Isaiah 2:1-5 (NRSV)
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Chapter 2The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Verse 2In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Verse 3Many 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 instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Verse 4He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; 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 any more. Verse 5O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Devotion
In days to come, the prophet says as he passes on his captivating vision of the Lord's word of promise. It's all about anticipation and an invitation to share in the ways of peace that the Lord has in store for all peoples. Twice the prophet calls, "Come, let us go!" The invitation bears repeating, and it implies an RSVP. Part of the gift of our humanity is the ability to imagine a future and to hope. But also included is a sense of history and along with it a recollection of past disappointments. So how will we respond to the Lord’s invitation and the prophet’s vision? How will we greet the coming Advent with its promise of the Lord’s new future? Will we respond with a jaded ho-hum; or will we be awakened once again by the prophet's excitement of what the Lord has in store for us in the "days to come?"
Prayer
O Lord, our hope, open our ears and our hearts once again to receive the wondrous vision of that light and peace which you have in store for all your creation. Lift our hearts to respond in joy to your invitation to "Come." Amen.