A Different Army

6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.

7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

8 The infant will play near the cobra's den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper's nest.

9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge
of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Carnivores (meat-eaters) and herbivores (grazers) have different personalities that inherently make them incompatible. One sees the other as a threat. Another sees one as a meal. Wolves hunt in packs, leopards singularly. Each has basic instincts, have learned behaviors, live in different environments. And yet Isaiah saw on GOD's holy mountain these different personalities living together in peace, not harming, not destroying.

Go down a few verses more in Isaiah 11 from the Message...

13 The jealousy of Ephraim will dissolve,
the hostility of Judah will vanish!
Ephraim no longer the jealous rival of Judah,
Judah no longer the hostile rival of Ephraim!

14 Blood brothers united, they'll pounce
on the Philistines in the west.
join forces to plunder the people in the east.
They'll attack Edom and Moab.
The Ammonites will fall into line.

On GOD's holy mountain instead of our differences being a hindrance to fellowship and witnessing they complement each other. The deep theologian, the debater, the poet, and the quiet one each play a role by GOD's design. Instead of each struggling to keep what they have together they go out to give away what GOD has given them. Instead of church being in survival mode it goes into attack mode.

A Different Army

The theologian confuses
The debaters confound
The poet plays with words
Quiet ones don't make a sound

Each part of an army
Untouched by human hands
Led by a general
Who genuinely understands

Each one has a role
Unique to their skill
Never against each other
Are they used to kill

Tools used to build up
Never to tear down
Precious gems are they
In the King's crown

The confused find answers
The heretic stops his fight
The blind can see beauty
The raging storm now quiet

On GOD's holy mountain
Each safe because of the other
Free from the bondage of sin
Love your sister and brother

.....peace.....