The world in which Isaiah lived was chaotic but in the midst of it he heard some daring words. These words were encouraging and to many would have sounded somewhat unreal but they were at the end of their ropes.
History will end differently, he says, than what the current situation seems to suggest. The mountain on which the Lord’s house is found will prevail over everything. God’s loving presence will remain in this city, with the people. Many nations, indeed the whole world, will come together on the mountain of God’s presence. Such love between God and those who follow will leave no one indifferent.
And God’s word, will extricate human beings from the folly of hatred and destruction. It will build. War will be shown to be a dead-end street. The aspiration of peoples for another way forward will be satisfied.
What does it mean to look at our life and our world in the light of God? What do we see?