2 Nephi 25:1-10
Again, I am skipping the Isaiah chapters, I definitely want to spend a concerted effort and lots of time to understanding and studying Isaiah, but at this point I feel like it is too much for me to take on. Because I had heard somewhere that, concerning Isaiah, "it's great to quote the Lord, but it's even greater to be quoted BY the Lord" because of the many many times Isaiah was referenced by the Savior himself.
25:1-3 - The IM says the words of Isaiah were difficult for even the people of Nephi to understand, and they were only 100 years after Isaiah, which is interesting to me, because even though I've dabbled a bit in Old Testament study, and I loved it, I don't have a strong grip on ancient dates and time lines. In fact, I BYU has a TV channel and they have tons of really good stuff. I downloaded the Discussions on the Old Testament series, they were very good, where there is a panel of BYU professors discussing the scriptures. But despite all that, I still don't have a firm take on everything. Maybe one of the reasons why I struggle with Isaiah so much is the same reason that Nephi's people struggled so much, "for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews." I wonder if the culture or the language of the Jews made Isaiah's prophesies unique to that culture, instead of just being deeply complex. Nephi says in verse 2 that he is not teaching his people "concerning the manner of the jews; for their works were works of darkness, and their doing were doing of abominations." Just a couple of days ago we talked about the Jews being the only people that would be wicked enough at the time of Christ to crucify their own God, and when Lehi left, they were on the verge of destruction yet again, so yeah I can see how they might not have had all their ducks in a row. Also, in the previous chapter discussed, chapter 11, verse 4 Nephi teaches that "for this end hath the law of Moses been given." So if the Jews had the law of Moses, and Nephi doesn't want to teach his people the ways of the Jews, but IS teaching them that the law of Moses was given as a typifying of Christ, then put that all together, and it would see reasonable to assume that the Jews did not understand or believe at the time that the law of Moses was not the end all be all of the eternal law. It would seem that they did not associate the law with the coming of the Messiah and the atonement, so again, I can see Nephi's hesitation to rid his own society of false teachings, and as the prophet to lead and teach them in the ways of truth. It's very interesting to me that he, being Hebrew, would give up the traditions and culture and teachings that he himself grew up with. It's kind of like he's this hybrid guy, part of both worlds.
25:4 - Here's kind of the kick in the face to me, having skipped over the Isaiah parts because they are hard to understand, "for the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophesy." I have to admit, when I think of myself spiritually, prophet or prophesy doesn't resonate with me at all. Why? I don't know, it seems so lofty and honestly I've only ever considered that the priesthood could be a prophet so that ruled me out immediately. But the IM quotes President Joseph Fielding Smith as teaching "Revelation may be given to every member of the Church. The Prophet said that ever man should be a prophet; that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy. It is not only the privilege but the duty of each member of the church to know the truth which will make him free. This he cannot know unless it is reveled to him... The gift of the Holy Ghost is given to the members of the church so that they may have the spirit of prophesy and revelation. Let is be understood however, that they will not receive revelation for the guidance of the church." So by that definition, my testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophesy. So even though the word "prophesy" has a heavy connotation, the denotation is quite simple, one's testimony of Christ. "Every man (and woman I'm assuming) should be a prophet." So I should be a prophet, that's what I should be striving for, and since I'm not "the" prophet of the church, I don't have the priesthood or the keys, then I won't receive guidance for the church, but I can receive guidance for myself and my little family, right? Is that what the spirit of prophesy means? But because Nephi IS the prophet of the church at that time, he could receive prophecy for the entire church, hmmmm..... makes sense. The spirit of prophecy, I'm going to have to think about that.
25:5-6 - Nephi goes back to discussing why the teaching of Isaiah are more easily understood in the light of the Jewish culture and geography at the time. He says "I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them." So again, no one understands Jewish prophecies like the Jews, but since Nephi and Jacob are teaching the words of Isaiah, I would assume that just because we don't have the context and background knowledge, we would still be able to learn much from him. So if the Jews understood the prophecies of the prophets, I'm assuming which includes Isaiah, but they killed the prophets, that means that they rebelled against God? I guess it makes sense because if the Jews didn't understand the teachings of the prophets, it wouldn't be just to have them be destroyed. It would be like having me be killed because I don't know what the dog is telling me, same understanding. So yeah, it's making more and more sense that Nephi would teach according to "mine own prophecy, according to my plainness." Teach the truth as he knows is, directly in a way that his audience will understand.
25:7-10 - Here's again where I kind of have a hard time with Nephi's writing style. It's so interesting because here I just spent like 2 weeks reading and writing about Jacob, and Jacob is so easy for me to understand, and we're back to Nephi and I'm struggling through his writing style. Basically from what I can gather, he spends these verses talking about the importance of prophesying in plainness, and that the words of Isaiah are particularly written for our day, and that generation after generation "have been destroyed... according to their iniquities." Just goes to show that just because you're a chosen people doesn't mean you don't have to obey the commandments of God, and this is just as pertinent today as back then because "we" are the chosen people now. This is a warning to us. But a very important point here is the last line from verse 9 from Nephi saying "and never hath any of them been destroyed save it were foretold them be them prophets of the Lord." This is another example of the Lord's abhorrence of violence, but his willingness to do it as an absolute last resort. The Lord never resorts to violence unless it's the only possible way to make the people listen, and he never does it without warning for an extended period of time and ample opportunities to mend their ways and come back to him.
25:1-3 - The IM says the words of Isaiah were difficult for even the people of Nephi to understand, and they were only 100 years after Isaiah, which is interesting to me, because even though I've dabbled a bit in Old Testament study, and I loved it, I don't have a strong grip on ancient dates and time lines. In fact, I BYU has a TV channel and they have tons of really good stuff. I downloaded the Discussions on the Old Testament series, they were very good, where there is a panel of BYU professors discussing the scriptures. But despite all that, I still don't have a firm take on everything. Maybe one of the reasons why I struggle with Isaiah so much is the same reason that Nephi's people struggled so much, "for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews." I wonder if the culture or the language of the Jews made Isaiah's prophesies unique to that culture, instead of just being deeply complex. Nephi says in verse 2 that he is not teaching his people "concerning the manner of the jews; for their works were works of darkness, and their doing were doing of abominations." Just a couple of days ago we talked about the Jews being the only people that would be wicked enough at the time of Christ to crucify their own God, and when Lehi left, they were on the verge of destruction yet again, so yeah I can see how they might not have had all their ducks in a row. Also, in the previous chapter discussed, chapter 11, verse 4 Nephi teaches that "for this end hath the law of Moses been given." So if the Jews had the law of Moses, and Nephi doesn't want to teach his people the ways of the Jews, but IS teaching them that the law of Moses was given as a typifying of Christ, then put that all together, and it would see reasonable to assume that the Jews did not understand or believe at the time that the law of Moses was not the end all be all of the eternal law. It would seem that they did not associate the law with the coming of the Messiah and the atonement, so again, I can see Nephi's hesitation to rid his own society of false teachings, and as the prophet to lead and teach them in the ways of truth. It's very interesting to me that he, being Hebrew, would give up the traditions and culture and teachings that he himself grew up with. It's kind of like he's this hybrid guy, part of both worlds.
25:4 - Here's kind of the kick in the face to me, having skipped over the Isaiah parts because they are hard to understand, "for the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophesy." I have to admit, when I think of myself spiritually, prophet or prophesy doesn't resonate with me at all. Why? I don't know, it seems so lofty and honestly I've only ever considered that the priesthood could be a prophet so that ruled me out immediately. But the IM quotes President Joseph Fielding Smith as teaching "Revelation may be given to every member of the Church. The Prophet said that ever man should be a prophet; that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy. It is not only the privilege but the duty of each member of the church to know the truth which will make him free. This he cannot know unless it is reveled to him... The gift of the Holy Ghost is given to the members of the church so that they may have the spirit of prophesy and revelation. Let is be understood however, that they will not receive revelation for the guidance of the church." So by that definition, my testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophesy. So even though the word "prophesy" has a heavy connotation, the denotation is quite simple, one's testimony of Christ. "Every man (and woman I'm assuming) should be a prophet." So I should be a prophet, that's what I should be striving for, and since I'm not "the" prophet of the church, I don't have the priesthood or the keys, then I won't receive guidance for the church, but I can receive guidance for myself and my little family, right? Is that what the spirit of prophesy means? But because Nephi IS the prophet of the church at that time, he could receive prophecy for the entire church, hmmmm..... makes sense. The spirit of prophecy, I'm going to have to think about that.
25:5-6 - Nephi goes back to discussing why the teaching of Isaiah are more easily understood in the light of the Jewish culture and geography at the time. He says "I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them." So again, no one understands Jewish prophecies like the Jews, but since Nephi and Jacob are teaching the words of Isaiah, I would assume that just because we don't have the context and background knowledge, we would still be able to learn much from him. So if the Jews understood the prophecies of the prophets, I'm assuming which includes Isaiah, but they killed the prophets, that means that they rebelled against God? I guess it makes sense because if the Jews didn't understand the teachings of the prophets, it wouldn't be just to have them be destroyed. It would be like having me be killed because I don't know what the dog is telling me, same understanding. So yeah, it's making more and more sense that Nephi would teach according to "mine own prophecy, according to my plainness." Teach the truth as he knows is, directly in a way that his audience will understand.
25:7-10 - Here's again where I kind of have a hard time with Nephi's writing style. It's so interesting because here I just spent like 2 weeks reading and writing about Jacob, and Jacob is so easy for me to understand, and we're back to Nephi and I'm struggling through his writing style. Basically from what I can gather, he spends these verses talking about the importance of prophesying in plainness, and that the words of Isaiah are particularly written for our day, and that generation after generation "have been destroyed... according to their iniquities." Just goes to show that just because you're a chosen people doesn't mean you don't have to obey the commandments of God, and this is just as pertinent today as back then because "we" are the chosen people now. This is a warning to us. But a very important point here is the last line from verse 9 from Nephi saying "and never hath any of them been destroyed save it were foretold them be them prophets of the Lord." This is another example of the Lord's abhorrence of violence, but his willingness to do it as an absolute last resort. The Lord never resorts to violence unless it's the only possible way to make the people listen, and he never does it without warning for an extended period of time and ample opportunities to mend their ways and come back to him.
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