|
|
|
|
CHAPTER 10
Lehi Predicts the Babylonian captivity— |
[About 592 B.C.] | |
|
1 AND now I, Nephi, proceed to give an
account upon
athese plates of my proceedings, and my reign and
ministrya; wherefore, to proceed
with mine account, I must speak somewhat of the things of my
fatherb, and also of my brethren.
2 For behold, it came to pass after my father had made an end of speaking the words of his adream, and also of exhorting them to all diligence, he spake unto them concerning the Jews— 3 That after they should be destroyed, even that great city aJerusalem, and many be bcarried away captive into cBabylon, according to the own due time of the Lord, they should dreturn again, yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they should be brought back out of captivity they should possess again the land of their inheritance.
|
1a my proceedings, and my reign and
ministry Nephi's record is specific to Nephi. Here Nephi makes
that perfectly clear that his record which he is preparing is of his
proceedings, his reign and his ministry. That is, one wants specific
relavance to such as Lehi, they needs look to the record of Lehi, which Lehi
did write (1 Nephi 6:1). And thus one is to find upon the plates of Nephi,
that which is specific to Nephi's proceedings, reign and ministry. The Lord
has each, Lehi and Nephi, write their own record and what we have is the
record of Nephi, from his small plates.
1b I must speak shomewhat of the things of my father No one's life is an island uneffected by the lives of others. Nephi therefore, in his own record, needed to speak concerning the things of Lehi to the extend that they had an effect and did relate to Nephi and his own life. |
1a
1 Ne. 9:2 (1-5);
1 Ne. 19:3 (1-6) 2a 1 Ne. 8:2-36 3a Esth. 2:6; 2 Ne. 6:8; Hel. 8:20-21 b Ezek. 36:12 (8-15); 2 Ne. 25:10; TG Israel, Bondage of, in Other Lands; TG Israel, Scattering of c Ezek. 24:2; 1 Ne. 1:13; Omni 1:15; TG Babylon d Neh. 12:1; Jer. 29:10 (9-10); 2 Ne. 6:9 (8-9); Abr. 2:6
|
|
4 Yea, even asix hundred years from the time that
my father left Jerusalem, a bprophet would the Lord
God raise up among the cJews—even a dMessiah, or, in
other words, a Savior of the worlda.
5 And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number had atestified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world. 6 Wherefore, all mankind were in a alost and in a bfallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer.
|
4a a prophet would the Lord God raise up amoung the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world Jehovah, the Lord God of the Old Testament, is Jesus Christ, who is the Messiah, who is the Savior of the world. Here the prophet Lehi speaks of the Lord God raising up a Messiah, a Savior of the world. In technical terms, this is the Lord God Jehovah raising himself up to be the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. But to better appreciate the facts of the matter, one must comprehend the nature of the divine investiture of God the Father in his Son Jehovah, even Jesus Christ. The Son is anointed and consecrated to act in the stead of the Father in all things. This is because only those who pertain to this second estate may minister unto it. Thus the Father did establish His Son, to minister and act in the name of the Father in all things as though He were the Father. Thus often we have the 'God of the Old Testament' in the name of the Father, acting upon the Son (himself) as though he were the Father. But it is Christ acting as the Father, in the stead of the Father, acting upon Himself as the Son, the Son of the Father. This type of reference where Christ or Jehovah, speaks of himself in the second person from the perspective of acting in the stead of the Father occurs throughout scripture. And here Lehi does the same, having Jehovah the Lord God of the Old Testament raise up 'himself' as the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as the Savior of the World. |
4a
1 Ne. 19:8-14;
2 Ne. 25:19; Alma 13:25; 3 Ne. 1:1 b 1 Ne. 22:21 (20-21) c TG Israel, Judah, People of d Jacob 1:6; TG Jesus Christ, Birth of; TG Jesus Christ, Messiah 5a Jacob 7:11; Mosiah 13:33; Hel. 8:24 (19-24); 3 Ne. 20:24 (23-24); TG Jesus Christ, Prophesies about 6a Rom. 3:23; 2 Ne. 2:5-8 b TG Death, Spiritual, First
|
|
7 And he spake also concerning a aprophet who
should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord—
8 Yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness: aPrepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for there standeth one among you whom ye know not; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. And much spake my father concerning this thing. 9 And my father said he [John the Baptist] should baptize in aBethabaraa, beyond Jordan; and he also said he should bbaptize with water; even that he should baptize the Messiah with water. 10 And after he had baptized the Messiah with water, he should behold and bear record that he had baptized the aLamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.
|
9a he should baptize in Bethabara Why the Book of Mormon, perhaps quoting from such lost scripture of the Old Testament which did still remain upon the plates of brass, should specifically point out that Bethabara would be the baptismal sight of the Messiah can be somewhat framed out. Bethabara was the same sight where Joshua (Jehoshua/Jesus) lead Isreal across Jordon on dry gound into the promised land. That was a 'physical' passage of the 'sons of God into the promised kingdom'. This parallels the spiritual gateway into the celestial promised kingdom of God provided by Jesus (Jehoshua/Joshua) by the way of baptism. Both such crossings over took place first and initially at the same point of crossing, Bethabara. Another consideration is that Bethabara is at the lowest place on earth in which one could still be baptized in fresh water. An appropriate sight to signify that the Savoir did descend below all things. |
7a
1 Ne. 11:27;
2 Ne. 31:4-18; TG Foreordination 8a Isa. 40:3; Matt. 3:3 (1-3); D&C 84:26 9a John 1:28 b TG Jesus Christ, Baptism of 10a TG Jesus Christ, Lamb of God
|
|
11 And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words he
spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among
the Jews, and also concerning the adwindling of the Jews in
bunbelief. And after they had cslain the
Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should
drise from the dead, and should make himself
emanifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles.
12 Yea, even my father spake much concerning the Gentiles, and also concerning the house of Israel, that they should be compared like unto an aolive-tree, whose bbranches should be broken off and should be cscattered upon all the face of the earth.
|
11a
Rom. 11:1-36;
Jacob 4:15 (14-18); b Morm. 5:14-20; TG Unbelief, Unbelievers c TG Jesus Christ, Crucifixion of TG Jesus Christ, Prophecies about d TG Jesus Christ, Resurrection e 3 Ne. 15:23 (21-24); TG Holy Ghost, Mission of 12a Gen. 49:22-26; 1 Ne. 15:12; 2 Ne. 3:4-5; Jacob 5:3-77; Jacob 6:1-7; TG Vineyard of the Lord b TG Israel, Bondage of, in Other Lands c Deut. 32:26; 1 Ne. 22:3-8; TG Israel, Scattering of
|
|
|
13 Wherefore, he said it must needs be that we should be led with one
accord into the aland of promise, unto the fulfilling of
the word of the Lord, that we should be ascattered
upon all the face of the eartha.
14 And after the house of aIsrael should be scattered they should be bgathered together again; or, in fine, after the cGentiles had received the fulness of the dGospel, the natural branches of the eolive-tree, or the fremnants of the house of gIsrael, should be grafted in, or hcome to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer.
|
13a scattered upon all the face of the earth Since the time of the flood of Noah, the intent of the Lord was for the people to scatter themselves abroad and cover the earth. Since they did not do that, the Lord caused their language to change and he scattered them including the people of Jared in the Book of Mormon. But as the people were scattered, they, for the most part, were not scattered unto the Lord and all sorts of religious corruptions entered in. So the people were scattered but the gospel was not so scattered. Then the Lord raised up Abraham and Israel to bless them with the covenant but again the need was to scatter Israel among the people of the earth so that the promises of the covenant would come unto the blessing of all. So the Lord once again determined to scatter Israel, his people. And he has done so to the 10 lost tribes, to the remnants of Joseph (Gen. 49:22-26 & Jacob 5:all), and the kingdom of Judah as well. |
13a
1 Ne. 2:20;
TG
Promised Lands 13a Gen. 11:4, 8; Deut. 4:27; Deut. 28:64 (all); TG Israel, Scatting of 14a TG Israel, Ten Lost Tribes of; b TG Israel, Gathering of c 1 Ne. 13:42; D&C 14:10 d TG Gospel e 1 Ne. 15:7 f TG Israel, Remnant of g TG Israel, Twelve Tribes of h 1 Ne. 19:15 (14-17)
|
|
15 And after this manner of language did my father prophesy and speak
unto my brethren, and also many more things which I do not write in this
book; for I have written as many of them as were expedient for me in mine
aother book.
16 And all these things, of which I have spoken, were done as my father dwelt in a atenta, in the valley of Lemuel.
|
16a all these things, of which I have spoken, were done as my father dwelt in a tent Again Nephi points out that many things occured there in the valley of Lemuel where his father Lehi did live for an extended period of time in the habitation of a tent. The quick read study might conclude that Nephi give a near complete of full account of all the significant events of Lehi in the valley of Lemuel. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nephi has already pointed out that his small plate record is very limited as to the scope of events which he does consider of worth to be added there in and that they are only that which is of a spiritual nature dealing with his ministry. He has also stated that a great many more such events occuring in the valley of Lemuel over the duration of his father's stay there are not recorded in his records (1 Nephi 9:1 and commentary 1 Nephi 9:1 red notes 'a' and 'b'). |
15a
1 Ne. 1:17 (16-18) 16a 1 Ne. 2:15-16
|
|
17 And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the
awords of my father, concerning the things which he saw in
a bvision, and also the things which he spake by the
power of the Holy Ghosta, which
power he received by faith on the Son of
Godb—and the Son of God was
the cMessiah who should
come—I, Nephi, was ddesirous also that I might see,
and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the
eHoly Ghost, which is the fgift of God
unto gall those who diligently seek him, as well in times
of hold as in the time that he should manifest himself unto
the children of men.
18 For he is the asame yesterday, to-day, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him. 19 For he that diligently aseeketh shall find; and the bmysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the cHoly Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the dcourse of the Lord is one eternal round.
|
17a things which he spake by the power of
the Holy Ghost Now prophets do speak by the power of the Holy
Ghost and as men speak by the power of the Spirit of Revelation, they do
speak as it were with the voice of angels. And angels are they which minister
unto the children of God even those things of God. Thus those who speak by
the power of the Holy Ghost are they who do minister the things of God unto
the men of this earth, this second estate. And it is this power of the Holy
Ghost which does connect men unto God. It does connect the spirit of man by
way of that Holy Spirit unto the mind and will of God.
17b power he received by faith on the Son of God Now it is by faith, that is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the God of this Second Estate as so established by the hand of the Father from the beginning before the very foundation of the world. And in and through Christ is authority given and by that administration of the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and of the Son, is the power of God conveyed unto man. |
17a
Enos 1:3;
Alma 36:17-18 b 1 Ne. 8:2 c TG Jesus Christ, Messiah d 2 Ne. 4:24 e 2 Pet. 1:21 f TG God, Gift of; TG Holy Ghost, Gift of g Moro. 7:36; Moro. 10:7 (4-5, 7, 19) h D&C 20:26 18a Heb. 13:8; Morm. 9:9-11; D&C 20:12; TG God, Perfection of 19a TG Objectives b TG Mysteries of Godliness c TG Holy Ghost, Source of Testimony d Alma 7:20; Alma 37:12; D&C 3:2 D&C 35:1; TG God, Eternal Nature of
|
|
20 Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be
brought into ajudgment.
21 Wherefore, if ye have sought to do awickedly in the days of your bprobation, then ye are found cunclean before the judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with Goda; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever. 22 And the Holy Ghost giveth aauthority that I should speak these thingsa, and deny them not.
|
21a no unclean thing can dwell with
God All men have sinned and he that states that he is without
sin the truth is not in him. For this cause has man been told to repent
continually before God, that is that he is to live in the spirit and
attitude of meekness before God, humbling himself and subjecting himself
unto the will and mind of God at all times that through the mercy and grace
of God the sins of man might be forgiven and that man might be cleansed and
sanctified by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost that he might be enable to enter
into the presence of God.
22a the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things Though the Holy Ghost is not the same as the power and priesthood of God, it is by the guidance, direction and sanction of the Holy Ghost that, that which is done in the name of God and by the power of the priesthood of God, are authorized and involked. |
20a
Eccl. 12:14;
Ezek. 33:20; TG Judgment, The Last 21a Ezek. 33:9 b TG Probation c 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Morm. 7:7; D&C 76:62 (50-62); D&C 138:20, 37; Moses 6:57; 22a TG Holy Ghost, Mission of
|
| Current Book | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Commentary Page | Home Page |