Old Testament # 44 “Every Thing Shall Live Whither the River Cometh” Ezekiel 43; 44; 47

Old Testament # 44

“Every Thing Shall Live Whither the River Cometh”

Ezekiel 43; 44; 47 

Introduction

When the weather is clement, I like to walk along the Provo River Trail—sometimes I start at the west end of 5^thNorth and go either north or south, but more often I go to the Geneva Road entrance, or even drive along the new road from Center Street and park halfway on the way to Utah Lake. (Time was when it was possible to walk a bike across the railroad tracks under the freeway—now that is impossible.) Growing up on an Island, there is something about moving water that speaks to my soul. I wonder sometimes what it was like before:

The Gods ordered, saying: Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto bone place, and let the earth come up dry; and it was so as they ordered; And the Gods pronounced the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, pronounced they, Great Waters; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed (Abraham 4:9–10).

Be that as it may, all natural, flowing water is connected, and so this metaphor of living water in Ezekiel irresistibly reminds me of the Savior and the woman at the well:

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. . . . Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life (John 4:10; 13–14).

With regard to the river being symbolic of the blessings flowing from temple worship, our beloved Prophet, Russell M. Nelson, had this to say at the end of last conference:

My dear brothers and sisters, the assaults of the adversary are increasing exponentially, in intensity and in variety. Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater. I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how you spend your time. Invest time in your future and in that of your family. If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment regularly with the Lord—to be in His holy house—then keep that appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples.[1]

Last week in Relief Society we talked about the importance of scriptures in our lives. Some of the many blessings of temple attendance are found in Ezekiel 44. But perhaps if we can look upon temple attendance as a natural progression from our scripture study, i.e. when we have questions, we first go to the scriptures (perhaps starting with the topical guide to get nearer to our specific question), then take that question, with the enlightenment we have received from the scriptures, to the temple as we perform ordinances, then the combination might bring answers that would not necessarily come from not combining seeking in the scriptures and at the temple.

Ezekiel 47 takes us to the theme of this week’s lesson—that of the river that flows from the temple giving life wherever it goes. Here is Elder Renlund:

Two characteristics of the water are noteworthy. First, though the small stream had no tributaries, it grew into a mighty river, becoming wider and deeper the farther it flowed. Something similar happens with the blessings that flow from the temple as individuals are sealed as families. Meaningful growth occurs going backward and forward through the generations as sealing ordinances weld families together. Second, the river renewed everything that it touched. The blessings of the temple likewise have a stunning capacity to heal. Temple blessings can heal hearts and lives and families.[2]

In contrast to the filthy water in Lehi’s vision—although it isn’t clarified until 1 Nephi 12 when the angel shows it to Nephi, the “other side of the river” where the spacious building is found and the “fountain” in which those that were lost in the mists of darkness drowned (1 Nephi 8:26, 32) is, to my mind, the corruption of pure doctrine represented by the iron rod and the tree of life. If you want to do a little scripture chasing, follow the references under defilein the Topical Guide, together with the synonyms. 

Additional Material

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-07-126-endowed-with-power?lang=eng.

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-04-1105-temple-blessings-worth-every-sacrifice?lang=eng.

Messianic Expectation

https://www.lds.org/study/ensign/1972/04/the-messianic-expectation?lang=eng.

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[1]https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/becoming-exemplary-latter-day-saints?lang=eng.

[2]https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/family-history-and-temple-work-sealing-and-healing?lang=eng.

Old Testament # 43 “The Shepherds of Israel” Ezekiel 18; 34; 37

Old Testament # 43

“The Shepherds of Israel”

Ezekiel 18; 34; 37 

Introduction

Ezekiel was part of the Babylonian captivity and is a prophet to the exiled Israelites in Babylon. While Jeremiah was still in Jerusalem, Daniel was in the Babylonian court, but Ezekiel was among the general populace.

Before we get into the lesson chapters themselves, I wanted to include a couple of images of Ezekiel’s visions. I am concentrating on older depictions. The first one is a woodcut from The “Bear” Bible of the vision of the chariot in Ezekiel 1.

Second the “Valley of Dry Bones” by John Stanhope from Ezekiel 37:1–14

There are many more, but I will content myself with these two. 

Ezekiel 18

We talked a few weeks ago about the scarlet on the skirts of Lord’s garment when he comes again representing the blood of the wicked, in contrast to the stains he received in the Garden of Gethsemane which were likened to the winepress he trod alone. Ezekiel 18 talks about this judgment and destruction of the wicked in graphic detail, especially when oppressed by an offspring or a parent, but the last few verses hold out the balm of Gilead with the gift of repentance, because “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye” (Ezekiel 18:32).

Ezekiel 18 also talks about a “new heart,” (v. 31) Hopefully you have had time this week to contemplate what it means to write His name on your heart. This verse brings in the thought that if and when the Lord’s name is written on our heart, it will effectively be renewed. We will start to see and feel about people as He does. I am reminded of what Robert Gay said about his sister in the last General Conference:

On the evening of her passing, in a room with her children present, I gave her a blessing to peacefully return home. At that moment I realized I had too often defined my sister’s life in terms of her trials and inactivity. As I placed my hands on her head that evening, I received a severe rebuke from the Spirit. I was made acutely aware of her goodness and allowed to see her as God saw her—not as someone who struggled with the gospel and life but as someone who had to deal with difficult issues I did not have. I saw her as a magnificent mother who, despite great obstacles, had raised four beautiful, amazing children. I saw her as the friend to our mother who took time to watch over and be a companion to her after our father passed away. During that final evening with my sister, I believe God was asking me, “Can’t you see that everyone around you is a sacred being?”[1]

Ezekiel 37

One of the enduring images in Ezekiel for those of us who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that of the stick of Joseph and the stick of Judah. However, when thinking about this, I couldn’t help comparing it with Elijah and the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17. The widow had a couple of sticks and some flour and oil to make a last meal before dying. We have the stick of Joseph and the stick of Judah—and although members of the Church were criticized in the past for interpreting Ezekiel’s sticks as scripture, specifically the Book of Mormon and the Bible, Keith Meservy tells us:

Ezekiel’s symbolism consisted of identifying two writing boards with Judah’s and Joseph’s records, which, in the context of the gathering of Israel, are joined together. He could hardly have found a simpler, more vivid symbol of the gathering of Israel than unification of separate tribal records. . . . Archeological discoveries since Joseph Smith’s time support his interpretation of Ezekiel’s “sticks” as wooden tablets which are joined together as one book.[2]

So, in my mind anyway, as the sticksin Ezekiel and those in the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath are the same word in Hebrew, I link the two as being the means of salvation—in a micro sense for the woman and her son, and in a macro sense for all mankind! Sorry if that was somewhat belabored, but in my mind, at least, it was important.

Ezekiel 34

We talked last week about watchmen, in terms of all of us members of the Church, but also specifically about our Prophet as The Watchman. In Ezekiel 3:17, Ezekiel himself is set as a watchman and in chapter 33:7, that call is renewed. But just as a watchman who sleeps on the job is of no use, shepherds who do not tend their sheep are vilified in Ezekiel 34. As Sister Black told us in Sunday School, the Lord’s focus is constantly on us, and therefore we, as His shepherds, should be focusing on His sheep. I think we covered that pretty well last Sunday, but I wanted to include this quote on what it means to be a shepherd, from the self-professed German Shepherd himself, Elder Uchtdorf.

This is the kind of gospel culture we desire to cultivate throughout the Church of Jesus Christ. We seek to strengthen the Church as a place where we forgive one another. Where we resist the temptation to find fault, gossip, and bring others down. Where, instead of pointing out flaws, we lift up and help each other to become the best we can be. . . . I testify and leave you my blessing that as we believe in God, as we love Him and love His children with all our hearts, and as we strive to do as God has instructed us, we will find healing and peace, happiness and meaning. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Additional Material

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-06-015-the-faith-of-youth-the-ennis-family?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-110-watchman-on-the-tower?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-109-lord-works-from-inside-out?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-111-ezekiels-prophecy-fulfilled?lang=eng

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[1]https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/taking-upon-ourselves-the-name-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng.

[2]https://www.lds.org/ensign/1987/02/ezekiels-sticks-and-the-gathering-of-israel?lang=eng.

Old Testament # 42 “I Will Write It in Their Hearts” Jeremiah 16; 23; 29; 31

Old Testament # 42

“I Will Write It in Their Hearts”

Jeremiah 16; 23; 29; 31 

Introduction

I am leaving the additional material up from last week, since it applies to the book of Jeremiah as a whole.

This week’s reading is an example of the Lord’s justice and mercy. There was no repentance in Judah and therefore justice, in the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian captivity, was a necessity. But then the Lord promises to gather them back, to find them even in the cracks of rocks, to re-establish His covenant, and restore His ordinances. That’s the macro view, but the micro view applies to each one of us, as illustrated by this quote from the manual:

President Joseph F. Smith taught: “The man with accumulated and unforgiven wrong behind him may find all retreat cut off and his condition in the world hopeless; and he who recklessly cuts off every opportunity of retreat by the neglected evils of the past is most unfortunate. The daily practice, then, of seeking divine mercy and forgiveness as we go along, gives us power to escape evils” (Gospel Doctrine,5th ed. [1939], 374).

Jeremiah is imprisoned in the first year of the reign of Babylon’s puppet king Zedekiah which is when the Book of Mormon narrative starts. There is a good chance that Lehi and his family would have heard Jeremiah’s words and might have known him since Jerusalem was not that inhabited. An interesting point is that Jeremiah actually gives dates which is very rare. He also tells the exact time when God spoke to him (Jeremiah 1:3). As prophets do today, he was speaking language that they understood. Given how bad things were, Jeremiah says the best way forward is to submit to the Babylonians, which was a very unpopular view.

One of the first projects I worked on at the Maxwell Institute at BYU (formerly FARMS) was with John W. Welch on double sealed documents. Jeremiah mentions one of these in Jeremiah 32: 11–14. I am including a link to the article in the additional material, but it is an added witness for the Book of Mormon plates, containing, as they do, a sealed portion. 

Jeremiah 23:4 says: “And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.” In the last General Conference, Sister Bonnie H. Cordon said:

As we strive to follow the Savior’s example, we must first know and number His sheep. We have been assigned specific individuals and families to tend so we are certain that all of the Lord’s flock are accounted for and no one is forgotten. Numbering, however, is not really about numbers; it is about making certain eachperson feels the love of the Savior through someone who serves forHim. In that way, all can recognize that they are known by a loving Father in Heaven. . . . The Lord invites us to feed His sheep, to tend His flocks as He would. He invites us to be shepherds to every nation, every country. . . . When the day comes that we will kneel at the feet of our beloved Savior, having nourished His flock, I pray we can answer as did Peter: “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.” These, Thy sheep, are loved,they are safe,and they are home.[1]

I mentioned a new covenant promised by the Lord with the House of Israel, in Jeremiah 31:33 we read:

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

There is a lot of imagery regarding writing things in our hearts (Mosiah 5:12), minds, palms of the hands (Isaiah 49:16), receiving His image in our countenances (Alma 5:14). Put them all together and I believe it represents both an inward and outward demonstration of our commitment to the Lord and His Gospel. And the two admonishments from President Nelson—to minister as a higher, holier way of caring for those around us, and to regard the keeping the Sabbath holy as a delight are probably the main ways we can do that. Because they embody both the new commandments the Lord gave us in Matthew 22:37–39 (see also John 13:34; D&C 88:123).

Additional Material

Double, sealed documents

1.     Short version (search for “double”

https://publications.mi.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1082&index=11

2.     Full Version

https://publications.mi.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1085&index=14.

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-100-arabian-horse?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/we-never-walk-alone?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-099-on-the-lords-errand?lang=eng

Babylonia and the Conquest of Judah

https://www.lds.org/manual/old-testament-student-manual-kings-malachi/enrichment-g?lang=eng

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[1]https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/becoming-a-shepherd?lang=eng.

Old Testament # 41 “I Have Made Thee This Day . . . an Iron Pillar” Jeremiah 1–2; 15; 20; 26; 36–38

Old Testament # 41

“I Have Made Thee This Day . . . an Iron Pillar”

Jeremiah 1–2; 15; 20; 26; 36–38 

Introduction

Having had Isaiah’s final testimony before his martyrdom, we jump straight into Jeremiah, who spent a lot of his life imprisoned in terrible circumstances for preaching the truth that the people of Judah did not want to hear. Jeremiah was contemporary with Lehi and therefore gives us a glimpse of the environment from which Lehi and his family fled into the wilderness. His ministry started under the reign of Josiah who followed Mannaseh—the wicked king who obliterated the worship of Jehovah from Judah and had Isaiah brutally killed. Josiah was just a boy when he came to the throne but he tried to restore the true Church to Judah. He succeeded during his reign, but the four kings after him, during Jeremiah’s ministry, retreated further and further away from the truth.

Interestingly enough, the metaphor of pottery and clay is carried forward by Jeremiah who talks also of broken cisterns—vessels of various sizes that held the very precious commodity of water. 

In Jeremiah 18 the Lord instructs Jeremiah to go to the potter’s workshop and observe what goes on there. The potter has a pot “on the wheels” which doesn’t turn out right, so he breaks it back down to clay and starts over. I have read a few interpretations of this object lesson that the Lord gave to Jeremiah. Here is a compelling one from Heber C. Kimball:

President Heber C. Kimball provided the following insights into the comparison in Jeremiah 18:1–10:

“All [who] are pliable in the hands of God and are obedient to His commands, are vessels of honor, and God will receive them” (History of the Church,4:478).

“There are many vessels that are destroyed after they have been moulded and shaped. Why? Because they are not contented with the shape the potter has given them, but straightaway put themselves into a shape to please themselves; therefore they are beyond understanding what God designs, and they destroy themselves by the power of their own agency. [These people] have to go through a great many modellings and shapes, then … have to be glazed and burned; and even in the burning, some vessels crack” (in Stanley B. Kimball, Heber C. Kimball: Mormon Patriarch and Pioneer[1981], 270).

This is such an important metaphor, and certainly Jeremiah must have felt the pains of being molded, as we discussed in Sunday School last week. Some years ago, Sister Camille Fronk explained the process and I am including it here because I think it will help those of us facing what might seem like insurmountable obstacles to understand what is happening to us and what we might look like at the other end.

First, let’s look at the qualities in the clay itself. This readily available raw material is part of the earth. It is in itself one of God’s creations. . . . How appropriate to compare our mortal bodies to tabernacles of clay (see Mosiah 3:5), a lowly substance capable of being formed into vessels of glory. . . . Of all sculpting materials, clay responds the easiest to touch and retains the most minute detail, even a thumbprint. Each detail can be changed innumerable times until the potter is satisfied and declares the vessel complete. As sons and daughters of God, each of us bears his imprint. . . .Every human soul is stamped with the image and superscription of God. . . .In the metaphor of the potter, the Lord’s handiwork and detail in the clay is an enduring reminder that he has formed us and that we will “not be forgotten of [him]” (Isaiah 44:21).

However, the clay is not without its weaknesses. . . . Water brings the clay to life. The symbolic water we receive from the Savior is as critical to our existence as physical water is to the clay. . .Another form of preparation occurs when the potter dries out the clay while kneading it and eliminating air pockets. . . . These “kneadings” of the potter can be paralleled to disappointments and at times severe challenges we experience individually or as a people. They are not intended to destroy but have a refining capacity to bring increased perspective and wisdom. . . .Joseph Smith recognized the growth and progress that came from his life of adversity. Likening himself to a rough stone, he said:

The only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, striking with accelerated force against religious bigotry, priestcraft, lawyer-craft, doctor-craft, lying editors, . . . backed by mobs, blasphemers, licentious and corrupt men and women—all hell knocking off a corner here and a corner there. Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty. [Teachings, p. 304]. . . .

During the kneading process, the potter will become aware of stones and other foreign objects mixed in with the clay. They will need to be identified and removed by running a wire through the clay as the final preparation to shaping. . . . Now that the clay is pliable and free from debris, the potter is ready to anchor the clay wedge on a wheel. . . . It is critical that the clay be totally centered or it can never respond to the directives of the potter and therefore never be formed into a vessel of honor. . . . Our focused faith in Christ even enables us to perform beyond our natural abilities. . . .As we become “centered” on the wheel of the Potter or “fix our eyes on Jesus,” as President Hunter said it, we too can walk successfully over “the swelling waves of disbelief’ and remain “unterrified amid the rising winds of doubt” (ibid.). . . . The clay is now cleansed, pliable, and centered, allowing the potter to form and shape it into the vessel he has envisioned. . . .Not all clay vessels go into their desired shape the first time. Some become marred while they are on the potter’s wheel. . . . While there are no guarantees that once on the wheel you will never go wrong, all is not lost for those who contend against the Potter. The clay is “cut off the wheel and then thrown back again into the mill, to go into the next batch” (HC 4:478). . . .Even so, through sincere repentance, individuals may start again and be found humble before the Lord, willing to hear his word and follow his direction.

In all this imagery of being submissive in the hands of the Lord, some of you may be uncomfortable with the apparent absence of agency. In reality, agency is constantly present, but it is not the so-called agency the world has designed. A good potter always gives the clay respect by not moving it faster than it is capable of enduring and will never force it into a shape. . . . We must be as clay in the hands of the potter to permit our lives to be molded in the pattern that the Savior of mankind set for us. . . .

You are the clay—and as such you are of utmost importance to the Lord. He loves you and desires to shape you into a magnificent vessel of honor—designed and glazed for all eternity. May we therefore set aside our fears and concerns for the future and “trust in the Lord with all [our] heart[s]; and lean not unto [our] own understanding. In all [our] ways” let us “acknowledge him,” and I bear witness “he will direct [our] paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6). He loves us and will continue to support us. I bear witness of that love and that we are not forgotten of him. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.[1]

As we interact with each other, both in and out of the Church, I think it will be good to realize that whether we/they acknowledge it or not, all Heavenly Father’s children are being molded by the Master Potter, our Savior Jesus Christ. And we can help ourselves and others make this process more comfortable as we come closer to Him.

Additional Material

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-100-arabian-horse?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/we-never-walk-alone?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-099-on-the-lords-errand?lang=eng

Babylonia and the Conquest of Judah

https://www.lds.org/manual/old-testament-student-manual-kings-malachi/enrichment-g?lang=eng

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[1]https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/camille-fronk_lessons-potter-clay/.