Mountain of Anticipation

“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 it shall be lifted up above the hills;
and peoples shall flow to it,
   and many nations 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 many peoples,
    and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away…
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war anymore;
but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
    and no one shall make them afraid…
All the peoples walk
    each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
    forever and ever.

“In that day,.. the Lord will reign…
    from this time forth and forevermore.

“And you, O tower of the flock,
    hill of the daughter of Zion,
to you shall it come,
    the former dominion shall come,
    kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem...
There you shall be rescued;
    there the Lord will redeem you
    from the hand of your enemies.”

“I will cut off the cities of your land
    and throw down all your strongholds;
and I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
    and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes;
I will cut off your carved images
    and your pillars from among you,
you shall bow down no more
    to the work of your hands…
And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance
    on the nations that did not obey.” Micah 4:1-8,10b; 5:11-15

The anticipation for God’s people of their Messiah held a melody through the generations. Always a looking, always a longing, for the promised One who would banish evil and unite His people. Justice would be served, Jehovah exalted.

There is something about the vision of rising heights before us, the thrill of a steep climb, the anticipated broader perspective from the vista ahead that lifts our souls. To ascend to an unknown sparks the spirit, and to have a palpable sense of what is to come fills hope with substance. God’s promises are to be believed and rejoiced in as certain. They give strength to our striving and delight in our waiting because that are backed by our Lord’s trustworthiness and love.

In these doldrum days we can forget the latter days. We can focus on the here before us and lost sight of the magnificent there and then. But the scriptures are replete with descriptions of the resolutions and glories to come, opening to us a wide vista that can make a difference now. In uncertainty, we hope for God’s established kingdom, under injustice we rejoice in judgment to come. In war and drought we look to peace and plenty, in temptation, to the abolishment of idols. Will we go to and gaze from God’s mountain of promise? How will our love and worship for Him increase as we expect full redemption?

Father, fix my hope in Thee, and help me daily anticipate Your highest glory.