When I study the scriptures I am often amazed at the zeal with which the prophets of old preached repentance and how tirelessly they laboured for the House of Israel. Equally impressive, in a devastating way, is the stubbornness of people to repent and heed warnings of impending destruction. Very often the picture we get through scriptures of missionary labours is bleak and converts seem very few and far between, so the admiration for the prophets grows even more as their labours seem futile. Elijah was so depressed about his seemingly lack of success that he fled from the murderous intentions of wicked Jezebel and sat under the juniper tree "requesting for himself that he might die" (1 kings 18:4). Imagine the very government of your country seeking your head. This was the fate of Elijah who fled before the most evil queen history has ever known. So Elijah went to Horeb (Mount Sinai) and fasted 40 days and 40 nights (1 Kings 19:8) when his request for death was not granted. The Lord enquired of him what he was doing there and Elijah said he had laboured zealously for the Lord because the children of Israel had forsaken the covenant, thrown down the Lord's altars and slain his prophets and that he alone was left while they sought his life (1 Kings 19:14). It makes you want to weep, doesn't it? Now here comes the interesting part. The Lord gave Elijah a most unexpected path to hope. He informed him that He had yet 7,000 Israelites who have not bowed down to Baal in heathen worship and whose lips had not kissed this abhorrent idol (1 kings 19:18). Seven thousand people who have remained true to the God of Israel. That's a lot of people!
Now consider the missionary labours of Abinadi in the court of the wicked king Noah. He was persecuted, bound, scourged and burnt to death. Nobody believed anything he said, "but there was one among them whose name was Alma" (Mosiah 17:2) and we might say, the rest is history.....from one convert came thousands, the most significant of which was Alma the Younger; high priest, chief judge, military leader. Alma the Younger, who once went about with the intent to destroy the Church became Alma who led the Nephite armies in battle, who sat naked with Amulek in dungeons, who was spat upon by the unrepentant, who dumbfounded an anti-christ, and who baptised thousands of souls unto repentance (Alma 4:4,5).
It seems that in our day and age wickedness and disobedience to God reigns supreme in and out of the Church yet we need not feel discouraged. The House of Israel will endure forever. The Lord will make sure of that. We of modern Israel have been promised that the spirit of the Lord will be poured down upon us and "sons and daughters will prophesy - preach, exhort, pray, and instruct so as to benefit the Church. Direction and revelation will be given. Young men and women who are representatives of the Lord will be inspired. The gifts of teaching and inspiration will be given to all classes and levels of people......the Lord will pour out His Spirit upon them, and they will be endowed with the gifts necessary to convert sinners and to build up the Church". (Old Testament Student Manual 1 Kings-Malachi, pp 85-86). This prophecy was given by Joel (Joel 2:28).
Our purpose is clear, the strong are to succor the weak. For we are our brother's keeper. We are the powerful ones. We are Israel. We are Ephraim. We are the Church of the Firstborn. We will be gathered from the four corners of the earth. We will endure calamities. We will conquor the enemy of all righteousness. We will usher in the Millenium. We will be caught up to meet Him. Well might we say:
Hurrah, Hurrah for Israel!
"And ye shall know that I am
in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the Lord your God,
and none else;
and my people shall never be ashamed."
(Joel 2:27)
