Advent Week Two: Peace – The City of Peace – Isaiah 2:2-5
December 5, 2021Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Speaker: Jerry Cisar
According to Bible dictionaries, Jerusalem either means “foundation of peace,” “city of peace.” The root of the name is shalem (in English we drop the “h”), which is related to shalom, the Hebrew word that means peace. It’s not missed on the Biblical authors that there is a certain irony here, for the psalmist instructs, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psa. 122:6).
This week’s Advent theme peace. Isaiah had a vision of a world transforming peace. That vision may be the unifying theme of his long book. Isaiah longed for the Kingdom, the Reign of God to come. That is what would produce this world transforming peace.
The world today needs that world transforming peace and therefore needs the kingdom to come. But it has… and it will. The church, the transformed “city of peace,” is to put it on display. As much as ever, though, we need to pray for the peace of that “city of peace.” How is Isaiah’s vision of peace to come about? Do we have a role to play?