“Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord. In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people— those who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt; in southern Egypt, Ethiopia, and Elam; in Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands. He will raise a flag among the nations and assemble the exiles of Israel. He will gather the scattered people of Judah from the ends of the earth.”
Isaiah 11:9-12 NLT
These verses today introduce the climax of what will be in the world to come. The previous verses in Isaiah 11 gave us a picture of the peace that will come when Jesus reigns on His throne. They spoke of restored relationships in the animal kingdom, to the point of the “wolf and the lamb [living] together,” a situation that is unimaginable today in our sinful world, skewed by so much wickedness. In fact, Paul wrote, “For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay” (Romans 8:19-21). But any observant person will see the pain of our cursed world if they only open their eyes during countryside walks, to find a world where the vegetation struggles to display the beauty of its creation. A natural world where even groans can be heard on occasion.
But Isaiah’s vision moves from inner peace to global restoration, from the transformed creation to the gathering of God’s people. One of the deepest pains we experience is separation. I often meet people whose children and siblings are separated from their family origins and family home by many miles. I have a friend with three daughters, one of whom lives close by within forty miles, but of the other two, one lives three hundred miles away and the other on the other side of the world in New Zealand. Yes, modern technology can eliminate distance through video calls, but it is not the same as giving a loved one a hug. Another friend has siblings in Canada, again, many miles away from the town where they were brought up. But there have always been times and occasions of separation. Adam and Eve were driven from their comfortable home in the Garden through their sin. The people in Babel came to grief after they sinfully tried to build a tower that reached the sky. “Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world”” (Genesis 11:4). “Scattered all over the world” was what happened when God “confused the people with different languages”. And of course, we mustn’t forget God’s chosen people, the Jews, taken into captivity and exile. We share their pain when we read verses such as Psalm 137:1, “Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem”.
In our world today, families are scattered across countries, and friendships are broken. People feel isolated and alone, and even churches experience division. But the Bible tells the story of a God who gathers, because His heart has always been to bring His people home. Isaiah looks beyond the immediate return from exile to a greater gathering under the reign of the Messiah. God Himself raises a flag, a banner—a signal that the way home is open. Isaiah wrote, “He will raise a flag among the nations” That flag ultimately points to Jesus Christ. He said, “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (John 12:32). The cross became God’s rallying point for the nations, and people from every race, language, and culture are invited into one family through Jesus.
Isaiah wrote, “… for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord” (Isaiah 11:9). Isaiah didn’t merely predict that more people will know about God. He wrote that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. There is a difference between knowing facts about God and knowing God Himself. As we know, many people know Bible stories and the Christian traditions. I often meet a man whose knowledge of the Bible and its themes would put many a believer to shame. And yet, when challenged, he confesses that he doesn’t really believe that what he is reading would make a difference to his life. To him, it is just a good storybook, detailing the history of a bygone age. But eternal life is knowing Christ personally. One day, that knowledge will cover the earth as completely as water covers the ocean floor. Nothing will be more complete. What an encouragement this is for those who pray for family members who have yet to believe, for missionaries serving in difficult places, and for churches that sometimes feel small and insignificant. God’s purpose has not changed. His kingdom continues to advance, and His promise still stands.
Ancient armies raised flags and banners so soldiers knew where to gather during the confusion of battle. But there is a message to us pilgrims from this, because life often feels chaotic and confusing. There is a seemingly unstoppable clamour for more and more of our attention. Social media, advertising, and so much more conspire to pull us away from the battle we are fighting against the forces of evil. Yet God has raised one unmistakable banner: Jesus Christ. He remains the centre around whom His people gather. Whenever we lose our direction, we do not need a new message—we need to return to the banner God has already raised. Whenever we feel a bit lost and rudderless in the seas of life, is it time to return to basics, to come once again to the Cross, and lay down our confusion at Christ’s feet? Is it time once again to get on our knees before God, with a repentant heart and open hands, reaching out to the Rock that will never change? Also, perhaps we need to increase our efforts to help those around us, people who are floundering in our hostile world. There are too many people searching for a banner that is not Christ, and it is destroying them.
The promise that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord” reminds us that history is moving toward God’s glorious purpose. Evil does not have the final word; God’s glory does. God knows where every one of His children is. Whether scattered by suffering, failure, grief, or distance, none are beyond His reach. The Shepherd who seeks the lost still gathers His flock.
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for raising the banner of Your salvation for the whole world. Thank You that Your desire is not to scatter but to gather, not to divide but to unite. Fill our hearts with a deeper knowledge of You, and make us instruments through whom others are drawn to Your love. Help us to live with confidence in the truth that Your kingdom is advancing and that one day the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of Your glory. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 