# 9 “My Soul Delighteth in the Words of Isaiah”
2 Nephi 11-25
Yes, we should delight in Isaiah’s words-Why should we delight? They are about our day and time. Why don’t we? Perhaps, to hard to understand? I have a little help or cheat sheet for you. Scriptural Symbolism (see insert) this is hardly my own work so don’t think that. I have been to many institute classes, written the meanings down in my scriptures from their classes and read many books and talks, and that is where and how I got all these. This is hardly all the words that we need to know to interpret the scriptures, but it is a great start and a basic beginning. As you go along you may add to it. But I find this a great help as I’m reading Isaiah and by using this today we all can make sense of our lesson. You will find that as you use this chart you yourself may feel like a genius as you unlock key verses that have had you stumped for years.
We are not alone in thinking that Isaiah is difficult to understand, Nephi said in 2 Nephi 25:1 that his people had a hard time understanding Isaiah. He himself delights in Isaiah (2 Nephi 25: 5) because he understands him, he lived in Jerusalem, He knows the area, the city names and reputations, He totally understood his words. Therefore he is telling us in order to understand Isaiah we need to put ourselves in Isaiah’s time, as if we lived where he lived. Our vocabulary list should help us navigate, along with the spirit. But just in case we still have difficulty Nephi gives us a synopsis of Isaiah in a nut shell.
2 Nephi 25:10 Jews will be scattered, and then gathered again.
v.11 Jews will first kill Christ
v.12 Christ will be resurrected.
v. 16 The day will come that Jews will again believe in Christ. *this is already happening today. Jews once refused to allow Christ’s name to be spoken in their synagogues and places of worship, now they revere him as a great rabbi or teacher of his day.
v. 25 He explains Christ role for us and that because of this comes our famous scripture.
v. 26 we talk of Christ, rejoice in him, prophecy of him etc. That is exactly what Isaiah does by prophesying of things to come in his day but paralleling them to our day.
So, the best way for me to navigate Isaiah is just to start at the beginning. Jacob is still speaking to the people and is going to continue quoting Isaiah; So 2 Nephi 12 is where we are headed next.
12:2 ‘top of the mountain’ if Utah, ‘many people will flow unto it’-has this not happened? How many people visit Temple square each year? Thousands and Thousands.
v.3 ‘he’(Christ) will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths. Out of Zion(America) will go forth the law(gospel). And eventually the Lord will also rule from Jerusalem (Zion).
V. 4 He (Christ) will rule, judge and rebuke. They (the nations) nee to turn their swords (war) into plow-shares (peace) and their spears (destruction) into pruning-hooks (prosperity) We all need to get rid of war and learn to love other nations and nationalities.
v.5 Isaiah invites us to ‘walk in the light of the Lord’ He says that all of us have something to work on and we need to get to it. In the next several verses he gives a prayer (v. 6) to the Lord concerning us; that we may recognize what we need to repent of and then soften our hearts so we can come unto Him (Christ) and partake of the many blessings.
In these following verses I want to point out the sins that we need to be aware of in our generation so that we will change if need be or stay clear of these problems.
v. 6 We tend to hearken unto soothsayers and please ourselves in children of strangers (don’t know Lord-apostates)- basically saying that we look everywhere but the gospel for advice on how to live happily.
v.7-8 ‘land is full of silver and gold, neither any end of treasures’ We are a land full of people who have many idols and wealth. Also many chariots (war) we desire war and focus on that.
v.9 the mean man (common or average man) ‘boweth not’ (we are not humble to God) Isaiah stands as a witness against us that if we cannot overcome this and become humble and trust in and love God that He (God) should not forgive us.
*next versus he warns us of what will happen to us if we don’t repent.
v.10 Glory of his (Christ’s) majesty will smite us.
v.11 Prideful looks will be humbled Haughtiness (pride) will be bowed down one way or another. *It is better to humble ourselves than be “compelled” to be humble.
v. 13 He repeats himself again only relating us to trees that will be cut down.
v.14 then again tells us to stop being lifted up in pride
v. 15 Even the cities with the fences (false security) can’t stop the humbling process, when He comes again.
v. 16 Even those who have ships and belong to Tarshsish (wealthy seaport) who take in gold (pleasant pictures) will not be spared.
v.19 We can try and hide from the Lord in rocks and caves but he will still find us as He shakes the earth (earthquakes)
v. 20 We may try and bribe moles and bats (evil wicked people) to help us but they cannot either.
v. 22 He begs us to ‘cease ye from (trusting) in man’ (flesh)
*** Are you getting the picture that our biggest problem is that we have too much pride? (I can do it myself attitude) I think we ought to take an evaluation of where our pride is the most rampant and humble ourselves. Whether we are prideful at work, church, in our marriages, with our children, etc, we need to ask our Father in Heaven how to change, what we need to change and then apply the atonement so that we can change.
In Chapter 13 of 2 Nephi he continues with the pride oration.
v. 2 He will take down all men: political, city officials, religious, wise men, etc. What does he do for them?
V.4 He will give Children, princes, babes (inexperienced men) to be rulers over all of them.
v. 5 Because of their inexperience we will be oppressed.
v.6 this forces brothers to turn to fathers, or in other words. Families will come together to make it through tough times.
v.7 And no patriarch will want the responsibility because supplies will be scarce. We are being humbled by famine and bad economies.
v. 9 The Lord can tell by our countenances if we are against Him or with Him.
v.10 He tells us that if we are righteous we will be rewarded with righteousness.
v. 11 if we are wicked we will have the same reward upon us that we dished out.
**Therefore how important is it that we continually serve others. The Lord is saying that the old saying “Everything comes full circle eventually” is true, if you serve your neighbors, if you help clean up after ward parties, if you do your callings, if you lift up others with words of encouragement, it will all come back to you. People will in turn help you out in time of your greatest need.
I have experienced this already. At least once a year I try to help out someone, and it never fails every time I do the blessings, compliments, love comes back to me double… I can never keep up. And on the other hand I have also experienced the other side. I have found myself judging others too quickly only to have my conscious burn with guilt and torment, not to mention those whom I have judge no longer call me friend. I’ve lost double too. How I would rather do good than bad, just like all of you. All we can do is our best to evaluate ourselves, and find where we need to change and then repent. I find I always am repenting for one thought or another.
v. 13-17 Isaiah paints a court room scene for us. The Savior stands to judge against us. He states what we are doing wrong. V. 14 leaders have taxed the people or ‘taken their spoil’ v.15 ‘beat my people’ physically abuse (hard labor) ‘grind faces’ put on us economic hardships.
v.16 The Lord says because of the hardship daughters (men and women; church) are prideful and seductive, walking and looking around for what they can have (worldly goods) Now in the next versus (v. 17-26) He (Lord) tells us what He will do to us. He speaks of cloths and jewels but He is basically talking about us being slave to fashions of the day. (v. 24) A RENT is a rope that was put around a slave’s neck. *What could this be liked to today? Bondage? Debt? Boy are we experiencing all this today? Yes, and to think Isaiah has been in our scriptures telling us these things for centuries and yet we still don’t learn our lessons. That is why he saw v. 24-26 sackcloth, falling by sword, and sitting upon the ground (mourning)
2 Nephi 14 Isaiah decides that he’s given us plenty of gloom and doom and decides now would be a great time to interject some hope. A Plug, if you will, for the Atonement.
v. 1 In this verse it talks about how war makes men scarce therefore the ratio is 7 women to 1 man. They beg him (one man) to provide them with his name. They will provide for themselves but want to spare themselves of humiliation by saying they belong to someone. ** So what can this be symbolic of? Christ!!! If we take His name upon us and do as he would have us do can there be peace? Can there be happiness in a world of wickedness? (vs. 2) The fruit of the earth is excellent and comely to them that are escaped (survived the judgments)
v.3 We will remain in Jerusalem (Where Christ will dwell, with HIM) being called Holy!(temple worthy)
* how do we get this?
v. 4 Through the atonement, ordinances, and by spirit of burning (purified by fire)
**What can we do today to have this?
v. 5 Lord can create (we can create with his help) every dwelling-place (our homes) of mount Zion (into a temple) also our assemblies (churches) can be a place where the Lord dwells everyday. (cloud of smoke, flaming fire=Lords presence; see footnote 5b Exo. It tells that these are signs of Lords presence in the tabernacle)
And the Lords presence can be our defense against evil influences.
v.6 Our homes can be a refuge from the storms of life but only with the Savior’s influence and protective arm of the atonement.
I like ending on a good note, and my lesson is getting quite lengthy, there is so much stuff to cover; Chapters 11-25 is just a lot of information, therefore, I’m going to skip through the rest pointing out the wonderful things the Lords does, or will do for us. I will end my lesson and then go back and finish putting in what I got out of the remaining chapters and verses. So just in case you are like me and need every word to be pointed out I will continue just as I have been.
So Other things the Lord does and will do : In Chapter 16, 2 Nephi Isaiah bares his testimony of what the Lord did for him personally, and I bare testimony that He can and will do the same for us if we but trust in Him. In other words, trust in what He can do!!
16:1 He testifies he saw the Lord in all His glory.
16:2 He saw seraphim (angels) with wings (power to act and move) , with those wings they covered themselves because the Glory of the Lord was great! Too Great!
v. 3 they praised the Lord.
v.4 door moved (great power) the house (temple) was filled with smoke (glory of God)
v.5 He (Isaiah) saw inside and immediately felt unworthy to be there. (Yet anyone in my book that experiences visions like this has to be a very humble worthy man!)
v.6 Live coal (Holy Ghost –it purifies Isaiah to he can enter into God’s glory)
v.7 Touched his lips (made his mouth clean, so that he could testify and this gave him confidence to do what was asked of him)
*do we or can we have this kind of confidence? Were we not all given the gift of the Holy Ghost? I testify with the Holy Ghosts help we can do anything.
v.8 The Lord needed a Prophet. Asked who shall we send? (Still gives Isaiah his agency) Isaiah offers to go and speak of Christ. Who could shut him up after seeing such an awesome vision.
v.9 He(Christ) tells him to go preach but not get discouraged that we won’t listen.
v.10 He (Christ) tells him our hearts are fat (hard) ears heavy (won’t listen) eyes shut (won’t see reason) and until this is changed we won’t be converted and healed.
v. 11-13 Isaiah asks how long we will be like this? Lord says till all destruction is done an there is nothing left but a tenth (the perfect number) of the people, the people who only sow holy seed. (Those who will testify of Christ and do anything for Him)
I hope that we all can be in this tenth. I know that we can. I know that the process can be easy but we have to decide if it is worth our time and effort. Isaiah was willing to do anything the Lord asked-even when it meant he wouldn’t get many results. He saw our day, he has told us over and over that we need to rid ourselves of pride and trust in His arm not the arm of flesh. He also saw the Lords glory and it is His Glory that made Isaiah continue to testify with such urgency and fervor. The day is Close it is coming and I know that if we continue to rid ourselves of unneeded and unwanted Pride and selfishness we can continue to be part of the Lord’s army. I testify to you that The Lord Loves us, He is mindful of all our efforts, even the smallest ones. In the name of JESUS CHRIST AMEN.
So here is the rest of my learnings: (okay, not all but somemore)
2 Nephi 15
* before we start- in this chapter I read that the winepress, fertile hill and grapes are symbols of the atonement.
*Isaiah is going to sing us a song. Isn’t that what people to for people they love?
v.1 well-beloved (Lord) vineyard (Israel) in a fruitful hill (promised land; where the atonement reigns)
v.2 The Lord fenced it (protected) took out the stumbling blocks (stones) planted with the best seeds of faith. Built a tower (sent us prophets to guide us) also made a wine-press (great harvest, atonement) and hoped that it would bring forth grapes (righteous people who use the atonement) It brought wild grapes (apostasy, a fallen people)
v.4 what more could he have done to help us to return to Him?
*Now He’s going to tell us another way to get us to turn our hearts to Him.
v.5 take away the hedge (protection) break down the walls (promises) (wicked will be burned at 2nd coming)
v.6 I will not baby it (the vineyard-people) anymore. I will allow briers and thorns (trials, transgressions) to come among it. I will take away the rain (life, prophecy)
v.7 He tells us who he is talking about(us) and says they/we will experience bloodshed (oppression)
*He warns us.
v.8 wo to them who join house to house. Meaning-rich who keep getting richer by taking up all the land and possessions to themselves.
v.9 many houses will be desolate(is this happening today? Are many houses abandoned because of excessive debt and bankruptcy? And yet more and more homes are being built and getting bigger all the time.)
v.10 there is plenty of wealth to go around and yet the greedy keep it rather than share it, therefore their land (so to speak) isn’t yielding a very good crop ( in other words, those who are prospering aren’t prospering half so much as they could be if they were blessing others with their abundance)
v.11 wo unto us who seek carnal entertainment from the 1st of the morning till night!
v. 12 We seek after personal pleasures, but fail to thank the Lord from whom all those pleasures come from
v. 13 because of this we have gone into captivity (debt) and have no knowledge (past feeling or spiritual death) all people even the noble and great ones have lost the spiritual guidance that is so badly needed in an evil world.
v. 14 basically saying Hell is rejoicing because we are eat, drinking, and marrying our way down there.
v.15 all men will be brought low (compelled to be humble again)
v.16 God will show us His judgments and how great His righteousness is.
v.17 lambs.(we) shall roam were there is no grass. Fat ones (prosperous) will be taken in by strangers (those who don’t know God) Yes- the prosperous seem to do well and stay prosperous ( But their prosperity won't last either) and we seem to suffer, but God only allows these things so that we can learn to rely on Him again.
v.18 wo to those who draw iniquity and vanity with a rope behind them.
v.19 they (the wicked) say let Him (Christ) make speed to hasten His work that we may see it (show us how mighty the works of God really are and we will believe-because so far they/we don’t recognize them as often as we should) (And we know what happens to people that seek after signs don’t we?
v.20 we need to stop confusing the good with the best!
v.21 Wo to us who think we are better than God (I can get through life without His help –kind of attitude)
v.22wo to alcoholics or go against word of wisdom
v.23 wo to those who take bribes in exchange for freedom of men with evil designs.
v.24 Fire will consume evil and wicked to stubble.
v.25 even though the Lord is turned against us He never has taken his hand away from us. He still wants to extend His mercy.
v. 26 He will lift up an ensign (gospel) and those who recognize the true gospel will come running swiftly- and not be weary or stumble. (We will gladly be a part of the gospel and all it has to offer)
* These next verses also parallel missionary work.
v. 27 We will continually do the Lord’s work all day and all night and not complain that we are doing more than another or that we are ungrateful for those who are serving.
v.28 The Lords arrows will protect us as we do his work. We will come on strong and tough with testimonies that are like a young (vibrant, new, excited) lions!
v.29 No enemy can stand against someone who is working for the Lord.
v.30 We shall roar against evil like the roaring of the sea (with the spirit) and if we look (take our focus off our work) then we will behold darkness and sorrow.
*Chapter 16 commentary can be found in my lesson in above pages.
Sorry to say, I’m exhausted, I’m done typing. My Brain is getting fried trying to sort all this out enough to get it on paper, therefore. I’m done I know I’m several chapter short, but truthfully I’ve been typing this lesson for 3 ½ hours and my brain is spent. So if you’d like to do some more studying on your own. My sources are: the Old Book of Mormon Institute manual, the Scripture footnotes in all the covered chapters, Understanding Isaiah book by Parry, Parry, & Peterson. Not to mention all my notes that I took from my institute classes from Calvin Stephens and Bro. Tew. Anyway, you can go study on your own- get to work!!!
2 Nephi 11-25
Yes, we should delight in Isaiah’s words-Why should we delight? They are about our day and time. Why don’t we? Perhaps, to hard to understand? I have a little help or cheat sheet for you. Scriptural Symbolism (see insert) this is hardly my own work so don’t think that. I have been to many institute classes, written the meanings down in my scriptures from their classes and read many books and talks, and that is where and how I got all these. This is hardly all the words that we need to know to interpret the scriptures, but it is a great start and a basic beginning. As you go along you may add to it. But I find this a great help as I’m reading Isaiah and by using this today we all can make sense of our lesson. You will find that as you use this chart you yourself may feel like a genius as you unlock key verses that have had you stumped for years.
We are not alone in thinking that Isaiah is difficult to understand, Nephi said in 2 Nephi 25:1 that his people had a hard time understanding Isaiah. He himself delights in Isaiah (2 Nephi 25: 5) because he understands him, he lived in Jerusalem, He knows the area, the city names and reputations, He totally understood his words. Therefore he is telling us in order to understand Isaiah we need to put ourselves in Isaiah’s time, as if we lived where he lived. Our vocabulary list should help us navigate, along with the spirit. But just in case we still have difficulty Nephi gives us a synopsis of Isaiah in a nut shell.
2 Nephi 25:10 Jews will be scattered, and then gathered again.
v.11 Jews will first kill Christ
v.12 Christ will be resurrected.
v. 16 The day will come that Jews will again believe in Christ. *this is already happening today. Jews once refused to allow Christ’s name to be spoken in their synagogues and places of worship, now they revere him as a great rabbi or teacher of his day.
v. 25 He explains Christ role for us and that because of this comes our famous scripture.
v. 26 we talk of Christ, rejoice in him, prophecy of him etc. That is exactly what Isaiah does by prophesying of things to come in his day but paralleling them to our day.
So, the best way for me to navigate Isaiah is just to start at the beginning. Jacob is still speaking to the people and is going to continue quoting Isaiah; So 2 Nephi 12 is where we are headed next.
12:2 ‘top of the mountain’ if Utah, ‘many people will flow unto it’-has this not happened? How many people visit Temple square each year? Thousands and Thousands.
v.3 ‘he’(Christ) will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths. Out of Zion(America) will go forth the law(gospel). And eventually the Lord will also rule from Jerusalem (Zion).
V. 4 He (Christ) will rule, judge and rebuke. They (the nations) nee to turn their swords (war) into plow-shares (peace) and their spears (destruction) into pruning-hooks (prosperity) We all need to get rid of war and learn to love other nations and nationalities.
v.5 Isaiah invites us to ‘walk in the light of the Lord’ He says that all of us have something to work on and we need to get to it. In the next several verses he gives a prayer (v. 6) to the Lord concerning us; that we may recognize what we need to repent of and then soften our hearts so we can come unto Him (Christ) and partake of the many blessings.
In these following verses I want to point out the sins that we need to be aware of in our generation so that we will change if need be or stay clear of these problems.
v. 6 We tend to hearken unto soothsayers and please ourselves in children of strangers (don’t know Lord-apostates)- basically saying that we look everywhere but the gospel for advice on how to live happily.
v.7-8 ‘land is full of silver and gold, neither any end of treasures’ We are a land full of people who have many idols and wealth. Also many chariots (war) we desire war and focus on that.
v.9 the mean man (common or average man) ‘boweth not’ (we are not humble to God) Isaiah stands as a witness against us that if we cannot overcome this and become humble and trust in and love God that He (God) should not forgive us.
*next versus he warns us of what will happen to us if we don’t repent.
v.10 Glory of his (Christ’s) majesty will smite us.
v.11 Prideful looks will be humbled Haughtiness (pride) will be bowed down one way or another. *It is better to humble ourselves than be “compelled” to be humble.
v. 13 He repeats himself again only relating us to trees that will be cut down.
v.14 then again tells us to stop being lifted up in pride
v. 15 Even the cities with the fences (false security) can’t stop the humbling process, when He comes again.
v. 16 Even those who have ships and belong to Tarshsish (wealthy seaport) who take in gold (pleasant pictures) will not be spared.
v.19 We can try and hide from the Lord in rocks and caves but he will still find us as He shakes the earth (earthquakes)
v. 20 We may try and bribe moles and bats (evil wicked people) to help us but they cannot either.
v. 22 He begs us to ‘cease ye from (trusting) in man’ (flesh)
*** Are you getting the picture that our biggest problem is that we have too much pride? (I can do it myself attitude) I think we ought to take an evaluation of where our pride is the most rampant and humble ourselves. Whether we are prideful at work, church, in our marriages, with our children, etc, we need to ask our Father in Heaven how to change, what we need to change and then apply the atonement so that we can change.
In Chapter 13 of 2 Nephi he continues with the pride oration.
v. 2 He will take down all men: political, city officials, religious, wise men, etc. What does he do for them?
V.4 He will give Children, princes, babes (inexperienced men) to be rulers over all of them.
v. 5 Because of their inexperience we will be oppressed.
v.6 this forces brothers to turn to fathers, or in other words. Families will come together to make it through tough times.
v.7 And no patriarch will want the responsibility because supplies will be scarce. We are being humbled by famine and bad economies.
v. 9 The Lord can tell by our countenances if we are against Him or with Him.
v.10 He tells us that if we are righteous we will be rewarded with righteousness.
v. 11 if we are wicked we will have the same reward upon us that we dished out.
**Therefore how important is it that we continually serve others. The Lord is saying that the old saying “Everything comes full circle eventually” is true, if you serve your neighbors, if you help clean up after ward parties, if you do your callings, if you lift up others with words of encouragement, it will all come back to you. People will in turn help you out in time of your greatest need.
I have experienced this already. At least once a year I try to help out someone, and it never fails every time I do the blessings, compliments, love comes back to me double… I can never keep up. And on the other hand I have also experienced the other side. I have found myself judging others too quickly only to have my conscious burn with guilt and torment, not to mention those whom I have judge no longer call me friend. I’ve lost double too. How I would rather do good than bad, just like all of you. All we can do is our best to evaluate ourselves, and find where we need to change and then repent. I find I always am repenting for one thought or another.
v. 13-17 Isaiah paints a court room scene for us. The Savior stands to judge against us. He states what we are doing wrong. V. 14 leaders have taxed the people or ‘taken their spoil’ v.15 ‘beat my people’ physically abuse (hard labor) ‘grind faces’ put on us economic hardships.
v.16 The Lord says because of the hardship daughters (men and women; church) are prideful and seductive, walking and looking around for what they can have (worldly goods) Now in the next versus (v. 17-26) He (Lord) tells us what He will do to us. He speaks of cloths and jewels but He is basically talking about us being slave to fashions of the day. (v. 24) A RENT is a rope that was put around a slave’s neck. *What could this be liked to today? Bondage? Debt? Boy are we experiencing all this today? Yes, and to think Isaiah has been in our scriptures telling us these things for centuries and yet we still don’t learn our lessons. That is why he saw v. 24-26 sackcloth, falling by sword, and sitting upon the ground (mourning)
2 Nephi 14 Isaiah decides that he’s given us plenty of gloom and doom and decides now would be a great time to interject some hope. A Plug, if you will, for the Atonement.
v. 1 In this verse it talks about how war makes men scarce therefore the ratio is 7 women to 1 man. They beg him (one man) to provide them with his name. They will provide for themselves but want to spare themselves of humiliation by saying they belong to someone. ** So what can this be symbolic of? Christ!!! If we take His name upon us and do as he would have us do can there be peace? Can there be happiness in a world of wickedness? (vs. 2) The fruit of the earth is excellent and comely to them that are escaped (survived the judgments)
v.3 We will remain in Jerusalem (Where Christ will dwell, with HIM) being called Holy!(temple worthy)
* how do we get this?
v. 4 Through the atonement, ordinances, and by spirit of burning (purified by fire)
**What can we do today to have this?
v. 5 Lord can create (we can create with his help) every dwelling-place (our homes) of mount Zion (into a temple) also our assemblies (churches) can be a place where the Lord dwells everyday. (cloud of smoke, flaming fire=Lords presence; see footnote 5b Exo. It tells that these are signs of Lords presence in the tabernacle)
And the Lords presence can be our defense against evil influences.
v.6 Our homes can be a refuge from the storms of life but only with the Savior’s influence and protective arm of the atonement.
I like ending on a good note, and my lesson is getting quite lengthy, there is so much stuff to cover; Chapters 11-25 is just a lot of information, therefore, I’m going to skip through the rest pointing out the wonderful things the Lords does, or will do for us. I will end my lesson and then go back and finish putting in what I got out of the remaining chapters and verses. So just in case you are like me and need every word to be pointed out I will continue just as I have been.
So Other things the Lord does and will do : In Chapter 16, 2 Nephi Isaiah bares his testimony of what the Lord did for him personally, and I bare testimony that He can and will do the same for us if we but trust in Him. In other words, trust in what He can do!!
16:1 He testifies he saw the Lord in all His glory.
16:2 He saw seraphim (angels) with wings (power to act and move) , with those wings they covered themselves because the Glory of the Lord was great! Too Great!
v. 3 they praised the Lord.
v.4 door moved (great power) the house (temple) was filled with smoke (glory of God)
v.5 He (Isaiah) saw inside and immediately felt unworthy to be there. (Yet anyone in my book that experiences visions like this has to be a very humble worthy man!)
v.6 Live coal (Holy Ghost –it purifies Isaiah to he can enter into God’s glory)
v.7 Touched his lips (made his mouth clean, so that he could testify and this gave him confidence to do what was asked of him)
*do we or can we have this kind of confidence? Were we not all given the gift of the Holy Ghost? I testify with the Holy Ghosts help we can do anything.
v.8 The Lord needed a Prophet. Asked who shall we send? (Still gives Isaiah his agency) Isaiah offers to go and speak of Christ. Who could shut him up after seeing such an awesome vision.
v.9 He(Christ) tells him to go preach but not get discouraged that we won’t listen.
v.10 He (Christ) tells him our hearts are fat (hard) ears heavy (won’t listen) eyes shut (won’t see reason) and until this is changed we won’t be converted and healed.
v. 11-13 Isaiah asks how long we will be like this? Lord says till all destruction is done an there is nothing left but a tenth (the perfect number) of the people, the people who only sow holy seed. (Those who will testify of Christ and do anything for Him)
I hope that we all can be in this tenth. I know that we can. I know that the process can be easy but we have to decide if it is worth our time and effort. Isaiah was willing to do anything the Lord asked-even when it meant he wouldn’t get many results. He saw our day, he has told us over and over that we need to rid ourselves of pride and trust in His arm not the arm of flesh. He also saw the Lords glory and it is His Glory that made Isaiah continue to testify with such urgency and fervor. The day is Close it is coming and I know that if we continue to rid ourselves of unneeded and unwanted Pride and selfishness we can continue to be part of the Lord’s army. I testify to you that The Lord Loves us, He is mindful of all our efforts, even the smallest ones. In the name of JESUS CHRIST AMEN.
So here is the rest of my learnings: (okay, not all but somemore)
2 Nephi 15
* before we start- in this chapter I read that the winepress, fertile hill and grapes are symbols of the atonement.
*Isaiah is going to sing us a song. Isn’t that what people to for people they love?
v.1 well-beloved (Lord) vineyard (Israel) in a fruitful hill (promised land; where the atonement reigns)
v.2 The Lord fenced it (protected) took out the stumbling blocks (stones) planted with the best seeds of faith. Built a tower (sent us prophets to guide us) also made a wine-press (great harvest, atonement) and hoped that it would bring forth grapes (righteous people who use the atonement) It brought wild grapes (apostasy, a fallen people)
v.4 what more could he have done to help us to return to Him?
*Now He’s going to tell us another way to get us to turn our hearts to Him.
v.5 take away the hedge (protection) break down the walls (promises) (wicked will be burned at 2nd coming)
v.6 I will not baby it (the vineyard-people) anymore. I will allow briers and thorns (trials, transgressions) to come among it. I will take away the rain (life, prophecy)
v.7 He tells us who he is talking about(us) and says they/we will experience bloodshed (oppression)
*He warns us.
v.8 wo to them who join house to house. Meaning-rich who keep getting richer by taking up all the land and possessions to themselves.
v.9 many houses will be desolate(is this happening today? Are many houses abandoned because of excessive debt and bankruptcy? And yet more and more homes are being built and getting bigger all the time.)
v.10 there is plenty of wealth to go around and yet the greedy keep it rather than share it, therefore their land (so to speak) isn’t yielding a very good crop ( in other words, those who are prospering aren’t prospering half so much as they could be if they were blessing others with their abundance)
v.11 wo unto us who seek carnal entertainment from the 1st of the morning till night!
v. 12 We seek after personal pleasures, but fail to thank the Lord from whom all those pleasures come from
v. 13 because of this we have gone into captivity (debt) and have no knowledge (past feeling or spiritual death) all people even the noble and great ones have lost the spiritual guidance that is so badly needed in an evil world.
v. 14 basically saying Hell is rejoicing because we are eat, drinking, and marrying our way down there.
v.15 all men will be brought low (compelled to be humble again)
v.16 God will show us His judgments and how great His righteousness is.
v.17 lambs.(we) shall roam were there is no grass. Fat ones (prosperous) will be taken in by strangers (those who don’t know God) Yes- the prosperous seem to do well and stay prosperous ( But their prosperity won't last either) and we seem to suffer, but God only allows these things so that we can learn to rely on Him again.
v.18 wo to those who draw iniquity and vanity with a rope behind them.
v.19 they (the wicked) say let Him (Christ) make speed to hasten His work that we may see it (show us how mighty the works of God really are and we will believe-because so far they/we don’t recognize them as often as we should) (And we know what happens to people that seek after signs don’t we?
v.20 we need to stop confusing the good with the best!
v.21 Wo to us who think we are better than God (I can get through life without His help –kind of attitude)
v.22wo to alcoholics or go against word of wisdom
v.23 wo to those who take bribes in exchange for freedom of men with evil designs.
v.24 Fire will consume evil and wicked to stubble.
v.25 even though the Lord is turned against us He never has taken his hand away from us. He still wants to extend His mercy.
v. 26 He will lift up an ensign (gospel) and those who recognize the true gospel will come running swiftly- and not be weary or stumble. (We will gladly be a part of the gospel and all it has to offer)
* These next verses also parallel missionary work.
v. 27 We will continually do the Lord’s work all day and all night and not complain that we are doing more than another or that we are ungrateful for those who are serving.
v.28 The Lords arrows will protect us as we do his work. We will come on strong and tough with testimonies that are like a young (vibrant, new, excited) lions!
v.29 No enemy can stand against someone who is working for the Lord.
v.30 We shall roar against evil like the roaring of the sea (with the spirit) and if we look (take our focus off our work) then we will behold darkness and sorrow.
*Chapter 16 commentary can be found in my lesson in above pages.
Sorry to say, I’m exhausted, I’m done typing. My Brain is getting fried trying to sort all this out enough to get it on paper, therefore. I’m done I know I’m several chapter short, but truthfully I’ve been typing this lesson for 3 ½ hours and my brain is spent. So if you’d like to do some more studying on your own. My sources are: the Old Book of Mormon Institute manual, the Scripture footnotes in all the covered chapters, Understanding Isaiah book by Parry, Parry, & Peterson. Not to mention all my notes that I took from my institute classes from Calvin Stephens and Bro. Tew. Anyway, you can go study on your own- get to work!!!
1 comment:
Hi. I enjoyed your post and am wondering if you might be able to give me the title of the Old Book of Mormon institute manual? I've heard from a few people that it is quite good. Thanks!
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