Isaiah 2 - Bible Study in 5 Minutes

Isaiah 2 Short Summary:

Isaiah prophesied that in the “latter days” the mountain of the house of the Lord would be elevated, and the word of the Lord would go out from Jerusalem. Isaiah described the day of God’s judgement, the day when God would punish the proud nations, including Judah if they continued in their idolatry.

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Isaiah 2 Bible Study

TIMELINE:

• Isaiah prophesied in the 8th and 7th Century BC, roughly 740-680 BC.

KEY CHARACTERS:

• Isaiah – The son of Amoz (1:1). God commissioned Isaiah as His prophet to Judah.

• The Citizens of Judah – Isaiah’s words in this chapter are directed towards the people of Judah, especially towards the citizens of Jerusalem.

DEFINITIONS:

• Zion (2:3) – Zion refers to the hill/mountain where David’s palace was built in Jerusalem. This area was on the southeast side of the city. Zion is sometimes used to refer to the city of Jerusalem as a whole.

• Strike Hands (2:6) – To join hand with, to make alliances, and to delight in someone’s company.

OUTLINE:

• THE MOUNTAIN OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD (2:1-5):

  • The prophecy of Isaiah 2 appears to be a new prophecy spoken at a different time, not a continuation of Isaiah chapter 1.

  • Isaiah foretold that the mountain of the house of the Lord (the Temple was in Jerusalem and Jerusalem was built on a mountain/hill) would be exalted above all the other mountains.

  • All other nations would honor Jerusalem and flow into it.

  • Isaiah prophesied that the word of the Lord would flow out of Jerusalem and people would come to the city to learn about God’s law.

  • God and His law would judge the nations, settle disputes, and bring peace.

  • This kingdom would not be one that ruled by military might. Isaiah prophesied that its citizens would reforge their swords into plows and their spears into hooks for pruning fruit.

  • “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (1:4).

  • This prophesy was repeated by one of Isaiah’s contemporaries, Micah, see Micah 4:1-3.

• THE DAY WHEN GOD IS EXALTED AND PROUD MEN ARE HUMBLED (2:6-22):

  • Isaiah declared that God had reserved a day for humbling proud people, specifically the proud people of Judah.

  • The men of Judah had rejected the identity God prescribed for them and embraced the habits of foreign cultures. God called them to be a distinct nation, but they chose instead to “strike hands” with foreigners, adopting their gods, intermarrying with them, and becoming like them.

  • Judah’s wealth and prosperity made them think they didn’t need to listen to God.

  • They embraced idol worship, something God had strictly forbidden in the 10 commandments.

  • Judah proudly worshiped their idols, their wealth, and foreign cultures, all while disregarding God.

  • God wasn’t going to tolerate it forever!

  • On the day that God reserved for judgement, these proud men would throw their idols away and hide like cowards in caves. They would fear the “terror of the Lord.”

  • Men who once stuck their necks up in pride, would be trying to lie low.

  • “And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (2:17).

  • On that day, all men will recognize the splendor and majesty of God!

APPLICATION

• Men and women don’t have any problem bowing down in worship, but they do have a problem directing their worship to the appropriate recipient.

• We all know how to worship, and we all worship something. Every one of us has something that gets the balance of our time, devotion, brainpower, and energy.

• Unfortunately, some of us worship the god of culture, the god of trends, the god of fitting in, the god of wealth, the god of materialism, the god of pride, or some other god.

• The men of Judah worshipped many things, just not the one true God.

• All of us need to identify what we are worshipping! If you can’t find time to pray, time to be with the church, time to prioritize spiritual things, time to pick up your Bible, time to give God thanks, you’re worshipping something other than God that is pulling your devotion away from Him.

• You need to identity that thing (or things) and figure out how you’re going to sacrifice less of yourself to that thing and more of yourself to God.