Isaiah 2:4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation nor will they train for war anymore.
The Bible can be a funny book. For example, this verse from Isaiah sounds an awful lot like Micah 4:3 which reads “He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” Micah and Isaiah lived near the same time as far as we know. Did one borrow from the other? Were they both quoting a third source? Did they have similar visions that were then expressed the same way? And then there is this from the prophet Joel who didn’t live near the time of the other two, from 3:9, 10: “Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, ‘I am strong!’” Was he referencing Isaiah? We have seen the world express a longing for peace and conduct war anyway. Perhaps God gave us the scriptures this way to engage our minds and our hearts and our actions. What was God saying in each of these situations just quoted? What is he saying to you in your situation this Advent?
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 