I will follow
Thee my God and My All
When I can see no
more;
I will trust in
Thee
When all hope
flees;
I will praise Thy
name
When I am left
without ease.
I will nurture
the seeds of my faith
With tears of my
affliction;
Yet will I look
up to heaven
And believe in
Thy throne;
I will trust in
the strength of Thine arms
To lift me and
carry me home.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Autumn's Embrace by Ivan Guaderrama)
This is a story of a convert who became a symbol of redemption in Israel. This convert was a woman and her name was Ruth.
It is said by oral tradition that women in ancient Israel lived with a hope that the Messiah would come through their line (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 2:207). This is the privilege that was given to Ruth from Moab even though she had no blood of Israel running through her veins. She was a convert to the Lord, God of Israel ‘under whose wings she had come to trust’ (Ruth 2:12).
When her Israelite husband died and left her with no children, Ruth became one of the lowliest of the earth, devoid of security and livelihood. Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi also became destitute losing her husband and both of her sons. When Naomi encouraged her daughters-in-law to return to their kin and their ‘gods’, they wept. Orpah left, but Ruth remained, with these words on her tongue: “….whither thou goest, I will go; and whither thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” (Ruth 1:16).
Right from the start, Ruth showed characteristics of a true Israelite by covenant (Romans 9:4; Galatians 3:29) and she chose to remain so. She returned to Judea with Naomi, to Bethlehem no less (Ruth 1:19), and she consented to a ‘levirate’ marriage with Naomi’s next of kin, as was the custom in Israel. Through a levirate marriage, the woman was provided with children and restored to security and society. Here is where things become interesting. The Hebrew word for a man who would step up to this responsibility was GO’EL. The King James Version of the Bible translates it as simply ‘kinsman’ but the proper and literal meaning of GO’EL is ‘redeemer’ (Rasmussen, “Introduction to the Old Testament”, 1:157; see also Old Testament Student Manual Genesis – Samuel 2, p 263)
This is how Ruth, a lowly woman of Moab became the symbol of Christ’s redemption: Her GO’EL was Boaz, an Israelite kinsman of Naomi. Boaz became Ruth’s redeemer and restorer of all she had lost. Boaz and Ruth had a son whose name was Obed, who became the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David, who was a progenitor of Mary, who was the mother of Christ……
Consider for a moment how Christ
redeems us from our fallen state and restores us to the presence of the Father,
and grants us eternal posterity through His power of exaltation. The Saviour affirms
His role as the GO’EL when He refers to himself as the bridegroom and us,
Israel, as the bride (Matthew 25:1-13; D&C 33:17; 65:3; 88:92; 133:10). He
is the greatest GO’EL of all….. the Redeemer, the Restorer, the Hope of Israel,
the Rock of our Salvation.
The
winds of tribulation
Like
feathers lift to the sky.
They
find You there
ever
waiting to answer our pleas;
To
restore that which is lost,
To
renew that which is broken,
I stand amazed at Your love,
Your care:
Your
everlasting token.
How commendably patient Thou art
With the slow progress of
My proud heart.
There is none like Thee,
My Saviour and my King;
How great Thy wisdom,
How great Thy mercy,
How great Thy love,
That fills my joyful
heart,
How very great Thou art!
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Hope Deferred by Chris Brazelton)
When Joshua and the leaders of Israel who
served under him died, tribal loyalty replaced nation unity. Each tribe looked
to its own resources without giving help or asking aid from their fellow
Israelites.
As the people chose evil by worshipping
heathen gods, the Lord allowed them to fall into the hands of their enemies. It
is then that the people remembered their God and cried to Him for deliverance (Judges
3:9). The Lord then raised up ‘judges’ to deliver them. The so-called
judges of this period were more military heroes rather than officers of the
judiciary. The twelve judges of Israel and their tribes of leadership are
outlined in the book of Judges chapters 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 12 and 15. Their
conquests make fascinating reading.
There are two significant judges that stand
out to me, Gideon of Manasseh in Chapter 6 and Samson of Dan in Chapter 15.
GIDEON:
His is one of the most intriguing and
faith promoting stories of the Old Testament. He was obedient to the call, tore
down his father’s grove and the altar for Baal worship and in their place
erected an altar to Jehovah. This, I think, was the cause of his success. Gideon started off with 32,000 soldiers in his
army which was required to defeat a Midianite army of 130,000 (Judges 8:10).
This alone would have sent fear through Gideon, but things got worse.
By the process of elimination, the Lord
reduced this army to 300 that ‘the help of the Lord’ might be apparent to
Israel so that they might not boast in their own strength (Judges 7:2) but
Israel was hard of heart and did not stay on the right path. This mistake led
them into bondage to the Philistines for forty years (Judges 13:1). I guess you
can take Israel out of Egypt but you can’t take Egypt out of Israel…..
SAMSON:
Samson, born of a barren woman in the
tribe of Dan, had the potential to be one of the greatest leaders in Israel
since Joshua. Foreordained and chosen by the Lord to be a Nazarite who would
conquer Philistines and end Israel's 40 year bondage, his birth announced by an
angel (Judges 13:4,5), Samson fell into the chosen category with Isaac, John
the Baptist and Jesus himself.
“A Nazarite was someone who was separated
from others by a special vow of self-dedication to Jehovah. The term ‘set apart’
is used to mean that one has been given a special calling or position and is
thus separated from others” (OT Student Manual Book 1, p 259). A Nazarite could
never cut his hair for the length of his hair was indicative of the length of
the vow thus when his hair was cut, it was an indication of the end of his vow
and not his strength (Judges 16:17).
Samson was born with tremendous gifts, one
of them being a gift of incredible strength. His courageous feats include
slaying a young lion with his bare hands (Judges 14), killing 1,000 Philistines
with jawbone of an ass (Judges 15), ripping away the doors and posts of Gaza's
gate and carrying them 40 miles to Hebron and bringing down a whole building
killing himself and 3000 Philistines (Judges 16).
Samson had massive potential but his is a
story of self-indulgence, immorality, selfish seeking for revenge and violation
of the covenant. Instead of conquering Philistines, he repeatedly joined
them and even married one of them. His misfortunes began when his
confidence in God turned into conceit and pride, the breaking of his vows as a
Nazarite and violating the commandments, including the law of chastity (Judges
16:1). He began great but ended up being one of the greatest tragedies of
history.
The Book of Judges is one of the most
fascinating books in the Old Testament. It offers endless lessons and showcases
Jehovah’s mercy and tolerance towards His people. It shows us clearly that the
power to break the Abrahamic covenant lies solely with us, and NEVER with Him
(Det 4:31; Leviticus 26:44,46; Isaiah 49:15,16; 2 Kings 13:23).
Out God is a God of mercy, grace,
forgiveness and love. He is worth our adoration, worship and life-time
commitment. He is the light, the truth, and the way….He is the Creator, He is
the Redeemer, He is the Saviour…..and there is none else.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Artist Unknown)
Son of my body,
Heart of my heart,
I give you to God,
Knowing not despair,
I know my son, you will be safe
In his merciful, tender care.
I know He will watch over you
And honour your faith;
I trust He will guard you
Against the open jaws of hate.
Son of my body,
Heart of my heart,
I will wait with faith
Knowing not despair,
I know you will return
To my loving, tender care.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Divine Call by Sandy Freckleton Gagon)
I’ve
written quite a bit about idolatry this year but felt this was worth
mentioning. Judges Chapter 3 gives us a clear answer as to why ancient Israel
fell into serving other gods once they moved into the promised land:
“And the
children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and
Perizzites and Hivites, and Jebusites….And they took their daughters to be
their wives and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods…..And
the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgat the Lord
their God, and served Baalim and the groves.”
(Judges 3:5-7)
Both Moses
and Joshua warned the Israelites against inter-marriage with the heathen
nations (Deut 7:3-4; Joshua 23:12-13). Moses accentuated the influence of women
in a marriage in his warning and Joshua warned that inter-marriages would
become “snares and traps” and lead to spiritual and national downfall.
Despite the
warnings, the children of Israel did this very thing which led them to break
their covenant with Jehovah. And this is why…..marriage is a powerful union and
the stronger influence of the one puts both parties on the same path.
There are
some strong examples of this in the scriptures. Solomon married outside the
covenant, and “his wives turned away his heart after other gods” (1 Kings
11:1-4). Solomon married seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines….did
he really stand a chance????
Another
notable example is King Ahab who married the infamous and evil Jezebel from the
land of Phoenicia. This marriage caused the downfall of the northern kingdom of
Israel. Jezebel introduced into Israel the worst forms of idol worship from her
land in place of the worship of Jehovah (1 Kings 18:13,19). Not only did
Jezebel influence Ahab to worship Baal but to kill many of God’s prophets (v 4).
Her nemesis? Elijah. One of my most favourite stories in the Old Testament…..
These
examples show the downfall of a whole nation and of generations to come. We can
also see in the scriptures this power of marital union when used for good.
One of the
most positive examples would have to be Ruth, who converted to the God of
Israel when she married Naomi’s son. Her conversion and union with this Israelite
produced such covenant loyalty that Ruth
entered into a levirate marriage upon his death. Ruth married the next of kin
according to Israel’s law whose name was Boaz. Ruth and Boaz had a son called
Obed who became part of the Lord’s covenant line. Obed was the father of Jesse
who was the father of King David (see Ruth 1 and Ruth 4). That’s a ‘marriage influence’
story in the best possible way. This woman is one of my favourite Old Testament
figures.
The power
of marriage never ends with just two people. It is passed on to the children
and the generations to come. This can be seen in the Book of Mormon with the
‘stripling warriors’. I doubt very much that those boys could have been taught
to believe and not doubt God’s power if their mothers did not follow and
worship the God of Israel (Alma 56:47-48). I am convinced that the fathers were
there in that influence too but somehow I think this is the reason why Moses
accentuated the influence of women within the marital union and the home. Women
bear and rear children and their influence with them is perhaps the strongest.
Who you
marry would have to be the most important choice in anyone’s life because
through this union you create the future. From two people united comes a
family, comes a community, comes a country, comes a nation, comes the future
that extends into eternity. Think of Abraham and Sarah......there is no greater example.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Abraham and Sarah by AI)
-
Did You ever feel the weight
Of Your calling as You spoke the Word
For heavens and earth to be?
From the valleys, the hills, the
oceans
And grand mountains that be,
You left Your mark of power for all to
see.
Were You heavy hearted
When You created the hill of Calvary?
And did You hear it whisper Your
victory
When You were in Your agony:
The mighty God, the Author of
Creation,
The fountain of all salvation…..
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Jesus Christ the Creator by SKAI Studios)
There is a desire in my soul
That wants to conquer Goliath
And watch him fall….
This warrior within me never sleeps
And yearns to hear the angels’ call,
A call to battle to make the devil fall.
And when Christ comes in clouds so holy
He will conquer that enemy
And we will confess His glory.
(Art: Put On the Armour of God by Celestial Heritage)
When I was
doing my degree some years ago I decided I would take some philosophy subjects.
I was so excited to study the Greek philosophers and their much-revered wisdom thinking
I would finally be wise….it was my worst subject. My professor even called me to
see if I was understanding the concept of philosophy. I passed but only just
and I never took another philosophy subject.
Having the
Gospel in my life and knowing the simplicity and truthfulness of the Plan of
Salvation, I could not for the life of me understand any of those philosophers
who were trying to explain the meaning of life. It was complex, it was
confusing and it made no sense. I was amazed how many people actually believed
these human beings who were so far removed from the truth yet so respected by
the world. I liked their random gems of wisdom but I am convinced their deeper ‘spiritual
wisdom’ came from only one place – idolatry. Their thoughts were born in time
and place when different gods were worshipped and their religious practices
were totally bereft of the truth.
One of my
most favourite parts of Paul’s mission to the Gentiles was his visit to the
prominent Greek and Roman metropolis called Ephesus, one of seven wonders of
the world. There in the Temple of Artemis pilgrims from all over the empire
came to worship a goddess called Diana. The pilgrimage to this city provided
income through visitor food, lodging, dedicatory offerings and souvenirs. Craftsmen
who made and sold images of the goddess provoked a public uprising against Paul
and his message. He was a threat to their livelihood with his preaching of a
different god.
A large
crowd gathered in the theater at Ephesus, which could hold 24,000 people, and
chanted for two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:23-34). Paul
wanted to address the crowd, but he was dissuaded by the Church and government
authorities who were concerned for his safety (vs 30-31). Can you imagine
standing in front of such a possessed crowd? I am in awe of Paul and his courage and his
conviction of the true God of heaven.
Ancient
idolatry operated under the guise of intellectual roots but its worship rites
and practices were rooted in sensual gratification. This is why ancient Israel
fell victim to its practices once they entered Canaan. Idolatry with “its
worship, appealing to every sensual passion, joined with the attractions of
wealth and fashion and luxury, was a great temptation to a simple, restrained,
agricultural people, whose worship and laws demanded the greatest purity of
heart and of life.” (Smith, Dictionary of the Bible, “idolatry” p 264).
There is a
form of ancient idolatry that has survived to this day. The most loathed and
cursed king in the history of Judah was a king called Manasseh who ascended the
throne in Jerusalem at the age of twelve and who reigned for 55 years, from 687
to 642 BCE. He introduced into the kingdom the Assyrians golden age of
astrology and divination. The astral gods of Assyria – Ishtar, Shamash and Adad
were worshipped on rooftops of the whole of Jerusalem.
Manasseh practiced
soothsaying, used enchantments, worshipped Baal and all the host of heaven,
built altars in the temple of Solomon for fertility practices and even
sacrificed his son to god Moloch…..but this is how king Manasseh exceeded the
idolatry of his predecessors – he added a third form of worship: devotion to
the heavenly bodies and the constellations. Remnants of this worship are seen
today in astrology. (see 2 Kings Chapter 21 and Notes and Commentary on this
chapter in the New Testament Student Manual)
When I
first learnt this I could see that horoscopes do not have such an innocent
origin as I supposed. I was amazed how blindly we follow things without even
knowing where their roots lie. Just about everybody in the world knows what ‘sign’
they are and they identify themselves and their nature by them. Many live by their horoscope predictions and
believe in them full-heartedly not realizing that they are being fed by the
practice of divination from voices of the world.
In the end,
everything that takes us away from God and replaces our faith in Him is
idolatry. The adversary is clever, he will do anything to dissuade us from worshipping the one true and living God. He will give us some truth to deceive us
overall but this is our advantage…..the Saviour’s love burns within us ever so
bright, we bear His holy name and serve Him through Gospel’s everlasting light……
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Behold His Glory by Danny Hahlbohm)
I
will step into deeper waters
And
abandon the ground under my feet;
I
will wade and look for You,
I
will see Your footprints
Even
in murky seas.
I
will reach and find Your hand
To
guide me where I am meant to go
I
will trust, I will surrender,
Your
purpose for me to know.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: God of Wonder by Yongsung Kim)
“Let me say
to you, that many of you will see the time when you will have all the trouble,
trial and persecution that you can stand ,and plenty of opportunities to show
that you are true to God and His work. This Church has before it many close
places through which it will have to pass before the work of God is crowned with
victory.
“To meet
the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a
knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves. The difficulties will be of
such a character that the man or woman who does not possess this personal
knowledge or witness will fall.
“If you
have not got the testimony, live right and call upon the Lord and cease not
till you obtain it. If you do not, you will not stand. Remember these sayings,
for many of you will live to see them fulfilled.
“The time
will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each
will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how
can you stand?”
-
“Life
of Heber C. Kimball” p 446,449-50
I
would rather be a vessel in Your hand
Than
a crowned king on gilded throne;
I
would rather be a bird in flight
Without
a shelter to keep me warm;
I
would rather cross the oceans
And
go where you would want me to go
Than
sit contented never knowing
the
trail that leads me home.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: At The Helm by Danny Hahlbohm)
How can I tell you
What my mortal lips
cannot say?
How can I show you
What my mortal heart
cannot hold?
All that I feel
And all that I am
I owe to you.
I give you my all
Because a heart can give
no more.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: I Am The Way by Danny Hahlbohm)
Before
Joshua died he entered the children of Israel into a covenant to serve God who
brought them out of the ‘house of bondage’. The last chapter of the book of
Joshua records the people promising four times that they would not abandon
their God, that they would serve Him and obey His voice (Joshua 24:16,18,21,22,23).
The covenant came with three warnings as they
were about to enter the promised land of the Canaanites: 1. Beware of social
intercourse with them (Joshua 23:7; 2. Refrain from worshipping their false
gods (vv 7-11); and 3. Avoid intermarriage with hem (v 12). Yet this is exactly
what happened.
It only
took one act of disobedience to lead the
whole nation into centuries of spiritual decline, and this was it: Israel failed to drive out all the heathen
inhabitants of their promised land. Numerous unconquered cities remained
(Judges 1:27-36). The tribe of Judah blamed the Philistines which introduced
chariots of iron (Judges 1:19) but the real reason was that they had lost the
power of the Lord through their lack of faith and their disobedience.
The people
wept when an angel of the Lord came to them and confronted them about their
failure to obey. He told them the Lord will not drive these inhabitants out for them but that they shall be as ‘thorns in their sides and their
gods shall be a snare unto them’ as punishment (Judges 2:3,4; 21-23). It brings
to remembrance the Lamanites whom the Lord said to Nephi would be ‘a scourge’
to his people to ‘stir them up in remembrance of Him’ and if they will not
remember Him, they shall be the means to their destruction (2 Nephi 5:25).
When Joshua
and the leaders of Israel who served under him died, the national spirit of
Israel also died. There arose another generation after them which knew not the
Lord, nor what He had done for them (Judges 2:10,12). The covenant was soon
broken and the vicious cycle of apostasy and repentance was born. How could
Israel forget within one generation the God whom they worshipped? This is the
period of time in ancient history where the inexhaustible mercy of Jehovah
begins to show in earnest.
As the new
generation intermarried and turned to idolatry of the Canaanites, ‘the hand of
the Lord was against them for evil as He had sworn He would do’ (Judges 2:11-15;
3:6,7) but nevertheless, there was always mercy in the hope that they would
return to Him. As they fell into the hands of the oppressors, the Lord would
raise up judges to deliver them but once delivered, they would return to their
former ways and corrupted themselves even more than before (v 16-19). It makes
you want to weep…..
And this is the interesting part. They did not cry to the false gods they worshipped to deliver them but they cried to Jehovah (Judges 3:9). They knew full well who the real God was. So aggrieved was the Saviour about their backsliding and idolatry that He referred to their worship of false gods as ‘harlots with many lovers’ (Hosea 2:5; Jeremiah 3:1). This is heartbreaking as the Saviour always referred to His relationship with Israel as marriage.
He is the Bridegroom who is coming to take us as His bride in the everlasting covenant of love. May we always remember that and forsake the lovers of the world we hold onto today. We can do better than Israel of old.
As Israel, we have trodden worldly paths
That have left us battered, scarred,
And parched in search of love.
Our lovers were many but
Our hearts were empty.
At long last
We embrace the love that lasts,
We prepare for the wedding feast
And abandon our treacherous past.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Sending Forth the Bride by Danny Hahlbohm)
I CAME INTO THE WORLD:
To
give peace to the suffering
To
give hope to the down-trodden
To
strenghten the weak
To
lighten your burdens
To
lift the downtrodden
To
give sight to the blind
To
give power to the faint
To
give might to the weary
To
comfort those who mourn
To
bind up the broken-hearted
To
show mercy to the penitent
To
give you living water
To
free the captive
To
be a refuge from the storm
And
a shadow from the heat
To
give you rest from sorrow and fear
To
break the bands of bondage
To
empower the powerless
To
conquer the sting of death
To
be a light unto the world
To
establish truth
To
atone for you
To
love you
To
help you
To
save you.
I WILL RETURN:
To
conquer the enemy
To
destroy the wicked
To
govern in righteousness
To
unite the nations
To
gather my people Israel
To
establish peace
To
take away the sorrow
To
make all things known
To
flood the earth with truth
To
resurrect you
To
judge in righteousness
To
give mercy to the penitent
To
take you to the Father
To
give you eternal life
To
exalt you.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Jesus the Symbol of Hope by Ivan Guaderrama)
“They
(those in the great and spacious building of Lehi’s dream) look happy and free,
but don’t mistake telestial pleasure for celestial happiness and joy. Don’t
mistake lack of self-control for freedom. Complete freedom without appropriate
restraint makes us slaves to our appetites.
Don’t envy
a lesser and lower life….the people in that building have absolutely nothing to
offer except instant, short-term gratification inescapably connected to
long-term sorrow and suffering. The commandments you observe were not given by
a dis-passionate God to prevent you from having fun, but by a loving Father in
Heaven who wants you to be happy while you are living on this earth as well as
in the hereafter.”
-
Bishop Glen L. Pace, Ensign November 1987, p 39
Some years
ago I heard a mother in the Church say she just wanted her teenage son to come
out of the closet so he can be ‘happy’. That son eventually did come out of the
closet but to this day he is not happy. He is an alcoholic with a ruined liver
who was told by the medical profession he will not live a long life. It always
amazes me how intent some people are to be happy in this life.
The
greatest outline of mortal happiness can be found in 2 Nephi Chapter 5. This
was the early period of time in ancient
America when Nephi separated himself and his followers from his brothers who
sought to take away his life (v 4).
The story
begins with Nephi following the Lord’s warning to alienate themselves from
those seeking their destruction and thereafter following the path to spiritual
prosperity. Nephi begins his account of their new life on the American
continent with the most significant pattern for ‘mortal happiness’: “And we did
observe to keep the judgments, and the statues, and the commandments of the
Lord in all things….” (v 10).
Thereafter
the story unfolds with blessings of physical abundance of food (v 11); possession
of scriptures (v12); building of a temple (v 16); industry of the people ( v
17); and then comes: “And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of
happiness.” (v 27).
Happiness
in this life is a huge subject to tackle. I get it, this life is hard and it is
hard for everyone, even those in the Church who are being obedient. I guess the
importance lies in your definition of happiness and which happiness you want. Notice that Nephi said "manner" of happiness......insinuating it's not a permanent, complete and iron clad happiness. This kind of happiness can only be found in the eternal presence of God.
In this
life of lack of permanency, the only real 'sense' of happiness comes from being
close to God. Nephi accentuates this truth. Whereas Nephi and his people had
achieved that happiness, his brothers and their followers were cut off from the
presence of the Lord (v 20). Being cut off from God and His influence would
have to be the most detrimental and miserable state of being.
When I
think of living after ‘the manner of happiness’ I think of Zion. I think this
is why Nephi called it so because His people were one and united in obedience
and striving for the same outcome. Being in a community such as Zion alienates
you from worldly values of destruction and unites you with people who are on the
same path of righteousness, with the same goals and the love of God which binds
you together. I think this is what Nephi identified as happiness. This is what
should be our goal as we prepare ourselves for the return of our God.
He will
come and reveal Himself to those who love Him and then we will know what true
happiness is…..it is worth waiting for and striving for.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Love and Faithfulness by Chris Brazelton)
