The Spoil of the Poor

Here is another "judgment" situation, essentially testing what we will do with the stewardship that God gives us in life. We are certainly tasked with caring for the poor and using the resources that we are blessed with to improve their lot. 

Isaiah 3:14-15

14 The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts.

Perhaps this is about conspicuous opulence, taking the richness of the land and leaving nothing for others to glean. The things meant for the poor are found in the houses (and bank accounts) of the rich.

Although I am not a fan of persecuting billionaires for not enriching their employees like so many do, I can say that those who "have" will be blessed for helping those who "have not".

The Third Commandment

I see massive utility in exploring what different groups have to say about certain scriptures. I am reading the "Rational Bible" commentary written by Dennis Prager, a very public Jew. 

 Dennis Prager's The Rational Bible: Deuteronomy

I find my understanding of the Ten Commandments expanded far beyond the kiddie church treatment given it by much of Christendom. The version that I provide here is from the accusation of the prophet Abinadi before the wicked priests of King Noah:

Mosiah 13 :15

15 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.

When I was a child and was taught about the Ten Commandments, "take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" was translated into swearing and shouting "Jesus Christ" if you hit your hand with a hammer. It was among my first lessons in self-control, sometimes seemingly barely learned.

I don't ever remember being taught about that last statement "the Lord will not hold him guiltless". Either talking in vain is a lot worse sin than what I was ever taught, or the Lord has a really sore spot for saying his name. 

I am thinking that there is a whole different meaning that my upbringing totally missed.

Prager's take on this commandment turns my thoughts to the idea of vanity of those who profess what they are not and seek honors un-bestowed. In this commandment, I see the Lord seeking to protect his reputation as a God and to regulate those who are authorized to speak in his name. This is a warning to those who soil God's trust or presume to take on themselves his name without the Lord's leave to do so. Doing such things against God would most certainly justify the Lord's wrath in not holding perpetrators guiltless, far more just than a lack of forgiveness for cursing.

And who are these perpetrators, these pretenders to God's permission?

I have met many preachers who hate The Book of Mormon and use all the rhetoric and social pressure available to them to make sure that book is not touched, much less read. If the Book of Mormon really is the writings of God's prophets (and I am convinced that this is true), such preachers are raging against Christ himself, using their association as "Christian" leaders to steer people AWAY from the authentic Jesus. When you read the third commandment in that light, some charismatic pastors may have put themselves and many of their disciples outside of Christ's forgiveness, establishing themselves as a false Christ.

If you are a person who purports to represent God, I strongly advise you to avoid preaching things that you are not absolutely positive about what you are saying.  Using a profession of divine mandate is potentially dangerous to your own soul and magnified by the number of people you influence away from the truth. God himself says there is no forgiveness for evoking God to support your ignorant and well-compensated claims. 

You cannot be forgiven for being a destroyer of faith wearing "Jesus" clothing.

Ruling Children, Babes, and Women

Have you been noticing more interesting people standing for public office? Isaiah saw it and made some predictions. 

Isaiah 3:4-5

4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

I think we have seen a lot of oppression generated by "do-gooders", which I studied in college and my first several jobs employed me to doing. I had female colleagues and bosses, often of the "social justice" variety. Very nice people until you cross them, which I was smart enough to avoid doing as a younger man.  

Isaiah 3:12

12 ¶ As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

I have seen more and more people (mostly men) be totally destroyed in the name of protecting women and children, forgetting the reality that such people generate the actual value in life, upon which college-trained and salaried life managers will happily project state-sponsored oppression. I'm glad to be out of the business.  

 

Walking away from pride parades where "they hide it not"

There are a growing group of people who flaunt their perverse sins.

Isaiah 3:9

9 ¶ The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. 

In doing this, they "reward evil unto themselves".  Perverse actions sound magnified when they are celebrated openly.

What is notable beyond the actions that God forbids ("sin as Sodom") is the trumpeting of their sins ("declaring", "they hide it not"), which is described as reward[ing] evil unto themselves. God doesn't need to immediately punish this behavior, the person doing it convicts themselves, like pleading "guilty as charged" to a judge.

Repentance is available to these people as with anyone else, though change for the better is still required alongside a denunciation of their flaunted perversions. There is a way back to righteousness! 

"for they shall eat the fruit of their doings."

This is more of Isaiah letting everyone know that they will ultimately (and not so ultimately) get returned to you what you do.

Isaiah 3:9-11

9 ¶ The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

 Sometimes, we concentrate on the bad side of our doings, but Isaiah is good to say that as we are righteous, we will have good things come to us. Rewards and justice are indeed two-edged!

"...shall be made low:..."

We think so much of ourselves. 

I was somewhat trained as a low level planner in my undergraduate college days, styled as some sort of proto-"life coach" to low-income people who needed "management". I quickly lost interest in such a role, as I lacked the desire to run other people's lives and have continued in that lack, to the consternation of my children, I suppose.

I don't know exactly if this is what Isaiah means in "loftiness" and "haughtiness", but it seems that God alone will be "exalted" in this way at some future day.

Isaiah 2:17

17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. 

I don't know what this means for the managerial class of the future, but it seems that such folk will need to find more practical pursuits outside of "motivation" and "productivity" toward corporate goals.

Go up to the MountaIn of the Lord

Isaiah 2:2-3

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 

It has long been a belief among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that this Isaiah reference speaks of Temples of the Lord, first the temple in Salt Lake City in Utah and subsequently dozens that have been erected around the world.

These truly are abodes of Christ where his disciples can come to learn from him and make covenants to "walk in his paths" toward sharing exaltation with the Father and the Son. I go to the temple of the Lord very often and always feel closer to my Savior at each visit.

The journey to enter these Houses of the Lord begins with learning more of him through missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who will add more wisdom and understanding to the faith and knowledge you may already have in Jesus Christ.

Continue your journey to the Messiah and Savior of all.