In a small municipal park opposite the Manhattan headquarters of the United Nations is a staircase on the wall of which the following is inscribed: “…they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”  The site has been called, “the Isaiah Wall” because the inscription is excerpted from the writings of the Biblical Prophet of that name (Isaiah 2 v. 4).

Although the Isaiah Wall is not a part of the UN grounds, the partial quote seems well aligned with the vision, mission and stated purposes of the organization.  But that is where similarities end.  The context of Isaiah 2 v.4 is a description of a future day when “the God of Jacob” (patriarch and progenitor of the Twelve Tribes, who was later renamed Israel), will do some astounding things.

According to Isaiah 2 v.3, peace will finally come when the Lord rules and reigns from Jerusalem.  When he does, we are told, ^4 “And he (the God of Israel) shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people…”. These words were omitted from the Isaiah Wall (and presumably would not have been left out if only the stairway had been longer).

The prophecy of the Bible book of Micah, echoes Isaiah 2 v. 4: ”And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Micah 4 v.3).

Intriguingly, Isaiah 2 v. 4 and Micah 4 v.3 have a counterpart that is almost a mirror image (in the sense that there is a definite resemblance, but the imagery is reversed): ⁹ “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:  ¹⁰ Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong” (Joel 3 v. 9-10, emphasis added).

Joel saw the peace that fellow Bible prophets Isaiah and Micah predicted, and like them, ascribed it to byproducts of God’s intervention into human affairs, culminating in judgment of the nations and His ruling and reigning from Jerusalem.  The balance of Joel chapter 3, makes clear that the immediate prophetic period points to world war before the promised peace.  It also declares the reasons for the conflict and reveals that God is setting a trap for the wicked and plans to lure them into the place of judgment that He Himself has chosen.

So, the cherry-picked and edited quote on the Isaiah Wall across from UN Headquarters has it backwards—we are not to expect that human efforts will bring about world peace.  Oh, no.  On the contrary.  God says, “Prepare for war!”  Man-made peace without Christ is a fantasy.  Until Christ rules and reigns, peace remains a pipedream, a mirage.

“Not so fast,” you may be saying.  “How did Jesus Christ come into this?  How does HE figure in?” Again, God spoke through the Prophet Isaiah, assuring that the person and work of Jesus will uniquely and forever be central to peace and inseparable from it:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

These words unmistakably refer to the supernatural origin, incarnation, earthly life and future of one Person—Jesus of Nazareth.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus’ disciple reminds us of the prophecy that as a man of peace, Jesus would not disturb the peace.  Though He would disrupt the status quo, He would be no rebel or rabble-rouser:

^18 “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.  ¹⁹ He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.  ²⁰ A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.  ²¹ And in his name shall the Gentiles trust” (Matthew 12:18-31).

Jesus knew our weariness of conflict and controversy, of anxiety and fear.  He knew the yearning of the human heart, mind and soul for peace and quiet.  He invited and urged people to find sanctuary in Him:

²⁸ “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

On the very night on which He was betrayed, fully aware that He would be stripped, humiliated, whipped, beaten and crucified the next day, Jesus left a priceless legacy—the gift of His personal peace: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Jesus’ gift is not like the peace that the world offers, because the world cannot give what it does not have.  Peace is more than the temporary absence or cessation of open hostilities.

Yet even by this low standard, the world has rarely been at peace and cannot sustain it.  The peace of Christ by contrast, is genuine, and everlasting:

“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:7).

The world is not at peace but you can know peace, and have peace in spite of it: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed [fixed] on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3).

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, why does the world look the way it does, and why do I still feel this way inside?  Jesus explains: [The ‘peace at any price’ crowd should pay particular attention.  There is such a thing as wanting “peace” too much.  Those who go down that road forfeit all chance of peace—they will never find, never possess, never experience true peace.]

³⁴ “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.  ³⁵ For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.  ³⁶ And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

³⁷ He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.  ³⁸ And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.³⁹ He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:34-39).

Christ is the only way to real, deep and lasting peace.  That’s because the ultimate peace is peace with God, for which Jesus paid the ultimate price.  He made peace for us by dying on the cross, for our sins.  He was buried and rose again on the third day, just as the scriptures said He would.  Jesus purchased a pardon for us with His own blood, to bridge the gap which our sins had opened up between us and God.  He offers eternal life to all who repent of their sins and place their trust in Him, by faith:

¹ “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: ² By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).

Now, instead of judgment and well-deserved condemnation from God, we receive His warm greetings of grace [unmerited favor] and peace, assuring us that we have nothing to fear from Him, because Christ’s resurrection proved that His sacrifice was fully effective in reconciling us to the Father.  Thanks to Jesus’ supreme act of love and obedience, all is, “Grace to you, and  peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philemon 1:3).

This peace endures all trials and stands the test of time.  It is a peace which cannot be shaken:¹¹ “…for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  ¹² I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need” (Philippians 4:11-12).

Jesus did not only secure our peace; He IS our peace: ¹³ “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  ¹⁴ For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;” (Ephesians 2:13-14).

If you know Jesus as your Savior, you know peace.  If you do not, is it because your heart and life are so filled with peace that there isn’t room for more?  Is it because you don’t value peace and do not want it?  Or are you trusting in someone or in something else, to give it to you?

Jesus Christ is the source and Creator of peace.  God’s counsel is to “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14).  Seek Him.  Call on Jesus’ Name.  Get up right now and hurry after Him. 

“Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen” (Romans 15:33).

HOW TO BE SAVED:

• Admit to God that you are a sinner (that you have not kept His moral law to perfection; in your thoughts, words, and actions you have done what His law forbids and have failed to do what His love demands).  This is seeing yourself from God’s point of view and agreeing that He is right about you.  Be as specific as you can.
• Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead.
• Sincerely repent (turn away) from your sins, asking God to forgive you and to use His power to help you resist temptation, no matter how strong the pull of sin may be, at first.
• Acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of your life.  Invite Him to move into your heart and take up residence there, so that He can change you from the inside out.
• Trust His promise to save you and give you a new spiritual birth and a new nature (thoughts, desires, priorities, hopes, dreams, and character).

SOME KEY TRUTHS:

• “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)
• “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10)
• “For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)
• “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”  (I Corinthians 15:3,4)
• “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)
• “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him…”  (Revelation 3:20)
• “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)
• “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  (Romans 10:9-10)
• “Verily, verily, I say unto you; He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  (John 5:24)
• “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”  (John 20:31) 
• “These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”  (I John 5:13)