FIRE AND GLORY

Passage: Isaiah 1:24-2:4

Key verse: 1:27

NIV

24 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    the Mighty One(A) of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
    and avenge(B) myself on my enemies.(C)
25 I will turn my hand against you;[a](D)
    I will thoroughly purge(E) away your dross(F)
    and remove all your impurities.(G)
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old,(H)
    your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called(I)
    the City of Righteousness,(J)
    the Faithful City.(K)”

27 Zion will be delivered with justice,
    her penitent(L) ones with righteousness.(M)
28 But rebels and sinners(N) will both be broken,
    and those who forsake(O) the Lord will perish.(P)

29 “You will be ashamed(Q) because of the sacred oaks(R)
    in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens(S)
    that you have chosen.
30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves,(T)
    like a garden without water.
31 The mighty man will become tinder
    and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
    with no one to quench the fire.(U)”

The Mountain of the Lord(V)

2 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:(W)

2 In the last days(X)

the mountain(Y) of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;(Z)
it will be exalted(AA) above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.(AB)

3 Many peoples(AC) will come and say,

“Come, let us go(AD) up to the mountain(AE) 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(AF) will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.(AG)
4 He will judge(AH) between the nations
    and will settle disputes(AI) for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.(AJ)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,(AK)
    nor will they train for war anymore.

Footnotes
  1. Isaiah 1:25 That is, against Jerusalem
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

24 Therefore the (A)Lord declares,
    the Lord of hosts,
    the (B)Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
    (C)and avenge myself on my foes.
25 (D)I will turn my hand against you
    and will smelt away your (E)dross as with lye
    and remove all your alloy.
26 And I will restore your judges (F)as at the first,
    and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward (G)you shall be called the city of righteousness,
    the faithful city.”

27 (H)Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
    and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 (I)But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,
    and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 (J)For they[a] shall be ashamed of (K)the oaks
    that you desired;
and you shall blush for (L)the gardens
    that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be (M)like an oak
    whose leaf withers,
    and like a garden without water.
31 And the strong shall become (N)tinder,
    and his work a spark,
and both of them shall burn together,
    with (O)none to quench them.

The Mountain of the Lord

2 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 (P)It shall come to pass in the latter days
    that (Q)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 (R)all the nations shall flow to it,
3     and (S)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 (T)out of Zion shall go forth the law,[b]
    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
    and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
(U)and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
(V)nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war anymore.

Footnotes
  1. Isaiah 1:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts you
  2. Isaiah 2:3 Or teaching
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

 

God’s wrath is often described as a consuming fire. We also think of hell as a fiery pit of endless torment for the wicked. This may make us fear that God will destroy us for any and every mistake. But the fire of God is a refining, purifying fire. It is a saving fire that restores and saves the oppressed and contrite in heart. It leads to justice and righteousness. God wants to heal and restore, not traumatize his people. We should examine our hearts if it has a right view of God.

The vision of God’s reign in the last days is of the mountain of the LORD’s temple as the highest of mountains. All nations will flock to the LORD’s temple, where, “The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” Weapons of war and conflict will be turned into tools for cultivation. There will be justice and peace. What comes from the mountain is beyond words and rituals. It is truth, grace, and awe in God’s majesty.

Prayer: Father, purify our hearts and our lands, and renew us to see the majesty of your kingdom on high. Give us a heart of justice, righteousness, and peace.

One Word: Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord