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 people 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. (Micah 4:1-2)
Jesus said that "Salvation is from the Jews" (John 4:22), and the Jewish people and story do indeed have a special place in salvation history. The prophet Micah foresaw a time when all the peoples would come to the holy city of God to learn. They would come to the mountain of the Lord to gain understanding.
But the amazing thing is that from there they would go out into the rest of the world, carrying the message of salvation with them. They would become messengers of God, teaching his law and sharing his word.
This prophecy is fulfilled in the great commission, where Jesus instructs the disciples to go to every nation and to bring people under the tutelage of the commandments of Jesus. That is, to make disciples of all nations. And it is still being fulfilled today as we carry that same message of salvation to our own families, neighbors, co-workers, and friends.
And while we know that we are charged with carrying this message out, we know also that it is only effectual to the extent that God's Spirit moves in the hearts of those who hear it. That means that our first priority in obeying Christ's commission is to pray. To pray for those who do not yet know the good news of the forgiveness of sins and of salvation.
Who are you praying for today?