Isaiah had seen in chapter two the exalting or lifting up of the Lord’s house. His vision from God saw that the lifting up of the Lord’s house would have the effect of all nations flowing unto it. The meaning could have one of two possible conclusions. One is that all nations would be obedient to the Jesus the Christ. The other conclusion to reach is that people from all nations would come to obey the Lord. The church began in Acts 2 with Jews and proselytes from about 14 nations or so assembled for the first gospel sermon. On that day about 3000 of those obeyed the truth by being immersed in water for the forgiveness of their sins.
A few years later that same message went to the people of Samaria. A few years from then to the house of Cornelius. By the time of Acts 10, Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles all had access to the gospel of Christ. Such a conclusion at that point in time would not necessarily include “all nations”. The major groups had certainly obtained access but all nations were not yet granted that access. In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit sent Barnabas and Paul on the first missionary journey to spread the gospel from Antioch. The next several chapters in Acts shows us the growth of the church. Paul, by inspiration wrote to one of the congregations located in Colosse.
What did Paul write to them? The book was written somewhere in the early 60”s of the first century. Paul said the gospel had been preached to every creature (Col. 1:23). The gospel then by that date had gone into all the world. Isaiah said all nations would flow unto it. The idea of all nations obeying the Lord is not true. Further proof is found in the Lord speaking about two ways before all men. The broad and narrow way (Matt. 7:13,14). Most men will walk in the broad way and be lost. The idea that all nations would submit to Christ is not consistent with His own words which reveal that few will choose the narrow way.
What would be characteristic of all nations flowing unto the house of God? They would come for the purpose to be taught of the Lord (Isa. 2:3). Two things are cited for our consideration. God would teach us of His ways and we would walk in His paths. Could we with honest hearts separate the two? The religious world does so without any embarrassment as to how they handle the Word of God. What do I mean by that? If one argues that once you are saved you cannot ever be lost then how do you walk in the ways of God? God teaches us of His ways and we walk in His paths. If one does not walk in the paths declared by what God taught, then how are they in a right relationship with God?
God wrote the whole Bible, do we not agree? What is fellowship? It is being partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). The verse just before that affirms that God has given us all things which pertain to life and godliness. May we know what those things are? Paul reveals that by what the Holy Spirit has revealed in written form we may KNOW the things that are freely given to us by God (1 Corinthians 2:12). John speaks of our fellowship resting on the foundation of us “walking in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7). How would we know what is the light in which we are to walk? God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
The question we would raise would be, “how”? We should understand that there is now a new covenant. Jeremiah, a true prophet, said there would be a new covenant out there in the future. It could not be the law of Moses and Isaiah’s words be true about all nations flowing unto it. If the new covenant is the law of Moses then only Jews and th6se converted to the law of Moses could be saved. The church is composed of Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles (Gal. 3:26-29). This new covenant then must be something to which all men must be obedient (Acts 17:30).
What or how would God use the new covenant? He would put the new covenant (law) into the hearts and minds of His people. The placing of that covenant in the hearts and minds of His followers would result in Him being their God and they being His people (Heb.8:10). The entrance of that Word into our hearts is by our obedience to that which we have heard (Rom. 10:17). That Word studied daily and practiced daily allows us to walk in the light and He is in the light. This is what Isaiah saw.