Come, Let us go to the Mountain of the Lord
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.” (Is 2:3)
As we look forward to the celebration of the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ, we also look forward to His second coming – this is Advent. Those who have embraced Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour will be glad to receive him again as He ushers in the peaceful eternal kingdom, while those who rejected him will be horrified as they miss out and instead face a bleak future. While still here on earth, Isaiah prophecies of what will happen towards the end: the tendency for many people to turn to God seems to be motivated by a weariness resulting from the emptiness and vanity in the things of the world.
Are you tired of the endless scare of disease and pandemics? Tired of the constant noise of war and political confusion? Are you tired of the sin and hypocrisy? Tired of the deception of false ‘messiahs’? Or are you tired of the scare of the end of the world as a result of worsening climate due to environmental degredation? Indeed, a recent global conference on climate change happened in Egypt and debated many issues including injustices suffered by the poor countries; those living in poverty are the hardest hit by climate change despite being the least responsible for the crisis.
We’ve always had hurricanes, droughts and wildfires, flooding and high winds. However, we are currently witnessing a scale of destruction and devastation that is new and terrifying. Increases of air and water temperatures lead to rising sea levels, supercharged storms and higher wind speeds, more intense and prolonged droughts and wildfire seasons, heavier rainfall and flooding. Research shows that more than 20 million people a year are forced from their homes by climate change. Although there is no consensus on the likelihood of climate-induced collapse of the world and human extinction, these tangible dangers of climate change remind us that certainly there is some sort of end either for this season on earth or for each one of us – the coming and meeting of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Heeding Isaiah’s invitation calms our fears and relieves our fatigue and weariness. Don’t wait for adversity; come to the Lord now. All are invited, many people from every tribe and type. The uniqueness of the mountain of the Lord is that it will stand out; many mountains may fall and disappoint, but this is a firm and sure refuge. And here, when God teaches us His ways and shows us His paths, it is refreshing and breathes new life to our relationships, our worship, even in our farming and all sorts of business. Here still we embrace the word of the Lord that brings equity and justice to our world. Come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord. God bless you.