet's implications. Most of the people who first heard these words of Isaiah were familiar, not with Mt. Everest, but with the mountains around the city of Jerusalem. They are very similar in height to our Ozarks. Jerusalem itself was built on the most prominent one, Mt. Zion. And that's where the temple was found with the Ark of the Covenant that symbolized God's redeeming presence with His people. That's where the sacrifices that atoned for their sins were given. That's where His grace flowed to them. So, for God and believers, the mountain of Gods' temple, Zion, was a most beautiful place.
Soon Zion became a name for the temple itself; it also became a name for the people of God who worshiped Him there. And in the later books of the Bible, it's used as a name for heaven. In other words, Zion is the place where a holy God dwells in grace with sinners whom He has redeemed to Himself. The light of salvation draws them to Him , and they joyfully live in Him.
For us today, as long as we are in this world and not in heaven, we would call it the Church, the holy Christian Church, the
Communion of Saints. It's the place where God graciously dwells with us and we live in Him during these last days before He returns. It's not necessarily a building, like this, but the place where He abides with His people and through the Savior cleanses them from their sin. Concerning that the Lord Jesus said: “Wherever two or three come together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Gather around His Word, read your devotions, rejoice in the Gospel through Word and sacrament in the worship service, and you're walking with Him in the light. But neglect that Word, stay away from worship, and you're floundering in darkness.
Such reckless floundering is like driving your car at full speed on a moonless night without any headlights. If you wouldn't drive that way with your car, why would you do it with your soul? So it is that Isaiah calls, Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord. “ Come, let us go up to the mountain of His temple.” It's our shelter in this world of sin, and the place of promise where the light of His redeeming grace draws us to Him.
In Isaiah's time, as the people approached Jerusalem, the temple stood out before them. It was built at the highest point of Mt. Zion, so it gleamed at them from a distance, inspired awe and reverence within them, and beckoned them to it. So God's Church, where the message of salvation in Christ shines to drive away the darkness of sin, so it draws us . And not only us, but people all around the world, from China, Japan, Indonesia, Africa, Brazil, America, etc – streaming! What an uplifting sight in these latter days. To them all Isaiah invites, Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord. That light draws us to Him and it…
II. …guides us into peace.
Isaiah continued, “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.”
These are beautiful words from Isaiah. It's possible that you might even see them as some Christmas card greeting over the next several weeks. They are descriptive words of peace in the Lord. But they have often been misused.
False teachers have used them to imagine a time of universal peace here on earth where planting, and building, and harvesting takes the place of war and bloodshed. But such a promise of secular
peace on earth has never been given to us by God. In fact the very opposite is true. Until the end He said we will hear of “wars and rumors of wars,” “kingdoms rising against kingdoms; and nations against nations.” There will be “distress” instead of peace as the world hurriedly heads for its appointed time with God, its Judge, at the end. The world can't give lasting peace.
But Christ can and does - to the soul. Just before His death He promised His disciples, “My peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives” (Jn.14:27). Then, after His resurrection, He said it again when He told them all, “Peace be with you.”
The world talks about peace one minute; but then, it takes it away the next. And it will continue that way until the end. Jesus said so. No wonder people long for peace so much.
And in the midst of such longing it can be found. Not in the nations of the world, for they lie in darkness. Where then? Isaiah responds, “On the mountain of the Lord's temple. Let us go to it.”
There is only one kingdom that exists today, in the past, and will continue to exist into the future until Christ returns where peace is always found. That kingdom is Christ's Church where the Gospel is preached. There, in the light of His Word, salvation guides the soul into peace . It's the peace of sins forgiven and the hope of heaven.
What were the words that were spoken years later, long after Isaiah left the scene, when old Simeon held the Christ-child in his arms in the temple at Jerusalem? Seeing the Christ, His Savior from sin, Simeon sang, “O Lord, You now dismiss Your servant in peace, for mine eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared in the sight of all people.” What was it that the angels sang the night Jesus was born? “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace.” Peace found in a Savior. And the Light of the Lord guides us to Him – it guides many nations from “the mountain of the Lord's temple.” It's a peace you can live and give to others
This is a most exciting thing to see with the eyes of faith, people all over the world streaming into God's church, guided by the Gospel. Hearts touched by the gospel so that those who once dwelt in darkness, now live in light; those who were enemies now live in peace; those among the insignificant now dwell in prominence – all in the Savior. In the joy of seeing this all take place, believers, like Isaiah, invite all who can hear, Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord. God grant it in our lives of faith for Jesus' sake. Amen.