"The Highest of All Mountains"
Nov. 26, 2019
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and 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 the law, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and 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 anymore. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.
—Isaiah 2:1-5 (ESV)
The city of Jerusalem is built in the middle of several mountains—hills, really, we could call them, at least in comparison with mountains like the Rockies or the Sierra Madre. They are not particularly tall. For example, we have the Mount of Olives (2,710 ft./826 m. above sea level); Mount Moriah (2,428 ft./740 m.); Mount Scopus (2,710 ft. / 826 m.); and so forth. This is clearly not flat land, but it seems like a real stretch to say, "the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains." And it's even odder to talk about all the people of the world flowing to that mountain, since we all know things flow downhill!
Of course, Isaiah is speaking symbolically. And yet the real things he is describing are even more incredible, even less likely to happen—at least as far as human opinion goes. He says that people from around the world will seek out Israel's God, that they will listen to Him and obey Him. He even says there will be no more war.
How can these things be true? Jesus Himself tells us, when He is talking to His disciples just before His death. He says, "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself." The Gospel writer John explains that Jesus said this "to show by what kind of death He was going to die" (John 12:31-33).
What Jesus said came true. He was indeed lifted up—nailed to a cross, lifted up on a small hill called Golgotha outside the gates of Jerusalem. Israel's God willingly chose to suffer and die for His people—and not just for the people of Israel, but for all the people of the world, including you and me. By his suffering and death, He destroyed the power that sin, death, and the devil held over the whole human race. And by His resurrection He brought to us everlasting life, a free gift to everyone who trusts in Him, everyone who will take this gift from His hands.
We have lived to see Jesus' words come true, haven't we? Over the past 2,000 years, Jesus has drawn all people to Himself. He continues to draw us to Himself in faith today. And the people of the world are flowing to Him—people from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and even your own neighborhoods. The hill of His cross has become the highest, and the Word of the Lord has gone out to bring life to the whole world. Thanks be to God for His wonderful miracle!
THE PRAYER: Lord, please bring many more people to faith in You from around the world, and use me as You see best so that people will come to trust in You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- What is the highest mountain you have visited? Did you climb it?
- When is another time you have seen God take something small and make it great?
- How could you help a friend find out about Jesus' love?
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
What is the highest mountain you have visited? Did you climb it?
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