THE WORLD OF ISAIAH 1

 

(Art: Isaiah Foretells Christ's Birth by Harry Anderson (1906-1996)

We are about to study Isaiah. Most people don’t. They consider his writings a hefty challenge but there is a way to understand the beauty of his revelations and his testimony of Christ.

Imagine being a prophet, a writer and a poet. Now imagine that your revelations and literary works are so great that Jesus Christ himself issues a command that they should be studied and understood. Jesus quoted Isaiah more frequently than any other prophet. He issued the following edict to all who would be his true disciples: ".....a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah" (3 Nephi 23:1). The operative word in this commandment is to 'search'. To search something means having the intent to find and discover. This takes reading Isaiah to another level.

Nephi loved Isaiah and referred to him simply as ‘the prophet’. He quoted him extensively to his people, for one reason, that they may have hope (1 Nephi 19:24)…..and hope is something we desperately need in this, what has become, a complex and disturbing world.

“Isaiah is everywhere known as the messianic prophet because of the abundance, beauty, and perfection of his prophetic utterances foretelling the first coming of our Lord. And truly such he is. No old world prophet, whose inspired sayings have come down to us, can compare with him in this respect. Moreover, the first coming of the Messiah is past, and so even those among us who are not overly endowed with spiritual insight can look back and see in the birth, ministry, and death of our Lord the fulfilment of Isaiah’s forecasts.

“But if we are to truly comprehend the writings of Isaiah, we cannot overstate or overstress the plain, blunt reality that he is in fact the prophet of the restoration, the mighty seer of Jacob’s seed who foresaw our day and who encouraged our Israelite fathers in their spiritually weary and disconsolate state, with assurances of glory and triumph ahead for those of their descendants who would dreturn to the Lord in the last days and at that time serve him in truth and righteousness.”  (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Ten Keys to Understanding Isaiah, Special Issue: Old Testament, Exodus to Malachi)

Before studying Isaiah, one needs to know and remember that his writings are meant for the converted. It is imperative that we already have at least the basic knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and that we have a testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, that through Him only salvation comes and “that faith, repentance, baptism the gift of the Holy Ghost, and righteous works are essential to an inheritance in His Father’s kingdom. To illustrate, it takes a prior knowledge of pre-existence and the war in heaven to recognise in Isaiah 14 the account of Lucifer and his hosts being cast down to earth without ever gaining mortal bodies” (ibid).  

Isaiah’s writings basically focus on these themes: 1. The everlasting Covenant; 2. Restoration; 3. Christ’s Return; 4. Millenium; hence the reason for basic conversion. However, Isaiah’s role was to take the basic to another level, the level of spiritual maturity:

“Many of the people of Jesus’ time were spiritually immature and unprepared to receive the doctrines He taught. Through parables He was able to teach the more spiritually mature and at the same time veil His teachings from those who were not prepared to understand or follow them. In that manner He kept many from being condemned for having a knowledge of principles they were unable to live (see Alma 12:9-11)” [this is the mercy of Christ]…..”Spiritually speaking, Isaiah’s writings are meat; not milk (see 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Hebrews 5:13-14; Isaiah 28:9).”  (Understanding Isaiah, Enrichment E, Old Testament Student Manual)

If you are already spiritually mature and want to enrich that maturity, study Isaiah. If you are not spiritually mature yet, there is one way to become so….pay the price in study and effort….and have the desire to understand and know the weightier matters of doctrine by the power of the Holy Ghost which will reveal all things to you…..”for behold, there are many that harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught” (2 Nephi 33:2)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

THE PRICE OF RUBIES 4: HANNAH

 

For This Child I Prayed by Elspeth C. Young

One of the great women of the Old Testament who stands out for her devotion to God is Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel.

 

Not being able to bear children is a difficult cross to bear for many women in any age but it was especially so for Hannah. She was barren in a time when ‘it was a great reproach to a woman among the Jews’ (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 2:207). So many women must have suffered a sense of worthlessness at such a time because of this trial. No fertility treatments, no IVF….

 

It was considered a woman brought great honour to her husband by giving him children, especially sons. At an age when women had little else by which to distinguish themselves, child bearing was of utmost importance. Hannah's suffering from her condition was made even more difficult by the second wife of her husband, Peninnah, who tormented her and made her miserable by 'ostentatious exhibition of her children' because Hannah was favoured by their husband (Old Testament Student Manual Book 1, p 267). So many questions about this situation but we won’t go there…..

 

As the family went up to Shiloh to the annual festival to offer sacrifices at the tabernacle, Hannah took matters into her own hands. She knew there was only one place to go and only one God who could possibly know the state of her heart and who could alleviate her suffering. In her unwavering faith she made a covenant with the Lord that if He would give her a son she would bring him up as a Nazarite and dedicate the child to God’s service for the duration of his life (1 Sam 1:11).

 

This was an amazing act of selflessness. That she was a woman with great faith and love for God is clearly seen by her praise of Him following Samuel’s birth (1 Sam 2:1-10).

 

Hannah did bear a son and she called his name Samuel, meaning in Hebrew 'heard of God' (Keil and Delitzch, Commentary, 2:2:25). This name served as a reminder to both Hannah and Samuel of the special circumstances and commitments relating to his birth (Old Testament Student Manual Book 1, p. 268).

 

When Samuel was weaned at 3 years of age as was the custom, Hannah honoured her promise to God and brought him to the priest Eli to live and serve in the sanctuary for the remainder of his life. One cannot imagine how Hannah, who longed for a child, had the fortitude to hand him over to live with an old man and replace the carefree days of his childhood with service in the tabernacle, seeing him only once a year (1 Sam 2:20). But she had cause for another concern. Eli was not only an old man but he had failed in his parental responsibilities with his two sons who caused all of Israel to sin because of their immorality and bad example as priests (1 Sam 2:13-36).

 

So bad was the situation that ‘a man of God’ was sent to Eli to pronounce the Lord’s curse upon his house because he took no action to correct the abomination in his family and the tabernacle. It seemed by this failure that Eli honoured his sons above the Lord (2:27,29). This is in stark contrast to Hannah who had only 3 years with Samuel and trained him to honour and serve God as a child better than the adults around him (1 Sam 2:18).

 

The God of Israel knew how Hannah would feel giving up her son into someone else’s care and He did not leave her heart empty. He filled it to the brim and rewarded her for keeping her word. Hannah went on to bear three more sons and two daughters. What does this tell us about the God we worship? No sacrifice we offer is overlooked by Him….

 

I had a memory from my pre-earth life once. I was sitting with the Saviour and He was saying to me: “I will save you and I will make up for everything.”  Indeed……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

THE MIGHTY JOB 3

 

Do You Trust Me by Yongsung Kim

I have written nine blogs about Job over the years but this year as I re-visited his story, I felt that I had missed the crux of his experience. It pierced my heart because it related to me in a personal way.

To recap, Job went from fabulous wealth, exquisite righteousness and being a pinnacle of society to living in rags on the outskirts of the city, in constant pain but remaining devoted to God.

Refusing to curse God and die, Job lost the support of his wife and through the merciless scorn of Job’s self-proclaimed integrity, his friends offered no support. Through it all, Job stood firm defending God. The more they opposed his strength, the more Job praised God insisting ‘with Him is wisdom and strength’ (Job 12:10-24). And in his sorrow, he exclaimed: “My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God” (Job 16:20).

It’s the tears that get me because in the midst of his repeated pleading to God, the heavens remained silent:

“…..as we know, silence had become part of the test. But what a problem this posed for Job. Deep, depressing darkness cowed him by its awful blackness and terrified him by its pervasiveness. Listen to his anguished plea with the Lord for soul-relief, relief that included an answer to his persistent but continually unanswered question: Why? Why? Why? Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy? (Job 13:20-24)…..He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths (19:6-8) (Keith H. Meservy, Job, Yet Will I Trust In Him, pp 139-53)

Job’s greatest pain was not losing his children, his health or his wealth but the betrayal he felt as God turned away from his suffering.

In Lecture 3 of Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith said that there are three things necessary 'in order that any rational or intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation': 1. The idea that God actually exists; 2.  A correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes; 3.  An actual knowledge that the course of life he is pursuing is according to His will.

The Book of Job proves this teaching to be true. To exercise true faith and endure in faithfulness one must be convinced that God exists, have knowledge of His character to foster hope for deliverance and salvation and be assured that his life is acceptable to Him. All three necessary attributes listed above are reflected in Job's life.

When he proclaimed "I know that my Redeemer liveth" (19:25), he was basically bearing testimony of His existence. When he said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (13:15) is a clear indication that he knew of God’s merciful nature, His power and His strength (26:6-14).  Job also knew that the life he was living was according to God's will and this he proved by recounting his good deeds ((29:12-17) and by asserting his righteousness (27:2-6).

What hurt Job the most was God’s silence. He had lived a perfect life, he believed in God, he knew him and yet God was silent. He was a good person and he had done all.  How many times do we come across scriptures that say God is merciful, and He will answer our every prayer and yet at the most crucial time of our lives, we feel abandoned by Him and experience the silence?

How abandoned and rejected Job must have felt. The disdain of his friends was bad enough as was the lack of support from his wife but to be shunned by God was the end of the line. He had nowhere else to go for relief and understanding.  The only place he could go from there was to wish for death (Job 3:3; 10:1). Job was not just alone, he was utterly alone. Many of us understand this place. Yet still in the midst of his longing for the end, Job remained steadfast and in the end he heard the voice of Jehovah ‘out of the whirlwind’ which revived his soul and confirmed the greatness of God who watched over him still (see Job 38).

I remember my tears to God some years ago about facing my trials alone when He answered me: “was it you or I who suffered at Calvary?” I understood back then the lonely road He had travelled in mortality all the way to the cross, abandoned by His friends who ran from Him and betrayed Him and His countrymen who rejected Him. And then the Father’s withdrawal and silence. How utterly, utterly alone the Saviour must have felt in His most crucial moment at Calvary. Those who would be Christ’s have to know ‘the fellowship of His sufferings’ (see Philippians 3:8-10).

What Job did not foresee in the midst of his suffering was that his life would take a turn for the better, and he would be recompensed for not turning his back on one greater than him. His trust in God’s mercy  did come as 'the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning' (Job 42:12). Job lived another 140 years in prosperity and wellness after the trial of his faith. Would he have ever imagined in the mire of his pain such a glorious ending to his life if he had cursed God and died???

ODE TO JOB

You sank so deep

Into the mire of your pain;

Nobody followed you

Nobody sang praises to your name.

 

You longed for the comfort

That nobody could give

But He who gave you life

In whom you believed still.

 

He stood and He waited until

In your hour of agony

You gloried in His name

And became my beacon of hope

that I can do the same.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN