CFM BOM with Sam week 5 - the desert journey and Isaiah Beginnings
Welcome to another great week of Come Follow Me Book of Mormon with Sam! This week was 1 Nephi 16-22, finishing out the first book of Nephi. We can divide this week into 2 main parts - first the journey to the promised land, second, Nephi's teachings on Isaiah.
Up until this point, the family has operated out of the base camp of the valley of Lemuel. That means that all the visions, journeys, and arguments have happened here. In many ways this was a place of preparation for the family, but it was up to the individual participants how enriched they were by the lessons there. For Nephi, he was able to gain a testimony, try himself in following the commandments, and learn to receive revelation like his father had. For Sam, Sariah, Zoram, and Ishmael's family, it was a time to learn trust in Lehi, and that God was guiding him. For Laman and Lemuel, it was a chance to see that God would take care of them, and a place away from Jerusalem where they might be able to soften their hearts more. For everyone, it was probably a testing ground to acclimate them to the wilderness, working together, and preparing for future travel.
Saint Exupery, in Wisdom of the Sands (Fr. Citadelle), said 'I pity that person who feels themselves sheltered under the stars of God, and looks up one day, and feels the distance'.
I think in the desert, away from Jerusalem, the family was finally looking up to stars again and feel the distance. The Valley of Lemuel was an opportunity to reach back to God in actions, commandments, visions, and dreams, and make the voyage back to Him, metaphorically speaking.
Nephi does not spend much time talking about the trials in the desert. Or rather, he spends time, but he covers very little of the actual trials. It must have been very difficult for Ishmael, Lehi, and Sariah, who were old, and everyone else, who were just starting their families, to cross the desert. It is a small wonder that there were complaints and murmuring. This doesn't justify the complaints and murmuring, but it helps us to relate to the situation. It is also an important lesson to find ways in the hard times to continually remember how God is helping us, and thank him for always being with you.
Part of the God story, mentioned in my post last week on Nephi's vision, is the indescribable reality of God Himself, Jesus Christ, coming to earth. Before ascending back into heaven, He reminded his disciples 'Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the earth.' Nephi, I believe, was learning that God was always with him, despite the infinite separation between us on earth and the heavens.
When Nephi's bow broke in the desert, it was definitely a low point. Even Lehi forgot and began to complain. In the podcast, I muse on what the difference must have been between Nephi and everybody else. When everyone was complaining, why did he have the force necessary to build his own bow and his own arrow and come back to Lehi?
Well, I think he was able to overcome that infinite separation and realize that God was with him, even while he was hungry. I think he also had the greatest testimony by inspiration and by action that God blessed those who kept the commandments. So he made a bow, went back to Lehi, got directions, and brought back food. Check out 17:3.
Isaiah is really hard to understand for most people. I believe this is for the following reasons:
1. Isaiah wrote in code so that he didn't end up like all the prophets Nephi quotes just before diving into him. In chapter 19, Nephi basically compiles for us a lost page of scripture. Zenos, Zenock, and Neum all testified of the God story, and each were put to death and their writings lost to us. Isaiah didn't want that to happen to his writings.
2. Isaiah wrote in a way that only his culture would understand. Nephi says in 2 Nephi that his children have a hard time understanding Isaiah because Nephi wouldn't teach them certain things about the wickedness in Judah. If they had a hard time, we probably will have a hard time too.
3. Isaiah wrote by inspiration and his words were made to be interpreted by inspiration. Isaiah may have had many truths reserved only to believers, and other truths reserved to those at an even higher level etc. etc.
For this reason, I believe you should study Isaiah all the ways you can, but at the end of the day, you must understand it by the spirit of revelation.
Nephi teaches from ch. 48 and 49 from Isaiah. It tells a beautiful story of the covenant people's loss and redemption. Isaiah begins by addressing those who are baptized and made covenants, and rebukes them, saying they did not in truth nor righteousness and they are separated from God. he says they will go through the furnace of affliction, but tells them to have hope, for because they made covenants, God will redeem them, if they can turn again towards him.
He speaks to the depth of the fall of the house of Israel, telling of how they will be scattered everywhere and without any earthly hope of redemption. Isaiah says that even though all these things happen, meaning that by some measures, his preaching comes to nothing, the true reward is that his work is with his God; to labor in the vineyard is glorious, and his God, not necessarily his works, are his strength.
He then speaks to God delivering his people. In an acceptable time, he has heard the house of Israel and will bring the lost tribes back. They will say that Zion has been forsaken because of their sufferings, but God reminds them that He too, the greatest of all, suffered all those things with them, and that his love for them exceeds any thing on earth. He says that he will make the gentiles to nurse and carry them and bring them back, and all their oppressors will fall on each other and destroy themselves in the pit made for the covenant people.
Many times, we read these lines and then read Nephi's interpretation as a purely historical/futuristic prediction of what is going to happen. Nephi is teaching this to his brothers to soften their hearts and understand not just the historical, but more so the spiritual side of what God is asking his covenant people to do, and promising them if they can turn again to him.
Isaiah's words are powerful. Just as in the first 3 chapters we see Nephi turning to God in his affliction, we see Isaiah asking the house of Israel to turn to Him in their own. Just as with the Commandments, Nephi did not view Isaiah's words as static prophecy, he lived the words literally in his life.
The Journey to the Promised Land
Valley of Lemuel a Base Camp for Greater Things
Up until this point, the family has operated out of the base camp of the valley of Lemuel. That means that all the visions, journeys, and arguments have happened here. In many ways this was a place of preparation for the family, but it was up to the individual participants how enriched they were by the lessons there. For Nephi, he was able to gain a testimony, try himself in following the commandments, and learn to receive revelation like his father had. For Sam, Sariah, Zoram, and Ishmael's family, it was a time to learn trust in Lehi, and that God was guiding him. For Laman and Lemuel, it was a chance to see that God would take care of them, and a place away from Jerusalem where they might be able to soften their hearts more. For everyone, it was probably a testing ground to acclimate them to the wilderness, working together, and preparing for future travel.
Saint Exupery, in Wisdom of the Sands (Fr. Citadelle), said 'I pity that person who feels themselves sheltered under the stars of God, and looks up one day, and feels the distance'.
I think in the desert, away from Jerusalem, the family was finally looking up to stars again and feel the distance. The Valley of Lemuel was an opportunity to reach back to God in actions, commandments, visions, and dreams, and make the voyage back to Him, metaphorically speaking.
Trials in the Desert, and God with us.
Nephi does not spend much time talking about the trials in the desert. Or rather, he spends time, but he covers very little of the actual trials. It must have been very difficult for Ishmael, Lehi, and Sariah, who were old, and everyone else, who were just starting their families, to cross the desert. It is a small wonder that there were complaints and murmuring. This doesn't justify the complaints and murmuring, but it helps us to relate to the situation. It is also an important lesson to find ways in the hard times to continually remember how God is helping us, and thank him for always being with you.
Part of the God story, mentioned in my post last week on Nephi's vision, is the indescribable reality of God Himself, Jesus Christ, coming to earth. Before ascending back into heaven, He reminded his disciples 'Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the earth.' Nephi, I believe, was learning that God was always with him, despite the infinite separation between us on earth and the heavens.
When Nephi's bow broke in the desert, it was definitely a low point. Even Lehi forgot and began to complain. In the podcast, I muse on what the difference must have been between Nephi and everybody else. When everyone was complaining, why did he have the force necessary to build his own bow and his own arrow and come back to Lehi?
Well, I think he was able to overcome that infinite separation and realize that God was with him, even while he was hungry. I think he also had the greatest testimony by inspiration and by action that God blessed those who kept the commandments. So he made a bow, went back to Lehi, got directions, and brought back food. Check out 17:3.
Nephi's Teachings on Isaiah
A word on understanding Isaiah
Isaiah is really hard to understand for most people. I believe this is for the following reasons:
1. Isaiah wrote in code so that he didn't end up like all the prophets Nephi quotes just before diving into him. In chapter 19, Nephi basically compiles for us a lost page of scripture. Zenos, Zenock, and Neum all testified of the God story, and each were put to death and their writings lost to us. Isaiah didn't want that to happen to his writings.
2. Isaiah wrote in a way that only his culture would understand. Nephi says in 2 Nephi that his children have a hard time understanding Isaiah because Nephi wouldn't teach them certain things about the wickedness in Judah. If they had a hard time, we probably will have a hard time too.
3. Isaiah wrote by inspiration and his words were made to be interpreted by inspiration. Isaiah may have had many truths reserved only to believers, and other truths reserved to those at an even higher level etc. etc.
For this reason, I believe you should study Isaiah all the ways you can, but at the end of the day, you must understand it by the spirit of revelation.
Covenants, Loss, and Redemption.
Nephi teaches from ch. 48 and 49 from Isaiah. It tells a beautiful story of the covenant people's loss and redemption. Isaiah begins by addressing those who are baptized and made covenants, and rebukes them, saying they did not in truth nor righteousness and they are separated from God. he says they will go through the furnace of affliction, but tells them to have hope, for because they made covenants, God will redeem them, if they can turn again towards him.
He speaks to the depth of the fall of the house of Israel, telling of how they will be scattered everywhere and without any earthly hope of redemption. Isaiah says that even though all these things happen, meaning that by some measures, his preaching comes to nothing, the true reward is that his work is with his God; to labor in the vineyard is glorious, and his God, not necessarily his works, are his strength.
He then speaks to God delivering his people. In an acceptable time, he has heard the house of Israel and will bring the lost tribes back. They will say that Zion has been forsaken because of their sufferings, but God reminds them that He too, the greatest of all, suffered all those things with them, and that his love for them exceeds any thing on earth. He says that he will make the gentiles to nurse and carry them and bring them back, and all their oppressors will fall on each other and destroy themselves in the pit made for the covenant people.
Isaiah was meant to be lived, not read, and not simply comprehended
Many times, we read these lines and then read Nephi's interpretation as a purely historical/futuristic prediction of what is going to happen. Nephi is teaching this to his brothers to soften their hearts and understand not just the historical, but more so the spiritual side of what God is asking his covenant people to do, and promising them if they can turn again to him.
Isaiah's words are powerful. Just as in the first 3 chapters we see Nephi turning to God in his affliction, we see Isaiah asking the house of Israel to turn to Him in their own. Just as with the Commandments, Nephi did not view Isaiah's words as static prophecy, he lived the words literally in his life.
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