Thursday, January 31, 2013

Ten Commandments

Reading:   Exodus 20

I'm not going to fly off the grid on this one because I think it is important that everyone is aware of the Ten Commandments.  Some are obvious but I would bet 80% of you can't name all ten...go for it...hmmm, good effort but no.  So today is the commandments, ten...

EXODUS 20:3-4, 7-8, 12-17
3    Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 

4    Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 

7    Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 

8    Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 

12    Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 

13    Thou shalt not kill. 

14    Thou shalt not commit adultery. 

15    Thou shalt not steal. 

16    Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 

17    Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. 
There you have it - now to memorize!

Gods - graven images - vain - sabbath day - parents - kill - adultery - steal - false witness - covet

Great - Grandma - Visited on the - Sabbath - with my Parents - Keeping - Alive - Social - Festivities - for the Children.

We shall see how that goes (my mind does seem to wrap itself around sentences better)...

~Kipling

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Stayed Up His Hands

Reading:   Exodus 16:11-36, Exodus 17-19

DAY 100!!

There is, surprisingly, a lot more murmuring in these chapters but I think I've ridden that horse enough and will discuss a different topic.  As the Israelites continued on their journey they came across a militant people led by a man named Amalek.  Moses selects an able man, Joshua, from among the Israelites and appoints him to gather together an army and march forth against Amalek.  Joshua does as he was directed and battles mightily with Amalek.  Moses, Aaron, and Hur (possibly the brother-in-law of Moses and Aaron) go to a hill above the battle in order to watch the proceedings.  At some point during the battle, Moses raises his arms up over his head and his troops seem to rally, when he lowers his arms the troops tend to falter.  Moses, therefore, decides to hold up his arms indefinitely...

EXODUS 17:14-15
11    And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 

12    But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 
This is an awesome example of a mighty man accepting assistance in a time of need.  There is no indication that he asked for help but Aaron and Hur produced a chair for Moses to sit upon and then each steadied one of the outstretched arms of Moses and held it in place throughout the day.  Unwavering willingness to assist their literal brother.  What a great, inspiring, moment! And yes, the servant army of Israel won the day.

~Kipling




Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Hold Your Peace

Reading:   Exodus 14:10-14

Unfortunately we are taking a back step on the blog today, let me explain...if you are somewhat new to my blog you might not be aware of the guidelines I have set for this blog...here's the deal; I can only write a blog based on scripture I have read on the day prior to the posting date.  So, yesterday I was about to read after a long day at the new job and, sadly, I feel asleep at the proverbial wheel (iPad in hand, head on pillow, out cold in seconds).  However, I did read scripture during the day as I was preparing for the blog posting on the previous subject so I will utilize those few verses for today's blog.  Way too complicated, I'm sure you could care less, "Get on with it already!"

It is a piteous thing that the Israelites were so quick to turn on Moses and Aaron at the slightest glitch in their lives, especially considering the enslavement they were leaving behind, but, they murmured often.  I'm not going to rehash yesterday's blog about murmurers but I did want to point out their ridiculousness once again...here they are at the Red Sea as the Egyptians approach and of coarse they murmur because there seems to be no escape.  It's too bad Moses was so patient with these whiners because it would be nice to see him raise his rod and unleash hail again.  Anyway, Moses hushes the trembling crowd, rolling his eyes at their feeble faith, and with a stern voice, says ...

EXODUS 14:14
14    The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 
Here is a relevant story about "holding your peace" from an address given by Virginia H. Pearce in the 1994 April General Conference, General Young Women Meeting.  The talk was entitled Faith is the Answer:
 My great-great-grandmother's name was Mary Goble Pay. She was twelve years old and living in Brighton, England, when the missionaries taught her family the gospel. The year was 1855, and all Mary's mother could think of was to join the other Saints in Utah. And so the following spring Mary's mother, father, and four younger brothers and sisters boarded the ship Horizon for America. 

 By the time they could get outfitted and started on the trail, it was the middle of July. Winter storms came early that year, and the Gobles spent five terrible months on the trail between St. Louis and Salt Lake City. Mary wrote: "We had to keep close to [the handcart companies] to help them if we could. We began to get short of food and our cattle gave out" (A Believing People , ed. Richard H. Cracroft and Neal E. Lambert, Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1974, p. 144). Many died-among them Mary's two-year-old sister, her five-year-old brother, and Edith, a baby sister born on the trail and buried in Wyoming. 

 And then when all seemed lost, the stranded Saints were miraculously rescued by men and teams sent by Brigham Young. But even as the handcart companies crossed the final mountain into the valley, Mary's mother died. 
 Mary describes the scene: "We arrived in Salt Lake City nine o'clock at night the 11th of December 1856. Three out of four who were living were frozen. My mother was dead in the wagon. ... 

 "[We were] taken to a home ... and the sisters brought us plenty of food. ... 

 "Early next morning Bro. Brigham Young and a doctor came. ... When Bro. Young came in he shook hands with us all. When he saw our condition-our feet frozen and our mother dead-tears rolled down his cheeks" (ibid., p. 145). 

 Well, Mary grew up. She married a good man. They had thirteen children whom they taught to love the gospel. She said it made her sad to talk about that trip across the plains, but she always remembered her mother's words: "I want to go to Zion while my children are small, so they can be raised in the Gospel of Christ. For I know this is the true Church." Mary concludes, "I think my mother had her wish" (ibid., pp. 149-50). 
I added this story because it speaks loudly of a people struggling to survive with nothing to hold on to but faith and the warming peace of their own conviction and willingness to continue moving forward.  I'm sure there were many souls among the Israelites that had this type of unwavering faith and conviction but it always seems as though the murmurers are the ones who speak the loudest and proclaim to speak for all.  Bottom line, as Moses said, we need to hold our peace and have faith that God is fighting on our side, oh, and quit your dagum murmuring!

~Kipling

Monday, January 28, 2013

Absurdity of Murmurers

Reading:   Exodus 16:1-10
"Discontent magnifies what is past, and vilifies what is present, without regard to truth or reason. None talk more absurdly than murmurers."   -Matthew Henry
EXODUS 16:2-3
2    And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 

3    And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. 
The Israelites have just walked through a 12,000 foot wall of water that crashed down upon their pursuing enemy and yet here they are, bitter, angry, and frustrated, that they have nothing to eat - what?  Henry is absolutely correct...people do indeed complain and murmur about the present, make grand the discontent of the past and ignore miracles altogether.

To quote a good friend of mine, Mr. Chuck Finley, these people are nothing but "...a bunch of whiny little [dogs of the female persuasion]!"  Moses and Aaron should be awarded their everlasting crowns of glory for their immense patience alone.

~Kipling


Sunday, January 27, 2013

Obeisance of the Red Sea

Reading:   Exodus 13-15

In my post about God's command over all creatures (see Frogs, Lice, and Flies 1/24/13), I discussed the importance, or better yet, the absolutism of obedience that the animals show unto God.  All creatures immediately deploy from one purpose to another at God's command (ie. the frogs swarm Egypt and then, just as suddenly, die).  As I read the verses today, Moses parting the Red Sea, I reflected on the "Frogs" post and realized that I had not allowed for the three Omni's of God (omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent).  It's not just the creatures but everything, all matter, performs a purpose for God and will divert its purpose without quarrel, instantaneously, upon God's command.

The Red Sea parted, altered from it's purpose, and created a path for the Israelites to obtain safety.  Now, was the wind involved, sure, but the involvement of wind merely illustrates the point more poignantly - the wind obeyed God as well, diverting from one purpose to another.  Keep in mind that the water did not simply detract on either side, thus flooding lands on either end of it's perimeter, it literally raised up, creating a wall of water on either side of the path...

EXODUS 14:21-22
21    And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 

22    And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 
I wanted to illustrate the majesty of what a water wall like that would be like by spouting off some numbers but I'm not quite sure, mathematically speaking, how I would go about formulating an equation to handle such a problem.  I figured someone out there must have already done the math but, in my minimalist search for the magic formula, I could not find the answer...needless to say, depending on the site, the max depth of the Red Sea is somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 feet.  So add some footage to account for it dividing and cascading upward and you have quite an impressive wall.  Can you imagine walking down a path with a wall of water on either side reaching 12,000+ feet.  That's nearly 80 Statue of Liberty's stacked or 11 Empire State buildings, over 2 miles, ridiculously high!!

Anyway, back to my point, all things: creature, element, matter, all, go about their purpose as directed by God, diverting at his will.  Only we, humanity, can choose an alternate purpose to that prescribed by God.  We are given the agency to choose.  We can do as directed or choose not to...yes, God can destroy us and act upon us in any number of ways as He chooses but He does not - we are gifted with free agency!

Remember also that although the miracle of dividing the Red Sea, and all miracles, are wrought through the Omni's of God, it is man that pulls the trigger through his faith and as directed by God.  If Moses chose not to exercise his faith, and he had every right to, the great Exodus might not have happened as we read it today...

Moses parted the Red Sea by using that all powerful weapon called Faith.  As a conduit for God, a man, commanded the element of water to divide and it did as directed.  Faith truly is the first principle of power!

~Kipling

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Infinite and Eternal Sacrifice

Reading:   Exodus 12

At the current rate of one chapter a day, I won't be finished with the Old Testament until April of 2015...at least I'm reading right?  Oh well, once I get through these first few months of the new job I should be able to kick up the rate a bit - I will finish by years end!

Passover...

EXODUS 12:12-13, 29-30
12    For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. 

13    And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 

29    And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. 

30    And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 
The intensity is hard to even imagine...the firstborn of all, man and beast.  The importance was of such magnitude that its annual observance became an ordinance to all, a memorial requirment of God.  As I read through the verses of God explaining in detail how the Passover was to be observed and the requisite stipulations as to who could observe, what they were to to do, when they were to do it, where the observance should be performed, and how they should observe, I could not help but think, "Ahh crap, this is serious stuff why is it that I, as a Latter Day Saint, don't observe this most sacred and serious practice?"  Now, please understand that I soon recalled the reason for our omitting this observance from our religious practice; but, for a moment I found cause for concern...

Our Savior, the firstborn son of God, accepted the role of the sacrificial lamb and, through the atonement, He has replaced the observance of Passover with our observance of the sacrament.  We partake of bread and water in remembrance of the body and blood that Jesus freely gave for us, our sins.  The observance of Passover was a precursor to the arrival of Jesus.  God wanted his people to understand the importance of such a sacrifice and that life was the result - death literally passed you over!  We, through the blessed atonement, are also given the substantial blessing of being passed over  in a greater death, spiritual death.  We can live with our Savior again because He has given us the avenue to cleanse ourselves of sin.

I know I have said this before, but, repetition is never a bad thing when it comes to eternal salvation, right?  The ordinance of the sacrament, something we have the privilege of taking part in every week, is our means to bypass death.  It is absolutely important that we do all that we can to partake of this sacred ordinance whenever possible!

Why did I have a moment of concern when reading the awesome requirements of the Passover observance?  Because I have taken the sacrament for granted, forgot (again) how vitally important it truly is...maybe, if it were a once-a-year occurance, we would show a more reverent observance but how great is it that we have a weekly opportunity for such a blessing!  The magnitude of this ordinance can still be observed we just have to pinch ourselves every week and remember what it is we are proclaiming "Amen" to...listen, partake, and live!

Finally, I want to share a quote from Howard W. Hunter from his talk, Christ, Our Passover (1985 April General Conference, Saturday morning session):
 In this simple but impressive manner the Savior instituted the ordinance now known as the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. With the suffering of Gethsemane, the sacrifice of Calvary, and the resurrection from a garden tomb, Jesus fulfilled the ancient law and ushered in a new dispensation based on a higher, holier understanding of the law of sacrifice. No more would men be required to offer the firstborn lamb from their flock, because the Firstborn of God had come to offer himself as an "infinite and eternal sacrifice." 

 This is the majesty of the Atonement and Resurrection, not just a passover from death, but a gift of eternal life by an infinite sacrifice as so beautifully stated by Amulek: 

 "For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice." (Alma 34:10.) 
Enough said...

~Kipling

Friday, January 25, 2013

At My Signal - Unleash Hail!

Reading:   Exodus 9-11

I can't help but take a little lighthearted look at this particular incident because there is no way of getting around the memorable soundclip delivered by General Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) at the beginning of Gladiator.  The quote fits perfectly, too perfectly, within the setting of Chapter Nine in Exodus.

Go ahead...tell me I'm wrong...

EXODUS 9:22-26
22 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. 

23    And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 

24    So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 

25    And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. 

26    Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. 
...Come on now, no shame, you know it's true!  Let's look at verse 23 again, but this time it will read as it should:
And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven and spake; at my signal, unleash hell.  Upon his utterance, Moses smote the air with the rod of God and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 
That's good...

~Kipling


Thursday, January 24, 2013

Frogs, Lice, and Flies

Reading:   Exodus 8

I am quite impressed by Matthew Henry.  I've quoted him before but thought I might mention him again because of his thorough commentary on the Bible, remember this guy was a nonconformist Presbyterian minister in the early 1700's (died c.1714).  Anyway, whenever I am lacking for a topic I typically turn to Henry and, more often than not, his insightful explanations bring about an item or two that peak my interest.  He is a great resource...Matthew Henry.

Chapter eight focused on the plagues of frogs, lice, and flies (and yes, flies were indeed a plague despite what the Internet might say - specifically answers.com).  A number of significant things happen in this chapter but I want to note two in particular.  First, the sorcerers and magicians of Pharaoh's court have increasing difficulty emulating or explaining away the various miracles that Moses and Aaron threaten and the bring forth; to the point of relenting, even advising, Pharaoh that the hand of God must be involved...

EXODUS 8:19
19    Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said. 
Pharaoh relied upon his court of fools, his mystics, to justify his unwillingness to relent under pressure and yet, even when they too had been convinced, Pharaoh still refused to give in - he is, by far, one of the most stubborn individuals to ever walk the earth.

The second item of interest is the types of plagues that come about in this chapter.  Here is where Matthew Henry so precisely exposed an angle to this chapter that simply had not occurred to me...
"Pharaoh is here first threatened and then plagued with frogs, as afterwards, in this chapter, with lice and flies, little despicable inconsiderable animals, and yet by their vast numbers rendered sore plagues to the Egyptians. God could have plagued them with lions, or bears, or wolves, or with vultures or other birds of prey; but he chose to do it by these contemptible instruments.  That he might magnify his own power. He is Lord of the hosts of the whole creation, has them all at his beck, and makes what use he pleases of them. Some have thought that the power of God is shown as much in the making of an ant as in the making of an elephant; so is his providence in serving his own purposes by the least creatures as effectually as by the strongest, that the excellency of the power, in judgment as well as mercy, may be of God, and not of the creature. See what reason we have to stand in awe of this God, who, when he pleases, can arm the smallest parts of the creation against us. If God be our enemy, all the creatures are at war with us....Note, The great Sovereign of the world makes what use he pleases of the lives and deaths of his creatures; and he that gives a being, to serve one purpose, may, without wrong to his justice, call for it again immediately, to serve another purpose."
The frogs were called upon to reign mightily upon the Egyptians and they did as they were beckoned, then, without cause for explanation, they were simply removed from their occupation and died at the behest of Moses.  A perfect example of God's creatures serving one purpose and then swiftly serving another.  What makes the frog incident even more intense is the fact that they all died at once and their bodies were left as evidence to the reality of their purpose - they were not a grand illusion as attested by the lingering stench of their death!

EXODUS 8:13-14
13    And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. 

14    And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank. 
~Kipling


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

A Greater Serpent Hath No Man

Reading:   Exodus 7

Going back to my earlier discussion of the Dreamworks animation classic, Prince of Egypt, I can't help but mention another bit of the story that is surprisingly accurate.  The scene takes place in the first meeting of Moses and Rameses, the Pharaoh.  Now obviously the extravagant song and production by Hotep (Steve Martin) and Huy (Martin Short) as the court sorcerers is strictly fictional and for entertainment value only.  There was also some license taken with the characters in that Moses turns the rod to a serpent in the movie when, in reality, it was Aaron; but, there is one part in the scene that really surprised me as being true...

EXODUS 7:10-12
10    And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 

11    Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. 

12    For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. 
Now this is an area where I thought for sure the creators took  a little "story telling" license; but no, the serpent of God really ate all the other serpents!  How crazy is that?

I wanted to expound somewhat on the importance of the serpent in scripture and how it has been used to portray both good and evil but I found a fascinating article that accomplishes that for me, thank you Paula I. Nielson, Serpents and Snakes in the Bible. If you would rather not read the article, despite my glowing endorsement, here is the concluding statement...

"The serpent in the Bible thus represented both punishment and death and healing and life at the same time."
To put it simply, just because Satan first appeared in the form of a serpent does not mean snakes are the earthly representation of the devil.  Would we feel the same way about rabbits if Satan first appeared to Eve in the form of a beguiling little bunny...ponder that!

~Kipling

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Uncircumcised: Closed, Covered

Reading:   Exodus 6

To have a speech impediment (stammer etc.), or to struggle with oration in general, would constitute a covering of speech, the inability, wether self imposed or otherwise, to speak fluidly.  To cover something essentially means to close off, reduce openness.  In this particular verse I found myself hung up on the phrase, "uncircumcised lips" and did some checking...

EXODUS 6:12
12    And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? 
As I have described above, the term "uncircumcised lips" means exactly as I have noted...closed, covered.  In this case, Moses questioned The Lord because he felt unable to speak.  Through the evil of self doubt, Moses equated his inability to sway even the people who professed to believe and follow God, the children of Israel, with a considered lack of persuasion.  How then could he possibly hope to find attentiveness and belief from the Pharaoh.

Another such term is "uncircumcised heart" which finds utterance with Jeremiah (Jer. 9:26), Stephen (Acts 7:51), Nephi (Hel. 9:21), and Jacob (2 Ne. 9:33). Again, using the idea of closed or covered, this term notes a person not open to the stirrings of the heart, the soul, which speaks to the things of God.

So, not to argue with the literary geniuses of the world, but, I disagree with dictionary.com and would propose, since the Bible dictates, that an additional meaning be added to the word "umcircumcised" the definition being: covered, closed, not open.  An appropriate sentence, outside of the Biblical realm, would be something like this: North Korea is an uncircumcised nation; unwilling to accommodate the teachings of Jesus Christ.

~Kipling

Monday, January 21, 2013

Vexation of Moses

Reading:   Exodus 5

When I first read this verse I was somewhat taken aback by the tone Moses used in addressing God.  He was slightly accusatory and, to my surprise, angry with God...

EXODUS 5:25
23    For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all. 
...Right?  A little edgy there Moses.  The thing that captured my attention most, after contemplating the verse for awhile, was the humanity of Moses - he is, after all, just a man.  Have I been angry with God?  Absolutely!  I too have found cause to be frustrated with God and have shuffled some blame His direction when life has been difficult.  I have chastised God for not helping when I have felt lost or abandoned.  I have questioned my beliefs, and the very existence of God, on numerous occasions...but faith and testimony always win out and, inevitably, I always return to my knees and humbly pray for forgiveness.

Moses was angry, had every right to be, and God (being a just, loving, understanding personage) allowed Moses a moment to vent - without cracking the whip.  Back to me...I have vented like Moses.  I have felt the bitter strains of anger vex my heart and mind.  The Lord has allowed me the time to vent, the space to contemplate, and ultimately, the loving embrace of a true father accepting his child's humility when I have discovered the truth.  That is the character of God!

~Kipling

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Thus Saith The Lord

Reading:   Exodus 4

In the coming chapters, God directs Moses to predict and enact several miracles in order to persuade Pharaoh to "...let [his] people go." In each instance, Moses is told what to say and what action to perform.  He does exactly as taught and the miracles (frogs, locusts, skin boils, darkness, death of all cattle, water to blood, etc. etc.) commence, each in turn, as directed; however, there is one threat that Moses is instructed to predict that does not occur until all the others have commenced...

EXODUS 4:22-23
22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 

23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. 
This works on so many levels; Israel as a singular being, Jacob, or Israel as the people descended of Jacob, both are considered, in this reference, the firstborn of God.  Obviously there can be some conjecture here as to what God means by "[His] firstborn" as all are descendant of Adam but, for me, I see at as a birthright - the Egyptians have lost their birthright as they have chosen to ignore God and worship idols, therefore the birthright rests upon those God-fearing souls, the Israelites.

Anyway, I love the not-so-subtle approach here, "You are messing with my son.  Stop your abusive meddling and let the boy go...or...I will take your son and destroy him, not enslave him as you have done with my child, but destroy him.  I will remove him from his life though he has done nothing to deserve such judgement, his existence rests in the choices of his father."

A child cannot show adequate service to his father if he is enslaved by another.  We as God's children cannot worship and serve our Lord and Savior if we serve another.  We may not be literal slaves but our choices have us enslaved - we all have a master - what or who is yours?

~Kipling

Interesting note:  Verse 22 holds a significant honor in that it contains the first use of the phrase, "Thus saith The Lord," a term used 506 times in the standard works (410 times in the Old Testament alone).  I'm guessing here, but this could be the most used phrase in all the scriptures - quite a laurel for good old Exodus 4:22.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Who am I?

Reading:   Exodus 1-3

I have to admit that reading these chapters brought to mind some great music and a flood of animation in that I kept visualizing the movie Prince of Egypt.  What a great story, and the music makes it all the better...

Anyway, I'm not going to rehash the story of Moses because we are all familiar with it and the Dreamworks movie is surprisingly accurate.  The first three chapters start with the Israelites becoming the blue collar, heavy labor, servants, of the Egyptians.  The Pharaoh gains an unhealthy concern about the overpopulation of the Israelite people and orders the Egyptian midwives to kill any male baby born - the midwives ignore the order but still the...stop it...I'm sorry but I'm doing exactly what I said I wasn't going to do -  I'm rehashing the story of Moses!

...So fast forward to Moses and the burning bush.  God tells Moses to go forth and demand the freedom of the Israelite people...

EXODUS 3:11-12
11    And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 

12    And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. 

Who am I?

What a great question!  Even with the grandeur of God directly in his face, Moses questioned his ability and worthiness - forgetting the power of God and bowing to the natural man within.  It's a great lesson.  We, of course, can accomplish anything with faith (the first principle of power) but quite often hesitate in our action because we too question, who am I?  It's a slippery tactic of self doubt brought on by the father of lies, the very serpent of our soul, Satan.

Regardless of who, what, when, where and how, in relation to our needs or purpose, strength, and ultimate power, will certainly be with us if we can overcome our doubts and focus on the Omni's of God - omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent (see Father of Lights 12/20/12).

Who am I?  I am a willing servant of God with the power to move mountains in His name...watch out!!

~Kipling

Friday, January 18, 2013

Vengeance is Mine!

Reading:   Genesis 49-50

Jacob dies in Chapter 49 and Joseph dies in Chapter 50, and the book of Genesis comes to an end; however, an important lesson is taught about forgiveness prior to Joseph's demise.  Jacob, prior to his death, implores his sons to seek forgiveness from Joseph for selling him in his youth.  The men visit Joseph and bow themselves down to him (prophesy fulfilled - see Dreamer of Dreams).  They speak of their errand and beg his forgiveness...

GENESIS 50:19
19    And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 
Joseph teaches his brothers, and us, that they have no cause for fear because he has no right, as a man, to judge their works.  He does not want them to put him in the place of God - only God has the right to judge and Joseph feels only love for his brethren.  It is a great lesson that essentially reminds us that when we seek vengeance we are putting ourselves in the place of God.  I bet Levi and Simeon felt about as big as a tack for their part in seeking vengeance for their sister's defilement.

let us not forget what the Lord has said, "...man shall not smite, neither shall he judge; for judgment is mine, saith the Lord, and vengeance is mine also, and I will repay (Mor. 8:20).

~Kipling

Thursday, January 17, 2013

A Grand, Witty, Blessing

Reading:   Genesis 48

Jacob, er, uh, Israel...okay listen, I know there has been confusion among the tribes of my family, my children and wife that is, as to whom I am talking about - please understand that when the name "Jacob" or "Israel" is used, in my blog or in scripture, it references the same individual, the father of twelve sons (AKA: The Twelve Tribes of Israel), and son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham.  Jacob and Israel are the same!

When Jacob meets the two sons of Joseph he is overjoyed and sits them down to bless them...

GENESIS 48:14, 17-19
14    And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.  
17    And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. 
18    And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. 
19    And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. 
This is the first instance where we see Joseph act in a way unbecoming, a little pride showing through  .  He questions the placement of his father's hands in regards to blessing his boys; the right hand should have been on the oldest, Manasseh, but Jacob placed it "wittingly" on Ephraim's head.  Joseph was a little frustrated with the oversight and tried to correct his senile old father but Jacob refused and somewhat rebuked his son by saying, "I know what I am doing."

This is an interesting situation because when Jacob was a younger man he too was given the blessing of the firstborn though he was not (Gen. 27).  Esau, Jacob's older brother, should have been given the greater blessing but, with guidance from his mother, Jacob snuck in and pretended to be Esau.  His father, Isaac, feigned ignorance due to his blindness but I am sure he was aware that it was Jacob, not Esau, that he was blessing.  I'm not sure why Isaac didn't admit to that fact, maybe he was directed by God not to because it would incite a treacherous reaction from Esau, who knows, bottom line is that Isaac knew what he was doing, as did Jacob.

~Kipling

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

A Solid Pilgrimage

Reading:   Genesis 47

I have never thought of my life as a pilgrimage.  Israel describes his life, his pilgrimage, as evil or unpleasant, and compares it to the pilgrimage of his father, Isaac, and his father's father, Abraham, and doesn't feel as though he has lived up to their expectations...simply not true...but what does it mean to embark or complete a pilgrimage?


From Dictionary.com:

1.
a journey, especially a long one, made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion: a pilgrimage to Lourdes.
2.
any long journey, especially one undertaken as a quest or for votive purpose, as to pay homage: a pilgrimage to the grave ofShakespeare.


So there you have it, a long journey that is undertaken as a devotional homage, a means to wrap yourself up in the understanding and purpose of whatever it may be you have chosen to journey for or towards.  One example would be accepting and performing an honorable mission; but, for purposes of this blog, I think the best example of a pilgrimage is, in fact, the journey of life.  Jacob had it right, life is a pilgrimage that each of us must accept and perform in devotion to our Savior and God.  If we, with faith, accept that role, and understand our purpose in this probationary existence, then we are on a pilgrimage, our pilgrimage, our journey to that sacred place in the presence of God.  What better example?

GENESIS 47:9
9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. 
I appreciate Jacob's humility but come on, his pilgrimage makes mine look like an exhaustive search for a penny so that I can free a gumball from a machine - quite pitiful!

~Kipling

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Be Bold in Your Occupation

Reading:   Genesis 46:11-34

In the following verses, we discover that the Egyptians despised shepherds, no one can say for sure why (probably had something to do with cleanliness - my guess), but they did.  So, since the primary occupation of Israel and his brood is, and always has been, shepherds, there is some concern there...

GENESIS 46:33-34
33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?  
34 That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians. 
Joseph, in his wisdom, and knowing somewhat of Pharaoh's personality, advises his brethren not to be ashamed of their occupation but to stand up tall and claim it as their own.  He believes by doing so that his brethren will be allotted lands in Goshen where they can raise their herds in relative peace, free of the scorn that might befall them from the Egyptian people.  I'm sure he also hoped that this action would keep them grounded in the beliefs of their father and less prone to submit to the idol worship of the Egyptians (clever guy that Joseph).

Here is a great quote from Matthew Henry (an English commentator on the Bible c. 1720):
Whatever employment or condition God, in his providence, has allotted for us, let us accommodate ourselves to it, and satisfy ourselves with it, and not mind high things. It is better to be the credit of a mean post than the shame of a high one.
Well said Brother Henry!

~Kipling

Monday, January 14, 2013

Visions of the Night

Reading:   Genesis 46:1-10

I love the idea that dreams are, "visions of the night."  Israel is asked to relocate his family and all that he has to dwell near Joseph; he does as he is bid but has some concerns...

GENESIS 48:1-3
1    And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.  
2    And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.  
3    And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: 
There are a couple of interesting, if not cool, things in these verses.  First, I don't believe the dream, I mean "vision of the night," was necessarily a subtle thing in that God had to say Jacob's name twice to garner his attention, no, he said it twice because Jacob needed a little parental reassurance.  Let me explain; it's like teaching your kid how to start a lawnmower - you show him numerous times how to do it and he successfully starts the mower several times in your presence; but, when it comes time for him to go it alone, he hesitates, starts to question if he is doing it right, falters a bit, and then returns to the house to get some clarification before attempting the actual start alone, "Brenner, Brenner, I have shown you many times, I know you can do it."

Get my drift?  I'm sure, positive even, that Israel (Jacob) prayed mightily to God before he ever lifted a finger in preparation to move.  God told him it was the right thing to do and all would be well and so he commenced with the "move to Egypt" operation.  Along the way, after days if not weeks of gathering and preparing and then moving forward, Jacob allows doubt to creep in and so he stops, prepares a sufficient offering, and asks God again, "Are you sure this is going to work out? We are not a small band and we travel with much supplies and our load is heavy...are we not too great a mass?  Will Joseph feel we are too much of a burden?"

How did God respond?  "Jacob, Jacob, I am God and have directed you in accordance with my will - you will be fine, in fact I'm going o make a great nation of thee...no need to worry...I am with thee."  A little reassurance that all will be well and the direction was true.

The second interesting thing is that on several occasions, not just this one, God reaffirms who he is, "...I am God, the God of thy father."  This is to say that he has not changed, "I am the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  I did not lead your father falsely, I have not led you falsely, and will not lead your sons falsely."  It is a great affirmation of faith, it was the same for Isaac when he faltered, and the same for Abraham when he questioned as well.

~Kipling

Sunday, January 13, 2013

My Brother's Keeper

Reading:   Genesis 43-45

First - I must apologize - I started a new salaried position and have been very busy so the blog is a bit backed up; but, have no doubt, I have kept up with the reading and a flood of catchup blogs shall hit the web soon!

Brief synopsis:   Joseph is removed from jail and interprets Pharaoh's dream.  The dream predicts seven years of bountiful harvest followed by seven years of famine.  Joseph suggests that excess from the seven bountiful years be stored for the predicted famine years.  Pharaoh is so impressed by Joseph that he makes him overseer of the storage in the good years and provisional general during the famine years.  During the second year of famine, Israel sends ten of his sons to purchase corn from the Pharaoh so that they might survive.  The men do as Israel asks and make the long journey to Egypt.  in Egypt, they are met with Pharaoh's provisional overseer, their brother Joseph, but none of the men discover his true identity.  Joseph is overwrought by the presence of his brothers and tears up (secretly) when they speak of Benjamin (Joseph's younger brother), who did not make the journey.  Joseph demands that they return to their father and bring back Benjamin so that he might know him better man  - he takes Simeon hostage as added incentive.  Despite much hullabaloo from Israel, Benjamin is finally allowed to visit the Pharaoh's provisional general (Joseph) and the men return to Egypt.  Joseph cannot contain his joy at seeing all his brothers together and eventually breaks down and explains that he is, in fact, the very same brother that they had sold for twenty silver pieces.

GENESIS 45:5, 7-8
5    Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 

 7    And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 

8    So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. 
I found a great conference talk from 1990 about the verses I wanted to share today and I think it will fit perfectly with my thoughts...
Thomas S. Monson (President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
1990 April General Conference, Priesthood Session 
 ...One such example [of a Brother's keeper] is found in the life of Joseph and his brothers. We will recall that Joseph was especially loved by his father, Jacob, which occasioned bitterness and jealousy on the part of his brothers. There followed the plot to slay him, which eventually placed Joseph in a pit without food and without water to sustain life. Upon the arrival of a passing caravan of merchants, Joseph's brothers determined to sell him rather than to leave him to die. Twenty pieces of silver extricated Joseph from the pit and placed him eventually in the house of Potiphar in the land of Egypt. There Joseph prospered, for "the Lord was with Joseph." (Gen. 39:2.)

 After the years of plenty, there followed the years of famine. In the midst of this latter period, when the brothers of Joseph came to Egypt to buy corn, they were blessed by this favored man in Egypt-even their own brother. Joseph could have dealt harshly with his brethren for the callous and cruel treatment he had earlier received from them. However, he was kind and gracious to his brethren and won their favor and support with these words and actions:

 "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. ...

 "And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

 "So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God. ...

 "Moreover [Joseph] kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked
with him." (Gen. 45:5, 7-8, 15.)

 They had found their brother. Joseph in very deed was his brothers' keeper. 
Awesome...so despite the fact that his brethren totally sold him...Joseph truly believed it was only so that he might preserve them later in life - that it was God who sent him away, not them.  Wow!!

~Kipling

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Twelve Sons of Israel

Reading:   Genesis 42

Alright I'm officially confused (I can't keep all the names organized in my brain).  I was planning to discuss Joseph's tears when his brothers showed up to buy corn but I have been distracted by my confusion as to the lineage of Israel.  I thought Joseph was the youngest but I've discovered that it was Benjamin (Rachel's second son).  Anyway I'm skipping the tears and making a study guide to remember the twelve sons of Jacob (a little backtracking).

GENESIS 35:22-26
22    And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: 
23    The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun: 
24    The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin: 
25    And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali: 
26    And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padan-aram.

1.  Rueben - Leah 
2.  Simeon - Leah
3.  Levi - Leah
4.  Judah - Leah
5.  Dan - Bilhah
6.  Naphtali - Bilhah
7.  Gad - Zilpah
8.  Asher - Zilpah
 9.  Issachar - Leah
10.  Zebulun - Leah
11.   Joseph - Rachael
12.  Benjamin - Rachael

R - S - L - J - D - N - G - A - I - Z - J - B

There, so, using sports as a memory tool (soccer, basketball, hockey), we get the sentence:

Real Salt Lake Jacked Denver NugGets And Iced Zebulun, Joseph, & Ben


Memorize it...

~Kipling

Friday, January 11, 2013

Be Not Forgetful

Reading:   Genesis 40-41

How often do we forget those that assist us in our daily troubles.  There are times when great calamity befalls us and we are overcome with gratitude for those that put forth their time and energy to help; but for those little things - we simply forget.  I was inspired today by a simple verse...

GENESIS 41:9

9    Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 

This guy, the chief butler, was imprisoned for a time with Joseph (Joseph was locked up for his debacle with Potiphar's wife - he bolted from temptation and did nothing with the woman but she, angry because Joseph would not sleep with her, told her husband that he had come in unto her and "mocked" her.  Potiphar had Joseph locked up).  The butler was troubled by a dream that he could not understand and Joseph said, "...do not interpretations belong to God (41:8)."  He then, through the power of God, interpreted the dream.  All Joseph asked was that the butler not forget him.

GENESIS 40:23

23    Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him. 

A kindness given, the butler I'm sure was pleased with the interpretation, and, because it was a relatively small matter, he makes no effort to remember Joseph for the help.  Sometime later the Pharaoh is troubled with dreams that no one can adequately explain and the butler - insert mental smack here - recalls Joseph, "...I do remember my faults this day."  The butler tells the troubled Pharaoh about Joseph, the dream interpreter, Joseph is released, he interprets Pharaoh's dream and the rest is history.

There are some bigger, more meaningful, more relevant scriptures that I could have chosen today but I simply did not want to forget the little things that make life livable - gratitude.  Think back on your day, there has to be some little kindnesses that you have forgotten, be thankful and by-all-means, pay it forward!

~Kipling

Thursday, January 10, 2013

To Bolt from Temptation

Reading:   Genesis 38-39

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLIE !!

When confronted with temptation it is not always easy to escape unscathed.  Too often we allow ourselves time to debate the pros and cons; we get caught up in the trap of weighing the consequence against our desire and eventually justify making a bad choices with convoluted reasoning.  It is unfortunate but, more often then not, we tarry a bit when temptation beckons instead of abruptly, unceremoniously, and with great conviction, turning ourselves around and bolting in the opposite direction.

The story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife illustrates the significance of bolting from temptation.  Joseph, after accepting responsibility for all of Potiphar's household, is tempted by Potiphar's wife.  She asks Joseph several times to lie with her and he eludes her with the explanation that Potiphar has given him free reign of all but his wife.  To no avail though because she still desires him...

GENESIS 39:12

12    And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. 

Potiphar's wife was most likely attractive and quite a temptation for Joseph; there is no way she was a frightening woman, a little controlling maybe but quite enticing. Each time she beckoned, Joseph's defenses faltered a bit more.  Joseph was concerned.  He was well aware that if he tarried long in her midst that his resolve would waver and he would not be able to resist her - he bolted!  There was no discussion, no process of thought, Joseph ran; he knew his conviction would not hold fast and, I'm sure, he conditioned himself to be ready for her next proposal with swift feet and an eye single to the prospect of escape...to tarry would be to sin against his master, his God, and himself.

It's the conditioning part that is so important.  There has to be prior design in your mental switchboard.  Understanding, or being aware of the little triggers that lead us down the path of arousal is the key; and by arousal I mean a peaking of interest in something that begins to overshadow rational thought (desire for alcohol, pornography, tobacco, etc.).  If a smell triggers a yearning for cigarettes that is the exact instance when the bolting action has to occur - turn yourself around and move in the opposite direction!

When you bolt you may leave friends wondering why you have gone.  They may see the situation as harmless because their triggers are different.  There is no reason for explanation, by staying and attempting to explain you are caught in the trap of reasoning.  If they are true friends they will understand; otherwise they may be wolves in sheeps clothing leading you ever to your triggers and eventual demise - get new friends!

Just bolt!!

~Kipling

Next:  I'm ending the pressure of trying to foresee what I will be able to read - my days are shrinking...this portion of the blog is hereby ordered defunct!


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

A Dreamer of Dreams

Reading:   Genesis 36-37

The youngest son of Israel (formerly known as Jacob) was Joseph.  Joseph was a dreamer - loved by his father, who gave him a coat of many colors, and despised by his eleven older brothers.  Being the youngest, only seventeen at this particular time, Joseph was not given much heed by his brothers and was often met with ridicule whenever he wanted to speak.  In chapter thirty-seven, Joseph is blessed with dreams that he shares with his father and brothers and he is chastised because the dreams seem to prophesy that Joseph would one day rule over all his family.

It strikes me as odd that even Jacob gets frustrated with Joseph, especially considering the many dreams that he had been blessed with (let us not forget the ladder).  Anyway, the chapter is heavy on reference to dreams and the dreamer of the dreams...

GENESIS 37:5-6, 9-10, 19-20
5    And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 
6    And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 
9    And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 
10    And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 
19    And they [his brothers] said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 
20    Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 
Thus begins the saga of Joseph, trapped in a pit and sold to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver.  A boy of dreams, forsaken and sold into servitude, who becomes a man, a Pharaoh, a ruler of all.  I absolutely love that the brothers sarcastically say,  "...we shall see what will become of his dreams."  Yes, brethren you most certainly shall!

"The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities."
-James Allen (As a Man Thinketh)

I love that quote!  I should memorize it again...

~Kipling

Next:   Genesis 38-45

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Double Dragon: Levi & Simeon

Reading:   Genesis 29-35

I had to add this story to my blog if only for the extreme tactical brilliance of it...

So the only daughter of Jacob decides to go out and visit some friends (her name is Dinah by-the-way) and while she is out a local prince, Shechem, notices her, takes her to his bed, and defiles her.  Now, Shechem is so taken by Dinah that he decides he must have her as a wife and tells his father, Hamor the king of Shalem, to make it happen.  Hamor and Shechem visit Jacob and do their best to convince him that it would be in the best interest of all to give the marriage his blessing.  Obviously there was some anger amongst Jacob and his twelve sons but they adequately maintained their collective cool and did not seek retribution.  However, two of the boys, Simeon and Levi, had other plans...they came up with what seemed like an amicable solution and explained that the marriage could only be allowed if Hamor, and all the men in Hamor's house, were circumcised.  Hamor and Shechem agreed to the terms, surely believing they had dodged a bullet, and all the men were circumcised...  

GENESIS 34:25-29
25    And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.

26    And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.


27    The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.


28    They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,


29    And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.
What a strategic masterpiece - played out to perfection...all the men were sore, extremely so, and could not manage much resistance.  In fact, given the location of circumcision, I am sure that several of the men were relieved to die!  A fantastic tale!

Simeon and Levi were not applauded in their action and certainly did not have permission or guidance from Jacob or the Lord to do what they did; but it was an ingenious revenge.  I would tie in some sort of uplifting quote or spiritual thought to add relevance to this tale but, as far as the story is concerned, there is no happy ending for any of the individuals involved so I will end with a cautionary quote about the evils of revenge...

"In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior."
-Sir Francis Bacon

~Kipling

Next:   Genesis 36-38

Monday, January 7, 2013

Jacob's Ladder

Reading:   Genesis 26-28

When I read the verse about Jacob's dream of a ladder to heaven, I immediately thought of the creepy 1990 American horror film, Jacob's Ladder, starring Tim Robbins.  Now I realize that thoughts and imagery from this film are not the most redeeming thing one wants floating around in the head during scripture study; but, I'm an interesting guy and refuse to hide the idiosyncrasies of my mind.  Anyway, back to Jacob's Ladder, the movie not the scripture, I recall that there was a drug given to soldiers in Vietnam and years later, after the war, those still alive, were suffering from horrific flashbacks and grotesque hallucinations all leading up to a bizarre ending.  I bring this up because I read the scripture and the movie immediately jumped out in my mind.  I recalled the inquisitive stirring it brought to me as a young man and I felt compelled to inspect...

Is there a deeper meaning, a literary riddle behind the dream?  Is there more to the phrase than a mere connection to a dream.  I mean, " Jacob's Ladder" does sound full, doesn't it?  Like full of inner meaning, more in depth than what is on the surface...I had to find out.  So, as any good amateur literary investigator would do - I Googled it...

Before I go any further let me drop the verse in question.  In this verse, Jacob (who is the son of Isaac, the very same Isaac that was nearly sacrificed on the alter by his father, Abraham) has fled from his home after receiving a blessing from his father that was meant for his older brother, Esau.  His father and mother direct him to seek out his uncle Laban and to find a wife.  He departs in order to find a wife within the covenant and to evade the wrath of Esau.  When night falls, Jacob lies down on a pillow of stones...

GENESIS 28:12

12    And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 

Back now to my study of Jacob's Ladder as a more conspiratorial enigma.  Google produced several interesting links (nothing conspiracy worthy though).
  1. First, of course, were several links to the Tim Robbins movie (wouldn't recommend it to the easily disturbed, overly sensitive, or anyone with something better to do).  No connection whatsoever to the biblical dream, as I recall anyway (not sure I want to watch it again to verify that as fact).
  2. An awesome wooden toy that produces a kind of illusion as it operates - interesting because a similar device was found in Pharaoh's tomb so it has ancient ties and may have been around in Jacob's time.  Here is a link so you can make one for yourself:  woodcraftarts.com/jacob.htm 
  3. There is some conjecture that the Led Zeppelin song Stairway to Heaven (#31 on Rolling Stone's top 500 songs of all time) was written as an allegory to Jacob's ladder but, after reading a number of direct quotes from Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (no mention of Jacob or a ladder), I tend to disagree.
  4. Finally, there are a good deal of Biblical scholars with varying explanations on the dream but nothing of worthy significance (a couple were way out in bizarro world though).
Unfortunately I was unable to find any hidden meaning or deep dark uncovered mystery relating to Jacob's Ladder - sorry.  Ultimately, I have to side with the idea that the ladder represents faith and the journey one must take to reach the true knowledge of God.  And when I say journey, I mean a long, difficult, arduous ascension...a ladder that reaches from the Earth to the heavens is no quick climb.  My view may weigh heavily from my recent devouring of The Lectures on Faith but I'm sticking to it.  

Here is an appropriate explanation from Elder Marion G. Romney:
Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord ... were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings-blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord" ("Temples-The Gates to Heaven," Ensign, Mar. 1971, 16). 
And a great quote from Joseph Smith (not specific to Jacob's Ladder but still relevant to the dream).
When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel-you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave. (HC 6:306-7.) 
No matter how you attach your perception to the discussion of Jacob's ladder, keep in mind that the ascending part can only be performed and accomplished by you!  Maybe we should refer to the dream as Jacob's Labor...

~Kipling

Next:   Genesis 29-35


Sunday, January 6, 2013

Commitment: A Hand for a Thigh

Reading:   Genesis 22-25

First I want to make a distinction between the words "thigh" and "hand".  The thigh is the upper part of the leg and nowhere near the hand.  The thigh is also a much less public portion of the body as the hand; in-other-words a person is much more likely to offer a hand as a token of friendship or as a means to close a deal or promise then they are to offer up their thigh, "touch my thigh," right?  Of course right!  Now then, keeping the fore mentioned distinction in mind, Abraham, anxious to have his most valued servant perform an important task for him said, "Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh (Gen. 24:2)." He then describes the task to his servant and wants the servant to swear it will be accomplished.  The servant agreed, "And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter (Gen. 24:9)."

Both of the verses (taken from the KJV of the Bible) have a notation next to the word "thigh."  The notation is a translation adjustment made by Joseph Smith which changes the word "thigh" to "hand," I'm inclined to believe this is a solid translation correction, don't you!  When I have made an agreement with someone it has always been with a handshake, never has it been, "Dude, grab my butt and swear!"  Just saying...

Anyway, I am always intrigued by the significance of verse length.  There are verses that are very long, multiple sentences, and there are some that are very short, a couple of words, "Jesus wept (John 11:35)," for instance.  There is a reason for these breaks in verse and I get curious when I come across particularly short ones and want to understand why it is significant.  Today I read one that really caught my eye and I decided to dig into it a but more...

GENESIS 24:34

34    And he said, I am Abraham's servant.

I am not going to explain all the detail of this story other than to say that the servant described is the same guy listed in the above "thigh" verses.  Like I said, I get curious when it comes to small verses and I work to discover the meaning behind them; this particular verse is well described in a conference talk I found by F. Burton Howard.  I will let him do the explaining...
 One of my heroes has always been the servant of Abraham who was sent to find a wife for Isaac. We do not know his name. We do not know much about his life, but we know a great deal about his character. It was he who governed everything that Abraham had. He was trustworthy and he was trusted. The day came when Abraham put into the care of this servant the most important matter of all-the exaltation of his son.

 He wanted Isaac to be an heir of the covenant which he had made with the Lord. He knew that the blessings of that covenant could not be realized if Isaac didn't marry a good and worthy woman who believed in God. No woman in the land of Canaan was capable of being the mother of Israel. So Abraham asked his servant to promise that he would not permit his son to marry a Canaanite. Instead Abraham sent him to the land of his fathers to find a wife for Isaac.

 The servant accepted the commitment and set out on his journey. He traveled many days. He must have encountered trials and hardships. When he finally arrived at his destination, he found many young women there. He devised a test to see which of them was foreordained to be Isaac's wife. By exercising his faith, he met Rebekah and arrived at the home of her family and was befriended by them. They invited him to dinner. After days in the desert, and despite his hunger and thirst, this faithful servant said, "I will not eat, until I have told mine errand" (Gen. 24:33).

 So it was. He explained the purpose of his journey and his oath to Abraham. One simple statement conveyed his faithfulness and humility. "I am Abraham's servant," he said (Gen. 24:34). The kinsfolk wanted a 10-day celebration. The servant replied, "Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master" (Gen. 24:56).

 Many would have tarried. Others would have justified unwinding a little by saying that the journey had been long or that they were tired or hungry or thirsty. Some, not wanting to appear too zealous, would have stayed.

 A few, not understanding the significance of the errand, might have tried to talk Abraham out of the assignment, claiming that it was foolishness to travel so far in search of a wife. Some would not have had the faith necessary to discover which of all of the young women of the city was the chosen one. Yet this servant did. He knew how to magnify his calling and accomplish that which he had promised his master. He understood a very important truth. Promises are not just pretty words. Promises have
eternal consequences.  
F. Burton Howard (Quorum of the Seventy)
April 1996 General Conference (Saturday afternoon session)

The significance is in the word, "servant."  To serve, as promised, and complete the task or tasks as assigned - Commitment!  We are all servants of God and should willingly perform our tasks as his disciples without complaint, and do so completely...I admit I haven't always done so (I ran away from a calling in Boy Scouts, DOH!) but I have tried to do better.

2013 is the year of commitment; I will do my home teaching, 100% (apologies to my companion for the past two years, Brenner (my very own child), double DOH!).  So let it be noted  - it shall be done!  I will now have to get Brenner to commit as well and will have him swear to it by placing his hand under my thigh...er...hand.

~Kipling

Next:   Genesis 26-28