An Indignant Sacrifice

Reading:   2 Kings 3

From the exalted rise of Elijah in a chariot of fire to the King of the Moabites brutal burning sacrifice of his eldest son.  Quite a gruesome self-preserving subject for the day of my 20th Anniversary, but I love my sweetheart none-the-less!

2 KINGS 3:26-27

26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not. 

27 Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land. 

The Moabite king made an attempt to flee from a losing battle and, after a halting failure, he tried...

To obtain the favour of Chemosh his god, which, being a devil, delighted in blood and murder, and the destruction of mankind. The dearer any thing was to them the more acceptable those idolaters thought it must needs be if offered in sacrifice to their gods, and therefore burnt their children in the fire to their honour.   

~Matthew Henry

The ploy, though disgusting and insanely morbid, worked to the King's advantage because the combined armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom "...departed from him, and returned to their own land."  This is crazy!  Not only did the king murder his most beloved child but he also showed "...great indignation against Israel."  He was losing the battle, badly, and did not appear to have a chance at survival, especially after his failed attempt at escape, so, in a last ditch effort, he thumbed his nose at his attackers and then threw the proverbial Hail Mary pass to his morbid God, Chemosh, by sacrificing his son - and it worked!

I find this hard to understand because I would be more apt to destroy the king after such a grotesque display verses allowing him to live - different times?  Anyway, because I am at a loss for why the Israelites allowed this man to live, I decided to get a better grip on their reasoning.  The only logical explanation, as the Israelites were certainly not righteous and did not seek counsel from Elisha, can only be attributed to a sense of fear.  The king slaughtered his own child and it riled the Moabites into a frenzied state - an "indignant" willingness to fight on until death.  This may have been a completely chaotic scene that simply frightened the armies of Israel and diminished their desire to continue forth in a campaign they had already won.  That has to be the explanation?  Any better ideas...

~Kipling

Much Pomp and Show

Reading:   2 Kings 2

The mighty Elijah mounted so on high,

That second man who leap'd the ditch where all

The rest of mankind fall,

And went not downwards to the sky!

With much of pomp and show

(As conquering kings in triumph go)

Did he to heaven approach,

And wondrous was his way, and wondrous was his coach.

This is an excellent stanza from The Ecstacy, a poem from Abraham Cowley (c.1656).  It is a perfect introduction to the translation of Elijah.  There is a lot that can be said, and certainly discussed, about Elijah, his purpose, his translation and his ultimate visitation to Joseph Smith; however, I'm going to leave that discussion for when I read Malachi and his prophesies concerning Elijah.

Here is the verse of translation...

2 KINGS 2:11

11    And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 

There truly was "...much of pomp and show," and how perfect is it that such a humble guy, little, hairy, without much possessions (in fact nothing but a coat), should exit this earth in such magnificent glory.  Those who bore witness could not deny the wondrous event and the glory most obviously crowned upon Elijah's head.

~Kipling

Men of God

Reading:   2 Kings 1

Okay the summer is over and, although I did not write a consistent blog, I assure you that I did read my scriptures daily and made notes and comments so that I could catch up on the blog.  To that end, I will be posting current blogs and dropping in others as I write them.

This chapter holds the best Elijah story, if not the best "prophet" tale, written in the Bible.  Up to this point, Elijah had done a number of things as directed by God and made quite a stir among the nobility, especially Ahab (King of Israel).  Here, Ahaziah (King of Israel after the death of Ahab), was concerned about his future and sent forth men to seek out an answer from prophets of Baal-zeebub. Elijah intercepted these messengers and straight up told them that Ahaziah would not recover but surely die.  This news was obviously not pleasing to Ahaziah and he therefore sent men forth to find Elijah and bring him forth for questioning.

2 KINGS 1:9-15

9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. 

10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. 

11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. 

12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. 

13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. 

14 Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. 

15 And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king. 

With the power of God, Elijah destroyed 102 soldiers and barely lifted a finger!  He was a little "hairy" old man, who sat on a hill wearing nothing but "...a girdle of leather about his loins (v.8)," and yet he dispensed the power of God with supreme ability. BOOM, fifty-one dead, BOOM, another fifty-one dead, who's next...?  I love it!!

So to relate this incredible tale...anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I somewhat pride myself on my outward appearance.  I'm not a real approachable guy because of my somewhat imposing look; likewise, I tend to allow people their initial assessment of what kind of guy I am without any attempt to sway their opinion with my incredibly warm personality, uh, anyway, the reason I bring this up...I have rarely come across men whom I have felt inferior to, on a strength or power scale, because I look for, and always seem to find, a weakness in even the largest of men - a focal point by which I could expose/attack if the occassion arose.  Now I realize that most people probably don't go about finding physical weakness in their fellow men but it is an initial assessment that I always make (we'll leave it to the shrinks to decipher why).  Anyway, here's the thing, those few men that I have felt an immediate sense of inferior power to have typically, if not always, been smaller men.  In some cases they have even been quite old and feeble but their power was very palpable.  I'm not talking about power in respect to persons (like a mafia boss etc., men who can point a finger and have things happen).  I'm talking about individual power that radiates from a person.  The kind of power that can only come from a relationship with God.  A level of faith that breaks the barrier of mortality and transcends the physical constraints of the natural man.

When reading of Elijah and his incredible obedience and faith and the subsequent power he exuded despite his mortal frame, I cannot help equate this man of God with similar men I have met.  I have shaken  the hand of the tiny, feeble, unimposing figure, of President Spencer W. Kimball, and, even as a young boy, that experience is prevalant in my mind because of the power that man of God radiated.

I have felt the same power in the company of other men and have experienced an undeniable strength tangible in the words expressed from several general authorities as they speak from the pulpit of General Conference.   Elijah is not alone in his faith, obedience, and immense power.  There are men, alive today, with these same incredible attributes - these are they that I would and will follow into the darkest pits of Hell - complete Men of God!

~Kipling

Would That I had Died for Thee

Reading:   2 Samuel 16-18

It's been awhile since I have come across verses that are all at once poetic, tragic, and extremely emotional.  Here, in chapter 18, I have been captured by a string of verse that accomplishes all of the above and more...

This is the story of Amnon, Absalom, and their father, King David.  Though they were brothers, Amnon and Absalom were from different mothers and Amnon desired Absalom's sister, Tamar.  Unsure of how to wrangle his half-sister, Amnon listened to some bad advice and set up a ruse of illness.  He then asked King David to send Tamar to wait on him and the King made it happen.  Once alone, Amnon professed his love and despite Tamar's pleadings, he forced himself on her then threw her out in disgust when he had finished (brutal).

Absalom was so vexed by the deed that he eventually found a way to kill Amnon and then fled to avoid the wrath of King David.  Five years later, King David and Absalom were reconciled and all seemed well until Absalom desired the throne and gathered an army to take it.  King David escaped with the best and brightest of his soldiers and hid out while Absalom took possession of the palace.

Now it is important to note that Absalom felt empowered by God and listened closely to the council of his priests, doing all that they directed and accomplishing much as they predicted.  But, there came an impasse when his two most esteemed councilors disagreed on the next step.  One suggested an assault with his overwhelming numbers and the other disagreed, reminding Absalom that his father was a great warrior and his men were very seasoned soldiers and would not roll over in defeat.  Absalom agreed with the second and decided to wait, unaware that his councilor was a double-agent in league with King David.

King David, after hearing of Absalom's plan from the double-agent, gave explicit orders for his men to go and destroy the army but to leave Absalom alone, captured but unharmed.  His men did as ordered and destroyed the army but Absalom, by some great act of karma, hung himself by the neck in a tree, quite accidentally.  The men of King David left him helpless in the tree and reported that Absalom was secured to their captain.  The captain, understanding that Absalom was no good and had to perish, killed the man despite the order from King David and then sent runners to report the news to King David (the second messenger was named Cushi).

Here is where the great poetic and heart-wrenching tragedy occurred...

2 SAMUEL 18:31-33

31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. 

32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. 

33  And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! 

Cushi's poetic reply is one for the ages, "...the enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is."  He could have simply said, "Yeah, sorry, he's dead too." But he emphasized that Absalom was trying to do the king harm and he died along with all that had chosen that path.  He softened the blow but still delivered the news that he knew would dishearten the king.

King David's reaction is so intense that I reread it several times and really felt a welling of emotion build up as I thought of how he must have felt.  His own child tried to dethrone him, to kill him, and yet David absolutely loved him.  I could totally visualize the king slowly moving to his chamber in a stupor of complete and utter mental exhaustion, overcome with remorse and at a loss for how this moment had come to be.  His boy was dead, "...would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

Shakespeare might have taken some pointers from this story, especially the tragic end...Awesome!

On a spiritual note, it is always a difficult thing to deal with loved ones that have gone astray and even more so when they are your own children.  In regard to this concern, I have found a very positive and applicable quote from Orson F. Whitney...

The Prophet Joseph Smith declared-and he never taught more comforting doctrine-that the eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal, to a loving and forgiving father's heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain. Pray for your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God.

~In Conference Report, Apr. 1929, 110

"Hold on, trust on, till you see the Salvation of God."  I love it - beautifully said!

~Kipling

No Respite from the Storm

Reading:   Ensign, November 1987

In search of a quote that has been haunting me since pioneer trek, I came across this article in the Ensign that really put a wrench to my brain and gave me a little chastisement for my recent whininess.  Here is a snippet from the article but the whole thing is chalk full of good quotes...

A Champion of Youth
Ensign, November 1987, p. 28

It is not difficult to understand why the great God of heaven has reserved these special spirits for the final work of the kingdom prior to his millennial reign.... This generation will face trials and troubles that will exceed those of their pioneer forebears. Our generation has had periods of some respite from the foe. The future generation will have little or none....This is a chosen generation.... I believe today's [Church youth] will lead the youth of the world through the most trying time in history. 

~Vaughn J. Featherstone

Why did this article move me so? Let me explain...I have recently been down on myself, frustrated that life has not gone the way I had envisioned it would.  The goals and dreams of my youth and young adulthood not quite bearing the fruit I had hoped for.  I am now in my 40's and finding myself looking back instead of forward, often distraught by my lack of personal achievement, "I had so much potential" echoes in my head more than it should. 

My sweet wife grieves when I find myself locked in this melancholy because she feels I resent her in some way, as if I blame her for blocking my possibilities by grounding me to life: marriage, children, work, etc.  I do not blame her or resent her because I am well aware that without her my allegiance to God and righteousness would have fallen decades ago.  The ultimate goal of celestial, eternal, glory is still within my reach solely because of her and who she has molded me to be as a man, husband, and especially as a father.

The father part of who I am is the key.  The Vaughn J. Featherstone article enlightened me to this point because I am one of the youth he was talking to - the article was written in 1987.  He was speaking to me when he said, "The future generation will have little or none [respite from the foe]."  He was speaking to me when he said, "I believe today's [Church youth] will lead the youth of the world through the most trying time in history."

I can testify that there is no respite from the enticements of Satan!  Pornography is everywhere, alcohol, drugs, and all forms of addiction are readily available.  Every spiritual experience we have is immediately assaulted by the realities of life and the wieght of evil that surrounds us!  It doesn't stop!!  Our only recourse is to seek out those spiritual moments as often as possible and shield our drowning marriages and children with whatever means we can find available.  The serpent of lies is not going to stop and we must not wallow for the slightest of moments or we shall surely be overcome and lost - our children with us!!  

I look around and see close friends and family wander from the light as it is so easy to do and a prospect most desireable.  I have done nothing to stop their drift or attempt to open their eyes?  I watch stunned and saddened and praying I can hold to my own shaky ground; but the worst part, the tragedy, is watching their children, without fail, follow them.

Reading this article has opened my eyes to what I have accomplished as one of those youth.  My children are looking to Angela and I.  They are watching and somehow, though tenious at times, we have maintained some hold to that dream of God, our unseen faith, a belief and a set of morals that is ridiculously heavy and burdensome at times; yet we keep walking, we keep pushing our handcart through this storm of reality and gulp in those moments of spiritual boost when we find them.  Our children are strong.  They are faithful.  They are following our path and adding to our strength as they grow.  They must be the cause and reason for my existence, if nothing else, and it must be enough or I too shall falter, stumble, fall and get lost.  I pray I do not and that my wife holds me up and keeps me moving when I studder in my footsteps.  

This storm of reality is a tempest most powerful and there will not be a respite from its constant pounding and thrashing of our souls.  Understand that to be true and accept that you cannot stop moving, searching for those spiritual boosts, and you will succeed; but more than that, when you arrive in Zion and fall gloriously into the arms of your redeemer, you will turn and notice behind you those sweet young spirits, your children, following in your footsteps, reaching for you as they too find Glory and respite in the arms of their Saviour - Believe it!

~Kipling

Here is a link to the article, A Champion of Youth

Deep Sleep Intercedance

Reading:   1 Samuel 26

I love all the sneakiness that occurs in scriptures especially when it involves God causing a deep sleep upon unsuspecting souls.  Twice David snuck into the tent of Saul, while Saul slumbered amidst his army, and took evidence of his attendance; the first time it was a portion of Saul's skirt (1 Sam. 24) and on the second visit, David took Saul's spear and water jug.  Both times the opportunity to slay Saul was presented and both times David refused, though it would have been in his best interest to do so.  David relied on his hope and faith that Saul would come to his senses and quit his unhealthy desire for David's demise.

1 SAMUEL 26:12

12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.

There is no other way to do it - an intercedance from God had to occur.  Let me break it down.  Saul was the King and he wanted David dead.  He was consumed by his desire to slay David and could not overcome the need.  Whenever Saul was informed of David's whereabouts he would swiftly gather his vast army together and press on, with dogged determination,  to kill the lad.  The whole army mustered together in search of one soul!  Now remember, David was the glorified slayer of Goliath, a well known servant of Saul, and the best friend of Jonathan, Saul's son.  It is certain that every man in Saul's army knew who David was and what he looked like, yet the guy slipped right passed hundreds, if not thousands, of Saul's men and stood above him.  There is no doubt that The Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon the men - he had too!

I was sure there were several incidents, throughout the scriptures, where The Lord caused a deep sleep to envelop a person or persons in order to facilitate His work, but I could only find a few.  The most significant of these other moments occurred in the Book of Mormon when Alma lead the Nephites away from the churlish rule of the Lamanites...

MOSIAH 24:18-19

18    Now it came to pass that Alma and his people in the night-time gathered their flocks together, and also of their grain; yea, even all the night-time were they gathering their flocks together. 

19    And in the morning the Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon the Lamanites, yea, and all their task-masters were in a profound sleep. 

20    And Alma and his people departed into the wilderness; and when they had traveled all day they pitched their tents in a valley, and they called the valley Alma, because he led their way in the wilderness. 

I was surprised that there weren't more deep slumber moments but, though they may not be written, they most definitely occurred.  Teancum had to have a little help, right?  How many rulers did he kill with a javelin as they slept in their beds, in their tents, surrounded by their armies.  Sound familiar...it happened!

~Kipling

Churlish

Reading:   1 Samuel 25

I read this chapter yesterday.  I typically write my blogs about the scriptures I read on the previous day so that I might ruminate for a time prior to my contemplative address...that being said; it was my birthday and an all-round good day with good spirited fun and celebration.  Needless-to-say, as I read my scriptures (just prior to my curry meatloaf birthday dinner), I came across the word "churlish" and I could not quit laughing...

1 SAMUEL 25:3

3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

Okay, so a little background, there is a 3-minute skit by Kay & Peele called Substitute Teacher where the temporary teacher mispronounces several names and words.  Near the end of the skit, the teacher describes one of the students as "churlish" and I, along with everyone in my family and I'm sure the vast majority of the 28-million+ individuals who have seen the skit, thought the word was another mispronunciation of say childish, surly, or something of that ilk.  I read the verse and immediately discovered that I had been wrong in my assumption and that "churlish" was indeed an actual word.  was a real word.  I laughed and then shared the verse with everyone in the house - they laughed as well.  For the remainder of the evening I continuously referred to all as churlish.

It was hard to concentrate after the grand discovery but it was a significant chapter in that David ends up with a new wife, Abigail, after her "churlish" husband, Nabal, dies (he of course defied David and suffered the wrath of God with an early demise).

CHURLISH:  Boorish, Rude, Mean, Difficult to work with

There you have it - and still funny!

Happy Independence Day!!

~Kipling