In the United Kingdom and several of its Commonwealth countries like Australia and New Zealand, the day after Christmas is Boxing Day. Nothing to do with the fighting sport, it refers to the 19th-century tradition of boxes containing gifts from employers to workers, or the gifts for the poor from the alms boxes in churches.
Happy Boxing Day!
We have noted before, with Ralph Waldo Emerson, that: "Rings and jewels are not gifts but apologies for gifts; the only true gift is a portion of thyself."
We suppose that the great example in this is the Christ, who gave Himself, a ransom that we might repent and live.
If we stop and think about it, we first must receive something before we can give anything. That is why these carol words are meaningful, "Where meek souls will receive Him, still / The dear Christ enters in." Then, having received the Christ and His gift, we are changed persons, never the same, starting to be transformed into His image. And the "portion of thyself" that we then give contains a little bit of the Christ.
It is a clear lesson, but somewhat abstract to most of us, for we think most often of gifts as tangible, physical, temporal. But there are spiritual gifts. And they count so much more. Their benefit can be ongoing and very real.
But all such gifts of the Spirit come only from above, and are for the benefit of blessing others. They cannot be placed under a tree and they cannot be retained. They must be passed on, given away, used to bless, lift, teach and edify.
But if our hands and hearts and minds are already full---of lesser things---we forfeit the receipt of the spiritual gifts which could so bless those who need our spiritual ministration. In these things we are sometimes poor indeed.
To summarize: C.S. Lewis observed, "God gives His gifts where He finds the vessel empty enough to receive them. A man whose hands are full of parcels can't receive a gift."
What a profound Christmas and Christian principle! . . . Think of it in the context of this further insight from Lewis: "If and when a horror turns up you will then be given Grace to help you. I don't think one is usually given it in advance. 'Give us our daily bread' (not an annuity for life) is applicable to spiritual gifts too; the little daily support for the daily trial. Life has to be taken day by day and hour by hour."
We must be ready to receive it at the time of the giving, or it may pass us by. This is a hallmark of the spiritual life: to live with our cupped hands and hearts facing up toward heaven.
Happy Boxing (Receiving) Day . . . !
Steve
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Sabbathought: What is "The First Noel" all about?
Many times to get to the root of important doctrine we must first find the root of key words. "Noel" is such a word. If we go root-deep into its meaning it will yield rich fruits, and will bring together in one many gospel truths found in the Sabbathoughts this year. Vade mecum (Go with me):
John Ayto's Dictionary of Word Origins [1990] is a treasure trove for this kind of search. He sends us to "native" as the root word of Noel: Native is one of a large family of words from the Latin verb nasci, to "be born" . . . a descendant of the base gen--, gn-- to "produce", which also gives us gene, general, generate, genesis, and so forth.
The past participle stem of nasci gives us nat-- to lead us into natal (as in pre-natal, post-natal), nature, natural, native, nativity. From this same root we get nascent, cognate, nation, naive (as in "born yesterday", explains Ayto!), pregnant, renaissance, innate, and noel. Also, the name Natalie . . . .
All have to do with birth or natural-born condition. This has perhaps been a little heavy, a bit of a scholarly chase, but we can train ourselves to see a pattern in all of it, to synthesize, to bring it all together in one, to see at-one-ment in it all.
To go a little further:
Latter-day Saints are familiar with this phrase from the angel to king Benjamin: "For the natural man is an enemy to God . . . ." Notice, not an enemy of God, but an enemy to God. That is significant. Man in his natural state---lost, fallen, carnal, sensual, devilish, without God in the world---is in a state that is inimical to God.
This from Alma clarifies and explains: "All men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness."
This state is a problem deep and real. But it is deliberate and purposeful. It opens the way for a redeemer, without Whom all is lost. Thus we arrive at Christmas, at the Christmas Story.
"The hopes and fears / Of all the years / Are met in thee tonight", O little town of Bethlehem, in the Birth of thy little Child. We could use the same words in connection with the Garden of Gethsemane thirty-three years later.
What hopes? What fears? Well, the hope of eternal life, the hope of rescue and salvation from the grim conditions of this fallen, miserable world. (We are not being gloomy or negative, we describe things as they really are.) What fears? The dominant fear that . . . well, what if He does not show up? Or, having shown up, what if He does not come through, and shrinks from the task of the awful Atonement? What if He says, "Father, remove from me this cup"?
But He did show up. And He did come through. He stayed true to His mission. He lost Himself in the mortal necessity of mankind's hopes and fears. And at such terrible cost. When we speak of God's life we say "eternal life." When we speak of a God suffering---unto the shedding of His blood---we speak of "eternal suffering" or "endless suffering." It is too astonishing to grasp fully.
From Brother Robert J. Matthews: "In my opinion, the kind of faith necessary for salvation, the kind of faith spoken of in the Lectures on Faith, cannot be achieved if one views Jesus Christ and His excruciating atonement, bleeding at every pore, as simply an act of major convenience.
"As I read the Book of Mormon I get the message that the effects of the Fall on mankind are so severe and dominating, coupled with our own sins, that unless we are redeemed by One more powerful than all mankind combined, we will not be redeemed at all. The power of self-redemption is not in fallen man.
"I believe that saving faith requires that a person be completely convinced that he is entirely dependent upon Jesus Christ, and Him only, for every shred of salvation. Without Him all is lost. The slightest reservation about the absolute necessity of Christ's atonement is injurious to one's spiritual health, and one's perfect faith and knowledge. I see no compromise on this point. Our relation to Christ is crucial, not casual. It is a necessity, not an option" (BYU, 1989).
So, The First Noel . . . Nativity, natural man, the native needs mankind has through the Fall . . . the Birth, the necessary rebirth, the hopes and fears of all the years met in little Bethlehem and in this birth of Christ in the meridian, the hinge, the fulcrum of time. And we move from B.C. to A.D. in the way we count the years, as a small, often unnoticed, tribute to Him.
How silently, how silently / The wondrous Gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts / The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming; / But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still / The dear Christ enters in.
And thus we see our job, our gift to Him at Christmas: to "receive Him." To take Him so deep into our souls that He comes out in our walk and talk.
I see it as no accident that in our LDS hymnbook the sacrament hymns are immediately followed by the Easter hymns, and then straightaway by a dozen or so Christmas hymns, and then by a trio of New Year hymns. Synthesize all of this together and we have our true context as Saints of the Last Days.
I for one affirm these things to be deep and marvelous and life-giving in their truth.
God bless us all at this Special Season.
Steve
John Ayto's Dictionary of Word Origins [1990] is a treasure trove for this kind of search. He sends us to "native" as the root word of Noel: Native is one of a large family of words from the Latin verb nasci, to "be born" . . . a descendant of the base gen--, gn-- to "produce", which also gives us gene, general, generate, genesis, and so forth.
The past participle stem of nasci gives us nat-- to lead us into natal (as in pre-natal, post-natal), nature, natural, native, nativity. From this same root we get nascent, cognate, nation, naive (as in "born yesterday", explains Ayto!), pregnant, renaissance, innate, and noel. Also, the name Natalie . . . .
All have to do with birth or natural-born condition. This has perhaps been a little heavy, a bit of a scholarly chase, but we can train ourselves to see a pattern in all of it, to synthesize, to bring it all together in one, to see at-one-ment in it all.
To go a little further:
Latter-day Saints are familiar with this phrase from the angel to king Benjamin: "For the natural man is an enemy to God . . . ." Notice, not an enemy of God, but an enemy to God. That is significant. Man in his natural state---lost, fallen, carnal, sensual, devilish, without God in the world---is in a state that is inimical to God.
This from Alma clarifies and explains: "All men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness."
This state is a problem deep and real. But it is deliberate and purposeful. It opens the way for a redeemer, without Whom all is lost. Thus we arrive at Christmas, at the Christmas Story.
"The hopes and fears / Of all the years / Are met in thee tonight", O little town of Bethlehem, in the Birth of thy little Child. We could use the same words in connection with the Garden of Gethsemane thirty-three years later.
What hopes? What fears? Well, the hope of eternal life, the hope of rescue and salvation from the grim conditions of this fallen, miserable world. (We are not being gloomy or negative, we describe things as they really are.) What fears? The dominant fear that . . . well, what if He does not show up? Or, having shown up, what if He does not come through, and shrinks from the task of the awful Atonement? What if He says, "Father, remove from me this cup"?
But He did show up. And He did come through. He stayed true to His mission. He lost Himself in the mortal necessity of mankind's hopes and fears. And at such terrible cost. When we speak of God's life we say "eternal life." When we speak of a God suffering---unto the shedding of His blood---we speak of "eternal suffering" or "endless suffering." It is too astonishing to grasp fully.
From Brother Robert J. Matthews: "In my opinion, the kind of faith necessary for salvation, the kind of faith spoken of in the Lectures on Faith, cannot be achieved if one views Jesus Christ and His excruciating atonement, bleeding at every pore, as simply an act of major convenience.
"As I read the Book of Mormon I get the message that the effects of the Fall on mankind are so severe and dominating, coupled with our own sins, that unless we are redeemed by One more powerful than all mankind combined, we will not be redeemed at all. The power of self-redemption is not in fallen man.
"I believe that saving faith requires that a person be completely convinced that he is entirely dependent upon Jesus Christ, and Him only, for every shred of salvation. Without Him all is lost. The slightest reservation about the absolute necessity of Christ's atonement is injurious to one's spiritual health, and one's perfect faith and knowledge. I see no compromise on this point. Our relation to Christ is crucial, not casual. It is a necessity, not an option" (BYU, 1989).
So, The First Noel . . . Nativity, natural man, the native needs mankind has through the Fall . . . the Birth, the necessary rebirth, the hopes and fears of all the years met in little Bethlehem and in this birth of Christ in the meridian, the hinge, the fulcrum of time. And we move from B.C. to A.D. in the way we count the years, as a small, often unnoticed, tribute to Him.
How silently, how silently / The wondrous Gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts / The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming; / But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still / The dear Christ enters in.
And thus we see our job, our gift to Him at Christmas: to "receive Him." To take Him so deep into our souls that He comes out in our walk and talk.
I see it as no accident that in our LDS hymnbook the sacrament hymns are immediately followed by the Easter hymns, and then straightaway by a dozen or so Christmas hymns, and then by a trio of New Year hymns. Synthesize all of this together and we have our true context as Saints of the Last Days.
I for one affirm these things to be deep and marvelous and life-giving in their truth.
God bless us all at this Special Season.
Steve
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Further thoughts on Number in Scripture
This is going out to just a few of you who have expressed interest in learning more. I cherish your desire to learn and will always respond to requests for "further light and knowledge" from my limited fund of understanding. Thank you for being in tune and for your trust and confidence.
As mentioned in the Sabbathought on number symbolism a few weeks ago, there is clearly something important in the subject, as confirmed by the Lord when He said "How is it that ye do not understand?" (Mark 8) the meaning in the number details in the feedings of the 4000 and the 5000.
Noticing those words from Him quite a few years ago I began some research on the subject and here are some of the things I found. A lot of it was inspired by an old book by E.W. Bullinger called "Number in Scripture." These insights are a bit jumbled and need to be organized better for a clear picture, but they may help. The basics:
The number ONE is the number of God, of unity and primacy, and gives an insight into His nature, His works and purposes: For instance, ZION is a people who are pure in heart, who got that way through a singleness of purpose and having an eye single to the glory of God. "And the Lord called his people ZION, because they were of one heart and one mind . . . ." In this united condition the people of Zion would all get the same revelation (see D&C 8:2--3), which kept them unified and perfectly in tune.
"Do not interpretations [of dreams] belong to God?" said Joseph of Egypt. And, "the dream of Pharaoh is one" (see Genesis 40:8; 41:25--6). Joseph's words, "the dream is one" don't make much sense without this basic understanding. Luke 10:42; Ephesians 4:5--6; Moses 6:68, and a host of other passages start to spring to life when we apply this basic understanding: ONE is the number of God. It comes first. . . ! The first book of the Bible is Genesis, meaning origins, first causes, and whence genetics, generations, and so forth.
Two is the first number that can be divided and introduces the idea of opposition, of captivity, and deliverance from captivity (a close look at 2 Nephi 2:11 yields insight here). It points to the second member of the Godhead---the Son. The second book, Exodus, illustrates these concepts. See John 7:43; 9:36; D&C 6:2; 1 Kings 18:21; Matthew 6:24, and so on.
There are four perfect numbers---three (Godly perfection), seven (spiritual perfection), ten (ordinal perfection) and twelve (governmental or organizational perfection).
Three is the number of the Godhead and Their works, as illustrated in so many ways. For instance, three crosses on Calvary, three languages on the cross, three witnesses, three days in the tomb, three gardens, and so on. Leviticus centers on the priestly duties for teaching the Atonement in ancient Israel. See Genesis 6:10--17; 15:9; 18:2--8; Exodus 23:14--17; 1 Corinthians 13:13, and many more.
Four is the number of the natural world, of the city block, the gentile number: the four basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water---the four seasons, the four compass points. Thistles, thorns, briers, and noxious weeds came forth spontaneously after the Fall. The four corners of the earth---every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. The Jewish day was divided into four watches of six hours each. The book of Numbers is the fourth book! See also Ezekiel 1:4--18; Acts 11:5--6; Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 5:6, 9; 6:1--8, and so on.
Five is the number of the natural world (four), plus one (God), giving us the number of grace and favor, of God's special influence in the natural world. The pool of Bethesda in John chapter 5 (!) had five porches. Bethesda means house of grace in Hebrew. The Ten Virgins were in two groups of five. David took from the stream five pebbles to slay Goliath, of which he needed only one, so who really slew the giant (symbolic of Satan, of evil, of the adversary)? Five is one of the numbers of the house of Israel, pointing to their favored status as seen in the green grass and the orderly ranks in the feeding of the 5000. Bullinger points out that the house of Israel left Egypt in the Exodus in ranks of five, a number considered evil by the Egyptians so that even today the numeral five on Egyptian timepieces is circled, in remembrance. See 1 Corinthians 14:19, and so on.
Since seven is spiritual perfection, six is one less (God-less), the number of imperfect fallen man. The number 666 in Revelation probably refers to "imperfection triplified." Divide two by three and you cannot escape the recurrence of 666666. The sixth commandment is "Thou shalt not kill." Cain's genealogy is given only as far as the sixth generation.
Seven in English comes from the Hebrew sheva, meaning completeness, perfection, wholeness. It carries the idea of "to make an oath or covenant" as in Beersheba, the well of the oath. Seven days make a full week. Seven notes in the music scale. Seven colors in the spectrum. The illustrations in scripture are numerous. I once counted (in Strong's Concordance) the number of references to seven, seventh, seventy, and so on. I found about 670. In the exhaustive concordance of the triple combination I noted around 107 more in modern scripture, for a total of some 777. . . ! See Genesis 41; Leviticus 14:7--9; D&C 77:7 (!), among many other passages.
Add one (God) to the perfect seven and you have eight, the number of abundance, fatness, rebirth, regeneration, renewal. We plan to cover this in a Sabbathought soon. The word "few" in scripture often means eight. . . . But as a quality more than a quantity. Stay tuned!
Nine is the inescapable number of judgment. Multiply any number by nine and add up the digits, there is no escaping nine. There is no escaping the Judgment. How many members on the US Supreme Court? How many fig leaves on the apron? See also Luke 15:7; 17:11--17; 23:44, and so on.
Ten shows law and order: the Ten Commandments. The multiples of ten in the dimensions of the Tabernacle of the Wilderness (the only exception: the altar was three cubits square!).
The final perfect number is twelve, so eleven is one (God) short of governmental perfection and represents disorder, disarray, as in the eleven dukes of Edom or Esau, as compared with the twelve sons or princes of Esau's brother, Israel. See Genesis 36; 37:9; Matthew 28:16; Acts 2:14.
Twelve's perfection in organization is easily seen in the Twelve Tribes and in the recurrence of twelve in priesthood government in the Church today.
Some miscellaneous examples: forty (4 x 10) is the number of probation or testing, as seen in forty days and forty nights of fasting, Israel's forty-year sojourn in the wilderness, and so on. The Salt Lake temple took exactly forty years to build from start to dedication.
Two hundred is the number of insufficiency, as in "two hundred pennyworth of bread" (Mark 6:37) was not enough to feed the 4000 in the view of the disciples.
There is more. Gematria refers to the number value of words and is a constant and consistent witness and teaching device that was known to the ancients. It all points in one direction, for one thing is needful. It all points to Him, the Messiah.
God bless. Hope this may be helpful and perhaps useful. Let me know if you get this OK.
More later.
Steve
As mentioned in the Sabbathought on number symbolism a few weeks ago, there is clearly something important in the subject, as confirmed by the Lord when He said "How is it that ye do not understand?" (Mark 8) the meaning in the number details in the feedings of the 4000 and the 5000.
Noticing those words from Him quite a few years ago I began some research on the subject and here are some of the things I found. A lot of it was inspired by an old book by E.W. Bullinger called "Number in Scripture." These insights are a bit jumbled and need to be organized better for a clear picture, but they may help. The basics:
The number ONE is the number of God, of unity and primacy, and gives an insight into His nature, His works and purposes: For instance, ZION is a people who are pure in heart, who got that way through a singleness of purpose and having an eye single to the glory of God. "And the Lord called his people ZION, because they were of one heart and one mind . . . ." In this united condition the people of Zion would all get the same revelation (see D&C 8:2--3), which kept them unified and perfectly in tune.
"Do not interpretations [of dreams] belong to God?" said Joseph of Egypt. And, "the dream of Pharaoh is one" (see Genesis 40:8; 41:25--6). Joseph's words, "the dream is one" don't make much sense without this basic understanding. Luke 10:42; Ephesians 4:5--6; Moses 6:68, and a host of other passages start to spring to life when we apply this basic understanding: ONE is the number of God. It comes first. . . ! The first book of the Bible is Genesis, meaning origins, first causes, and whence genetics, generations, and so forth.
Two is the first number that can be divided and introduces the idea of opposition, of captivity, and deliverance from captivity (a close look at 2 Nephi 2:11 yields insight here). It points to the second member of the Godhead---the Son. The second book, Exodus, illustrates these concepts. See John 7:43; 9:36; D&C 6:2; 1 Kings 18:21; Matthew 6:24, and so on.
There are four perfect numbers---three (Godly perfection), seven (spiritual perfection), ten (ordinal perfection) and twelve (governmental or organizational perfection).
Three is the number of the Godhead and Their works, as illustrated in so many ways. For instance, three crosses on Calvary, three languages on the cross, three witnesses, three days in the tomb, three gardens, and so on. Leviticus centers on the priestly duties for teaching the Atonement in ancient Israel. See Genesis 6:10--17; 15:9; 18:2--8; Exodus 23:14--17; 1 Corinthians 13:13, and many more.
Four is the number of the natural world, of the city block, the gentile number: the four basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water---the four seasons, the four compass points. Thistles, thorns, briers, and noxious weeds came forth spontaneously after the Fall. The four corners of the earth---every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. The Jewish day was divided into four watches of six hours each. The book of Numbers is the fourth book! See also Ezekiel 1:4--18; Acts 11:5--6; Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 5:6, 9; 6:1--8, and so on.
Five is the number of the natural world (four), plus one (God), giving us the number of grace and favor, of God's special influence in the natural world. The pool of Bethesda in John chapter 5 (!) had five porches. Bethesda means house of grace in Hebrew. The Ten Virgins were in two groups of five. David took from the stream five pebbles to slay Goliath, of which he needed only one, so who really slew the giant (symbolic of Satan, of evil, of the adversary)? Five is one of the numbers of the house of Israel, pointing to their favored status as seen in the green grass and the orderly ranks in the feeding of the 5000. Bullinger points out that the house of Israel left Egypt in the Exodus in ranks of five, a number considered evil by the Egyptians so that even today the numeral five on Egyptian timepieces is circled, in remembrance. See 1 Corinthians 14:19, and so on.
Since seven is spiritual perfection, six is one less (God-less), the number of imperfect fallen man. The number 666 in Revelation probably refers to "imperfection triplified." Divide two by three and you cannot escape the recurrence of 666666. The sixth commandment is "Thou shalt not kill." Cain's genealogy is given only as far as the sixth generation.
Seven in English comes from the Hebrew sheva, meaning completeness, perfection, wholeness. It carries the idea of "to make an oath or covenant" as in Beersheba, the well of the oath. Seven days make a full week. Seven notes in the music scale. Seven colors in the spectrum. The illustrations in scripture are numerous. I once counted (in Strong's Concordance) the number of references to seven, seventh, seventy, and so on. I found about 670. In the exhaustive concordance of the triple combination I noted around 107 more in modern scripture, for a total of some 777. . . ! See Genesis 41; Leviticus 14:7--9; D&C 77:7 (!), among many other passages.
Add one (God) to the perfect seven and you have eight, the number of abundance, fatness, rebirth, regeneration, renewal. We plan to cover this in a Sabbathought soon. The word "few" in scripture often means eight. . . . But as a quality more than a quantity. Stay tuned!
Nine is the inescapable number of judgment. Multiply any number by nine and add up the digits, there is no escaping nine. There is no escaping the Judgment. How many members on the US Supreme Court? How many fig leaves on the apron? See also Luke 15:7; 17:11--17; 23:44, and so on.
Ten shows law and order: the Ten Commandments. The multiples of ten in the dimensions of the Tabernacle of the Wilderness (the only exception: the altar was three cubits square!).
The final perfect number is twelve, so eleven is one (God) short of governmental perfection and represents disorder, disarray, as in the eleven dukes of Edom or Esau, as compared with the twelve sons or princes of Esau's brother, Israel. See Genesis 36; 37:9; Matthew 28:16; Acts 2:14.
Twelve's perfection in organization is easily seen in the Twelve Tribes and in the recurrence of twelve in priesthood government in the Church today.
Some miscellaneous examples: forty (4 x 10) is the number of probation or testing, as seen in forty days and forty nights of fasting, Israel's forty-year sojourn in the wilderness, and so on. The Salt Lake temple took exactly forty years to build from start to dedication.
Two hundred is the number of insufficiency, as in "two hundred pennyworth of bread" (Mark 6:37) was not enough to feed the 4000 in the view of the disciples.
There is more. Gematria refers to the number value of words and is a constant and consistent witness and teaching device that was known to the ancients. It all points in one direction, for one thing is needful. It all points to Him, the Messiah.
God bless. Hope this may be helpful and perhaps useful. Let me know if you get this OK.
More later.
Steve
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sabbathought: Room for Him withinn --- (Christmas II)
Before he found the restored gospel in the 1920s my Dad used to say he was interested to find a church which taught, among other things, that 1) we had lived before in a premortal existence (not in a previous incarnation, which he knew to be false), and 2) that Jesus was born in the Spring. He reasoned that shepherds watched all night over their flocks only in the lambing season.
We wrote last week of the Why of the divine birth. Let's look at the Where and When, and How the circumstances came about.
The only account in scripture of these things is some twenty verses at the start of Luke chapter 2. (The "wise men from the east" did not come to the stable for the birth, but arrived later, following a star till it came and stood over the house where the young child was.)
In Luke we find the shepherds watching over the sheep destined for sacrifice in the temple next day, for it is Passover. But first we see the setting. My wife Alison says it this way: "I think that when Mary and Joseph were on their way to Bethlehem, I can imagine many crowds of people selfishly running, pushing past to get accommodation for the next few nights, as it would have been very busy with the Passover, Census and Taxes. I think natural man would have thought about himself first and not offered any help to them, hence, 'no room for them in the inns'".
As Alison and I have discussed these events we have agreed that the setting should be consistent with the condescension of Jesus in coming down to this lowly estate (see 1 Nephi 11:14--26). Also the doctrine that the "Son of Man hath descended below" all things (see D&C 122:8), that He might rise above all things. Alison's description is consistent with these gospel truths. It is the Prophet Joseph who adds an "s" on inn: " . . . there was no room for them in the inns", suggesting that they were turned away more than once, and she heavy with Child, which would be plain to see and hard to ignore, but possible. . . .
President Monson spoke of these things in December 2008: We have room for fun and games and food and frolic and gifts for each other, but we seem to have no room for Him, said the prophet. We want to highlight this point, thus our title today, "Room for Him withinn". The spelling is intentional, as a mnemonic device.
The stable scene: Alison says, "After the Savior was born amongst all the cattle litter and probably nosy onlookers, as there would have been no privacy (could this point towards another open shame in 33 years?), Joseph would have 'lifted up' the newborn Babe into the feeding trough, lifted up at birth and lifted up for death. The manger means in French, a place to eat, referring to the Savior as 'the bread of life'." We ought to note too that Bethlehem means "house of bread or flesh".
The "stable" was merely the central place in a courtyard where baggage and animals were kept so that the owners could keep an eye on them from the surrounding alcoves where they slept. Far from being a private cave or secluded spot, it would have been very public. Thus Jesus was born in the lowest of circumstances, among the litter and odors left by the animals, and for all to see.
Back to the shepherds. The angel gave them a specific sign, "Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Alison adds, "The swaddling clothes were probably strips of cloth which had the family (house of David) emblems, maybe sewn into them. . . . I think these strips of cloth were a positive sign that a King had been born, as told by the angel, and this is what the shepherd-prophets were seeking.
"I think they might have known or come to know (certainly all the wise men) that the promised Messiah/baby Jesus was of royal lineage through both His mortal parents back to King David. (The Savior is also known as David [Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23--4; 37:24--5], which name means 'Beloved'.) Also, there was probably not any other newborn babe lying in a cattle-feeding trough.
"The pieces of cloth were wrapped securely and indicated a strait, narrow, restricted, undeterred life, which was born to do the will of His Father, 'I must be about my Father's business' (see also His words in Luke 12:50)".
Elder Russell M. Nelson points out that only one word is needed in the Greek text for the five words: "wrapped him in swaddling clothes." The Greek word is "sparganoo" and carries the idea of strap or wrap tightly, straiten. We get the word spasm from this Greek word, so we see He was wrapped tightly to prevent "spasmodic contraction."
In the Book of Jasher is found an account of the sacrifice of Isaac, himself a great prototype of the Christ. The account speaks of Isaac, as an adult, fully aware of the impending sacrifice and of its significance, asking his father Abraham to bind his hands and feet so that he would not tremble, and thus defile the sacrifice! . . . Echoes . . . .
Alison concludes: "I think there is no question that all these signs point to the fact that our Savior was rejected before His birth and would be ever after. There was no room for Him in the inns and still today there is no room with-inn men's hearts."
As Alison said, so little is written down, therefore we must have the Holy Ghost to help us fill in between the lines. Good, good insights!
Do you sense that the story goes deeper than we first thought? It is not only our privilege and right to plumb the depths of this Holy Story, but it is our obligation to do so, "that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins", sins that are occasioned by the natural, fallen state we are all subjected to here below. Jesus Christ came to "make the blessings flow, / Far as the curse was found", meaning the curse associated with Adam's Fall.
Shall we discuss more on this theme next week? Let me know if it is of interest to you to do so.
Let us make room for Him withinn. . . .
Steve
We wrote last week of the Why of the divine birth. Let's look at the Where and When, and How the circumstances came about.
The only account in scripture of these things is some twenty verses at the start of Luke chapter 2. (The "wise men from the east" did not come to the stable for the birth, but arrived later, following a star till it came and stood over the house where the young child was.)
In Luke we find the shepherds watching over the sheep destined for sacrifice in the temple next day, for it is Passover. But first we see the setting. My wife Alison says it this way: "I think that when Mary and Joseph were on their way to Bethlehem, I can imagine many crowds of people selfishly running, pushing past to get accommodation for the next few nights, as it would have been very busy with the Passover, Census and Taxes. I think natural man would have thought about himself first and not offered any help to them, hence, 'no room for them in the inns'".
As Alison and I have discussed these events we have agreed that the setting should be consistent with the condescension of Jesus in coming down to this lowly estate (see 1 Nephi 11:14--26). Also the doctrine that the "Son of Man hath descended below" all things (see D&C 122:8), that He might rise above all things. Alison's description is consistent with these gospel truths. It is the Prophet Joseph who adds an "s" on inn: " . . . there was no room for them in the inns", suggesting that they were turned away more than once, and she heavy with Child, which would be plain to see and hard to ignore, but possible. . . .
President Monson spoke of these things in December 2008: We have room for fun and games and food and frolic and gifts for each other, but we seem to have no room for Him, said the prophet. We want to highlight this point, thus our title today, "Room for Him withinn". The spelling is intentional, as a mnemonic device.
The stable scene: Alison says, "After the Savior was born amongst all the cattle litter and probably nosy onlookers, as there would have been no privacy (could this point towards another open shame in 33 years?), Joseph would have 'lifted up' the newborn Babe into the feeding trough, lifted up at birth and lifted up for death. The manger means in French, a place to eat, referring to the Savior as 'the bread of life'." We ought to note too that Bethlehem means "house of bread or flesh".
The "stable" was merely the central place in a courtyard where baggage and animals were kept so that the owners could keep an eye on them from the surrounding alcoves where they slept. Far from being a private cave or secluded spot, it would have been very public. Thus Jesus was born in the lowest of circumstances, among the litter and odors left by the animals, and for all to see.
Back to the shepherds. The angel gave them a specific sign, "Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Alison adds, "The swaddling clothes were probably strips of cloth which had the family (house of David) emblems, maybe sewn into them. . . . I think these strips of cloth were a positive sign that a King had been born, as told by the angel, and this is what the shepherd-prophets were seeking.
"I think they might have known or come to know (certainly all the wise men) that the promised Messiah/baby Jesus was of royal lineage through both His mortal parents back to King David. (The Savior is also known as David [Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23--4; 37:24--5], which name means 'Beloved'.) Also, there was probably not any other newborn babe lying in a cattle-feeding trough.
"The pieces of cloth were wrapped securely and indicated a strait, narrow, restricted, undeterred life, which was born to do the will of His Father, 'I must be about my Father's business' (see also His words in Luke 12:50)".
Elder Russell M. Nelson points out that only one word is needed in the Greek text for the five words: "wrapped him in swaddling clothes." The Greek word is "sparganoo" and carries the idea of strap or wrap tightly, straiten. We get the word spasm from this Greek word, so we see He was wrapped tightly to prevent "spasmodic contraction."
In the Book of Jasher is found an account of the sacrifice of Isaac, himself a great prototype of the Christ. The account speaks of Isaac, as an adult, fully aware of the impending sacrifice and of its significance, asking his father Abraham to bind his hands and feet so that he would not tremble, and thus defile the sacrifice! . . . Echoes . . . .
Alison concludes: "I think there is no question that all these signs point to the fact that our Savior was rejected before His birth and would be ever after. There was no room for Him in the inns and still today there is no room with-inn men's hearts."
As Alison said, so little is written down, therefore we must have the Holy Ghost to help us fill in between the lines. Good, good insights!
Do you sense that the story goes deeper than we first thought? It is not only our privilege and right to plumb the depths of this Holy Story, but it is our obligation to do so, "that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins", sins that are occasioned by the natural, fallen state we are all subjected to here below. Jesus Christ came to "make the blessings flow, / Far as the curse was found", meaning the curse associated with Adam's Fall.
Shall we discuss more on this theme next week? Let me know if it is of interest to you to do so.
Let us make room for Him withinn. . . .
Steve
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Sabbathought: The Seed of the Woman (Christmas message I)
The Christmas Story begins many eons ago in the courts of heaven when One stepped forward and said, "Here am I, send me". The One was Jehovah, the Firstborn of the Father, who was born into mortality as Jesus Christ, to be the Redeemer of all mankind.
Why was a redeemer even necessary? Because the purpose behind the plan was for mankind to become as their heavenly parents living in a fullness of joy forever. Such a result is not easily achieved. It would take a real test with real trials and real experiences. Because of their agency, many would fail and fall short of the quest. All would need a rescue from the depths of this hard experience.
Another offered himself but on his terms, easier terms, a guaranteed salvation. But such is not possible, for that would have destroyed the agency of man, and all would have been for nought.
The setting of earth life must be a veiled one, a forgetting of former glories and joys, a reduction in capacity and abilities. It would take a Fall to provide the right setting.
Thus the Creation---Fall---and subsequent Atonement become the three great doctrinal pillars of the eternal plan of our God for the salvation and joy of His children.
It is in this context that we find in Genesis chapter 3 the first earthly clue of this Redeemer, the mortal beginnings of the Christmas Story. It is in verse 15, and the key phrase is found as the Lord God curses the rebel Satan, whose scheme was rejected in the premortal council, and who has now conspired in the Garden of Eden to thwart the plan by causing the Fall of Adam and Eve.
Satan "knew not the mind of God" and that the Fall was necessary, planned, and inevitable. He thought he was frustrating the plan. Not so. The Fall was foreordained, deliberate, and preconceived as we know from the doctrine that Jesus is the Lamb prepared and "slain from [before] the foundation of the world".
In the cursing of Satan the Lord pronounces that He will put enmity [antagonism, hostility] between Satan and the woman, and between Satan's seed [followers] and her seed.
In all of the human family there is but One who can qualify as "her seed"---the seed of the woman. It is Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, of one who never knew a man before she conceived this Child. Jesus is the seed of the woman. All the rest of us are the seed of man and woman, showing that we are direct heirs of the fall of our father Adam; Jesus was not.
This is the Doctrine of Divine Sonship. It is the foundation truth of the gospel. Even the Atonement itself grows out of it. Unless Jesus is God---even the direct Son of God---conceived directly by God the Father---He could not perform the exquisite and essential atonement.
Our verse in Genesis 3 goes on to say that this seed of the woman shall bruise [crush, grind, overpower] the head of the serpent, Satan, and all the evil he stands for and sponsors.
This is the beginning of the Christmas Story. Our Christmas carols are full of this doctrine, as we shall discuss this month, as also our sacrament hymns are. It is all one story of Creation---Fall---Atonement. Because we were present in the original councils and courts on high we carry a vague memory of this story into mortality with us. This is why the human heart rejoices over the Christmas Season. The Hebrew cry, "Hosanna!"---shouted by the throngs as Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey---means "Save us now!"
We all shout in our hearts, Hosanna! Save us now! O Lord. It is difficult, though possible, to smother in the human heart these instinctive feelings. The Christmas Story kindles and emblazes them anew. A regular and humble study of the sacred word of God can eventually bring the same feeling throughout the year and years of mortality.
A final thought to summarize these doctrines: it makes all the difference whether we see ourselves as mortal beings having an occasional spiritual experience, or as eternal spirits enduring a necessary mortal experience. As we sense and grasp the doctrine it becomes more and more clear that in truth we are eternal beings, struck from the spark of our God, undergoing an often painful, but deeply purposeful mortal experience. This view gives added hope to our quest to become like Him in the end.
Happy Christmas!
Steve
Why was a redeemer even necessary? Because the purpose behind the plan was for mankind to become as their heavenly parents living in a fullness of joy forever. Such a result is not easily achieved. It would take a real test with real trials and real experiences. Because of their agency, many would fail and fall short of the quest. All would need a rescue from the depths of this hard experience.
Another offered himself but on his terms, easier terms, a guaranteed salvation. But such is not possible, for that would have destroyed the agency of man, and all would have been for nought.
The setting of earth life must be a veiled one, a forgetting of former glories and joys, a reduction in capacity and abilities. It would take a Fall to provide the right setting.
Thus the Creation---Fall---and subsequent Atonement become the three great doctrinal pillars of the eternal plan of our God for the salvation and joy of His children.
It is in this context that we find in Genesis chapter 3 the first earthly clue of this Redeemer, the mortal beginnings of the Christmas Story. It is in verse 15, and the key phrase is found as the Lord God curses the rebel Satan, whose scheme was rejected in the premortal council, and who has now conspired in the Garden of Eden to thwart the plan by causing the Fall of Adam and Eve.
Satan "knew not the mind of God" and that the Fall was necessary, planned, and inevitable. He thought he was frustrating the plan. Not so. The Fall was foreordained, deliberate, and preconceived as we know from the doctrine that Jesus is the Lamb prepared and "slain from [before] the foundation of the world".
In the cursing of Satan the Lord pronounces that He will put enmity [antagonism, hostility] between Satan and the woman, and between Satan's seed [followers] and her seed.
In all of the human family there is but One who can qualify as "her seed"---the seed of the woman. It is Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, of one who never knew a man before she conceived this Child. Jesus is the seed of the woman. All the rest of us are the seed of man and woman, showing that we are direct heirs of the fall of our father Adam; Jesus was not.
This is the Doctrine of Divine Sonship. It is the foundation truth of the gospel. Even the Atonement itself grows out of it. Unless Jesus is God---even the direct Son of God---conceived directly by God the Father---He could not perform the exquisite and essential atonement.
Our verse in Genesis 3 goes on to say that this seed of the woman shall bruise [crush, grind, overpower] the head of the serpent, Satan, and all the evil he stands for and sponsors.
This is the beginning of the Christmas Story. Our Christmas carols are full of this doctrine, as we shall discuss this month, as also our sacrament hymns are. It is all one story of Creation---Fall---Atonement. Because we were present in the original councils and courts on high we carry a vague memory of this story into mortality with us. This is why the human heart rejoices over the Christmas Season. The Hebrew cry, "Hosanna!"---shouted by the throngs as Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey---means "Save us now!"
We all shout in our hearts, Hosanna! Save us now! O Lord. It is difficult, though possible, to smother in the human heart these instinctive feelings. The Christmas Story kindles and emblazes them anew. A regular and humble study of the sacred word of God can eventually bring the same feeling throughout the year and years of mortality.
A final thought to summarize these doctrines: it makes all the difference whether we see ourselves as mortal beings having an occasional spiritual experience, or as eternal spirits enduring a necessary mortal experience. As we sense and grasp the doctrine it becomes more and more clear that in truth we are eternal beings, struck from the spark of our God, undergoing an often painful, but deeply purposeful mortal experience. This view gives added hope to our quest to become like Him in the end.
Happy Christmas!
Steve
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)