Israel’s Coming Age – It’s Congregation

Pastor Bill Farrow

Isaiah 2:3

"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...."

And many people shall go - This denotes a prevalent “desire” to turn to the true God, and embrace the true religion. It is remarkable that it speaks of an inclination among them to “seek” God, as if they were satisfied of the folly and danger of their ways, and felt the necessity of obtaining a better religion. In many cases this has occurred. Thus, in modern times, the people of the Sandwich Islands threw away their gods and remained without any religion, as if waiting for the message of life. Thus, too, the pagan not infrequently comes from a considerable distance at missionary stations to be instructed, and to receive the Bible and tracts. Perhaps this is to be extensively the mode in which Christianity is to be spread. God, who has all power over human hearts, may excite the pagan to anxious inquiry; may show them the folly of their religion; and may lead them to this “preparation” to embrace the gospel, and this disposition to “go” and seek it. He has access to all people. By a secret influence on the understanding, the heart, and the conscience of the pagan, he can convince them of the folly of idolatry and its vices. He can soften down their prejudices in favor of their long-established systems; can break down the barriers between them and Christians; and can dispose them to receive with joy the messengers of salvation. He can raise up, among the pagan themselves, reformers, who shall show them the folly of their systems. It cannot be doubted that the universal triumph of the gospel will be preceded by some such remarkable preparation among the nations; by a secret, silent, but most mighty influence from God on the pagan generally, that shall loosen their hold on idolatry, and dispose them to welcome the gospel. And the probability that this state of things exists already, and will more and more, should be an inducement to Christians to make more vigorous efforts to send every where the light of life.

However, we need to recognize that all of these kinds of illustrations of the coming of men, being drawn by the Gospel, are tokens of the drawing the coming that will take place at the end of age.  Rather, what occurs then will be the ultimate example of this very thing – that God draws men to Him and brings them from all places everywhere to salvation.  The drawing that will occur then will cause these to pale in comparison as God finally brings all of Israel to salvation.

He will teach us of his ways - He will make us acquainted with his will, and with the doctrines of the true religion.  The “way” of God will finally become the way of man.  For all of history, since the fall, men have gone their own way and have, seemingly, been impossible to teach to walk by God’s way.  It is only when one comes to salvation that that changes and men submit to God wand walk in His paths and His ways.  Isaiah is speaking typically for Israel here and is saying that the time is coming when Israel will learn, finally, to submit to and walk in the ways of God.