SACRIFICE OF THE HEART

 

The Compassionate Christ by Greg Sargent

“Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” (Psalms 50:3-5)

Psalm 50 reads more like a revelatory instruction to Jehovah’s saints than a song of praise. It accentuates thanksgiving and praise of God above the animal sacrifices of the day. Psalm 51 goes further to explain that the sacrifice God wants from us is that of a ‘broken and contrite heart’ (vs 15-17).

Psalm 51 was written by King David following that fateful visit of Nathan the prophet who exposed David’s sin with Bath-Sheeba. It is one of the most heart wrenching story of the Old Testament. After giving David a touching story of a poor man’s lamb being taken away by a rich man to sacrifice for a single meal of a traveller, David was outraged and claimed that the rich man needs to be put to death but Nathan simply replied ‘thou art the man’ and outlined the seriousness of what David had done despite all the blessings he had received at God’s hand (see 2 Samuel 12:1-14). It humbled David to the dust.

The word (Hebrew root dkh) translated as “contrite” means “to crush”, therefore, “a broken or contrite heart or spirit is one that is crushed, smashed, broken to pieces…The symbolism of our smashing or breaking or crushing our hard, wilful heart into pieces and offering the result to God is significant, because a smashed heart no longer exists in a recognizable or retrievable form….It is at this point that the Lord can replace our now broken, offered heart with a new one” (see Ezekiel 36:26). (Dana M. Pike, “3 Nephi 9:19-20: The Offering of a Broken Heart” in Third Nephi: An Incomparable Scripture)

I think David understood this principle well when he pleaded with God: “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:9,10)

When the Saviour comes to judge His people, He will require the spirit of repentance from us. Placing our sins on the altar of sacrifice is the ultimate we can give and if our hearts are pure and sincere, forgiveness will be HIS to give and He will be glorified for the salvation of our souls.

Before the birth of Christ, animal sacrifice was required in expectation of His sacrifice. The sacrifice of Christ fulfilled this requirement and in itself denotes a broken and contrite heart offered in the Garden through His submission and humility and upon the cross through His willingness of  extreme suffering. How little is asked of us in comparison to the greatest sacrifice of all!

I gave you my all:

My heart, my body, my soul.

I paved the way

And conquered death.

Come and take my hand;

Eat and do not hunger,

Drink and do not thirst.

I am in your midst;

I am the only,

I am the last,

And I am the first.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

PSALMS OF THE HEART 2

 

Art: King David Grieves Over Absalom by Carleton E Watkins (1829-1916)

Book Two (Psalms 42-72): Focuses on deliverance, longing for God and kingship.

In the words of C.S. Lewis: “The heart can and should obey the head”. David, the King of Israel is concrete proof of these words. His transgression with Bath-Sheba cost him dearly and led to many family and national tragedies. He spent the rest of his life regretting what he did. In one psalm he expressed his mental torment and pleaded for forgiveness:

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me…..

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me.”  (Psalm 51:1-3, 10-11)

David paid a high price for the example that he set for his children. That example created so much turmoil and complexity within his family life that prophet Nathan told him “the sword shall never depart from thine house” (2 Samuel 12:10).

Psalms 42-72 speaks a lot about David’s enemies and his supplication to God for protection and deliverance. And this is the tragedy of all tragedies…..imagine your greatest enemy coming from your own family. Many of us have family conflict but what David experienced was another level of family strife.

David’s example of following his bodily lust with Bath-Sheba played itself the second time around with his first-born son and heir Amnon who developed a consuming lust for his half sister Tamar. After the rape he rejected her and hated her ‘exceedingly’ (2 Samuel 13:15-22). Knowing that she had been disgraced and would therefore be deprived of a husband, Tamar mourned in the manner of a widow (vs 19,20). And she mourned for two years in the house of her brother Absalom who took her under his protection.

David was furious with Amnon but his own conduct with Bath-Sheba had left him without basis for condemnation: “Because of his own guilt, David did not act to correct this great abomination in his own household. David learned the sad lesson that a man’s sins can often visit him even to the third and fourth generation (see Exodus 34:7)” (Old Testament Student Manual Genesis – 2 Samuel, The Price of Sin: Tragedy in the House of David)

After two years of watching his sister mourn, Absalom was enraged that his father did nothing to correct the injustice done to her so he took matters in his own hands. He arranged the murder of his brother Amnon at the feast he held for the annual sheep shearing and escaped to his grandfather’s home in Geshur (2 Samuel 13:23-39).

From there things progressed so far that Absalom plotted to overthrow his father as king. He began to act like a king and campaigned to gain favour with the people and ‘stole the hearts of the men of Israel’ (see 2 Samuel 15:1-12). I can see how both injustice and love for another human being can drive a man to extreme behaviour. I don’t know which drove Absalom to such extremes but his love for his sister touched me deeply.

The first time that David, a man of war, turned his back on his enemies was the time he fled Jerusalem in the face of insurrection from his son. This was a highly uncharacteristic thing for him to do considering that Jerusalem was a fortress to be reckoned with. Instead of facing the enemy “he appears to take all as coming from the hand of God; therefore he humbles himself, weeps, goes barefoot, and covers his head! He does not even hasten his departure, for the habit of mourners is not the habit of those who are flying before the face of their enemies. He sees the storm, and he yields to what he conceives to be the tempest of the Almighty.” (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 2:350)

Some believe Psalm 55 was written by David to express his feelings over Absalom’s revolt. Note especially verses 12-14 and 20-21.

This is the outcome of David’s tragic life: The two armies who fought for the throne slaughtered 20,000 men (2 Samuel 18:7). Even though David’s army prevailed and he regained the throne, the personal tragedy of his family never ended. His charismatic son Absalom, whom David loved deeply, was murdered by the captain of David’s army and David wept: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you – O Absalom, my son, my son! (2 Samuel 18:9-17, 33)

“It is almost as though after his sin with Bath-Sheba and the murder of Uriah the light that gave David his political genius went out. His actions during this extreme crisis were of blind loyalty to an evil son and of one foolish decision after another.” ((Old Testament Student Manual Genesis – 2 Samuel, The Price of Sin: Tragedy in the House of David)

But there is more…..under advice to show Israel that his father hated him, Absalom sexually defiled all ten of his father’s concubines (2 Samuel 16:21-23). Under the Mosaic law (see Leviticus 18), once defiled, married women could not again enjoy the married state. When David returned to his house, he shut up these women and fed them ‘unto the day of their death, living in widowhood’ (2 Samuel 20:3).

Yes, there is still more….David promised Bath-Sheba that her son Solomon would succeed him and sit on his throne instead of Absalom’s brother Adonijah who was next in succession. I suspect guilt had something to do with it. When Adonijah started asserting his right to the throne, Solomon had him put to death to secure his place on the throne of his father David (1 Kings 1:13,17;29,30; 2:15,:23-25). And so David lost three sons and went to his death having lost his exaltation (D&C 132:38,39).

David’s repentance and godly sorrow led to his gratefulness for the resurrection of the unjust which is known as ‘the sure mercies of David’ (see Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah, p 272). 

David went to his death honouring the justice and mercy of God:

“…. my heart is glad…..for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell…..” Psalm 16:9,10)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

PSALMS OF THE HEART 1

 

Art: King David by Gerard van Honthorst [1622]

The Book of Psalms is the longest book in the Bible. It features 150 ancient Hebrew poems, songs, and prayers. It covers deep human emotions from sorrow to joyful worship across five distinct sections.

The Psalms are split into five separate books:

1.      Book One (Psalms 1-41): Mostly poems by David focusing on personal trials, trust and lament.

2.      Book Two (Psalms 42-72): Focuses on deliverance, longing for God, and kingship.

3.      Book Three (Psalms 73-89): Grapples with crisis, national pain, and the Babylonian exile.

4.      Book Four (Psalms 90-106): Shifts focus to God’s eternal reign and comfort during hard times.

5.      Book Five (Psalms 107-150): Celebrates restoration, features the Songs of Ascent, and ends in massive praise.

BOOK ONE: There was not a king who loved the God of Israel more than King David. When he conquered Jerusalem he brought the ark of the covenant into the city ‘with gladness’ and led a procession of Israelites playing instruments, shouting, singing and dancing ‘before the Lord with all his might’ in praise of the God he worshipped (2 Samuel 6:12-15). No king of Israel was more free from idolatrous inclinations or practices than David. Because of this, he became the standard of excellence that all subsequent kings came to be measured by.

David’s valour and his accomplishments as a king were outstanding. His reign is known in the annals of history as ‘the golden age of Israel’. His love for the God of Israel can leave you breathless through the psalms he wrote about Him.

King David is traditionally celebrated as the ancient world’s premier lyricist and the “sweet psalmist of Israel”. He started as a young shepherd in Bethlehem, using quiet hours outdoors to play stringed instruments and craft early melodies. His skill on the harp or lyre earned him a spot playing for King Saul to soothe the king’s troubled moods. That was the beginning of his stint as the second king of Israel.

Biblical accounts note that he designed and built new musical instruments for worship settings. As king, he organized the musical worship of Israel. He appointed Levites to be musicians and singers in the service of the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 15:16). His talents included composition and performance of music. He is credited with inventing musical instruments for four thousand porters who praised the Lord with them (1 Chronicles 23:5).  

I was going to list David’s many accolades praising the God of Israel but just one tells everything about his love for Him and his trust in His salvation:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” (Psalm 23)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

THE MIGHTY ELIJAH PART 4

 

When angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith on 21 September 1823, he told him of an important part of the restoration that will take place 13 years later. He told Joseph that the sealing power of the Priesthood will be restored to the earth by the very hand of Elijah the prophet who will ‘plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers’ (D&C 2:2)

This sealing power comes in two parts. The first part is the planting into our hearts the promises made to the fathers: “Who are the fathers? They are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to whom the promises were made. What are the promises? They are the promises of a continuation of the family unit in eternity” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Millenial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man [1982], 267l; see also D&C 27:10; Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual commentary for D&C 2:2).

These eternal promises made to the fathers are known as the Abrahamic Covenant and they are:

1.       Abraham’s posterity would be numerous (see Genesis 17:5-6; Abraham 2:9; 3:14).

2.       His descendants would receive the gospel and bear the priesthood (see Abraham 2:9)

3.       Through the ministry of his seed “all the families of the earth would be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even life eternal” (Abraham 2:11)

4.       Abraham’s righteous descendants will inherit the earth. Following the Millenium plus ‘a little season’ the earth will die, be resurrected and become sanctified, immortal and an eternal state where the god-fearing and the righteous shall live as celestial beings with the Father and the Son forever and ever (D&C 88:14-26, 111; McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p 211)

“A person can receive all the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant – even if he or she is not a literal descendant of Abraham – by obeying the laws and ordinances of the gospel (see Galatians 3:26-29; 4:1-7; D&C 84:33-40)”. (Gospel Topics, LDS Gospel Library: Abrahamic Covenant). This is called ‘adoption into the House of Israel’ by baptism.

The second part of Elijah’s sealing power is the turning of our hearts to our own ancient fathers. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve said that not only has God made these promises to the ancient patriarchs but that we “undoubtedly made them to our own lineal fathers and mothers, those who came to earth before the gospel was restored but whom we promised to provide its saving ordinances” (Christ and the New Covenant 1977, p. 297). This is done by proxy in the temples that are now on the earth.

So it is through this sealing power and the saving ordinances we provide for our kindred dead that we inherit the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. If not, the creation of this earth would be utterly wasted because a sealed, united, celestially saved family of God is the ultimate purpose of mortality and the creation of this earth. (see Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, p 297-98)

The spirit of Elijah rests upon the human family today who are actively seeking their roots. Even the ones who don’t know why, will one day give thanks to the God of this universe who made the family ties eternal and preserved the love that binds us together, now and forever…..

Your life has come and gone

But your footprints remain

And your blood courses through my veins.

Because of God’s eternal grace

We will once again embrace.

I weep not that we are now apart,

For I carry you with me,

I carry you in my heart. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by AI)

THE MIGHTY ELIJAH PART 2

 

Elijah was called to preach repentance to one of the most evil kings of Israel.  Not only did King Ahab walk in the footsteps of his predecessor Jeroboam who turned Israel to idolatry but he did one better than that, he married Jezebel, the daughter of king of Sidonia, who worshipped Baal. Ahab turned worship of Baal into the state religion and 'did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him' (1 Kings 16:33)

 

Baal, a Phoenician deity of the Canaanites, worshipped as the god of storm who they believed had power over water, is mentioned in the Old Testament 58 times. Because the Canaanite vegetation was rich and the soil fertile, many Israelites were deceived into thinking the Canaanite god Baal regulated the water supply needed for the soil.

 

It is no wonder then that Elijah, as a fitting punishment to Israel who worshipped Baal believing he sent water to enrich their pastures and ensure their crops, sealed up the heavens for three and a half years. You would think that during three and a half years of drought, worshipping a god who was supposed to be a god of water and rain, Israel would come to their senses and realise they were on the wrong track but this did not happen. Sometimes I think we operate in mortality on the intelligence level called stupidity.

 

From the time of his proclaimed drought on the kingdom of Israel, Elijah was a wanted man and spent much of his time in hiding. So severe had the drought become that Ahab searched for him far and wide, among all nations, blaming him for the misfortune that had befallen his kingdom (1 Kings 18:10). All the nations and kingdoms Ahab searched had to swear an oath that they were not hiding him and whoever reported seeing him would be executed if Elijah was not there by the time Ahab's search party arrived (1 Kings 18:12).

 

Sealing the heavens began Elijah's life on the run dotted with miracles. He was guided in all his wanderings by the God of Israel who preserved his life. When the time came for God to show forth his power by lifting the drought, Elijah was instructed to return to Israel where he engaged in the most outlandish contest with the false prophets of Baal who failed to show forth his power in igniting the sacrifice they were offering.

 

And how did the priests of Baal do? Their greatest offering was cutting themselves ‘till blood gushed out upon them’ crying to their god for rain (1 Kings 18:28). One ancient author recorded a similar scene he observed in Gaza in Roman times:

 

“They danced along the streets to the sound of wild music, holding huge swords and bills, with whips for scouring themselves….they flew wildly one past the other: their heads sunk low towards the earth, as they turned in circles: their loose hair dragging through the dust. Presently they began to bite their arms, and next to hack themselves with the two edged swords they carried…..one of them, the leader in this frenzy, commenced to prophesy, with sighs and groans, lamenting aloud his past sins, which he would now avenge by the chastisement of his flesh. He then took the knotted whip and lashed his back, cutting himself also with his sword till the blood ran down.”  (Cunningham Geikie, Hours with the Bible, 3:399-400)

 

There is only one deranged entity who would inspire such an ungodly practice and persuade people of a sound mind to believe this could pass as a form of worship…..and we all know who that is.

 

Elijah, however, drew the hosts of Israel to him so they could properly see, repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down with 12 stones signifying the 12 tribes of Israel and saturated the wood and the sacrificial animal with four barrels of water, three times. He then appealed to Jehovah to show that He is the true God of Israel (1 Kings 18:37). Of course, the fire came down and consumed the whole altar with the surplus water that was in the surrounding trench (1 Kings 18:30-39). He then instructed the astonished Israelites to capture all 450 prophets of Baal, took them to the brook Kishon and slew them there (1 Kings 18:22,40). Now that’s a man of conviction!

 

Because of his un-daunting faith in the God of Israel, Elijah was blessed with power over water like Moses and Joshua and divided river Jordan prior to his ascension into heaven, never to taste death (2 Kings 2:6-11).

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by AI)

THE ONE TRUE KING

Perhaps one of the saddest events in the history of Israel was the time they requested the cessation of judges and asked Samuel to appoint a king over them (1 Samuel 8:5). Samuel warned them that kings will among other things, evoke heavy tax burdens on them; conscript their children into his service and seize private lands (vs 11-17). Ancient Israel would not listen because they had become weak and sinful and were envious of surrounding kingdoms, even though their governments were wicked and oppressive.

And here is another example, like the sons of Eli, of how we can cause people to sin. Samuel had two sons who he appointed as judges in Beersheba. They too did not walk in their father’s footsteps but exploited their position with bribes and perverted judgment (1 Samuel 8:3). This is all the elders needed to use as a reason why Israel should be ruled by a king like the other nations (v 4).

Samuel was not pleased to say the least since all the evils and misfortunes which Israel suffered always resulted from their apostasy from their God. Their request for a king therefore was an outright rejection of the sovereignty of Jehovah, who had always proclaimed himself as their God and King and the House of Israel as His special people, above all people upon the face of the earth (Det 7:6; Exodus 6:7; 19:5; 33:16; Leviticus 20:26; Jeremiah 10:4).

Perhaps the most heart breaking words that came out of the Saviour’s mouth was His response to Samuel who had prayed about the matter: “Hearken unto the voice of the people…for they have not rejected thee but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7). Imagine the heaviness of heart with which the Saviour would have uttered these words.

But as ancient Israel tragically sought to follow other nations, they became like other nations. We all know the ending to that. The downfall began with the very first king….Saul. Be careful what you want, for you will surely get it.

There was not among all Israel a goodlier person than Saul. He was honest, reliable, considerate of his parents and physically a potential hero and man of valour all Israel sought yet he too, like Samson became another tragedy. He was the lesson that Jehovan wanted to teach Israel about kings:

“Though Saul, had at first, a great regard for the law of Moses, and for God, yet ‘ the consciousness of his own power, coupled with the energy of his character, led him astray into an incautious disregard of the commands of God; his zeal in the prosecution of his plans hurried him on to reckless and violent measures; and success in his undertakings heightened his ambition into a haughty rebellion against the Lord, the God-king of Israel.” (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 2:2:79; see also The Old Testament Student Manual Book 1, p 272)

Samuel anointed Saul to be ‘captain’ and not a king, even though he was later called such (1 Samuel 10:1). This should have served as a reminder that the Lord was still king…..only it didn’t.

The Lord knows us intensely and intimately. He has known us from the beginning and He knows who will fail him and who will serve Him to the end. Make no mistake about that. It should motivate us to follow closely our life’s plan so that in the end we won’t hear Him say: “You chose your own importance over Me, your God and your King”

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: King of Kings by Danny Hahlbohm)