God's Judgment Opens our Hearts to Him and Each Other

Isaiah 1 already alluded to Christ.

Isaiah 1:27 (ESV) Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness.

Isaiah 2 is pointing to Him again.

Isaiah 2:2–3 (ESV) It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

When scripture speaks of mountains it is not always speaking only of physical heights. Mountains are representative of governments. Even the heavenly throne room is considered a mountain later on in Isaiah:

Isaiah 14:13 (ESV) You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north;

What Isaiah 2:2 is talking about is the governance of the Lord. His governance will govern over all other governors and leaders. This has come to pass. Christianity has been the predominant influence in world powers since Emperor Constantine realized he could not wipe out this movement and so he decided to join it and leverage it for power. 

Notice verse 3's promise. People from the nations will come to the governance of the Lord to learn His ways and walk in His paths. This has always been the plan of God. He called Abraham in Genesis 12 to be a blessing for the nations. And no nation is blessed without the instruction of God. Today, almost every nation is influenced by Christ.

Moreover, verse 4 promises that God's rule in men's hearts will bring peace between nations. 

Isaiah 2:4 (ESV) He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and 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 anymore.

To be sure, many many wars have been fought in the name of religion. But where true love for Christ exists in every generation, even under the visual of national war there are people from opposing sides who love and serve Him together. 

Most importantly, the peace we need for our world is only found in Him. He brings down the dividing wall of hostility between nations and makes enemies friends. 

But Isaiah knows this will not happen easily. One thing must happen for men to live in peace. They must be humbled. And that is why Isaiah 2 shifts so radically to focus back on God's judgment. 

Isaiah 2:12 (ESV) For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;

Isaiah 2:17–18 (ESV) 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. 18 And the idols shall utterly pass away.

The problem in our natural hearts is that we fail to hear and pay attention to God. Sometimes it takes His humbling us to break open our hearts to Him. That is what Israel had to experience. 

Isaiah 2:20–21 (ESV) In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, 21 to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.

The judgment of God may be terrifying but it is also heart-opening. And it opens our hearts to Him and one another so that man and God can live in peace as He intended.