“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many 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 the law, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and 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. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.” (Isaiah 2:1-5 ESV)
The mountains of Jerusalem are not particularly high. Mount Zion isn’t even the tallest in the immediate neighborhood; the Mount of Olives is taller. And yet God says that “the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains”—if not literally, then certainly figuratively. It will become the center of all nations, and people everywhere will come to hear the Lord’s Word and obey it.
Why? Because the Lord will be there, Isaiah says, and His Word will go out from there to the whole world. That’s enough to make a mountain great. And that’s exactly what happened—because Jesus’ cross stood just outside Jerusalem’s gates, on the mountain of the Lord. Now Jerusalem is honored above all cities because this is where Jesus taught, suffered, died, and was buried—and rose again, breaking the power of death and evil for the whole human race.
And just as Isaiah notes, the Word of the Lord went out from Jerusalem—because Jesus sent out His disciples to tell everyone about Him and what He had done. He said, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His Name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:46-48).
Mount Zion is great, not in itself, but because of what God has used it for. And the same is true for us, isn’t it? We all know that in ourselves we are not much. Jesus is correct when He says, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5b).
But with Him—ah, that’s another story! Just as He did with lowly Mount Zion, so He will do with us. He will use us—even you, even me, if we will let Him!—to bring the Good News of His salvation to people everywhere. Because then it won’t be us doing it, but He Himself, working through us. And Jesus does wonderful things.
Prayer: Dear Savior, show me what You want to do through me—and please make it happen, in Your wisdom and strength. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on November 22, 2022
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights reserved
Reflection Questions:
1. What is the highest mountain you have ever been on?
2. What is one great thing that God has accomplished in your life using humble people?
3. What is a great thing you think God might use you for, to bring about His will?
