| Greater Things : Books : VISION OF ALL : |
Includes:
Chapter 5. First Gathering of the House of Israel
Chapter 6. Second Gathering of the House of Israel
Chapter 7. Again the Second Time
First Gathering of the House of Israel
The history in the beginning of the Book of Mormon (First Nephi through Omni), holds many similarities to the first gathering of the House of Israel as well as to their later apostasy from the Lord. Familiar is the story of the captive children of Israel's deliverance from Egypt, their prolonged journey through the wilderness to the promised land, their building a temple, a divided kingdom, their gradual apostasy, and eventual scattering. Likewise, the Lehites were delivered from a wicked city, journeyed through the wilderness, were led to the promised land of America, built a temple, and saw their kingdom divided into Nephites and Lamanites. They too became stiffnecked after many years of prosperity and entered into a period of relative darkness (in the book of Omni).
Establishment of a
Covenant Land and People
Pillars of Fire and Burning Bushes
Book of Mormon history begins with the Lord commanding the prophet Lehi to "take his family and depart into the wilderness" to escape the pending destruction of Jerusalem. (1 Ne. 2:2.) When the Lord called Lehi, "there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much." (1 Ne. 1:6.) Shortly after that, while pondering upon these things, another vision was opened to him in which he "saw God sitting upon his throne." (1 Ne. 1:8; Alma 36:22.) These things are reminiscent of when "...the angel of the Lord appeared unto [Moses] in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush...." (Exo. 3:2.) Moses, hiding his face, being "afraid to look upon God," received a commission to deliver the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. (Exo. 3:6-8.) Thus, both of these holy men fit the ordained pattern: "If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision.... With him will I speak mouth to mouth..., and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold...." (Num. 12:6,8.)
Another likeness we find is that both the Lehites' and the Israelites' crossing a body of water marked their entrance into the wilderness: the river Laman in the Lehite's case and the Red Sea for the Israelites. (1 Ne. 16:12; parallel Neh. 9:11.) Further in their journey, both groups' entrance into their respective promised lands were also marked by the crossing of a body of water — this time an ocean for the Lehites and the river Jordan for the Israelites. (1 Ne. 17:8,14; parallel 1 Ne. 17:32.) This pattern is chiastic: A.sea B.river (Israelites); versus B.river, A.sea (Lehites).
For our benefit, speaking to his complaining brothers, in a single chapter Nephi documents at least twenty-five parallels between his family's exodus and that of the children of Isreal, concluding, "Ye are like unto them." (1 Ne. 17:44.) These are shown in Appendix B, where his statements are separated into two columns for ease of comparison. The first part of the chapter, in which Nephi is speaking about events pertaining to his family's exodus, is listed in the left-hand column. The next part of the chapter, in which Nephi gives a discourse on the exodus of the children of Israel, is listed in the right-hand column.
Go to Appendix B.
Once in the wilderness, the Lord provided miraculous means for both groups to survive. He fed the children of Israel with manna, and he caused water to come forth from a rock that they "might quench their thirst." (1 Ne. 17:28,29; compare Neh. 9:15.) He enabled Lehi's people to live upon raw meat, causing it to become sweet. Therefore, they were able to "bear their journeyings without murmurings." (1 Ne. 17:3,2; compare Deut. 2:7.)
The Lord told Lehi's group, "...a.I will...be your light in the wilderness...; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments b.ye shall be led towards the promised land.... After ye have arrived in the promised land, c.ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God; and that I, the Lord, did d.deliver you from destruction; yea, that I did bring you out of the land of Jerusalem."
(1 Ne. 17:13,14.) The wording in this verse is amazingly similar to what the Lord told the children of Israel. (Subscript letters signal corresponding elements.) He said, "I will take you to me for a people, and a.I will be to you a God: and c.ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which d.bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And b.I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob...." (Exo. 6:7,8.)The sequence of concepts in these two mirroring and closely worded accounts is actually chiastic. See 1 Nephi 17:13,14 = Exodus 6:7,8 Chiasm.
Obstacles and Murmurings
In both cases, the entrance into the promised land appeared impeded by what seemed an insurmountable barrier. To the Lehites, it was the building of a sufficient ship to cross the ocean. "Thou canst not accomplish so great a work," Nephi's brothers protested. (1 Ne. 17:19.) To the Israelites, it was the report of giants in the land. "We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we." (Num. 13:31.) Adding to the list of parallels, Nephi's report of his brothers murmering (still mainly from chapter 17) is virtually identical to Moses' account of the children of Israel's complaints at that time.
Notwithstanding the many blessings God poured out, ironically, their cries were loudest when they were nearest their destinations. Nephi's brothers wanted to return to Jerusalem. They grumbled, "...Our women have toiled...and suffered all things..., and it would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem...."
(1 Ne. 17:20; 16:36) Similarly, the children of Israel murmured, "Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt!" (Num. 14:2.) They claimed, "the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey," and they wanted to return to Egypt. (Num. 14:3,4.)These complaints are compared in 1 Ne. 16:36,37; 17:19-21 (Nephites) = Num. 14:2-5 (Israelites) Parallel. Might these ten parellels signify the "ten times" that the children of Israel had "tempted" God to destroy them because of their rebellion and hardheartedness? (Numb. 13:22; see also Deut. 10:4; 9:17.) Had it not been for Moses' intercession on their behalf, they would have been cut off then and there. (Num. 13:19,12.) Nephi was similarly pained for his brothers, saying, "I fear lest ye shall be cast off forever." (1 Ne. 17:47.)
Previous Inhabitants of Land Destroyed
Another likeness we notice between the two histories is that in both cases the Lord destroyed the previous inhabitants of the land to make way for the in-coming group. He swept them away because they "had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them...." (1 Ne. 17:35; Deut. 9:4; compare Omni 1:22; Jacob 5:44.)
"And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked. And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes." (1 Ne. 17:37,38.)
That is the focal statement of a fairly large chiasm that covers the middle of this important chapter of 1 Nephi 17. (See 1 Nephi 17:30-42 Chiasm; expanded from Appendix A which gives an overview of the basic chiastic structure of 1 Nephi 17.) Placing this statement at the center highlights this theme of not only this chapter but of all scripture. (Compare Jeremiah 18:6-10.) Considering this fact ought to sober us as we contemplate our contemporary wickedness on this land of America and the promises of God to a remnant of Israel to whom it will be given in our stead.
In both the Lehites' and the Israelites' case, the Lord destroyed the previous inhabitants of the land to make way for the in-coming nation. The Jaredites "cumbered" the ground prior to the Lehites' arrival, hence "the severity of the Lord fell upon them according to his judgments, which are just...." (Jacob 5:44; Omni 1:22.)
Admonitions at the Brink of the Promised Land
In this same chapter of 1 Nephi 17, as they standing at the brink of the ocean that separates them from the promised land of America, Nephi comments about the principles surrounding the children of Israel going into the land of promise. Moses gave a similar commentary the day before the children of Israel crossed over Jordan. Cataloging further the list of parallels, their words harmonize to the minutest detail, and the differences synthesize a synergism of meaning.
See I Nephi 17:32-35,40,41 = Deuteronomy 9:1-7 Parallel.
Once in their promised lands, the experiences of the Lehites and the Israelites continued to resemble one another. For example, each basked in a period of great prosperity as the Lord poured out great blessings upon them. (1 Ne. 18:24; compare Josh. 23:14.) Each built a magnificent temple to the Lord. (2 Ne. 5:16; compare 2 Sam. 7:5.) Both nations desired to have a king, contrary to the wishes of their prophet-leader. (2 Ne. 5:18; compare 1 Sam. 10:19; 12:17.) Also, both of their kingdoms were eventually divided. In Book of Mormon history, the Nephites and the Lamanites emerged as two separate groups during this time. (2 Ne. 5:5,6.) In Biblical history, the tribes of Israel split to form the northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms. (1 Kgs. 12.)
| < Previous | GT home | VISION OF ALL - home | Contents | Next > |
Page last updated on November 04, 2007
|
LinkExchange contents not necessarily endorsed by Greater Things |
|
|
