Swords Go Turn to Plough

Klang. Klang. Klang. One blacksmith dey hammer one piece of iron wey dey hot red. But dis one strange. E no dey make sword. E dey scatter one sword, and e dey beat am turn to di blade of plough.

Isaiah, son of Amoz, live for Jerusalem for di days of di kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, about seven hundred and fifty years before Jesus. Im world know plenty about war. Small kingdoms dey fight each oda because of border. Big empires like Assyria dey march across di land with chariots and machines wey dem dey use break city wall. Every town need wall. Every young man need learn how to fight. And Jerusalem no be anytin special to look: one small city for top hill for di mountains of Judah, with one temple for im highest point. But one day Isaiah see one vision about dat hill, and about wetin e go turn to.

“E go happen for di last days, say di mountain of di Lord house go dey established for di top of di mountains, and dem go raise am above di hills; and all nations go flow go there.” Imagine am. Di small temple hill of Jerusalem wey dem lift up high pass every mountain for di earth. And di nations dey flow go there. No be to march against am, as armies dey always do. Dem dey flow, like river. But river dey run go down, and dis people dey flow go up. Something dey draw dem go up.

Wetin dem dey talk, all dis peoples from every land, as dem dey climb? “Come, make we go up to di mountain of di Lord, to di house of di God of Jacob; and e go teach us im ways, and we go waka for im paths.” Dem no dey come to conquer or to trade. Dem dey come to learn. Dem want make God teach dem how to live. “Because di law go comot from Zion, and di word of di Lord from Jerusalem.” Instead of armies to enter, God word dey go out. God teaching dey spread from dat hill reach di ends of di earth.

And see wetin happen when di nations learn God ways. “E go judge between di nations, and e go settle matter for many peoples. Dem go beat dia swords turn am to plough, and dia spears turn am to pruning hooks. Nation no go raise sword against nation, and dem no go learn war again.” As God dey settle dia quarrel with fairness, dem no need weapons again. So dem melt dem and make farm tools: plough to break di soil, hooks to trim vines. Tins wey dey grow food instead of tins wey dey take life. No more military training. No more war. Then Isaiah turn to im own people with one invitation. “House of Jacob, come, make we waka for di light of di Lord.” No wait for di last days. Start to waka for God light now. One day, di angels for Bethlehem go sing about di same hope: peace for earth.

Dem don carve Isaiah words for stone today for di city of New York. For nineteen fifty-nine, di Soviet Union give di United Nations one bronze sculpture wey Evgeny Vuchetich make. E show one strong man wey dey hammer sword turn am to plough, and dem call am Let Us Beat Swords into Ploughshares. E still dey stand for di garden of di United Nations headquarters. Di same words still show, almost exactly, for di book of di prophet Micah.

Swords go turn to plough. You go find am for Isaiah chapter two, verse one reach five. One vision of every nation wey dey learn God ways, and peace instead of war. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Isaiah talk, come, make we waka for di light of di Lord. Which one 'sword' dey your life, one habit of vex or one wicked word, wey God fit help you turn to something good?