Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-22 (NKJV)
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s
house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and
say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the
God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For
out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4
He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; 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. 5 O
house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the LORD. 6 For You have
forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with eastern
ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they are pleased with the
children of foreigners. 7 Their land is also full of silver and gold, and there
is no end to their treasures; Their land is also full of horses, and there is
no end to their chariots. 8 Their land is also full of idols; They worship the
work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. 9 People bow
down, and each man humbles himself; Therefore do not forgive them. 10 Enter
into the rock, and hide in the dust, from the terror of the LORD and the glory
of His majesty. 11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the haughtiness of
men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 12
For the day of the LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty,
upon everything lifted up—and it shall be brought low—13 upon all the cedars of
Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan; 14 Upon
all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up; 15 Upon
every high tower, and upon every fortified wall; 16 Upon all the ships of
Tarshish, and upon all the beautiful sloops. 17 The loftiness of man shall be
bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The LORD alone
will be exalted in that day, 18 but the idols He shall utterly abolish. 19 They
shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, from the
terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the
earth mightily. 20 In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver and his
idols of gold, which they made, each for himself to worship, to the moles and
bats, 21 to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the crags of the rugged
rocks, from the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty, when He arises
to shake the earth mightily. 22 Sever yourselves from such a man, whose breath
is in his nostrils; For of what account is he?
Devotion
“The Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” In spite of the lies of those who
despise God, His will is not opposed to human happiness. To the contrary, it is
opposed to human selfishness and destructive pride. The works and possessions
of mankind cannot offer any good guidance on kindness and mercy because our
nature is to serve ourselves first. But if God teaches us His ways and enables
us to walk in His paths of righteousness, we will learn the true way of
happiness and peace.
The Lord deserves to be exalted because the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are the
only source of good for mankind. God the Father is our maker, the source of
everything that is good in our lives. The Son teaches us and has brought us
forgiveness through His sacrifice. And the Holy Ghost works in us to guide our
hearts, minds, and strength toward those things that are truly good and holy.
Whereas the vain pride of mankind only seeks short-sighted pleasures and
gratifications.
As God’s faithful people, we look forward to the day when sin will be removed
from the face of the earth and all pain and selfishness will be ended. We look
forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting, which we
confess in our creeds. At that time the Words of Isaiah will be completely
fulfilled, and God will truly be exalted with the fullness of His glory in
Jesus Christ. And then we will dwell with Him in a world that is truly peaceful
and filled only with the goodness that He has always intended for us.
We pray: Lord God, Thy kingdom come, and Thy will be done, in Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
The Lutheran Herald is a publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of
North America. These daily devotions are authored by the bishop, pastors, and
deacons of the diocese. Daily posts are provided by The Reverend Jeffrey A.
Ahonen.
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