God’s Desire: Wholeness

Isaiah 2:1-5

During the 8th century BCE, Judah enjoyed a time of economic prosperity, but the riches were not shared with everyone. Those in power, both political and religious, allowed the worship of other gods in Judah; some even encouraged this practice. Such behavior was a breach of the covenant that God had made with the descendants of Abraham and Sarah. 

As the prophet Isaiah observed the people’s unfaithfulness and the desecration of the Temple, he shared God’s disappointment and anger. It seemed that there was no hope, that the Temple was doomed to be controlled by foreign influences. As the capital city, Jerusalem was the place where decisions were made that affected the lives of all the citizens of Judah. The current economic situation was also contrary to God’s desires for God’s people. The rich were getting richer off the sufferings of the poor. Whereas Solomon had envisioned the Temple and Jerusalem as shining ideals of all that Israel’s God wanted (I Kgs 8), the center of Judah’s worship and political power was a seat of corruption.

In this scene of despair, Isaiah dared to speak a word of hope and encouragement. There would come a day when “the mountain of the LORD” would once again be a beacon of justice and peace. Instead of oppressive decrees coming from Jerusalem, God’s commandments would be proclaimed. The city would be an example of what the LORD envisioned for all of creation: shalom (wholeness). So amazing was this prophetic vision that Isaiah’s words suggested the impossible; God would do something that was beyond human imagination. Justice would reign for all people (v 4a). Weapons of destruction would be converted into tools of production (v 4b). Peace would settle over the nations, and all would live in harmony (v 4c).

As we move through the 2024 Advent season, can these words offer us hope? Do we not need an assurance that the current situation (e.g., high unemployment, economic instability, wars, and rumors of wars, etc.) is not the final word nor God’s desires? What can we do to help further God’s desires for the world to become a place filled with justice, peace, and wholeness?

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