December 3, 2014 - The Top of the World

December 3, 2014 - The Top of the World
Jon Twitchell

Isaiah 2:1-11

In the last days
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
   as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
   and all nations will stream to it. - Isaiah 2:2

Have you ever been to the top of the world? I’ve hiked to the top of Mt. Katahdin (5,269’) in Maine. I’ve driven to the top of Mt. Washington (6,289’) in New Hampshire. I’ve ridden TelefériQo to the top of Cruz Loma (13,500’) a peak on the side of Ruku Pichincha (15,696’) in Quito, Ecuador.

If you’ve ever been on a high summit, you can quickly recall the experience. Cold… windy… but a breathtaking view! From a mountaintop, you can see the scope of the world around you, and you truly feel like you are on top of the world. At the summit of the highest peak in a particular range, you have a great sense of accomplishment, for there is no higher place to go.

Isaiah paints a picture of the last days, when the “mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills” (2:2). This is not an affirmation about geography or orology (the study of mountains). This is an affirmation of faith - that God reigns supreme over all the earth, and that one day every person will recognize the true Kingdom of God.

When you live near a large mountain, it dominates the landscape. You can see the summit from miles around. Your weather is affected by the surrounding mountain range. And if you have any sense of adventure, you are attracted to the mountain - you desire to see the world from the top of the mountain. That’s why Isaiah tells us that “all the nations shall stream to it” (2:2).

Our lives are to be an attractive witness to the world around us. As we live into our calling as subjects in the Kingdom of God, we are part of God’s church - God’s holy mountain. We should live in such a way that the world streams toward our message: the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It’s quite apparent that the world is full of turmoil, brokenness, and evil. We could hang our heads in despair, lamenting the ways that evil seems to triumph. And yet, we would do well to remember that God reigns, that God’s mountain is higher than all the other mountains, and that ultimately all people will acknowledge God’s Kingdom.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
- Psalm 121:1-2