Ludlow states that Isaiah 50 is divided into three parts: “verses 1-3, a call to Israel to return to the Lord and make him their strength; verses 4-9, the third servant song; and verses 10-11, an injunction to all people to follow the servant, including a message of encouragement to the faithful and of warning to the unfaithful.” (419)
A Call to Israel (v 1-3)
Like all of us, Israel has gone astray and has not followed the Lord. When we sin, we distance ourselves from the Holy Ghost and we begin to feel isolated and abandoned. Israel pleads to the Lord and says that the Lord has divorced her.
The Lord replies that he has not divorced her nor has He sold them like children into slavery. He tells them why they feel abandoned, “Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.” (Isaiah 50:1) The Lord will always “be there” for us. We are the ones to blame for feeling like the Lord has left us … we leave the Lord, not the other way around.
The Lord reminds them that his hand is always there. “Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem?” (Isaiah 50:2) He also reminds them that he has power to dry up the seas and cloud the skies as well as power to redeem his people.
The Servant Song (v 4-9)
Follow the Prophet
The reason Israel fell away from the Lord was because she failed to heed the prophets. Failure to listen to the prophets has resulted in sin and other transgressions which lead to unhappiness in this life and a damned life in the eternities.
The Servant Song in Isaiah 50:4-9 goes into some detail about the life of a prophet. The same things that describe the life of a prophet also describe the life of the Savior. The prophet is to “speak a word in season to him that is weary” (Isaiah 50:4). I don’t think the weary in this verse is referring to those who lack physical strength. Rather I think it refers to those who are spiritually weary … those who need spiritual strengthening. Verse 4 also mentions that a prophet awakes every morning to hear what the Lord would have him speak to the people.
Both Jesus Christ and the prophets are humble and willing to listen and heed the will of God. Isaiah 50:5 says the “Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious neither turned away back.” This verse reminds me of Nephi. In 1 Nephi 3:6, before that well-known verse 7, Lehi tells his son Nephi that he is favored of the Lord because he has not murmured. Unlike Laman and Lemuel, Nephi never turned his back on the Lord verbally or otherwise. And because he was humble and willing to listen, he was a great prophet.
Isaiah 50:6 refers to the persecution that Jesus Christ and the prophets experienced. They were smitten and abused. They did not shirk in the face of persecution. In fact, they turned the other cheek (Matthew 5:39).
Despite all the persecution heaped on them, the Lord God will uphold his servants. He will not abandon them. All the persecutors will “wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.” (Isaiah 50:9) Whether in this life of the next, those that persecute the prophets will have to pay.
I’ve not read the entire book, but as I kid I would peruse a book entitled “The Fate of the Persecutors of the Prophet Joseph Smith” by N.B. Lundwall published by Bookcraft in Salt Lake City in 1952. Here is one of the more interesting passages from that book:
“James Head, of McComb, was also one of the murderers at the Carthage Jail; he was heard by Captain Lawn and others to boast of it afterwards, and Captain Lawn drew a pistol and chased him, but he ran away. He was always gloomy and troubled from the time he helped murder the Smiths, and frequently declared that he saw the two martyrs always before him! He had no peace.
“A colonel of the Missouri mob, who helped to drive, plunder and murder the Mormons, died in the hospital at Sacramento, 1849. Beckwith had the care of him; he was eaten with worms – a large black-headed kind of maggot – which passed through him by myriads, seemingly a half pint at a time! Before he died these maggots were crawling out of his mouth and nose! He literally rotted alive! Even the flesh on his legs burst open and fell from the bones! They gathered up the rotten mass in a blanket and buried him, without waiting a coffin!”
The story goes on to tell of another member of the mob who killed Joseph and Hyrum who died in the same hospital. He too was infested with maggots. He died when the maggots ate through his jugular vein and he bled to death. These two men stank so badly, they had to keep them in a separate room by themselves (Lundwall, 335).
An Injunction to All People (v 10-11)
I’ve made comments on these two verses in the 2 Nephi 7 counterpart (see my Book of Mormon post on 2 Nephi 7). Note: There is a small difference in the Isaiah version which I have noted below with italics and other indicators. Here is what I said:
I really like the last two verse of this chapter. Verse 10 and 11 say, "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God
"Behold all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks [which] that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand—ye shall lie down in sorrow."
Verse 10 seems to refer to trusting in the Lord. The Lord asks us to believe in him, to trust in him and to take those steps in the darkness.
But there are some of us who cannot accept this and think that we must have some light so that we see where we are going. And so we try to light our own fire and our own fire is small and cannot show us the complete path. If we decide to tread the path on our own with our own fire, then the Lord warns us that we will suffer.
And so the point of verses 10-11 is that we must trust in the Lord to show us the way if we are to avoid spiritual injury.
Overall, Isaiah 50 is about obeying the prophets. If we give diligent heed to the living oracles, we will be safe. We will have nothing to fear for the Lord will be on our side.
Showing posts with label Prophets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prophets. Show all posts
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Isaiah 48
Ludlow lumps Isaiah 48 and 49 together. They should go hand in hand, but because of the volume of content, I will split them into two entries.
Isaiah in the Book of Mormon
Ludlow makes a few notes about these two chapters in the Book of Mormon. He says, "chapters 48 and 49 are the first Isaianic chapters to be quoted in their entirety in the Book of Mormon. (1 Nephi 20-21.) Also, approximately one-third of the Isaianic verses in the Book of Mormon containing major changes are located in these two chapters." He goes on to explain that some of these changes found in the Book of Mormon help clarify passages that have confused scholars in the past. (399)
Covenant Form
Isaiah 48 is in covenant form. Ludlow explains that there are six parts to a treaty between a king and his vassal or in this instance, a covenant between the Lord and his people.
The six parts are 1) Preamble, 2) Historical prologue, 3) Stipulations, 4) Witnesses, 5) Curses and blessings and 6) Perpetuation of the contract.
Isaiah 48 has all these elements, although they slightly different order (400).
Preamble (v 1-2)
The preamble is an introduction to the people.
"or out of the waters of baptism"
The 1 Nephi 20:1 rendition of Isaiah 48:1 adds the phrase "or out of the waters of baptism." This phrase did not originally appear in the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon. It first showed up in the 1840 edition. Ludlow cites Daniel H. Ludlow to explain this.
When Isaiah speaks to Israel, he may be addressing three different groups of people.
Blood Israel - those who are literal descendants of Jacob or Israel.
Covenant Israel - those who accept God and the covenants of Israel.
The people who live in the land of Israel - those inhabitants of the land that was granted to the tribes of Israel.
Historical Prologue (v 3-8)
In this section, "Isaiah reviews Israel's covenant relationship with the Lord." (403)
The Lord's Foreknowledge
The reason the Lord "declared the former things from the beginning" was so that Israel had no doubt it came from the Lord and would not be able to say that their dumb idols were responsible for the events.
Regarding the foresight and foreknowledge of the Lord, I have found it interesting how even today the Lord gives ample warning to his people. I remember in October 1998 sitting in a chapel in Provo listening to President Hinckley warn all of us priesthood holders to get our houses in order (Gordon B. Hinckley, “To the Boys and to the Men,” Ensign, Nov 1998, 51). He made it clear he was not prophesying that there would be a famine, but he made it clear that he was giving counsel.
To fully understand the context of this talk, you need to understand that 1998 was a great year. The economy was virtually booming. The Internet as we generally know it had been around for a few years and businesses were jumping on board with on-line models and such. It is not a far stretch of the imagination to think that some scoffed at the idea of a prophet counseling to reduce debt and cut back.
Yet just a few years later, the .com bust occurred and scores of on-line companies went out of business. Then September 11, 2001 happened and the world has never been the same. I remember filling my car up at the Chevron across from the football stadium for $.99 a gallon in 1998. Today, the gas prices are $3.50 a gallon and were up to $4.00 a gallon earlier this year. The dollar has hit historical lows against the euro. There were stories of food shortages around the world earlier this year too. Wheat and rice were very expensive and still are. The housing bubble has finally "popped" and there has been a lot of uneasiness in the economy since October 1998.
But looking back to President Hinckley's talk, it is amazing to see the wisdom in his counsel. No doubt he was inspired by the Lord.
Stipulations of the Covenant (v 8-13)
In this next section, the Lord "explains that his efforts are in fulfillment of the covenants made with Israel. He promises that in spite of Israel's rebellions, he will not completely destroy her; still, he will not let her disregard her covenant without punishment." (404)
"but not as silver"
The phrase "but not as silver" found in Isaiah 48:10 is not found in 1 Nephi 20:10. Ludlow states that this phrase has confused scholars for many years. But as the Book of Mormon version stands, the verse is crystal clear in its meaning.
The Right Hand
In Isaiah 48:13, the Lord's "right hand hath spanned the heavens." Ludlow commentates that favoring the right hand is not an invention of man, but it comes from the Lord and is a symbol of righteousness. (405)
I found one Ensign article that discusses using the right hand when making covenants, especially with regard to taking the sacrament.
“I Have a Question,” Ensign, Mar 1983, 67–69
Perpetuation of the Covenant (v 13-15)
In Isaiah 48:13-15, Ludlow identifies the person referred to here as Jesus Christ or Cyrus. Whether Christ or Cyrus, this person will "foretell the future, fulfill the Lord's word, wield power over Babylon, and ultimately succeed in his foreordained mission." (405)
Witnesses of the Covenant (v 16)
It appears in Isaiah 48:16 that the Lord himself and Isaiah are witnesses to this covenant.
Blessings and Curses (v 17-22)
The blessings or curses for obeying or disregarding the covenant are: peace as a river and righteousness as the waves of the sea or tumult and wickedness (Isaiah 48:18), seed as the sand and not being cut off from the Lord or no posterity and living in apostasy (Isaiah 48:19).
Isaiah in the Book of Mormon
Ludlow makes a few notes about these two chapters in the Book of Mormon. He says, "chapters 48 and 49 are the first Isaianic chapters to be quoted in their entirety in the Book of Mormon. (1 Nephi 20-21.) Also, approximately one-third of the Isaianic verses in the Book of Mormon containing major changes are located in these two chapters." He goes on to explain that some of these changes found in the Book of Mormon help clarify passages that have confused scholars in the past. (399)
Covenant Form
Isaiah 48 is in covenant form. Ludlow explains that there are six parts to a treaty between a king and his vassal or in this instance, a covenant between the Lord and his people.
The six parts are 1) Preamble, 2) Historical prologue, 3) Stipulations, 4) Witnesses, 5) Curses and blessings and 6) Perpetuation of the contract.
Isaiah 48 has all these elements, although they slightly different order (400).
Preamble (v 1-2)
The preamble is an introduction to the people.
"or out of the waters of baptism"
The 1 Nephi 20:1 rendition of Isaiah 48:1 adds the phrase "or out of the waters of baptism." This phrase did not originally appear in the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon. It first showed up in the 1840 edition. Ludlow cites Daniel H. Ludlow to explain this.
The term "or out of the waters of baptism" did not appear in the first edition of the Book of Mormon. It first appeared in the edition of 1840 on page 53, and the sentence in which it appeared was punctuated as follows: "Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, (or out of the waters of baptism,) who swear by the name of the Lord," etc. It is not absolutely clear who was responsible for the insertion of this phrase, although the title pages of this edition indicates that it was the "Third Edition, Carefully Revised by the Translator" and was published in Nauvoo, Illinois.Israel
In the "Committee Copy" of the Book of Mormon that was used by Elder James E. Talmage and his committee in making changes for the 1920 edition, the words "or out of the waters of baptism" were not printed in the text although they had been inserted in red ink in parentheses. However, the parentheses were crossed out by red pencil. These words are printed in the current edition of the Book of Mormon without parentheses. (A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, 120).
When Isaiah speaks to Israel, he may be addressing three different groups of people.
Blood Israel - those who are literal descendants of Jacob or Israel.
Covenant Israel - those who accept God and the covenants of Israel.
The people who live in the land of Israel - those inhabitants of the land that was granted to the tribes of Israel.
Historical Prologue (v 3-8)
In this section, "Isaiah reviews Israel's covenant relationship with the Lord." (403)
The Lord's Foreknowledge
The reason the Lord "declared the former things from the beginning" was so that Israel had no doubt it came from the Lord and would not be able to say that their dumb idols were responsible for the events.
Regarding the foresight and foreknowledge of the Lord, I have found it interesting how even today the Lord gives ample warning to his people. I remember in October 1998 sitting in a chapel in Provo listening to President Hinckley warn all of us priesthood holders to get our houses in order (Gordon B. Hinckley, “To the Boys and to the Men,” Ensign, Nov 1998, 51). He made it clear he was not prophesying that there would be a famine, but he made it clear that he was giving counsel.
To fully understand the context of this talk, you need to understand that 1998 was a great year. The economy was virtually booming. The Internet as we generally know it had been around for a few years and businesses were jumping on board with on-line models and such. It is not a far stretch of the imagination to think that some scoffed at the idea of a prophet counseling to reduce debt and cut back.
Yet just a few years later, the .com bust occurred and scores of on-line companies went out of business. Then September 11, 2001 happened and the world has never been the same. I remember filling my car up at the Chevron across from the football stadium for $.99 a gallon in 1998. Today, the gas prices are $3.50 a gallon and were up to $4.00 a gallon earlier this year. The dollar has hit historical lows against the euro. There were stories of food shortages around the world earlier this year too. Wheat and rice were very expensive and still are. The housing bubble has finally "popped" and there has been a lot of uneasiness in the economy since October 1998.
But looking back to President Hinckley's talk, it is amazing to see the wisdom in his counsel. No doubt he was inspired by the Lord.
Stipulations of the Covenant (v 8-13)
In this next section, the Lord "explains that his efforts are in fulfillment of the covenants made with Israel. He promises that in spite of Israel's rebellions, he will not completely destroy her; still, he will not let her disregard her covenant without punishment." (404)
"but not as silver"
The phrase "but not as silver" found in Isaiah 48:10 is not found in 1 Nephi 20:10. Ludlow states that this phrase has confused scholars for many years. But as the Book of Mormon version stands, the verse is crystal clear in its meaning.
The Right Hand
In Isaiah 48:13, the Lord's "right hand hath spanned the heavens." Ludlow commentates that favoring the right hand is not an invention of man, but it comes from the Lord and is a symbol of righteousness. (405)
I found one Ensign article that discusses using the right hand when making covenants, especially with regard to taking the sacrament.
“I Have a Question,” Ensign, Mar 1983, 67–69
Perpetuation of the Covenant (v 13-15)
In Isaiah 48:13-15, Ludlow identifies the person referred to here as Jesus Christ or Cyrus. Whether Christ or Cyrus, this person will "foretell the future, fulfill the Lord's word, wield power over Babylon, and ultimately succeed in his foreordained mission." (405)
Witnesses of the Covenant (v 16)
It appears in Isaiah 48:16 that the Lord himself and Isaiah are witnesses to this covenant.
Blessings and Curses (v 17-22)
The blessings or curses for obeying or disregarding the covenant are: peace as a river and righteousness as the waves of the sea or tumult and wickedness (Isaiah 48:18), seed as the sand and not being cut off from the Lord or no posterity and living in apostasy (Isaiah 48:19).
Monday, March 17, 2008
Isaiah 30 & 31
Trust in God
Through various events, Judah found herself in a precarious situation. Assyrian dominance was waning, Egypt and Babylon were gaining power and a few independent nations joined a coalition to rebel against the Assyrians. Judah joined this coalition as well as entered into a treaty with Egypt in which Egypt would defend Judah against any Assyrian attack.
Isaiah strongly condemned these actions taken by Judah. He knew that Judah had more confidence in men than in God and this was a sin.
I am reminded of Nephi when he said in his psalm, "O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." (2 Nephi 4:34)
Yet another passage reminds us to "trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)
The first verse of Isaiah 30 pronounces a wo on Judah. "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me."
How do we put our trust in the Lord? Isaiah teaches us how. We must listen to the prophets and become more steadfast.
Listen to the Prophets
We can trust in the Lord by listening and obeying His prophets. The people in Isaiah's time did not want to listen to the prophets.
In Isaiah 30:9-10, Isaiah is commanded to write, "this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord:
"Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophet, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits."
If we sit in General Conference and enjoy the talks, but then fail to act on the feelings and promptings we had while listening to the prophets, are we not essentially saying "see not, prophesy not?" I can almost see the people of that day put their hands over their ears and yell over the prophets' voice so as not to hear them. They are like the diver of a car who after having been pulled over for a traffic violation pleads with the officer that he did not know the laws. Ignorance is not an excuse for breaking the law.
Returning, Rest, Quietness, Confidence
Once in a while, I find a passage of scriptures that moves me and spiritually touches me deeply; so deep that I cannot fully explain it. Isaiah 30:15 is one of those passages.
"For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength."
If ever my generation needed a succinct, specific message delivered explicitly to us, it would be Isaiah 30:15. We are a generation constantly on the move. We multi-task, we drug our bodies to work harder, stay up longer, sleep less, party more, we are up-to-date on the news, jam our schedules full of activities and in general are always busy doing something. We can't sit still. And if we do sit still, we engage our attention with video games or TV.
In all this busyness, we forget to take time to meditate, pray, ponder and commune with God.
We must return to God (and if we've never turned to Him before, then simply turn to Him). We must repent of and forsake our sins.
We must rest physically, mentally and spiritually. Spiritual rest is found in communion with God on our knees or in deep meditation.
We must turn the mp3 player and radio and TV and computer off. We must quiet our lives so as to let the Holy Spirit enter it and teach us the Lord's ways.
We must "let virtue garnish [our] thoughts unceasingly; then shall [our] confidence wax strong in the presence of God." (D&C 121:45)
By returning to God, resting, quieting our lives and increasing our confidence in God, we become more firm and steadfast and still. This is what my generation needs.
The Bread of Adversity and Water of Affliction
Indeed our trust in the Lord will be tested many times in our lives. Alma the Elder and his followers we sorely tested when the Lamanites and wicked priests of King Noah deceived and captured them and later enslaved them.
Alma and these people escaped the grasp of the wicked King Noah and had begun to prosper. They returned to God, repented and put their trust in Him. But their trials were not over.
"Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.
"Nevertheless - whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people." (Mosiah 23:21-22)
They found themselves in such a difficult position that no one but God could deliver them. The Lord truly gave them the bread of adversity and the water of affliction (Isaiah 30:20). The Lord saw the need to make these people stronger in faith. He tested them to see if they would trust in him. They accepted the bread and water and their souls were greatly strengthened and blessed.
There are countless stories in the scriptures of people accepting the bread of adversity and the water of affliction. Do we likewise accept this sacrament in order to be sanctified?
We would do well to remember, as trials come our way, that Christ did not shrink from the ultimate bitter cup. If we are to be like Him, then we must not shrink before the bread and water offered to us as we take upon ourselves the name of Christ.
The Lord Binds and Heals
Ultimately, the Lord will deliver us from bread of adversity and water of affliction. He will bind our breaches and heal our wounds. (Isaiah 30:26)
This reminds me of another moving passage found in Isaiah. Isaiah 53:5 reads, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peaces was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Those last words of that verse really sink deep in my soul: and with his stripes we are healed. Christ partook of the bitter cup and thus knows all the trials, adversities and difficulties we face in this life. Therefore, he knows how to heal us physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Through various events, Judah found herself in a precarious situation. Assyrian dominance was waning, Egypt and Babylon were gaining power and a few independent nations joined a coalition to rebel against the Assyrians. Judah joined this coalition as well as entered into a treaty with Egypt in which Egypt would defend Judah against any Assyrian attack.
Isaiah strongly condemned these actions taken by Judah. He knew that Judah had more confidence in men than in God and this was a sin.
I am reminded of Nephi when he said in his psalm, "O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." (2 Nephi 4:34)
Yet another passage reminds us to "trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)
The first verse of Isaiah 30 pronounces a wo on Judah. "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me."
How do we put our trust in the Lord? Isaiah teaches us how. We must listen to the prophets and become more steadfast.
Listen to the Prophets
We can trust in the Lord by listening and obeying His prophets. The people in Isaiah's time did not want to listen to the prophets.
In Isaiah 30:9-10, Isaiah is commanded to write, "this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord:
"Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophet, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits."
If we sit in General Conference and enjoy the talks, but then fail to act on the feelings and promptings we had while listening to the prophets, are we not essentially saying "see not, prophesy not?" I can almost see the people of that day put their hands over their ears and yell over the prophets' voice so as not to hear them. They are like the diver of a car who after having been pulled over for a traffic violation pleads with the officer that he did not know the laws. Ignorance is not an excuse for breaking the law.
Returning, Rest, Quietness, Confidence
Once in a while, I find a passage of scriptures that moves me and spiritually touches me deeply; so deep that I cannot fully explain it. Isaiah 30:15 is one of those passages.
"For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength."
If ever my generation needed a succinct, specific message delivered explicitly to us, it would be Isaiah 30:15. We are a generation constantly on the move. We multi-task, we drug our bodies to work harder, stay up longer, sleep less, party more, we are up-to-date on the news, jam our schedules full of activities and in general are always busy doing something. We can't sit still. And if we do sit still, we engage our attention with video games or TV.
In all this busyness, we forget to take time to meditate, pray, ponder and commune with God.
We must return to God (and if we've never turned to Him before, then simply turn to Him). We must repent of and forsake our sins.
We must rest physically, mentally and spiritually. Spiritual rest is found in communion with God on our knees or in deep meditation.
We must turn the mp3 player and radio and TV and computer off. We must quiet our lives so as to let the Holy Spirit enter it and teach us the Lord's ways.
We must "let virtue garnish [our] thoughts unceasingly; then shall [our] confidence wax strong in the presence of God." (D&C 121:45)
By returning to God, resting, quieting our lives and increasing our confidence in God, we become more firm and steadfast and still. This is what my generation needs.
The Bread of Adversity and Water of Affliction
Indeed our trust in the Lord will be tested many times in our lives. Alma the Elder and his followers we sorely tested when the Lamanites and wicked priests of King Noah deceived and captured them and later enslaved them.
Alma and these people escaped the grasp of the wicked King Noah and had begun to prosper. They returned to God, repented and put their trust in Him. But their trials were not over.
"Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.
"Nevertheless - whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people." (Mosiah 23:21-22)
They found themselves in such a difficult position that no one but God could deliver them. The Lord truly gave them the bread of adversity and the water of affliction (Isaiah 30:20). The Lord saw the need to make these people stronger in faith. He tested them to see if they would trust in him. They accepted the bread and water and their souls were greatly strengthened and blessed.
There are countless stories in the scriptures of people accepting the bread of adversity and the water of affliction. Do we likewise accept this sacrament in order to be sanctified?
We would do well to remember, as trials come our way, that Christ did not shrink from the ultimate bitter cup. If we are to be like Him, then we must not shrink before the bread and water offered to us as we take upon ourselves the name of Christ.
The Lord Binds and Heals
Ultimately, the Lord will deliver us from bread of adversity and water of affliction. He will bind our breaches and heal our wounds. (Isaiah 30:26)
This reminds me of another moving passage found in Isaiah. Isaiah 53:5 reads, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peaces was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Those last words of that verse really sink deep in my soul: and with his stripes we are healed. Christ partook of the bitter cup and thus knows all the trials, adversities and difficulties we face in this life. Therefore, he knows how to heal us physically, emotionally and spiritually.
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