Isaiah 54: 7-8, 10

"7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer."
10. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. "

I can't read these words without the music and powerful spirit from this song also attending them.

My Kindness Shall Not Depart From Thee

Text and Music by Rob Gardner

For a little while

Have I forsaken thee;

But with great mercies will I gather thee.

In a little wrath I hid my face from thee

For a moment.

But with everlasting kindness will I gather thee,

And with mercy will I take thee ‘neath my wings,

For the mountains shall depart,

And the hills shall be removed,

And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,

But know, my child,

My kindness shall not depart from thee!

Though thine afflictions seem

At times too great to bear,

I know thine every thought and every care.

And though the very jaws

Of hell gape after thee I am with thee.

And with everlasting mercy will I succor thee,

And with healing will I take thee ‘neath my wings.

Though the mountains shall depart,

And the hills shall be removed,

And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,

Know, my child,

My kindness shall not depart from thee!

How long can rolling waters

Remain impure?

What pow'r shall stay the hand of God?

The Son of Man hath descended below all things.

Art thou greater than He?

So hold on thy way,

For I shall be with thee.

And mine angels shall encircle thee.

Doubt not what thou knowest,

Fear not man, for he

Cannot hurt thee.

And with everlasting kindness will I succor thee,

And with mercy will I take thee ‘neath my wings.

For the mountains shall depart,

And the hills shall be removed,

And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,

But know, my child,

My kindness shall not depart from thee!

I had the amazing opportunity to record this entire work Joseph the Prophet with the composer Rob Gardner three years ago, but here is just the song, My Kindness Shall Not Depart From Thee. I promise it will 7 uplifting moments well spent.

Isaiah 49 and 50

I love that because there are no expectations from the 3 readers that read this blog (my mom, and in-laws) so I can go two weeks without posting anything and no one notices. It would be a lot more responsibility if more people read it, (like say 15?) and then I would feel more compelled to write every day, and I really enjoy just writing a few of my scripture thoughts here and there every once in awhile rather than it being a set daily thing. I like structure and order in my life, but also randomness and spontaneity. Don't you?

O.k. we're still delving into Isaiah. And because of General Conference and then fast Sunday the week after we have just been set full throttle on Isaiah for the past month. And it has been fantastic.

If you need a place to start why not try Isaiah 49. Monte S. Nyman observed that “ chapter 49 is one of the most important chapters in the whole book of Isaiah, because it also clearly foretells the mission of the Latter-day Saints and the destiny of the land of America in connection with the house of Israel. Nephi interpreted the chapter as foretelling that the land of America would receive some of scattered Israel, while his brother Jacob applied it both to the Jews in Jerusalem and to the Gentiles. Chapter 49 is of such importance that it ought to be studied diligently by every member of the Church.” ( “Great Are the Words of Isaiah,” pp. 173–74.)

And just because I need to go, and I haven't really posted anything that i have been learning about Isaiah, I am going to post a scripture that had me pondering yesterday.

Isaiah 50:1-2 "1. Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mothers divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
2. Wherefore, when I came was there no man? when I called , was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver?"

Ancient Israel wasn't really living up their potential as the chosen people of God. They weren't spreading the good news of the gospel to others and doing missionary work, and actually they were even refusing to live the simple teachings and commandments they had been given. This scripture is talking about when the Lord came to Israel (when he "came home") no one was there because they had sold themselves to the world. He's saying, I didn't put you in these chains and bonds of sin and took you away, you did this yourself. But why did you not even call me? Did you believe I had no power to help you in these predicaments and you had to resort to the world's help?

I know I am enticed to rely on the arm of the flesh, and trust in my own faculties and what others tell me, rather than what the Lord has told me and will continue to tell me. But I need to remember that his ways truly are the best for me. These other ways will put me in bondage, while the Lord always always always will set me free. He loves me far more than I even love myself, kind of how I bet I love my toddler son Jack more than he loves himself. Which means I won't let him have Skittles for breakfast, because I have a little more knowledge than him about nutrition and energy and blood sugar levels and it will be better in the long run to just never have candy for breakfast.

And the Lord knows I need to learn to trust in Him completely because he does know much more than me about eternity and where I fit in that, and what my plan is in building his kingdom.

Do you know Isaiah?

Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:

“If, as many suppose, Isaiah ranks with the most difficult of the prophets to understand, his words are also among the most important for us to know and ponder. . . .

“. . . His prophetic words can and should shine brightly in the heart of every member of the Church.” ( “Ten Keys to Understanding Isaiah,” Ensign, Oct. 1973, p. 80 .)

Isaiah's amazing imagery

Picture courtesy of tripadvisor

I'm going to try to keep this one a quick short thought. :)

Another of Isaiah's strengths as a writer is his imagery. In Isaiah 28:20 he says

"20. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it."

Can't you just see that? Someone trying to get comfortable on a bed that is too short for him? Or someone desiring to keep out the cold on a winter night with a blanket that doesn't make it around his whole body? He's referring to the atonement here. If we try to cover ourselves with anything but the atoning blood of Christ in our lives, we will find ourselves short and wanting.

Amos

Amos had a hard prophet life, as many prophets of old. The hard part for him came from that the Israel he was preaching to had very hard hearts, and he was continually preaching about destruction for the wicked, rather than the more delicate and happy truths of the gospel. He prophesied in Amos 8:11-12 :

"11. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:
12. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek teh word of the Lord, and shall not find it."

If Israel didn't repent, there would be a famine in the land. But with this famine many wouldn't know where to turn, or that they are even hungry.

Elder Wirthlin a former LDS apostle spoke of the effect this famine had had upon Europe:

“We have observed a restless spirit of searching today among the people of Europe. Why? Because there is a gnawing hunger in the human heart that, if not fed by the truths of the gospel, leaves life empty and devoid of peace. The hodgepodge of economic ‘isms’ advocated by so-called wise men of the world has solved few, if any, problems, and has brought no real joy. Such empty nostrums have led mankind to seek worldly goods and symbols of material power, blinding humanity to the truth that only the righteous life firmly established in the daily living of God’s commandments brings true happiness. Anything less leaves the heart unfed, with a yearning inner hunger—a hunger which it is our mission to identify and define and of which we should make the people aware. I have seen in Europe the fulfillment of the words of Amos, that there would be ‘a famine in the land, not a famine of bread . . . but of hearing the words of the Lord.’ ( Amos 8:11 .)” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1975, pp. 154–55.)

Hosea

Hosea is a very interesting book of scripture in the Old Testament. The premise is one of a prophet of God that is told to marry a whore, and then she goes off to her other lovers and finally comes back to him in the end and he forgives and still loves her very much. I like this explanation of what it could mean from of course the Old Testament student manual.

The book of Hosea "present[s] an allegory designed to teach the spiritual consequences of Israel’s unfaithfulness. Sperry felt that Hosea never did actually contract such a marriage. He explains: “The Lord’s call to Hosea to take a harlotrous woman to wife represents the prophet’s call to the ministry—a ministry to an apostate and covenant-breaking people. The . . . children of this apparent union represent the coming of the judgments of the Lord upon Israel, warning of which was to be carried to the people by the prophet. The figure of the harlotrous wife and children would, I believe, be readily understood at the time by the Hebrew people without reflecting on Hosea’s own wife, or, if he was unmarried, on himself.” ( Voice of Israel’s Prophets, p. 281.)

So it can be a metaphor for Hosea as the prophet taking Israel (a very idol ridden and whoring nation) as a marriage covenant. Or actually even one step further, Hosea is representing the Savior, because it is truly with Him whom they covenant and then break that covenant.

Anyway, it really is an incredibly beautiful love story, the husband luring his lost wife back to him and never wavering in his love for her, because that is what the book of Hosea truly is, a love story. The Savior always wants us to come back, no matter where we have been down sin's path, and he wants it because he does love us so purely.

A few final Job thoughts

I have loved studying Job this past week. In our Sunday School discussion on him some of the class members got a little stuck on who Job really was, and if the conversation between God and Satan was real because that doesn't seem like in God's nature in how he deals with people, and the suchlike. Unfortunately, many of the great, inspiring and life changing principles were not talked about because these questions took over the majority of the lesson. Because I think I was changed, again, as I studied Job. I say again, because I seem to learn lessons from the scriptures over and over again. I learn one principle, then another one, then a few more, then learn the first principle and get excited all over again. Can you see why I have scripture cravings often?

Anyway, Job always gives me a clear perspective on my trials. And not just I shouldn't complain about my trials, it really digs into my heart and helps me realize the real God-like perspective of a life. Here are my trials and how Job helped me put them in perspective.

Problem #1 My husband's job. We have been trying to get a job for my husband ever since he got laid of of his job last July and started graduate school. (That's actually why we started graduate school) He has had some temporary jobs with no connection to his field, and even when he did get a job in his field he got fired very unexpectedly, unlawfully and even heartbreakingly for him and our family. However as I do look back on the year, financially we have been very blessed to actually be able to pay for everything, even for the house our renters didn't pay rent for nearly three months. It has tested our faith, but still even one year after being on this unemployment journey we have hope that he will get a job, and God still has a plan and a path for us. Joseph Smith's family moved many many times in his early childhood because of crop failure, sickness, and financial investments that didn't work out. They finally made it to Palmyra where he was able to pray in the Sacred Grove and later be able to dig up the plates that he could translate into the Book of Mormon. I feel his family was helped to make it to Palmyra so all these wonderful events could happen. I feel our family is also being blessed to be where we need to be, which is where God wants us. My husband currently does have a job working 30 hours a week for which we are very grateful, and which was supposed to end one month ago, but keeps getting extended. But we are still hopeful he will receive a job that will give him the experience he needs to get a good one after he's finished with school.

Job's perspective. He lost not just his job, but ALL of his financial assets in one day. One day! The hardest part for me in this whole job situation is what other people will think of us. (I know I still have sins to work on.) But even when Job had lost his family, his job, AND his health, his friends started asking what sins he had need to repent of. Job begged and pleaded with the Lord earlier to tell him what his sin was so he could repent if his suffering was because of sin. He knew he was right with God, and that is all that mattered. Even when his friends started questioning it, he knew he was on God's path for him. We have so many friends and family supporting and loving and caring for us, and not judging our situation, we feel doubly blessed. Although this is a hard trial and I sometimes do fall and want to make sure everyone in the world knows we are doing what we can to get a job, we're not being lazy or even too picky, in the end, their views don't matter. And we feel hope and peace about it because we know we're on God's path and doing everything we can on our end, just like Job.

Problem #2 Our car. It started jolting forward and sounding like we were in third gear when we were going from stop to about 25 mph. We took it in to get fixed and were told it was our transmission, which early estimates have been roughly $1800-$2400. Remember that's us that haven't had a steady income for one year. That is in graduate school with two kids?

Job's perspective. A car problem? A financial problem? I think I have been feeling so much peace about this one because we have again been doing everything we can, and this problem is SOOO small compared to losing a family member, or having ill health. Not that the car is going to miraculously fix itself. But I feel something miraculous will happen to get it fixed. Whether it is Eric will get a job that will pay for his schooling, or we find just enough to fix the car and pay for school in our student loans, it will be taken care of.

Now these are just two of the things we are facing right now, but I am so glad Job could again emphasize the things we need to be doing, and realizing there is so much goodness in life no matter your circumstance. And to end with a quote by Elder Harold B. Lee:

“‘It is not the function of religion to answer all questions about God’s moral government of the universe, but to give courage (through faith) to go on in the face of questions he never finds the answer to in his present status. Therefore, take heed of yourselves, and as a wise world thinker once said, “If the time comes when you feel you can no longer hold to your faith, then hold to it anyway. You cannot go into tomorrow’s uncertainty and dangers without faith”‘ ( Church News, source not quoted).” (Keith H. Meservy, “Job: ‘Yet Will I Trust in Him,’” pp. 139–53.)

Did you know that?

Bill Nye the Science Guy. Gotta love him. Remember that part of his show that said Did You Know That? O.k. well so that has nothing to do with this next statement, but I wanted a fun intro to it.

Jonah is a type of Christ. What? Well, the Savior himself said on "two occasions when he was asked for a sign from heaven. In each case he gave “the sign of the prophet Jonah,” the event in that prophet’s life being a foreshadowing of Jesus’ own death and resurrection" (Matt. 12: 39-41; Matt. 16: 4; Luke 11: 29-30) Bible Dictionary "Jonah"

"Jonah was a type of Christ in that he was in the belly of the whale—in “hell,” in his own words ( Jonah 2:2 )—just as Jesus was in the grave for three days, and then came forth again. C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch showed that the significance of Jonah’s story is broader than that:

“The mission of Jonah was a fact of symbolical and typical importance, which was intended not only to enlighten Israel as to the position of the Gentile world in relation to the kingdom of God, but also to typify the future adoption of such of the heathen, as should observe the word of God, into the fellowship of the salvation prepared in Israel for all nations" (Old Testament Student Manual- Jonah

And continuing on in this quote, I find this fascinating, but a little long:

“As the time drew nigh when Israel was to be given up into the power of the Gentiles, and trodden down by them, on account of its stiff-necked apostasy from the Lord its God, it was very natural for the self-righteous mind of Israel to regard the Gentiles as simply enemies of the people and kingdom of God, and not only to deny their capacity for salvation, but also to interpret the prophetic announcement of the judgment coming upon the Gentiles as signifying that they were destined to utter destruction. The object of Jonah’s mission to Nineveh was to combat in the most energetic manner, and practically to overthrow, a delusion which had a seeming support in the election of Israel to be the vehicle of salvation, and which stimulated the inclination to pharisaical reliance upon an outward connection with the chosen nation and a lineal descent from Abraham. . . . The attitude of Israel towards the design of God to show mercy to the Gentiles and grant them salvation, is depicted in the way in which Jonah acts, when he receives the divine command, and when he goes to carry it out. Jonah tries to escape from the command to proclaim the word of God in Nineveh by flight to Tarshish, because he is displeased with the display of divine mercy to the great heathen world, and because, according to ch. iv. 2 , he is afraid lest the preaching of repentance should avert from Nineveh the destruction with which it is threatened. In this state of mind on the part of the prophet, there are reflected the feelings and the general state of mind of the Israelitish nation towards the Gentiles. According to his natural man, Jonah shares in this, and is thereby fitted to be the representative of Israel in its pride at its own election. . . . The infliction of this punishment, which falls upon him on account of his obstinate resistance to the will of God, typifies that rejection and banishment from the face of God which Israel will assuredly bring upon itself by its obstinate resistance to the divine call. But Jonah, when cast into the sea, is swallowed up by a great fish; and when he prays to the Lord in the fish’s belly, he is vomited upon the land unhurt. This miracle has also a symbolical meaning for Israel. It shows that if the carnal nation, with its ungodly mind, should turn to the Lord even in the last extremity, it will be raised up again by a divine miracle from destruction to newness of life. And lastly, the manner in which God reproves the prophet, when he is angry because Nineveh has been spared ( ch. iv. ), is intended to set forth as in a mirror before all Israel the greatness of the divine compassion, which embraces all mankind, in order that it may reflect upon it and lay it to heart.” ( Commentary on the Old Testament, 10:1:383–85.)

Missionary work. Jonah's story is to help us as the children of Israel with missionary work.

Jonah

I had a thought today while reading through Jonah's story in the Old Testament. (Remember the guy that ran away from God and having to call the people of Ninevah to repentance, and then got swallowed by a big fish for three days, repented, and then taught the people of Ninevah and they repented and were not destroyed, remember that guy?)

Well, while reading through it this time around I saw Jonah's faults and weaknesses particularly in the charity department. He didn't want to preach the gospel to the people of Ninevah because he thought they were a lost cause, aka- he didn't really love the people of Ninevah or trust in God. Even after repenting and going and preaching to the people and seeing them repent and not get destroyed, he still was stubborn and wanted to see them destroyed because he felt they were some pretty wicked people that deserved it. Again, not forgiving (Jonah that means you have the greater sin!), and not really loving the people that he was teaching.

But here was the eye opener for me- God still was able to use this not perfect instrument that Jonah was. The people of Ninevah were still able to repent although Jonah had his faults as their missionary.

That opens up so much for me as I think, well I can't do that, I'm so flawed and have so many weaknesses, I cannot possibly fulfill that calling or assignment.

But it also helps me when maybe others are in callings or positions of authority that I see their faults and weaknesses, that it doesn't matter. God can and WILL still use them. He called them, he will help them, even if they aren't perfect at it, that's not the point.

It wasn't just Ninevah Heavenly Father was hoping to help when he called Jonah to preach to them though, he was also hoping to help Jonah.

Job's suffering

Job obviously suffered in all states man can suffer. He lost all his worldly wealth, and most of his family was killed all in one day. Watching this video about Chris Williams who lost his wife and two children in one day clearly puts that suffering into perspective for me. However Job, just like this man Chris Williams, didn't curse God.

He said in Job 1:21 "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

The next test was one that I struggle with. Health and strength. And it sounds like his test was far far harder than any I have experienced. Horrible boils, his face became so disfigured by his disease people couldn't recognize him. His breath and stench became so foul even friends couldn't stand to be around him. He was cast out with the outcasts and even they didn't want to be around him. His wife told him to curse God and die.

But again, he didn't.

Job 2:10 "But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not job sin with his lips."

This next part is from the Old Testament Student Manual

Job’s friends challenged God’s wisdom, and they saw Job’s suffering as a punishment sent from God. But Job had a greater understanding. He knew that God was there, although his prayers for relief were not answered as he might wish. Should his suffering really have been the result of personal sin, he begged the Lord to cause him to know so that he could repent ( v. 23 ).

But suffering is not always the result of sin. Suffering has a larger purpose, part of which is educative. President Kimball said:

“Is there not wisdom in his giving us trials that we might rise above them, responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrows to try our souls? Are we not exposed to temptations to test our strength, sickness that we might learn patience, death that we might be immortalized and glorified?

“If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith.

“If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good, there could be no evil—all would do good but not because of the rightness of doing good. There would be no test of strength, no development of character, no growth of powers, no free agency, only satanic controls.

“Should all prayers be immediately answered according to our selfish desires and our limited understanding, then there would be little or no suffering, sorrow, disappointment, or even death, and if these were not, there would also be no joy, success, resurrection, nor eternal life and godhood.” ( Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 97.)

Job

As I have previously stated Elijah and Elisha are some of my favorite characters out of the Old Testament. However Job is one that stands out so sharply for me because it seems I can take almost anyone in the world and compare their situation to his, and he blows them out of the water. Even Joseph Smith who endured so much in his life was told at Liberty Jail in D&C 121:10

"Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job."

I take this into my life to mean that things can always get worse. Or the much more positive way to look at it, we ALWAYS can count our blessings.

That is one of my first lessons from Job.

Proverbs 15:1

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." Proverbs 15:1

"Too often we use communication periods to tell, dictate, plead or threaten. Nowhere in the broadest sense should communication in the family be used to impose, command or embarrass. How important it is to know how to disagree without being disagreeable."
Elder Marvin J. Ashton CR May 76, p 52

I feel it is much easier to be kind and understanding and loving with members outside of our home than those actually in the home. And that is why the home is our laboratory of love and learning. This is what I work on every single day, and something I am getting better at. I was thinking of when my husband I were first married 5 years ago, to now, and I am getting much better at listening, understanding, and even sacrificing my wants and desires for our communication to be much better, and to disagree without being disagreeable. I still have far to go, but it is wonderful to look back and at least see progress in myself.

Proverbs and Ecclesiastes

I am going to try to read all Proverbs and Ecclesiastes this week during my scripture study. Each day I will post a new scripture, or a few from these books for your enjoyment, because who doesn't enjoy reading these words of wisdom?

Proverbs 4:26 "Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established."

I like this because it makes me feel like I need to live a life not just tossed about by what happens, but with direct goals and ideas. And the way has been established by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is your path his path?

I've sung this song before...

I have been reading 2 Chronicles 29-34 right now for our Sunday School reading for the week.

Let me do a quick sum up for you.

Hezekiah- good king, cuts down the groves and idols, rebuilds the temple.

Manasseh- bad king, builds up high places, groves and idols of Baal again. Does repent at the end when taken captive to Assyria.

Amon- next bad king, does same bad things as his dad did at first, gets killed by his servants.

Josiah- good king, cuts down groves, idols, and altars of Baal.

And we could go on and on. Build up the groves, cut them down, build up, cut down, etc. Really, can Satan get anymore creative in getting the people of Israel to sin?

And then I thought, why would he? If it works...

What sins do you keep coming back to like the children of Israel. What sins might you need more help in overcoming?

Elijah and Elisha

Confession here. I sometimes confuse Elijah and Elisha. I mean they pretty much have the same names, they were right next to each other as prophets. And Elisha did several of the same miracles Elijah did right after he was translated. So when I say Elijah was the man, I mean to say Elijah AND Elisha are the men. Does that still work?

Anyway, Elisha is so fabulous. We start out by coming to know Elisha when Elijah comes up to him at his house. In 1 Kings 19:19-20 it says

"19.So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
20. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And hesaid unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee.
21. And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him."

There are several things in here we find about Elisha. First he was wealthy. Twelve yoke of oxen were signs of wealth because each yoke pulled a plow, and were driven by one servant. That they ate the oxen is another sign of wealth, but it also represented Elisha's rejection of worldly wealth and his preparation to follow Elijah and make the material sacrifices necessary to become a prophet. (lds institute student manual)

When we read in Matthew 19:23-24 about how it is easier for a camel to fit through a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, we find this act even more amazing.

But not only that, when Elijah came there was no cajoling or pleading or even discussion about Elisha becoming the next prophet. That he simply put his mantle (or cloak) on Elisha and Elisha knew what that meant and immediately left his oxen is another testament of Elisha and his faithfulness and dedication. Is that how you or I respond to a call? Heavens we usually aren't asked to walk away from our businesses or jobs to answer our call to be a visiting teacher, relief society president, or even bishop. But do we respond with faithful hearts willing to do ALL that is asked and required of us? That is the example I love and take the most from Elisha.

Elijah on Mt. Caramel and then Horeb

Elijah calling down fire from heaven

I love the showdown of Elijah and the priests of Baal. Read the whole thing in 2 Kings 18:20-46. But I will tell you some of my favorites.

So those that are not quite as familiar with this story, Elijah tells the king to have a showdown to see which God is truly real. The God of Israel or Baal. They each were to build an altar and offer a sacrifice, and whichever God sent down fire from heaven was the real God of heaven and earth.

I am amazed at how Elijah is BY HIMSELF, but calm and confident during this whole process. He doesn't have any person with him, while the Baal guys have all those hundreds of priests and the king and queen on their side. Even the people watching the contest are too afraid to show their support of Elijah at this point. By noon Elijah is joking and mocking the priests as they try to get the fire to come down from heaven, saying maybe you need to call a little louder he might not be able to hear you because he's talking, or on a journey, or he's asleep. (1 Kings 18:27) Finally at the end of the day, the priests give Elijah his chance since they had failed.

Elijah took twelve stones, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel, and built an altar to the Lord. He made a trench around the altar as well, then he put the wood in place and the bullock in pieces on the wood. Then he did a curious thing and had four barrels of water poured onto the burnt sacrifice and the wood. And then he did it a second time, and finally a third time. This is 12 barrels of water being poured on there, that is one wet altar!

But Elijah did this because the priests of Baal were known to rig their altars at times to make it seem as if fire was igniting it from heaven. One ancient writer said he “had seen under the altars of the heathens, holes dug in the earth with funnels proceeding from them, and communicating with openings on the tops of the altars. In the former the priests concealed fire, which, communicating through the funnels with the holes, set fire to the wood and consumed the sacrifice; and thus the simple people were led to believe that the sacrifice was consumed by a miraculous fire.” (In Clarke, Commentary, 2:459.)

By drenching the altar in water, Elijah was also making it so the fire coming from heaven had to be miraculous and not just a quick bolt of lighting. But the fire didn't just consume the wood and flesh on the altar, it took up the stones and dust even around the altar, truly a great miracle from the one true God.

As mentioned in the previous Elijah post the people saw this miracle and fell on their faces: and said "The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God" (1 Kings 18:39) It then began to rain. Elijah then left. However, although those watching the contest were amazed and changed, Jezebel that evil woman that was called the downfall of the Northern Kingdom, remember? she still wasn't changed. Her heart was too hardened to change, and she just got mad, and redoubled her efforts to have Elijah killed.

(Remember hard hearts are very bad. If you have stopped feeling emotion, besides anger this means you are on a very bad road paved by Satan. Feeling means you can still be brought to change and come back to God. The more we ignore promptings to change or feelings of guilt, etc, the more the light of Christ and the Spirit grows dim in our hearts, and goes away from us. The farther we are from that, the farther we are from God.)

Anyway, Elijah goes away to hide again, except this time he goes away to a place called Horeb the mount of God and is feeling lonely and depressed.

President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: “When he was there, the Lord called upon him and asked him what he was doing there; and in his sorrow, because of the hardness of the hearts of the people, he told the Lord the condition, that he alone remained, that they sought his life to take it away. But the Lord showed him that there were others who had remained true unto him, even 7,000.” ( Doctrines of Salvation, 2:106.)

He thought he had failed. He thought through all his efforts he still didn't help bring anyone back to God. But the Lord told him his efforts were satisfactory, and not only that but there were 7000 that were doing well!

I like this story because Elijah was amazing. He always did what was asked of him and with such remarkable faith. But he still wondered if what he was doing was right, because it seemed as if there were no fruits from his labors. (Maybe sometimes how moms feel when their kids go astray or missionaries feel if they just baptize one person on their missions.) But success isn't measured by what we esteem as noteworthy, but if we do ALL things God asks of us, and live well in any circumstance He places us in. Sometimes that one person (D&C 18:16) we affect is all God wants from us, and maybe we are the only ones to do it.

So do what you can in your place today, and remember Elijah and that he was the man!

Elijah

Bernardo Strozzi Painting- "Prophet Elijah and the Widow of Sarepta"

And picking up from where we left off last time with Elijah. He was living off a little stream and the birds bringing him food everyday. Then the brook dried up, and he followed the Lord's call to go to Zaraphath where he was told a widow was going to sustain him. Turns out the widow was gathering sticks as he walked up to prepare her and her son's last meal. He told her to make one for him first, and her oil and meal wouldn't waste until the drought was over. This widow of much faith did as the prophet asked her to do and miraculously her food did hold until the drought was over. Again, are we doing what God asks of us the first time. He wants to bless us with more, but we have to prove that our wills are completely aligned with his will, and we'll do what he wants over what we want or think we need.

O.k. so this next part is actually about someone named Obadiah. (1 Kings 18) Here's the thing, Ahab kept trying to find and kill Elijah because he was angry that the drought/famine was going on, and blamed Elijah (who was the one that sealed the heavens) but not himself and the wickedness in Israel at the time. (The real reason for the famine) Ahab got so obsessed with this that he started killing anyone he found that had come in contact with Elijah but didn't bring him to himself. Isn't that awesome? So Obadiah saw Elijah, and Elijah told him that he was going to see the king and to let the king know. Obadiah was obviously terrified of this, because Elijah wasn't going to be with him, and he could very well have died on the spot.

But in 1 Kings 18:3 it says, "Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly" And usually when the old testament says someone feared the Lord it really is translated more correctly to that person respected the Lord. And in verse 4 it said he already hid a hundred prophets in a cave and fed them bread and water- probably at great personal expense or sacrifice. What with a famine going on, and Ahab being a little crazy king that liked to kill people at the drop of a hat.

So Obadiah went and talked to Ahab.

Now that is why the people of Israel were in contrast to Obadiah. In verse 21 of the same chapter 18, Elijah asks the people "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word."

The people knew God was the one true God, but they were terrified of Ahab and what he would do if they stopped following Baal. They believed in God, but not enough to overcome their fear of what "man could do" to them. (Psalms 56:11)

However after the amazing showdown of "Elijah's God" and the 850 priests/priestesses of Baal's God, the people realized their sin, and fell on their faces: and they said "the Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God." (1 Kings 18:39)

And then the drought was over and it rained for the first time in 3 years. The Lord accepted his people's repentance, although it had been slow coming, and then mercifully gave them the water they needed. That is what the Old Testament is all about. Repentance, turning back to God when we turn away.

More Elijah

Elijah started out in in the bible by sealing the heavens. That's a fancy way of saying he created a drought and famine in the land by making it stop raining. The people of Israel were struggling again, and Elijah felt maybe some compelling humility might help them turn to God. (As my cute little Primary class said last week, wait- Israel is in bondage again? I thought the whole point of last week's lesson is they got out of bondage from the Midianites, now they are in bondage to the Philistines?!?? Yep, you're right class, Israel kind of struggles with some things. Like all of us in different ways though.)

So Ahab, the king of Israel, marries Jezebel. As it says in the Bible Dictionary under Jezebel "This marriage, more than any other single event, caused the downfall of the northern kingdom, as Jezebel introduced into Israel the worst forms of Phenician worship in place of the worship of Jehovah."

Yikes.

Jezebel equals evil I guess.

Anyway, so God tells Elijah in 1 Kings 17:3 to go and hide for awhile. But not only that in verse 4 he says

"4. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there."

Elijah is being told that the birds are going to bring his food to him.

That would take some pretty strong faith and trust in the Lord.

I am food storage person, and get a little panicky when we are down to only 5 cans of anything, beans, corn, tomatoes, etc. To completely rely on God for every single meal and not have a menu plan for the week, or even for one meal would make me hyperventilate a little.

But one of Elijah's great strengths is his constant and amazing trust in the Lord.

In verse 5 it says "So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord."

No dillying and dallying. Just he went and did according to the Lord and trusted wholeheartedly in Him. How would our world be, or even our individual lives be if we just went and did when God told us to do something? If we made it that simple.

I'm trying to keep my posts a little smaller and more easily digested, so hopefully this gave you something without firehosing you with information. But we'll keep going with Elijah, don't you fret.

Elijah

I realize my posts have been sporadic at best here the last few weeks. Part of that is because I am teaching a Primary class, and trying to keep up with my Sunday readings I have little time to blog about my actual findings during my scripture study time. (aka children's nap time and clean house time)

But since this blog is more for ME than you, :) I don't feel too bad.

Anywho, onto one of my favorite people from the Old Testament: Elijah.

He is the man!

Seriously.

"What would you think about a man who had the power to raise the dead, call down fire from heaven, cause the heavens to withhold rain, and render a barrel of flour inexhaustible?

Elijah was such a man, a man of power, a man of miracles, a prophet so worthy that he was translated and taken from the earth in a chariot of fire.

Small wonder that Elijah became one of the great heroes in Israel’s history. Small wonder, too, that in Jewish households a place is set for him at every Passover feast in anticipation of his return as predicted by the prophet Malachi (see Malachi 4:6)." (Old Testament LDS Institute Student Manual)

Don't worry he already came back house of Judah. You can stop setting the table for him, he appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery at the Kirtland Temple April 3, 1836. (D&C 110:13-16)

He was entrusted with the keys of turning the "hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers." (Malachi 4:6)

Just a little power that seals families together for all eternity. Only in our temples. Just one phrase that is the ONLY one mentioned in every one of our four books of scripture today.

The Old Testament (Malachi 4:6)

New Testament (Luke 1:17)

Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 25:6)

and

D&C (D&C 110:15)

He must have been something special for God to entrust him with that. And tomorrow we will talk about just that.

Old Testament findings...

Sometimes I do feel depressed when I read the scriptures. O.k. so not really, but let me explain. I like stories of where people overcame problems or obstacles with the Lord's help. There are plenty of those like one of my favorites Gideon (maybe I'll do a whole post on him next.)

But then there are plenty of stories of those that were pretty good, but then just never turned (Hebrew word for repentance) ALL the way back to God. And some that were just pretty much evil, like Jezebel.

Examples:

Saul- Humble and a great king at first, then he has a hard time being COMPLETELY obedient to God, trying to offer his own sacrifice instead of waiting for the prophet, and later trying to kill David like 5000 times because he was jealous how the people in the streets sang about the hundreds of people he has killed, but the thousands David had killed. Keeps going down a dark road and has pretty much lost the spirit and his goodness by the end of his life.

David- AWESOME when it comes to David and Goliath, and many other things like loving and serving the Lord usually, however rather than confess and repent with Bathsheba he first tried to cover it up a few different ways and ended with killing Uriah. Problem! So although he still tried to repent all the way, and did the best he could, he couldn't ever restore Uriah's life, so he lost his eternal exaltation for that. (D&C 132:39)
Not to mention his family and kingdom got pulled away from him at the end of his life. What with them doing the exact same things he did, like killing and committing adultery but he couldn't properly discipline them, because he also had done the same things.

Solomon- started out great too! When the Lord appears to him asking him what he wants, he asks not for riches and glory, but understanding and wisdom. He reigns for awhile very well, but has this small problem of marrying people not in the covenant. (just kidding, that is a big problem!) They start turning his heart to their gods, and he in the end starts caring more about his huge palace and riches than his people and helping them. Which resulted in huge financial disaster for the kingdom, and people that were very angry for how much he made them work for all his buildings and things, and a break/divide in the Israelites after his death.

Samson- Given so much physical strength and a calling to free the Israelites from Philistine bondage. Rather than doing that, he decides to marry a Philistine first, and have parties with the Philistines. And then when they get on his nerves or make him angry he decides to seek revenge and kill Philistines. He starts a relationship with Delilah that ends up with her pressing him daily to find out where the secret of his strength lies. He finally gets worn down enough that he breaks the final straw in his not fulfilling his calling and covenants to God and tells her of his Nazarite vow to never shave his head. Which she promptly does, and he then gets his eyes poked out, and chained up to a temple to be laughed at and mocked by the Philistines. When he asks for his strength to return once more to kill the Philistines in the temple, he asks for it not to show God's power, but for his own selfish desire to get revenge. Samson never got it, and he never got past himself and his carnal desires.

I mean all of these are good stories to help motivate you to choose the right so you can be protected from Satan's influence, but I much prefer to be motivated by seeing those examples that had strength and did choose God and to glorify him. So sorry for the lack of posts recently, it just has seemed a little more depressing than usual, but I think we have some good ones coming up though like Elijah- he is the MAN! And Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Love it.