Isaiah on Fear and Regrowth -- 2 Nephi 17

What Happens

"Ephraim and Syria wage war against Judah—Christ will be born of a virgin—Compare Isaiah 7."
2 Nephi 17 Chapter Heading

Commentary

In our last episode, we were reading some Isaiah that Nephi wanted to share with us, about hope in the midst of destruction. In this chapter, we continue reading prophecies of Isaiah.

Part of the reason this chapter is interesting is that Nephi shares it with us here, thus cluing us in that it must be applicable to more than some ancient wars. Isaiah tells the story of Ahaz, king of Judah, and neighboring countries that were ganging up against Jerusalem.  I love the fear imagery in verse 2: "And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind." Isaiah is commanded to go and see Ahaz and to tell him not to be fearful, because God says that what he fears won't happen (verse 8).

Interestingly, in verse 9 he says "If ye will not believe surely ye shall not be established."  Ahaz likely doubts because God says that some of the things Isaiah told him would happen 65 years in his future.  He then invites Ahaz to ask a sign of God to confirm the prophecy, which Ahaz declines, so God gives him a sign anyway, saying that a virgin will conceive--a prophecy of Christ. Isaiah adds prophecy about the future of the region, and seems to indicate that even though Ahaz' kingdom was going to be safe in the current situation, that something much more dire was on the way.

The remainder of the chapter describes how the land will be overthrown and laid waste by God's hand.  There will be few people left, small enough to enjoy luxuries that few could previously partake of, but not enough to tend or tame the land as it was before.  Everything will be left to go wild, and places that were formerly vineyards turned to pastures for the beasts that are left.  In a way this part is sad because we see how decimated the land is.  In other ways though, it has the taste of hope as the good people that remain still live and work and survive, albeit more simply, rebuilding their lives and society, hopefully in a better way.

For us today, I think there are some important lessons from this chapter, but the most important lesson is that we need to prepare for the coming of the Lord.  In our day, as in Isaiah's, there will be great fears and anxieties.  Like then, there is no reason to fear what the world will do--only what God will do.  And God asks us to believe his words and trust his grace.  If we will follow him and look forward to Christ's coming, then God will bring to pass the future that needs to happen, and that will get us where the world needs to go.  We can have confidence that the Lord will lead us and help us, and that even if there is destruction, there will be life afterward where we can renew and grow, and commune with God. 

This chapter in some ways reminds me of 3rd Nephi, and as we continue to the next chapter I think it becomes even more so.  Tune in next time as we continue reading the Isaiah chapters that Nephi picked out for us.

Isaiah on Hope in the Midst of Destruction -- 2 Nephi 16

What Happens

"Isaiah sees the Lord—Isaiah’s sins are forgiven—He is called to prophesy—He prophesies of the rejection by the Jews of Christ’s teachings—A remnant will return—Compare Isaiah 6."
2 Nephi 16 Chapter Heading


Commentary

In our last episode, we were reading some Isaiah that Nephi wanted to share with us, mostly about the parable of the vineyard, and its relation to real life at the Second Coming.  It involved a lot of corruption and destruction.  In this chapter, we continue reading Isaiah, and there are still some references to destruction, but there is definitely some hope interlaced in here as well.

At the beginning of this chapter, Isaiah is seeing the Lord.  He says that he is on a throne, and also sees seraphim praising God.  Some of the description (for instance, multiple wings) seems symbolic, but since I haven't seen what Isaiah saw, I just don't know.  The Bible dictionary says "probably fiery beings." :) At seeing God, Isaiah is concerned that he is unworthy, and (again, likely symbolically), one of the seraphim gives him a live coal, which cleanses his iniquity (verses 6-7).

Isaiah seems to gain some confidence at this point, which I think that we all do when we are clean, and confident in our relationship with God.  When God asks "Whom shall I send" in verse 8, Isaiah volunteers.  What the Lord asks Isaiah to do sounds almost cruel the way that it is worded here (verse 10), but luckily we also have this passage quoted in the New Testament (Matthew 13:14-15; Acts 28:25-27), which helps us clarify that God was asking Isaiah to help the people, but that even though he wanted to heal them, he knew they would choose otherwise.

Seeing the sad things that are going on with the earth, and knowing that despite his efforts, at least the majority of the people wouldn't listen to God, Isaiah asks "how long?" (verse 11). This could mean how long will the earth be this wicked, or how long until people will listen, or the earth is cleansed, but all of those things kind of spiral into one.  God's answer here is kind of bleak, talking about a time when the cities will be empty and the land desolate.

And yet, even when talking about all of this destruction and death and judgment, there is hope, as God explains "yet there shall be a tenth, and they shall return" (verse 13).  The Lord explains symbolically here that even though the tenth will go through this same time of ignorance and destruction, and look dead (like a tree without any leaves), they will still be alive, and potentially able to bloom and thrive after the harsh season.  It kind of reminded me of the idea of a forest fire, which burns, but in the burning provides nourishment to new trees, and also new life to the trees that survive... something seemingly bad actually being or becoming something good with a longer perspective, just as God promises us elsewhere that all things will work together for good (Romans 8:28), even though we can't always see how that is working right away.

I think this idea is similar to some of the things that we go through in life as well.  We have to weather harsh seasons and mists of darkness that might cause others to be lost, but as we read previously in Lehi's dream (1 Nephi 8:24), if we hold onto the rod of iron, which is the word of God, then we can get through those times and find that peace and joy and love that God offers us.

Tune in next time as we continue reading the Isaiah selections that Nephi chose for us, and perhaps see even more hope springing forth. :)