The Mountain of the Lord’s House
Sermon Series: “All the Families of the Earth” - pt. 13
Scripture Passage: Isaiah 2:1-5
Big Idea: God’s supremacy demands our submission.
In 1920 the jubilee quartet from Fisk University recorded an old spiritual song called “Down by the Riverside.” Since that time it has gone through many recordings and appears on numerous soundtracks. The song envisioned a future time of peace when people will lay their weapons to the side and no longer train for war. This classic spiritual set the imagery of Isaiah 2:1-5 into song. After blistering Israel with a comprehensive indictment of their sin which had infected every part of their lives including their worship, God flashed hope into their hearts as Isaiah told of a future time of peace and justice. What was unexpected in this vision of peace and justice was the inclusion of the nations in that final Divine rule. As we study Isaiah 2:1-5, three thoughts will help us come to the big idea, God’s supremacy demands our submission. After stating each thought, we will supply a main word to aid with memory.
Three thoughts about God’s supremacy…
1. Supremacy: Everyone will recognize God’s supremacy. (2)
In his vision Isaiah saw the future. “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills (2).” He started his description of the vision he received from God with a time designation,“In the last days.” While there is no definite time frame given, we know that it was in the future from the time of Isaiah’s writing. At this future time “the mountain of the Lord’s house” will stand at the top of the mountains. Mountains provide a helpful image because of their wide visibility. For Isaiah, God’s future global visibility would stand in contrast to His seeming present invisibility to the people of Israel.
Israel had devolved spiritually to the point that they had all but forgotten God. Isaiah started his book with a scathing indictment of Israel, “God’s people,” who lived like the ways of God were utterly foreign to their minds. Isaiah 1 logged God’s complaints. His children had rebelled (1:2). They did not know God or His ways (1:3). In their iniquity they abandoned and despised God as they turned their backs on Him (1:4). They ignored all God’s disciplinary intervention (1:5-9). Their sinful living voided any religious display rendering them separated from the Living God (1:10-15).
Do not lose yourself in calculations of distance above sea level. This imagery pertains to the recognition of God’s supremacy, not the height of a physical mountain. Mountain imagery for God’s character is nothing new. One of the songs of Korah in Psalm 48 reads, “The Lord is great and highly praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, 2 rising splendidly, is the joy of the whole earth. Mount Zion—the summit of Zaphon—is the city of the great King. 3 God is known as a stronghold in its citadels (Psalm 48.1-3).” God’s holy mountain symbolized the reality of God’s exalted reign over the whole earth.
Isaiah’s concern was not that at a future date the house of the Lord would be established in the highest mountain. Jerusalem sits atop a mountain. This causes the language of Scripture to say things like, “Let’s go up to the house of the Lord.” Jerusalem rests at about 2,575 feet above sea level. Mount Olympus in Greece, is 9,572 feet above sea level at its highest peak. Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, is the highest peak in Africa at 19,341 feet above sea level. Mount Everest, in Tibet, is the highest point on earth at 29,031 feet above sea level. Isaiah’s point was not that Jerusalem, Mount Zion, would grow in height, but that the recognition of Israel’s God would grow around the world.
People who live at the foot of a mountain do not wonder where the mountain is. In Almaty, Kazakhstan, our city sat at the base of a mountain range. You could orient yourself as to where you were in the city by finding the mountains. Isaiah foresaw a day coming when the world would no longer live in ignorance of God’s glory. People from all nations would not be able to avoid the recognition of God’s glory because it would stand in front of them like Olympus, Kilimanjaro, or Everest soaring into the sky.
2. Search: All nations will stream toward God. (2b-4)
Another thought about this passage and its global focus is that the nations will surge toward God. While the nations of the earth formerly knew nothing about the One True God, at this future time, their hearts will draw them to chase after their Creator and Redeemer. Notice how Isaiah painted this picture… “All nations will stream to it, 3 and many peoples will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths.” For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He will settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war (2-4).” Our immediate focus should be on that verb, “stream” or “flow.” We already see the imagery that the House of the Lord rests high on a mountain. Within this imagery the nations flowing to God would be flowing uphill. This imagery is not accidental but emphasizes the supernatural nature of this new impulse found among the people of the nations.
No individual or group of people decide on their own merit to come to God. People are sinful and are fundamentally unworthy of God’s presence in any form but anger. Only when God works in sinful people, draws them to Himself, and reorients their desires do we find people pursuing God. This last phrase of verse 2 stresses the broad nature of God’s work. He reaches beyond Israel and claims for Himself people from every nation. As the nations approach God we see that their new interest causes them to seek God’s intervention in two ways.
Instruction Formerly pagan people must relearn basic life lessons from the vantage point of their new found life. In order to follow Christ, they must learn what Christ demands. What are they to stop doing? What are they to start doing? How should they relate to people? Why does God make these demands? In order for the nations to successfully reorient their lives they must have God’s instruction.
New believers need instruction. Isaiah clarified, “...He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths.” For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (3).” God’s salvation cleanses anyone from any background through repentance and faith. Their justification before God is immediate, but their transformation into the image of Christ is gradual. They must learn the ways of God so that they can obey His demands. It is in this process that they will develop renewed minds and transformed lives (Romans 12:1-2).
Part of the new life in Christ is not only learning the ways of God, but passing that knowledge to the next generation. While Moses was addressing the nation of Israel in Deuteronomy 6, the counsel of the passage applies across all cultures. Remember the words of the Shema, “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one., 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead., 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).” No matter what a new believer’s background, their new life should involve the normal and daily thoughts about and discussions of God’s Word.
One remarkable realization about God’s Gospel is that no matter what your background, you are only one generation away from changing the spiritual trajectory of your family. There are people who grew up in another religion, as God transforms them, their children can experience the knowledge of the Gospel from an early age. There are people who struggled against abuse, as God transforms them, their children can experience the knowledge of the Gospel from an early age. There are people who fight addiction, as God transforms them, their children can experience the knowledge of the Gospel from an early age. No matter what the shape of spiritual warfare looked like for you, by God’s grace your children will never experience life without the knowledge of the Gospel.
Justice During God’s reign the nations will also experience justice. Isaiah wrote, “He will settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war (4).” There are wars and rivalries all over the world that involve histories and circumstances so complex that the normal mind would explode. Think of the complexities related to the strife between Israel and Palestine. One can build a case from either perspective. Similar intricacy exists between Ukraine and Russia, race relations in the United States and many other nations, as well as disputes between poor and wealthy all over the world.
In our culture of division, twenty-four hour news cycles, talk radio, and podcasts, it is popular to pile evidence for one side of an argument while dismissing other evidence. Often, people of well meaning motives attempt to exert justice for one group or perspective only to realize that their actions have caused injustice from another perspective. As frail and imperfect humanity, we can only try to work for the “greatest common good.”
God is a judge like no human being. He is the great judge because he possesses all knowledge, perfect wisdom, purely righteous motives, ultimate authority, and irresistible power. God will settle disputes and provide perfectly just arbitration. Because He knows all the facts, it will be impossible to deceive Him. Because of His wisdom He will unravel the deepest entanglements of opposing sides. In perfect righteousness He will be incorruptible through manipulation or bribery. Holding all authority, no one will be out of His jurisdiction. Because of God’s omnipotence, He will be able to enforce His decisions without fear of defeat.
There cannot truly be peace until justice arrives for everyone. With God’s reign the nations will experience justice to the level never before witnessed. Ultimately, the result of God’s justice will be peace. Isaiah’s imagery of peace, envisioned a time when war would be so far out of the experience of the people that they would turn their weapons into farming tools. No longer would there be a need for standing armies or even the study of military strategy. War will not be a future possibility, only a memory of life in the dark.
3. Submission: Our present lives should reflect this future reality. (5)
Those who know the future should live in view of that knowledge. Isaiah urged full submission for God’s people. He wrote, “ House of Jacob, come and let’s walk in the Lord’s light (5).” Had the people of Israel followed Isaiah’s counsel they would have taken seriously their role as God's model for the nations. There will be a day when God makes all things right and serves justice throughout the world.
Considerations:
How should the knowledge of God’s future rule impact your life now? If we live by the light of God’s truth, we will find ourselves treating others with greater respect. We will give more time to learning the ways of God so that His character shines through in everything we do. In anticipation of God’s rule, we should live in submission to Him now. Paul exulted in God’s victory, “For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).” There will be a future time when everyone will bow before Christ, but only those who submit to Him now will experience His grace and mercy.
Have you submitted to God’s rule through repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ? Do you live as someone who knows how the world will end? Those who have the light of God’s truth would be foolish to continue walking in the dark. Live by the ways of God, promoting real justice and recognizing God’s authority in all parts of life.
Conclusion…
We have considered God’s supremacy, the nations search for God and His ways, and the submission that each person owes to God. The only future aspect to God’s rule is its universal recognition. God already rules as creator and sovereign Lord over the world. All that is left is for each person to presently submit to Him or rebel against Him. Those who submit now will enjoy the Kingdom of God as citizens for all eternity. Those who refuse to submit to God’s rule now will meet God as judge rather than experience Him as Savior and Father.
Final Thought… Our knowledge of the future should influence our conduct in the present.
by Dr. David Outlaw, November 16, 2025 at Mt View Baptist Church.