ADVENT II
December 10, 2023
“Turning From War to Peace”
“Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
. . . that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ ” He shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
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 any more.” Isaiah 2:3a, 4
The prophecies of the Hebrew people from very early times are foundational to these four weeks of Advent, as we hear words of hope and assurance from the book of Isaiah. For millennia, God’s people have hoped and prayed peace and harmony will come to a world in conflict. And once again, time, space, culture, and language fade away, and these ancient phrases resonate with God’s people as they watch and wait for the promised Savior. Feeling a connection with people who lived thousands of years ago might appear virtually impossible. We’re likely to relate more easily to people with whom we share similar interests and circumstances. And yet, as we read and reflect on the writings of our ancestors in the faith, they touch our hearts, inspire us, and offer us both comfort and hope.
Reading several passages in Isaiah and some of the margin notes in the Lutheran Study Bible, I began to develop a sense of the breadth and depth of this major book of the Old Testament. The prophet warns the people that God will judge them, and calls out sinners, wrongdoers, and those who turn away from God’s will for his people. Then we are told that God’s judgment will bring peace, and that the law, along with God’s mercy, brings people into a right relationship with him.
The references to swords and spears, plowshares and pruning hooks can sound quaint and old-fashioned, but the message remains clear. Around the world, people are yearning for an end to conflict, war, death and destruction. Envisioning instruments of war, whether swords and spears or bombs and rockets, being repurposed into tools to benefit humanity may sound far-fetched, but we know all things are possible when God’s will is followed.
Throughout Isaiah, there are warnings and cautions, followed by assurances of God’s love and mercy. Jesus himself told his disciples why he was sent to live among people as a human — that he came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.
War and brutality, violence and hatred, seem to be lying in wait at every turn. We wonder if there is any good news to be heard, or if all is hopeless. But we know the Good News that is coming, of the birth of God’s own Son, our Savior and Lord, and this is the message for us to share with all humanity.
Finding hope and joy in the promises,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers