“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians.”

In the kingdom of our Lord Jesus, there is peace. Nation doesn’t lift up sword against nation, but swords are turned into plows and pruning hooks [Isa 2:4]. Instead of working against each other, we work together in Christ’s kingdom. This happens when selfishness and self-exaltation are destroyed, and we unitedly glorify the Son. Genealogies are tossed away - not that we forget who we are - but we love our unity in God’s family and seek to maintain it [Eph 4:3]. There is no pride of place, pride of face, or pride of race. We glorify the Lamb that was slain, counting His worthiness above all, living to praise and make His name known.

This is the new birth: it is given to us by the Spirit of the risen Christ! He ascended on high to give gifts unto men, even the rebellious [Eph 4:8]. He turns our heart and makes us flee fornication, racism, and evil jealousy. He ends all strife, wherever He reigns, because we say like Paul, “I am nothing.”

God teaches us the hard way and lowers us to obtain mercy. “And lest I should be exalted above measure,” Paul says, “by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to beat me, lest I be exalted above measure [2 Cor 12:7].” Then we see that it is Christ and not self [vs9]. Our comfort is from afar, even the throne of grace, and it is near in our heart, as He dwells with the lowly. “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy with him who has a crushed [dust] and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the broken ones [Isa 57:15].”

Contemplate this great grace! Look upon Him delivering you from sin. Understand and enjoy Christ. “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, of one accord, of one mind [Phil 2:1-2].” We cannot exalt ourselves and have God’s peace. One must GO OUT for the other to come in.