God Made Them Brothers, and God Made Them Friends

"This is also a story about forgiveness and family reconciliation. “If I were to teach the principle of generosity in human relationships, how marvelous to share with people … the relationship of Jacob and Esau,” said Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Just as Jacob and Esau needed time apart, so might we occasionally need time to calm our feelings and reflect on the importance of our family relationships. Yet time and separation alone will not bring resolution. If we are prayerful, the Lord will help us know when the time is right for reconciliation, and we can follow the example of these brothers. How sweet that moment of sincere reconciliation can be! Our Savior will help us. He is the great Mediator, and He is able to soften hearts and heal wounds. He knows how to bring people to a unity of heart and mind. His example of marvelous generosity to us through His Atonement can help inspire forgiveness in our souls." (From the lds.org website.)
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We just read tonight about Jacob and Esau's reuniting. I had no idea this story existed. See how reading the scriptures can be?

Anyway, later in life, Jacob is commanded to go back to the land of his inheritance, and is scared because at one time Esau wanted to kill him. And when Jacob sent Esau a friendly note saying that he was returning, Esau sent a note saying that he was ready and waiting with 400 armed men. But when Jacob returned, he bowed 7 times to Esau as a show of respect, then Esau ran forward, hugged and kissed him, and wept.

What a happy ending! What a great book! A lot can be learned about this story, as demonstrated in the quote above. I'm glad the story of their relationship ended well. The Lord truly can soften hearts.

Leah and Rachael

"When heaven’s promises sometimes seem afar off, I pray that each of us will embrace these exceeding great and precious promises and never let go. And just as God remembered Rachel, God will remember you." (Spencer J. Condie, Ensign Nov. 2007)

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We just read about Jacob last night and how he had to work 14 years to marry Rachel, but instead got Leah. He worked another 14 years for Rachel. The Bible makes it sound like Rachel was the one who had it hard. After all, she wasn't able to bear children for a very long time, and couldn't marry the man she wanted for 28 years before that. I guess she did have it very hard. I always see the happy ending, how she was able to have Jacob's favorite son's who were righteous and good. But she couldn't see the happy ending from the beginning. Neither can we. I'm going to try to remember that there is a happy ending if only we endure righteously to the end.

On another note, though, I've always felt sorry for Leah. Here she had to marry a man she knew didn't love her, even though she bare him lots of sons, and she wasn't as pretty as Rachel. That would be a hard life, too. I wonder what Leah was like inside. If she was a bitter person who felt like a victim, or if she was okay with her lot in life.

Anyway, that's the latest story from the OT. (Sorry for the abrupt ending, but my lunch break is up...)

Still Plugging Away

I know I never update this blog. However, I am still continuing my goal to read the Old Testament.

Reading this book by myself was truly not easy. And not working. So now I read the Bible every night with my family. We started at the beginning, and now we're on Genesis chapter 20-something. We just finished the part where Isaac and Rebekeh had twin boys (Esau and Jacob?) and one was a red hairy hunter who sold his birthright for some pottage from Jacob. I know Jacob was righteous and all, but don't you think that's a little conniving? Why do you think he did that? Was Esau always a pain in the neck or something and Jacob had had enough? Or did Jacob know that it wouldn't mean a lot to Esau to have the birthright anyway?

I'd like to know your thoughts (if anybody read this...)

And, I'll still update when I can. I'm not quitting!!

Joshua 1

"Let us study the scriptures and “meditate therein day and night,” as counseled by the Lord in the book of Joshua (1:8)." (Thomas S. Monson, Liahona, November 2006)

Days to Read: 1

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So I decided to pick a bigger book this time to read. And, I'll admit I picked Joshua because my kids watched a Veggie Tales called Josh and the Big Wall and I wanted to see if the book was like the movie. It was, minus the talking vegetables. I also decided to stop at chapter 1 and write because it was powerful to me.

As you know, Moses has died and Joshua is the new prophet (kind of fitting to read right now, because we also just got a new prophet). The Lord gave Joshua the same counsel four times in this chapter: "be strong and of a good courage." If Joshua does this, and meditates "therein day and night," the Lord promises that he will not fail him, forsake him, the people shall be prosperous, he will have success, and the people will "enjoy" the land of their possession. The people sustained Joshua in verse 16 by saying, "all that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go."

We can apply this same counsel to our life: be strong of a good courage, meditate day and night, and sustain our prophet.

Up next: Joshua 2-6

Nahum

"The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings” (Nahum 2:3–4).

“Could anybody have described an automobile better than that before there was such a thing as an automobile? Certainly they travel like the lightning, and they look like torches—especially in the evening when the lights are on—and they jostle against each other. If you want a demonstration of that, just go to one of the body repair shops and see how many of them come in all bruised!

“The thing that I liked about that particular passage of scripture is that it describes the day of the Lord’s preparation. We live in that day. Five hundred years ago this prophecy could not have come true, but today there is no other answer for that prophecy than an automobile. The importance of the prophecy is that it describes the day of his preparation.” (Elder LeGrand Richards, Ensign, May 1980)

Days to Read: 1

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I was almost going to call this book “Na-ho-hum” before I read the passage above! To me it seemed same-old, same-old, meaning we’ve heard all of this before. Nahum speaks about what the earth will be like at the Second Coming. Apparently we will have automobiles (obviously, since we have them…). I wonder if the people in Nahum’s time were a little bit confused. (“No way, Nahum. There’s no such thing as chariots with lights that go that fast…).

Anyway, my two favorite passages in the book are chapter 1 verse 3 and 7. Verse three states that the “Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked” and verse 7 says, “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” Very comforting, indeed. No wonder in the Bible Dictionary it states that Nahum means Consoler.

Do you ever wonder what these prophets are like? We know nothing about Nahum except the three short pages he writes. A seminary teacher told me once that he was the prophet for the people of Judah, in the south, whatever that means. When I read that he was “consoler,” and
then those comforting scriptures, it made believe that he was a kind man, reminding me of President Hinckley. If you read these short chapters, you will also find some poetry. Some of the writings are very beautiful, something I would picture President Monson quoting or something.

Definitely not “ho-hum.”

Next up: Joshua chapter 1

Jonah

“If your family life seems to be sailing on stormy seas, could it be that one of you—a Jonah in some ways—is making the storm rage?” (Ensign, July 1989)

Days to read: 1
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We all know the story of Jonah and the Whale. It’s a simple story, but-WOW- did I learn a lot this time reading it!

First of all, when the scriptures described the raging storm, I felt like that was my life! It really hit home! And to think that Jonah was asleep during the storm. I’m assuming he felt just fine about his decision to go to Tarshish instead of Ninevah, like the Lord commanded him. And then I read the quote above from the Ensign and really had to think hard about the decisions I’m making and whether I can do better.

I also learned that Jonah had an anger problem. After he repented and went to Ninevah and the people there repented, the Lord decided not to destroy them. Boy was Jonah mad! He thought it would better if he died than to live. He decided to sit under a tree (like a stubborn mule I suppose) and just watch what the Lord would do to that city. The Lord asks, “doest thou well to be angry?” (ch. 4:4). The Lord provided a gourd in the tree to give Jonah shade, for which Jonah was grateful. But then the next day God made a worm to smote the gourd and it withered! So Jonah was mad again! Does this seem like my life or what! I’m mad because of something or other, get grateful again for the temporary gourd, get mad again when it falls the very next day, and on and on and on…
The Lord again asks Jonah whether it’s good idea to be angry.

My goal is to not be like Jonah in the anger department. It does not do us well to be angry!

Up next: Nahum

Habukkuk

"We are sometimes tempted with Habakkuk to cry, 'O Lord, how long shall I cry,' for many do not hear. And then we remember the Lord’s reply to Habakkuk, 'I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.'" (Spencer W. Kimball)

Days to read: 1
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Habakkuk is really quite simple: chapter 1 he moans and complains; chapter 2 the Lord tells him to buck up; chapter 3 Habakkuk praises the Lord.

That pretty much sums up my life.

And, like Habakkuk says, “The Lord my God is my strength.” Ch 3:19)

Amen!

Up Next: Jonah