Like Israel of old
I foolishly sought man’s protection
And trusted in the arm of flesh
Until you showed me the strength
Of Your invincible arm
And how much easier You can make
My journey’s difficult path.
How foolish I was to trust in man’s might,
How foolish to seek mortal comfort
And settle for feeble sentries of the
heart.
- Cathryne Allen
(Art by LDS Bookstore)
There is nothing that excites me more than
coming across someone in scripture who loved the God of Israel. One such man
was King Josiah of the Kingdom of Judah. You might have gathered by now that
there weren’t many kings of Israel like him. He stole my heart the year I
discovered him in the Old Testament.
Before we can appreciate Josiah, it’s
imperative to look at his predecessors. Josiah’s grandfather was Manasseh who
ascended the throne of Judah at the age of twelve. He reigned for fifty years
and became the most loathed and cursed king in the history of Judah.
Manasseh exceeded the idolatry of his
predecessors by adding a third form of worship: devotion to the heavenly bodies
and constellations. Remnants of this worship are seen today in astrology (The
Old Testament Student Manual Book 2 p 213). If you live by your horoscope, give
this some thought…..
Not only did Manasseh exceed the idolatry of
his forefathers, he defiled the temple and the whole country out of contempt for
God and barbarously slew all the righteous Hebrew men, ‘ till Jerusalem was
overflown with blood’ (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, bk 10, chap 3,
par 3)
This evil king repented when he was in
affliction, after the king of Assyria captured him and took him to Babylon. He
pleaded with the Lord who had mercy on him and brought him back to Jerusalem. Upon
his return Manasseh cleaned house by putting away all the idols out of the
temple and the country but it was too little too late. Idolatry was so
engrained in his people by then that they continued to worship in ‘high places’
and when his son Amon succeeded him, he returned the people to full blown idolatry
again (2 Chronicles 33:10-22). This is a
perfect example of how much damage one man can do to a whole nation.
Enter Josiah. He was only eight years old when
he began his 31 year reign. This was a man who as a child watched babies scarified
to the god of fire, Moloch. A man who in adulthood became highly troubled by
the spiritual decay of the kingdom he inherited. The truth had been lost and the covenant between
Israel and Jehovah forgotten…..until he set about repairing the temple and ‘the
book of the law’ was found (2 Kings 22:8-11). Some historians have suggested
this book was Deuteronomy and some have concluded it was the entire Pentateuch
(the first five books of the Bible written by Moses).
When the book of the law was read to Josiah, he realized how far Israel had strayed from
the one true and living God and in his grief he tore the clothes on his body (2
Kings 22:11). Josiah cleaned the land of idolatry even more scrupulously than Manasseh
but he could not bring about a thorough conversion of the people. Chapter 23 of
2 Kings outlines his detailed efforts of cleansing the insidious practice of
idol worship but he could not undo the damage his grandfather Manasseh had done.
Not even by putting his people under the covenant could he uproot the deep
inward apostasy of the people. (2 Kings 23:26)
History records there was no king like Josiah
before or after him. That he loved the Lord with all his heart, his soul and
with all his might (2 Kings 23:25).
This is the lesson we can learn from Josiah. No
matter what family we come from, what our upbringing was like and who raised
us, we still have a choice to forge our own path in the world. No habit, false
belief, addiction or immoral behaviour of those around us has to have power
over us. We are in charge of our own destiny and have the ability to say: ‘this
ends with me’.
The God of Israel saw Josiah’s grief when he
heard the book of the law and when he tore his clothing. He recognized his
sincerely and his desire for obedience and his efforts to turn the tide. He
promised him that he will be ‘gathered unto his fathers and into his grave in
peace’ so that he will not see all the evil which He would bring upon Jerusalem
to punish the people for their disobedience (2 Kings 22,19-20). Josiah died at age 39 in the Valley of
Megiddo at the hands of the king of Egypt (2 Kings 23:29). And all Judah and
Jerusalem mourned for him (2 Chronicles 35:24)
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art by AI)
When Elijah found Elisha plowing his field, he ‘cast his mantle’ on this faithful man who was one of the choice 7,000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18,19). Even though a mantle is a simple coat, it was a sign of Elijah’s authority as the prophet and Elisha knew what this simple gesture meant. He was chosen as the understudy and future successor of Elijah. Out of this simple act, the phrase ‘mantle of the prophet’ has come to mean the calling and office of the prophet. (see The Old Testament Student Manual Book 2 p 62)
Before Elisha walked away from his effluent life to take up his calling, he ensured the Lord knew his commitment to break with his past life was complete. He slaughtered the 12 oxen he was plowing with and destroyed the farming implements. He then built a fire with the plowing equipment and cooked the oxen and gave it to people to eat as a sign of his willingness to serve them (1 Kings 19:21).
As his understudy, Elisha’s devotion to Elijah and his new calling became very obvious. Elijah’s life was wanted far and wide by King Ahab yet Elisha stayed by his side. Three times he declared to fleeing Elijah: “As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee” (2 Kings 2:2,4,6).
To say that Elisha had big shoes to fill would be an understatement. He had a gentle disposition without Elijah’s fiery zeal. Having witnessed Elijah's mighty miracles and his acts of service, his desire to follow in his footsteps and to measure up as Israel’s prophet was obvious when Elijah asked him before he was translated, what request he had of him and Elisha replied: "I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me" (2 Kings 2:9).. Elijah assured him that if Elisha gets to witness his departure, that will be a sign to him that it will be as he desired.
This indeed did
happen for Elisha came to witness Elijah's ascension and the desire of his
heart was fulfilled. His ministry lasted more than 50 years and was very
similar in nature to that of his master teacher. Among his many prophecies as
Israel's prophet, he performed miraculous acts:
Impressive isn’t it? Elisha accomplished an incredible lot in his years
of service but nothing stands out to me more than the strength of his faith that
made all he did possible. Studying his life made me see that no matter how
wonderful people are that went before us, our value is no less. As powerful as
Elijah was, Elisha was not less powerful. Different people, different
disposition, different qualities but yet the same powerful results. We of this
dispensation can shine as bright as those that went before us. Our time is
different but the enemy is still out there and our battlefield is here and now.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Artist Unknown)
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)
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 wrote yesterday about God’s admonition to ancient
Israel to remember their deliverance from ‘the house of bondage’. This practice
was so ingrained in them that they took it to the new promised land in ancient
America. Some notable references to this important part of
their history in the Book of Mormon are: 1 Nephi 4:2,3; 17:23-42; Mosiah 7:19;
Alma 36:28-29.
Remembering became a
legacy amongst God’s people. King Benjamin spoke of ‘remembering’ 15 times in
his farewell speech to motivate his people to obedience to God (Mosiah
1:3,4,6,7,17; 2:40 twice, 41 twice; 4:11,28,30; 5:11,12; 6:3).
As I was reading Alma’s instructions to Helaman one
day, I expected to come across this familiar scripture: “O
remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the
Son of God, that ye must build your foundation….…” I was convinced it was the
advice that Alma gave to his sons. However, this scripture was nowhere to be
found in the book of Alma.
I eventually found it in Helaman 5:12, and to my
surprise I discovered this advice was given by Helaman to his sons Nephi and
Lehi and not Alma to his sons. I then realized why I got that wrong. When Alma
spoke to Helaman he also, at one time, began with, “O remember, remember…..”
(Alma 37:13). Like father, like son…… The legacy of remembrance passed on from
Alma to Helaman was so strong that Helaman named his sons Nephi and Lehi for
this very purpose (Helaman 5:6).
Alma used the verb ‘remember’ 6 times in speaking to
his sons (Alma 37:13,14,32,35; 42:11). Helaman used it 11 times in speaking to
his sons in Helaman 5. Why did Alma put such importance on remembering? This is
why: As he lay unconscious he ‘remembered’
his father’s prophecy concerning the coming of Jesus Christ and when he pleaded
with Christ to have mercy on him, he could not ‘remember’ his pains anymore
(Alma 36:17, 19). Remembrance played a crucial part in his conversion. I guess
you could say he too was delivered from ‘the house of bondage’…..
When we pass on from this life, we hope we will be
remembered for ‘something’. None of us want to be forgotten. Nephi is
remembered for his obedience, Alma for his repentance, Helaman for his
strategic warfare, Captain Moroni for his passionate patriotism, Mormon for his
discipleship, Moroni for his endurance, but one thing they all had in common
was a firm foundation in Christ.
Our testimony of Him and what we accomplish because of
it is the greatest legacy we can leave to our posterity and to the world…..because
the memories we leave behind of ourselves help others to ‘remember’ and that
remembrance will lead them to courage, good works, endurance and ultimately to
eternal life. This is the power of the Book of Mormon and all holy writ…..it
makes us remember Christ.
The testimony we bear, as His disciples, can ensure
the world remembers Him…and now more than ever, to prepare to meet Him. Because
He remembers us, and He will never forget…” Can a woman forget her sucking
child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they
may forget, yet will I not forget thee. I have graven thee upon the palms of my
hands; thy walls are continually before me….” (Isaiah 49:15-16)
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Walk by Faith by Chris Brazelton)
The greatest lesson we can learn from ancient Israel is the law of consequence. I see this in their 40 years of wanderings.
After arriving at Mt Sinai in the third month following their departure from Egypt (Exodus 19:1-2), they remained there for a year where they received the Ten Commandments, made a covenant with Jehovah and built the tabernacle. It took just eleven days following their departure from Mt Sinai to arrive to Kadesh-barnea where they were on the verge of the promised land (Deuteronomy 1:2). It was within their grasp but their failure to have faith in obtaining the land (Numbers 13:26-33) resulted in one serious consequence…..so near, yet so far.
After
Moses pleaded with Jehovah to spare the congregation from destruction due to
their murmuring against Him, the Lord showed mercy and decreed that all men 20
years of age and older, men of war who wouldn’t take possession of the land due
to lack of faith, will never enter the promised land but He would allow the
next generation to possess it (Numbers 14:26-35). It makes for heart wrenching
reading.
It cost ancient Israel an additional 38 years of wandering to suffer the consequence of disobedience. They did not arrive at the promised land again until all the men 20 years and over who had come out of Egypt had died in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 2:14). One might ask, surely in 38 years the Israelites would have become repentant enough for Jehovah to show mercy…..but the consequences of sin cannot be removed even when forgiveness is granted……primarily for our subsequent learning and growth. Where a consequence has to be suffered, it is unlikely the sin will be repeated. In Israel’s instance, the mercy was given the Israelites when their destruction was averted and another promise made….the mercy was the second chance.
This is the greatest lesson that can be gleaned from this. The Saviour will never go back on His word. When Moses, after 38 years of wanderings, stood on the east of river Jordan and viewed the promised land of Canaan from Pisgah with longing, he beseeched the Lord to allow him to enter the promised land despite being told he will never get there because of the incident of ‘the rock of Meribah’ (Numbers 20:2-13). The Lord refused and told him to ‘speak no more to Him of this matter’ (Deuteronomy 3:23-26). Once again, consequences have to be suffered, especially for Israelites who had to become a peculiar people.
This, however, is the greatest lesson….the Lord will not go back on His word and this is why. The God of Israel is a God of integrity who does not bend with the wind, is not wishy washy and is not changeable. If He was, we would not know where we stood from one moment to the next. We can therefore be assured that He will never go back on what He has decreed and this is why it is important for us to know this, so that we know with utmost surety that He will never break His covenant with us (Leviticus 26:44,45; Deuteronomy 4:31).
This
is a God we can trust and depend on for the salvation of our souls. A God who
is the same yesterday, today and forever. This is a God who will never forsake
us, a God of commitment who endured the cross to the end and given us this
assurance: “Behold I have graven thee
upon the palms of my hands….” (Isaiah
49:15,16)
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: My Judgments are Just by B. Laura Wilson)
I love
symbolism in the Old Testament. Reading about the ritualistic administration of
the priesthood in the wilderness of the Israelites’ journey toward the promised
land convinces me how essential that was to keep them focused on the God who
led them because every minute detail was highly symbolic of Him. Consider just
a few such symbols:
-
EPHOD: sacred garment akin to an apron that was worn
by the high priest had gold settings on each shoulder where onyx stones
engraved with the names of 12 tribes of Israel were placed. These stones fastened
the ephod on the priest’s shoulders symbolizing that he as a representative of
the Lord, carried Israel on his shoulders (see Exodus 28:12);
-
THE BREASTPLATE: made of fabric and attached to the
ephod with golden chains and fasteners, it served as a pocket in which were
placed precious stones inscribed with the names of each of the tribes of
Israel. “Thus, the high priest bore ‘the names of the children of Israel in the
breastplate of judgment upon his heart….for a memorial before the Lord
continually’ (ibid v 29).
-
THE GOLDEN DIADEM AND THE MITRE: The mitre (or hat)
was made of fine linen and each priest wore one. The high priest wore a golden
band on the front of his mitre on the forehead. Engraved on the band were the
words “Holiness to the Lord” (ibid v 36-38)
-
THE ALTAR OF INCENSE: “Hot coals were placed on the
altar and each morning and evening the high priest would burn incense. This
ritual seems to signify that one can approach the presence of God only through
prayer, for scriptures elsewhere indicate that incense is a symbol of prayer”
(see Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4; Psalm 141:2; The Old Testament Student Manual Book
1 p 153)
We also
have a place designated which symbolically points to the foundation of our
salvation. It also reminds us that holiness belongs to the Lord and that He
leads us to OUR promised land. The more we can enter its doors the more
symbolism of the power of His salvation will become imbedded in our minds and
hearts.
Consider
this privilege that the rest of the world has no access to. Our temples are
beacons of hope, knowledge and endowment of His grace for His spiritually
begotten children, the ‘apple of His eye’ (Deut 32:9,10), the rubies in His
diadem (Exodus 28:17-21; Malachi 3:17; D&C 60:4; 101:3)….His people Israel.
How great our
God of Israel
Who carries us
on His shoulders
And in His
godly heart;
We are the
rubies in His diadem
We are Israel,
children of light.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Holy One of Israel by LDS Art)
Perhaps the greatest lesson we can learn from ancient Israel is the law of consequence. I see this in the 40 years of their wanderings. After arriving at Mt Sinai in the third month following their departure from Egypt (Exodus 19:1-2), they remained there for almost a year where they received the Ten Commandments, made a covenant with Jehovah and built the tabernacle. It took just eleven days following their departure from Mt Sinai to arrive to Kadesh-barnea where they were on the verge of the promised land (Deuteronomy 1:2). It was within their grasp but their failure to have faith in obtaining the land (Numbers 13:26-33) resulted in one serious consequence…..so near, yet so far. After Moses pleaded with Jehovah to spare the congregation from destruction due to their murmuring against Him, the Lord showed mercy and decreed that all men 20 years of age and older, men of war who wouldn’t take possession of the land due to lack of faith, will never enter the promised land but He would allow the next generation to possess it (Numbers 14:26-35). It makes for heart wrenching reading. It cost ancient Israel 38 years of wandering to suffer the consequence of disobedience. They did not arrive at the promised land again until all the men 20 years and over who had come out of Egypt had died in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 2:14). One might ask, surely in 38 years the Israelites would have become repentant enough for Jehovah to show mercy…..but consequences of sin always have to be suffered, and not just for punishment but for our subsequent growth. Setting the consequence aside, the mercy had already been given when the Israelites’ destruction had been averted and another promise made.
The greatest lesson that can be gleaned from all this is this: the Saviour will never go back on His word. When Moses, after 38 years of wanderings, stood on the east of river Jordan and viewed the promised land of Canaan from Pisgah with longing, he beseeched the Lord to allow him to enter the promised land despite being told he will never get there because of the incident of ‘the rock of Meribah’ (Numbers 20:2-13). The Lord refused and told him to ‘speak no more to Him of this matter’ (Deuteronomy 3:23-26). Once again, consequences have to be suffered, but more importantly, the Lord cannot go back on His word.
The God of Israel is a God of integrity who does not bend with the wind, is not wishy washy and is not changeable. If He was, we would not know where we stood from one moment to the next. We can therefore be assured that He will never go back on what He has decreed and He will never break His covenant with us, the House of Israel (Leviticus 26:44,45), the covenant which I am certain had roots in pre-existence and not just with Abraham in this life. This is a God we can trust and depend on for the salvation of our souls. This is a God who will never forsake us, a God of commitment who endured the cross to the end and given us this assurance: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee [O House of Israel];
Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands….” (Isaiah 49:15,16).
I am overcome this morning. Every time I study the Old Testament and revisit the magnitude of Israel’s exodus from Egypt I am overwhelmed with the power of our God. I cannot imagine the magnitude of this momentous undertaking. The census in the book of Numbers puts the number of men over 20 who were capable of engaging in war at 653,050 (Numbers 1:46). When adding women and children, it is estimated by historians that the total number of Israel’s congregation would have been close to 2 million. That number would have increased over the 40 years of journeying. Imagine this magnitude of people marching and camping for 40 years. Now imagine being in charge of the whole operation…… No wonder Moses exclaimed: I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me!” (Numbers 11:14). But Moses did bear it because of one reason only…..because of the God of Israel….who travelled with His chosen people and went before them in a cloud by day (Numbers 10:34; Psalm 78:14) and bade them rest by night (Numbers 9:21-23).
I cannot adequately express in words what splendour the march of Israel conjured in my mind as I read how this was accomplished. The Saviour instructed Moses the congregation should march in groups of 4, with each group consisting of 3 tribes, on the west, south, east and north surrounding the tabernacle with Levites who were consecrated to the service of caring for the tabernacle and priesthood ordinances within, to be in the middle. The places of honour, at the head and immediately following the tabernacle and the Levites were held by Judah and Ephraim (Numbers 2). I imagine Judah because Christ was to come from that line and Ephraim because He is God’s firstborn:”…for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn” (Jeremiah 31:9) and because the 10 tribes will be crowned with glory at Ephraims’ hands (D&C 133:32). Those of you who are of this tribe should weep at such a statement. If you are, you are my people. It seriously sears my heart every time I read this.
My only hope is that I was allowed to view the solemnity of Israel’s historic journey in my pre-existent state. Why does this touch my heart so? Because the deliverance of our people Israel shows me the Saviour’s power of deliverance of my soul. My heart is filled with gratitude this day for the God that I worship. There is no feat He cannot accomplish, there is no power He does not have, there is no sin He cannot forgive, there is nothing He cannot accomplish with me. I want to sing the song of redeeming love and shout from the rooftops: glory be His forever and ever!!!!
Thou art our everlasting God,
Jehovah, our King,
Who has loved us and chosen us as Thine own.
We bow before Thee and bend the knee,
In solemnity, we offer our hearts to Thee.
Keep us as the apple of Thine eye,
Hide us under the shadow of Thy wings
That we might never stray again
And cause Thee sorrow;
And help us wait for Thee
In the dawning of tomorrow.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Second Coming by Jon McNaughton)
I recently finished writing my personal history. This week I decided to read it for any needed corrections. My heart was rent each time I read of any reference to my home land of Croatia and my childhood. I was 13 when my family migrated to Australia. What remains etched in my heart the most about the home of my birth is the land and its’ nature….every wheatfield I ran through, every tree I climbed, every patch of grass with blooming spring flowers……it is all so firmly locked in my heart.
Some years ago I learnt that when the 10 tribes of Israel were carried off into captivity, some were scattered throughout Europe. This explained to me my love for the Old Testament. I had always felt ancient Israel were ‘my people’. My patriarchal blessing tells me I am a ‘true Israelite of the seed of Abraham’. Having a progenitor such as Abraham is something I consider to be my greatest earthly blessing. It is from him I inherited ‘the believing blood of Israel’ and all its’ associated blessings that I was able to pass onto my children and grandchildren.
When I came to understand my Israelite roots, I could see that my upbringing in the agrarian way of life in Croatia was a connection of sorts to ancient Israel who subsisted by their dependency on the land. When I read the record of their doings, I know what harvests are and what seasonal festivals are and what shepherds are. And I understand many spiritual truths that were taught by the Saviour using the metaphors that related to agrarian way of life.
I am amazed how closely bonded we are with mother Earth. I guess it is no wonder, since we were physically created from her. The older I get, the more I crave the nature of my youth. In it I see the majesty of Him who created it. When I see the richness of the Earth, I see His glory. I am amazed at His power of creation. I amazed at who He is……it’s another connection.
His gift, the beauty of this earth,
To soften the blow of turbulence
So relentlessly near;
With every movement of the trees
And the rustle of its leaves,
He whispers: “I am here”
- Cathryne Allen
(Art by Yongsung Kim)
