Friday, June 26, 2009

1 Nephi 21:6

Here is the text we will consider for today:

"6 And he said: It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the atribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give thee for a blight to the cGentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth."

I wonder, yet again, if this verse is from the Lord to Isaiah, and that Isaiah is quoting to the people of the house of Israel the word of the Lord in a sermon. The Lord says that it is a "light thing" that Isaiah is His servant to raise the tribes of Jacob. At first I thought that this meant "light" as in "easy." However, surely it would not be easy. I heard once that Isaiah has written as he did in order to preserve himself. I believe that at one time he was in captivity and anyone writing the word of God would be punished. Isaiah wrote as he did so as to avoid punishment. It is said that he who has the Spirit would be able to understand his words.

As pertaining to the light thing, the next phrase sheds light on it. : ) Isaiah would also be a light unto the Gentiles, that he may be the means of helping save them, by testifying of Christ. We have institute classes on Isaiah. We study his words. Referring back to the post of yesterday, we can see that Isaiah is not only influential in preaching the word to the remnants of the tribes of Jacob, but unto the Gentiles, too. This is one of the purposes of the Book of Mormon, which contains many of Isaiah's words from the brass plates (and the Bible):

"Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile..."

Title Page of the Book of Mormon

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