- It was easier to got Israel out of
Egypt than it was to get Egypt out of Israel.
Thought: "During the Sacrament
today I said a prayer committing myself to do better in my efforts to always
remember the Savior. I was then interrupted by somebody's cell phone which
said, "Cannot hear message." The thought came to me that my prayer
had not registered. Not because Heavenly Father had not been able to hear my
prayer, bu because my resolve as I offered that prayer was not accompanied by a
firm enough resolve to have me make the necessary adjustments in my life."
(GLP, Hampton Ward, Mesa, Az.
Jan. 2, 2014)
Books of the Week: Keil & Delitzsch -Commentary on the Old Testament-10 volumes 7744 pages
"Studies in Scripture Vol. 3-The Old Testament" edited by Kent
P. Jackson & Robert L. Millet
Moses
1)Moses knew
Jesus - John 5:45-47; Luke 24:27
2)Moses in
mentioned 657 times in the OT; 65 in NT; 26 in BOM; 21 in D&C & 29 in
PofGP.
3)NO-KNOW's
a)When-within 100 years; b)Name of Pharaoh c)Egypt records no Abraham, Jacob,
Joseph, Moses or Israel in Egypt.
4) JST
50:24, 29, 34-38
5)2 Nephi
3:8-10; 16-18 -Joseph of Egypt compared Joseph Smith to Moses.
6)Josephus
taught a)One of those sacred
scribes, who are very sagacious in foretelling future events truly, told the
king, that about this time there would a child be born to the Israelites, who,
if he were reared, would bring the Egyptian dominion low, and would raise the
Israelites; that he would excel all men in virtue, and obtain a glory that
would be remembered through all ages. b) a military leader in Egypt c)
married an Ethiopian princess (Numbers 12:1)
7) 2Nephi
3:9 compares Moses to Joseph Smith a)Both saw Jehovah b)both were liberators,
leading people to liberty c) both were law givers by inspiration d) both
prophets & seers e) both performed mighty miracles f)both were opposed by
friends & foes g)both depended on a brother, h)both were major contributors to scripture
Exodus- In the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate: וְאֵלֶּה,
שְׁמוֹת- - these are the names (Hebrew);
Overall,
the book of Exodus is a primer on revelation...There are two major divisions;
chapters 1-19, the historical narrative and 20-40, the legislative code.
(Ogden, p. 174)
Carol
Meyers in her commentary on Exodus suggests that it is arguably the most
important book in the Bible, as it presents the defining features of Israel's
identity: memories of a past marked by hardship and escape, a binding covenant
with the god who chooses Israel, and the establishment of the life of the
community and the guidelines for sustaining it. (Meyers, Carol,2005.
Exodus.
Cambridge Univ. Press)
"Exodus is the commencement
of Israel as a covenant nation. It relates how God fulfilled his ancient
promise to Abraham by multiplying his descendants into a great nation,
redeeming them from the land of bondage,& renewing the covenant of grace
with them on a national basis." (Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, p. 220)
Exodus 1 -
Vs. 2-4 - Who is
missing and why? 70 had grown to over a million.
Vs. 7 - "At the
end of 430 years, the Lord now decreed that the time had arrived for Israel to
occupy her own land there become that peculiar people who would await the
coming of their Messiah." (Peterson, Moses
p. 30)
Vs. 8 - How could you
not know Joseph?
Vs. 11-12 -they are
growing too fast, let's see if we can make life hard enough for them to slow it
down.
Vs. 15-22 - The
heroic midwifes - D&C 3:7-8
"The life of
Moses was threatened by the ruler of the land, just as Christ was by Herod.
"The edict was only against males because the men were the ones who might
revolt against the new regime and because in the absence of Israelite men, the
women would be forced to marry Egyptian men and become assimilated."
(Ogden p. 177)
Exodus 2 - Acts 7:21-29; Hebrews 11:24-27; Josephus
Vs. 1-2- Moses was a
Levite by father and Mother. "Moses bore the resemblance of his Lord. In
appearance, guise, and semblance, they were the same,. The qualities of the one
were the qualities of the other." (BRM- Promised Messiah 442-43)
Vs. 10 - see footnote
b.
RJMatthews said that
he thought that Moses probably read about himself when he was growing up in
Pharaoh's household reading the records of Joseph and Abraham.
Vs. 11-15 - He slew a
man who was slaying another and had to leave town.“However, the historian Eusebius says that the slaying was the
result of a court intrigue in which certain men plotted to assassinate Moses.
In the encounter it is said that Moses successfully warded off the attacker and
killed him. (Eusebius IX:27.) “In the Midrash Rabbah, the traditional Jewish
commentary on the Old Testament, it is asserted that Moses, with his bare
fists, killed an Egyptian taskmaster who was in the act of seducing a Hebrew
woman. This is confirmed in the Koran.
Vs. 16-22- Received
priesthood, a wife (Zipporah)& 2
sons (Gershom=a stranger there and Eliezer=my God is my help) from an descendent
of Abraham & Keturah. (Reuel, Jethro, Raguel) see D&C 84:6-7. The priesthood was passed
on to an Israelite from a non-Israelite.
Vs. 23-25 - 40 years
in Egypt; 40 years in Midian in the Sinai Peninsula.
Exodus 3 - A burning bush at Horeb=Sinai Ether 12:27 3:11-16- See John 8:58-59-I am
“Jehovah is the Anglicized rendering of the Hebrew, Yahveh or Jahveh, signifying
the Self-existent One, or The
Eternal. This name is generally rendered in our English version of the
Old Testament as Lord printed in capitals. The
Hebrew, Ehyeh, signifying I
Am, is related in meaning and through derivation with the term Yahveh or Jehovah.” (Jesus the Christ, p. 36.) The Jews regarded the name
of Jehovah as so sacred that it could not be spoken. Instead, they substituted
for Jehovah the word Adonai,
which signifies “the Lord.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ,
p. 37.) The King James translators followed the same practice out of
respect for the Jewish custom. Sometimes the word lord,
however, is used to refer not to God
but to royalty or other important people. To distinguish the sacred name from
common usage, the translators capitalized lord when
it referred to Jehovah and left it in lower case letters otherwise. (See 2 Samuel 15:21 for an example of both
uses of the word lord.) - Remember 1)Egypt had lots
of gods with lots of names; 2) names in ancient Israel were meaningful and 3)
Every land had its own god with his/her own name and home-land gave home-god
advantage.
Exodus 4 Moses'
concerns (remember Enoch in Moses 6:31;
Isaiah in Is. 16; Jeremiah in Jer. 1:6; Gideon in Judges 6:15; Saul in 1 Samuel
9:21)- 1]Won't believe-a)Rod=snake, a symbol if the Savior- Pharaoh with a
cobra on his head dress, Lucifer in the garden; b)Hand; c)Water to blood.
2]Can't talk-a)Vs. 11; b)Aaron -Note the Jaredite boat problems in Ether 2.
4:24-27-JST-circumcision
procrastinated- Zipporah apparently returned to her father w/ the boys.
4:27-31-The
brother reunion and united mission
*Insert Moses 1 here. It was not the same mountain.
See Moses 1:17, 42- That mountain was not known among mortals.
Exodus 5- D&C 63:9 - Faith cometh not by signs, but faith
follow them that believe.
James 1:13 -
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be
tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.
Vs. 2 -
Pharaoh asks, "Who is God" (Alma 9:2; Mosiah 11:27; Moses 5:16-17)
Have you ever had your best
efforts backfire? - Pharaoh (increased burdens) and Israel blame Moses.
Exodus 6
Vs. 3 - Note
JST - A little encouragement, "I am God and I promised"
Exodus 7-10 -
Moses'
period of preparation had to give him a little confidence (Moses1:10, 13-5,
20-22, 33)
Moses- A
herdsman for the last 40 years vs. Pharaoh representing Egypt the greatest
nation on earth in wealth, education, technology, mathematics, astronomy. God
seems to like the odds i.e.; D&C
1:19; 1:23; 35:13; 124:1; 1 Cor. 1:27; Acts 4:13; 1 Samuel 17; Judges 7; Mosiah
21:14-16; 24:13-14; 2. D&C 121 & 122.
Magicians perform miracles - All down
through the ages and in almost all countries, men have exercised great occult
and mystical powers, even to the healing of the sick and the performing of
miracles. Soothsayers, magicians, and astrologers were found in the courts of
ancient kings. They had certain powers by which they divined and solved the
monarch’s problems, dreams, etc. …“… The Savior declared that Satan had the
power to bind bodies of men and women and sorely afflict them [see Matthew 7:22–23; Luke 13:16]. … It should be remembered that
Satan has great knowledge and thereby can exercise authority and to some extent
control the elements, when some greater power does not intervene” (ATGZ], 1:176, 178).
|
Plagues
|
Egyptian Gods
|
Parallels
in Latter-day Prophecies
|
|
1.
Water to blood (see Exodus 7:17–25)
|
Hapi
(or Hopi)—controlled the waters of the Nile, which was itself considered
sacred-Pharaoh
went out in the morning to worship this God.
|
See Revelation 8:8; 16:3–6 |
|
2.
Frogs (see Exodus 8:2–6)
|
Heqt
(or Heket)—goddess with a frog’s head Frog sacred-a symbol of child birth and the resurrection
|
See Revelation 16:12–14 |
|
3.
Lice, or gnats (see Exodus 8:16–17)
|
Seth—god
of the earth; the earth was turned into lice, or gnats-Imitation
unsuccessful -magician acknowledge hand of God.
|
|
|
4.
Flies (see Exodus 8:21–24)
|
Possibly
Uachit—represented by a fly in ancient
Egyptian religion, the Sun god Ra is seen to roll across
the sky each day, transforming bodies and souls. Beetles of the Scarabaeidae family (dung beetle) roll dung into a ball as
food and as a brood chamber in which to lay eggs that are later transformed
into larva. For these reasons the scarab was seen as a symbol of this
heavenly cycle and of the idea or rebirth or regeneration. The Egyptian god Khepri, Ra as the rising sun, was often
depicted as a scarab beetle or as a scarab beetle-headed man. The ancient
Egyptians believed that Khepri renewed the sun every day before rolling it
above the horizon, then carried it through the other world after sunset, only
to renew it, again, the next day.
|
See Doctrine and Covenants 29:18–20 |
|
5.
Cattle dying (see Exodus 9:2–7)
|
Apis
and Mnevis—bull gods; Hathor—goddess with a cow head; Khnum—a ram god- A
possible predecessor of the golden calf.
|
|
|
6.
Boils and blains (see Exodus 9:8–11)
|
Sekhmet—a
goddess with power over disease; Sunu—the pestilence god; Isis—a goddess of
healing
|
|
|
7.
Hail and fire (see Exodus 9:22–26)
|
Nut—the
sky goddess; Osiris—the god of crops and fertility
|
See Revelation 8:7 |
|
8.
Locusts (see Exodus 10:12–15)
|
Osiris—god
of crops and fertility- Vs. 13 - the East
wind is the wind of destruction
|
See Revelation 9:3 |
|
9.
Darkness (see Exodus 10:21–23)
|
Khepri,
Re (or Ra) and Amun—sun gods
|
See Revelation 6:12; Doctrine and Covenants 45:42; Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:33 |
|
10.
Death of the firstborn (see Exodus 12:12–30)
|
Pharaoh—considered
a god, but had no power to save his own son from death; Isis—goddess who
protected children/ Passover
is at the heart of the Exodus.
|
Exodus 11-12
11:7 - see 1
Nephi 17:33-38
12:13-14-
The Passover-Hebrew pesach =to skip by or
spare.
Specific
instructions to be observed religiously with great symbolic importance.
|
12:2
|
Passover=New Beginning
|
Atonement & Resurrection
|
|
12:3, 5
|
Lamb w/out blemish
|
Jesus
|
|
12:6-7
|
Blood on door posts
|
Identifies person as follower of Christ
|
|
12:8-10
|
Whole lamb roasted-0 remaining
|
Jesus was wholly consumed-He gave all
|
|
12:12
|
Firstborn die
|
Jesus=1stborn (D&C 93:21-22)
|
|
12:14
|
Passover kept throughout
generations
|
Eternal nature of ordinances & atonement
|
|
12:15-19
|
Unleavened bread for 7 days
|
Leaven=corruption is done away eternally (7)
|
|
12:22-23
|
Hyssop used- cleansing agent-sponge?
|
Used to give Jesus vinegar John 19:29
|
|
12:43
|
No stranger eats the Passover
|
It was seen as a covenant renewal -sacrament
|
|
12:46
|
No broken bones on lamb
|
No broken bones on Christ (John 19:36)
|
|
12:48-49
|
Covenant making allowed
|
Adoption (Mosiah 5:7; 27:25; 2 Nephi 30)
|
12:30-32-"Uncle"
Pharaoh gives up
Exodus 13- Exodus 13:1–10, 11–16; Deuteronomy 6:4–9, 11:13–21- scriptures inside
Phylacteries.
The 1st born
was saved and indebted. What would you say to your 1st born son if he was one
who was preserved?
Vs. 17- The
Lord led them the long and the safe way and a way that gave them time to
prepare.
Exodus 14-
1st a test of faith and then a miracle. (D&C 8:2-3-the spirit of revelation
in your mind and in your heart) then 14:28, 31
Vs. 19-31-
See 1 Nephi 17:25-27; D&C 101:79- It is not right that man should be in bondage one to another. Exodus 15:
Vs. 2 -
Salvation in Hebrew = Jeshua=Jesus
Vs. 23-
Marah=bitterness
Vs. 24.
“And the People Murmured against Moses” This verse contains the first of over
twenty uses of the word murmur in its various forms
in the record of Israel’s wanderings. Murmuring seems to have been a dominant
part of their natures and a root of some of the problems they faced. The word
is used nearly the same number of times to describe the attitude of the
rebellious members of the Lehi colony who traveled through the same general
wilderness area after leaving Jerusalem. Murmuring
is defined as “a half-suppressed or muttered complaint” Instead of open
expression of concern and criticism so a problem can be dealt with, it is
behind-the-scenes grumbling. That problem was not unique to the Israelites or
to Laman and Lemuel. It is too often prevalent among Latter-day Saints today.
Elder Marion G. Romney said: “I desire to call your attention to the
principle of loyalty, loyalty to the truth and loyalty to the men whom God has
chosen to lead the cause of truth. I speak of ‘the truth’ and these ‘men’
jointly, because it is impossible fully to accept the one and partly reject the
other. “I raise my voice on this matter to warn and counsel you to be on your
guard against criticism. … It comes, in part, from those who hold, or have
held, prominent positions. Ostensibly, they are in good standing in the Church.
In expressing their feelings, they frequently say, ‘We are members of the
Church, too, you know, and our feelings should be considered.’ “They assume
that one can be in full harmony with the spirit of the gospel, enjoy full
fellowship in the Church, and at the same time be out of harmony with the
leaders of the Church and the counsel and directions they give. Such a position
is wholly inconsistent, because the guidance of this Church comes, not alone
from the written word, but also from continuous revelation, and the Lord gives
that revelation to the Church through His chosen leaders and none else. It
follows, therefore, that those who profess to accept the gospel and who at the
same time criticize and refuse to follow the counsel of the leaders, are
assuming an indefensible position.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1942,
pp. 17–18.)
Exodus 16- The Israelites seemed to prefer slavery with
sustenance over freedom w/ responsibility.
16:4 - Manna="what
is it" was an obedience test- See John 6:31-35, 48-51
A mother in
the Philippines said: “Sometimes we do not have enough money for food, but that
is all right because it gives me the opportunity to teach my children about
faith. We gather and pray for relief, and the children see the Lord bless us.
(Dallin H. Oaks CR, Oct. 2012)
Exodus 17-
Being thirsty is not a sin I Cor. 10:1-4- 1 Moreover,
brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were
under the acloud,
and all passed through the bsea;
2 And were all abaptized
unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And
did all eat the same spiritual ameat;
4 And did all drink the same
spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and
that aRock
was Christ.
All things testify of Christ- the living
water, the rock, the bread, the cloud “"Christ
is the bread which came down from heaven, the Bread of Life, the spiritual
manna, of which men must eat to gain salvation. (John 6:31–58.)
He is the spiritual drink, the living water, the water of life, which if men
drink they shall never thirst more. (John 4:6–15.)”
(Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 2:355.)
17:8-13-
Holding up arms of Moses by Aaron & Hur & JFS by HB Lee & NE
Tanner. (CR Oct. 1970) Amalekites - See 1 Samuel 15
17:14 - God
commanded Moses to write. See also Ex. 24: 4, 7
Exodus 18-
18:13-26 -Could
you take advise from your sheepherding father-in-law if you were leading a
group of over a million people? (See D&C 136)
Exodus 19-Moses'
aim was to give Israel a temple experience. (Adam, Moses, Jesus, Joseph Smith)
They arrived
in Sinai 3 months after leaving Egypt and stayed for 11 months. (Ex. 19-Numbers
10-11-12)
19:5-6-
Peculiar=segula=special or valued or
PURCHASED. A promise that we are trying to live. The Abrahamic covenant.
Vs. 8 - They
said YES! It was the chance to receive the grandest of all revelations: they
could have seen the Lord, heard him speak to Moses, known for themselves about
his will and his law, comprehended Moses' future revelations from God (Dt.
4:10), and been translated as other communities had. (Ogden p. 207-8)
D&C
84:21-24-An opportunity forfeited for over 1000 years by the children of
Israel.
Church History by the Decade
1880's
|
1880
|
Church Membership
|
133,628
|
|
1880-Oct. 10
|
Pearl of Great Price
|
Accepted as Standard Work
|
|
1880-Oct. 10
|
John Taylor sustained
|
Pres. of Church-Counselors-George Q. Cannon-Joseph F. Smith
|
|
1882-Jan. 8
|
Assembly Hall dedicated
|
Built with stones left over from the building of the temple.
|
|
1882
|
Original BoM manuscript
|
Removed from cornerstone of Nauvoo house by Lewis Bidamon. Church is
in possession of 144 pages.
|
|
1882-Aug. 18
|
The 5 member Utah Commission,
authorized in the Edmunds
law
|
arrived in the
territory. Had responsibility of supervising election procedures. Result was
to disenfranchise much of the Mormon
population.
|
|
1883-Apr. 24
|
William E. McLellin died
|
In obscurity age 77
|
|
1883-May 20
|
SLC police arrest 17
|
boys for "breaking the Sabbath" by playing baseball on
Sunday.
|
|
1883-Aug. 29
|
Steamship Nevada left Liverpool, England w/,
|
682 Saints, 29 returning
missionaries, in charge of Peter F. Goss. Arrived New York Sept. 7th, Salt Lake City Sept.
17th.
|
|
1883-Oct. 24
|
Hugh B. Brown born-5th of 14 children
|
Married Zina Young
Card, a granddaughter of Brigham Young, in 1908.
|
|
1883-Nov. 17
|
Charles C. Rich died (75)
|
father of
51=grandfather of 85
|
|
1884
|
James A. Fairchild Pres. of Oberlin College Ohio
|
Discovered the
Spaulding Manuscript in Hawaii. He compared the BoM with the Manuscript and
found no relationship.
|
|
1884-May 17
|
Logan Temple dedicated
|
John Taylor
|
|
1885-Feb. 1
|
John Taylor spoke in
|
Tabernacle and then went into hiding until his death.
|
|
1885
|
Colonies in Mexico
|
Established.
|
|
85-86-87
|
Gen. Conferences held
|
In Coalville, Logan & Provo to the chagrin on non LDS stores.
|
|
1885-Idaho
|
Election Test Oath Bill
|
Governor Bunn forced to sign in at gun point. Vote, Jury, Office
|
|
1887-Feb. 17
|
Edmunds-Tucker Act became law
|
Disincorporated Church, dissolved Perpetual Emigrating Fund,
abolished female suffrage, &provided for the confiscation of practically
all the property of the Church.
|
|
1887
|
Cardston, Canada
|
Became site
for LDS settling.
|
|
1887-July 25
|
John Taylor died
|
|
|
1888-Jan. 25
|
David Whitmer died
|
In Richmond, Mo bearing testimony of BoM on death bed.
|
|
1888-May 21
|
Manti Temple dedicated
|
By Wilford Woodruff and Lorenzo Snow
|
|
1888-June 8
|
Stakes instructed to establish an academy
|
From
1888 to 1909, 35 academies were established in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona,
Mexico and Canada.
|
|
1889-Apr. 7
|
Wilford Woodruff
|
Sustained as President of Church. Retained Cannon & Smith.
|
