In the Book of Mormon we read that the children of Israel hardened their hearts against Moses and against God, in spite of the fact that He had lead them to the promised land by His matchless power. They had been ripened in iniquity to the point that they were about to be destroyed. The Lord commanded Lehi to take his family and depart into the wilderness to save their lives, but now some of them sought Lehi's life. They were swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord, even though they had seen angels. They were past feeling, that they could not hear the still, small voice, so the Lord had had to speak to them with a voice of thunder. 1 Nephi 17: 42-45 "And they did harden their hearts from time to time, and they did revile against Moses, and also against God; nevertheless, ye know that they were led forth by his matchless power into the land of promise. And now, after all these things, the time has come that they have become wicked, yea, nearly unto ripeness; and I know not but they are at this day about to be destroyed; for I know that the day must surely come that they must be destroyed, save a few only, who shall be led away into captivity. Wherefore, the Lord commanded my father that he should depart into the wilderness; and the Jews also sought to take away his life; yea, and ye also have sought to take away his life; wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them. Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder."
In the Old Testament we read yesterday about the terrible punishments that will come upon the wicked. Very depressing stuff! But today's reading gives us hope. In the wicked allow their hearts to be humbled as they accept the punishment for their iniquities, and they are willing to confess their sins and repent, the Lord will remember His covenants with them and their fathers. He will not utterly destroy them. When we're willing to repent of our sins, the Lord will show mercy unto us. Leviticus 26:40-46 "If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes. And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the Lord their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the Lord. These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the Lord made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses."
Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell the story of Naaman the leper who came to Elisha to be healed. He expected Elisha to stand before him, call upon God, and strike his hand over the place as he healed him. Instead, Elisha did not even come out to Naaman in person. Instead, he sent a servant to tell him to go wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman was enraged by these instructions! After all, there were mighty rivers in his own land better than the Jordan! But when a servant convinces him to try Elisha's instructions, Naaman humbled himself enough to obey. And he was healed as a result! When we can put aside our pride long enough to obey, that's when miracles can occur. 2 Kings 5:9-14 "So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."
------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment