Issue 864 – The Smithy – September 26, 2022

This big anvil is in a blacksmith shop in the Yale Historic Village. I have always been fascinated by the work of a smithy.

It takes strength, skill and knowledge of metals to take raw metal and forge it into knives, chains and other tools. Watching a smithy do his work is like watching a tremendous battle of wills. The metal resists shaping, but the smithy uses heat and brute strength to force it to yield and make something from it.

The Bible speaks of this type of work in what might appear at first glance to be conflicting ways.

The prophet Joel tells the Gentile nations to prepare for war. They are about to face the judgment of God.

Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a warrior.” Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O Lord. Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Joel 3:9-12

The holy wrath of God is a terrible thing to behold and terrifying to face. The LORD will bring righteousness and defeat all who would rebel against Him.

In Isaiah and Micah, we see the swords being converted into farming implements.

He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; 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; Micah 4:3

What a beautiful image that is.

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 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, 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. 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. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. Isaiah 2:1-5

With the ultimate victory of the Lord will come a peace unlike that the world has ever seen. The wicked will be punished, the righteous uplifted, and those weapons will never again be needed.

That is a glorious promise. The world has never known universal peace; there is always a war of some sort going on somewhere. That will cease, and peace will reign.

I can only imagine what that will be like, but I can hardly wait.

Let the people of God rejoice and celebrate the Prince of Peace.

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Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

 Gleanings From The Word

 Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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