Isaiah 2: Things are Messy, Not Messianic -- 2019/09/16

Rev. Nathan Meador, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 2. Isaiah’s introductory chapter looks out on the wastes of Judah following Assyria’s siege of Jerusalem. Isaiah chapter 2 takes us back to ‘the good old days’ under Jotham and Ahaz, when Judah was “filled with silver and gold,” but those precious metals were often in the form of idols. Isaiah challenges the people of his day: Judah may look prosperous now, but spiritually speaking, it’s a mess. The Messianic kingdom will know spiritual peace, not just temporal peace. Isaiah challenges us to see that “the house of the LORD” was lifted up for the nations at the crucifixion of Jesus on Golgotha. The Cross of Jesus offers salvation, grace, forgiveness, and the promise of the true Messianic kingdom, but it also means God has declared war on our pride and our greed. We should know joy and peace, but also true fear, not merely reverence.