Exodus 20

The Lord spake the words -

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."  (Old Testament | Exodus 20:8 - 11)

What did He mean by keeping it holy?  In modern day, the Lord instructed -

"Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
9 And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;
10 For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;
11 Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times;
12 But remember that on this, the Lord's day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.
13 And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.
14 Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer."  (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 59:8 - 14)

I believe the word "fasting" in this revelation is more in reference to fasting or avoiding those things that we do six days of the week that are not considered spiritual in nature.

The promise of obedience is, or the if...then is -

"....that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
18 Yea, all things which come of the earth..."  (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 59:16 - 18)

Isaiah also explained the blessings of keeping the Sabbath day holy -

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."  (Old Testament | Isaiah 58:13 - 14)

In my mind, "ride upon the high places" would suggest having an eternal perspective and the heritage of Jacob would be the promises of exaltation and becoming a great nation.

Exodus 19

The Lord said to the children of Israel -

"Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine..."  (Old Testament | Exodus 19:4 - 5)

Herein, we see the very core of covenants being if...then.  And the people promised -

"...All that the LORD hath spoken we will do."  (Old Testament | Exodus 19:8)

I'm sure that this is the same promise we made in our first estate.  Thus the Lord then speaks and commands -

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."  (Old Testament | Exodus 20:3 - 6)

In my mind, these two commandments are really one whereby the first and greatest commandment is -

"...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him."  (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 59:5)

When we contemplate "love the Lord thy God", "no other gods", not " any graven image", this means keeping the commandments.  President Spencer W. Kimball wrote -

“The idolatry we are most concerned with here is the conscious worshipping of still other gods. Some are of metal and plush and chrome, of wood and stone and fabrics. They are not in the image of God or of man, but are developed to give man comfort and enjoyment, to satisfy his wants, ambitions, passions and desires. Some are in no physical form at all, but are intangible….

“Modern idols or false gods can take such forms as clothes, homes, businesses, machines, automobiles, pleasure boats, and numerous other material deflectors from the path to god-hood. What difference does it make that the item concerned is not shaped like an idol? Brigham Young said: ‘I would as soon see a man worshipping a little god made of brass or of wood as to see him worshipping his property’ [Journal of Discourses, 6: 196].

“Intangible things make just as ready gods. Degrees and letters and titles can become idols. Many young men decide to attend college when they should be on missions first. The degree, and the wealth and the security which come through it, appear so desirable that the mission takes second place. Some neglect Church service through their college years, feeling to give preference to the secular training and ignoring the spiritual covenants they have made.

“Many people build and furnish a home and buy the automobile first— and then find they ‘cannot afford’ to pay tithing. Whom do they worship? Certainly not the Lord of heaven and earth, for we serve whom we love and give first consideration to the object of our affection and desires. Young married couples who postpone parenthood until their degrees are attained might be shocked if their expressed preference were labeled idolatry. Their rationalization gives them degrees at the expense of children. Is it a justifiable exchange? Whom do they love and worship— themselves or God? Other couples, recognizing that life is not intended primarily for comforts, ease, and luxuries, complete their educations while they move forward with full lives, having their children and giving Church and community service.

“Many worship the hunt, the fishing trip, the vacation, the weekend picnics and outings. Others have as their idols the games of sport, baseball, football, the bullfight, or golf. These pursuits more often than not interfere with the worship of the Lord and with giving service to the building up of the kingdom of God. To the participants this emphasis may not seem serious, yet it indicates where their allegiance and loyalty are.

“Still another image men worship is that of power and prestige. Many will trample underfoot the spiritual and often the ethical values in their climb to success. These gods of power, wealth, and influence are most demanding and are quite as real as the golden calves of the children of Israel in the wilderness.” (Miracle of Forgiveness, pages 40– 42

"...All that the LORD hath spoken we will do..."  (Old Testament | Exodus 19:8)

Exodus 18

As Moses's father-in-law, Jethro, a high priest in Midian, heard all the God had done for Moses and the children of Israel, he came to visit him while they were encamped at the "mount of God".  I'm sure Moses was thrilled has he brought his wife and children with him for we know Moses had sent them back home with all that was going on in Egypt.

It is with Jethro's visit that we learn the wisdom of delegation for as Jethro observed that -

"...Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening."  (Old Testament | Exodus 18:13)

And then -

"...when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone."  (Old Testament | Exodus 18:14 - 18)

It is herein that Jethro teaches Moses great wisdom, counseling -

"Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace."  (Old Testament | Exodus 18:19 - 23)

I specifically note Jethro's counsel..."if thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee".  Obviously, Jethro understood that Moses was to follow the inspiration and guidance of the Lord in all matters.

Moses must have been humble and teachable as he -

 "...hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said."  (Old Testament | Exodus 18:24)

We read in modern day instruction -

Delegate Responsibility and Ensure Accountability

Individual leaders cannot and should not do everything themselves. Leaders who try to do too much will “surely wear away” (Exodus 18:18), and so will the people they serve. Leaders should delegate service opportunities to others, such as counselors, clerks, and members of councils or committees.

Delegation includes more than giving someone an assignment. It includes the following elements:

• Explaining the purposes of the assignment, suggesting ways it could be done, and explaining when it should be completed. The assigned person should understand and accept accountability to perform the assignment and report on it.
  
• Keeping a written record of the assignment and checking progress from time to time.
              
• Respecting the assigned person’s efforts to develop plans and fulfill the assignment. Leaders provide encouragement and assistance as needed.


• Asking the person to report back about the assignment. After receiving the report, the leader accepts the person’s best efforts and expresses appreciation for the good things the person has done.

What great lessons we can learn in the Old Testament.

Exodus 16

As the children of Israel murmured -

"...Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger."  (Old Testament | Exodus 16:3)

In all patience, knowing that the Israelites had to be taught basic principles of faith and obedience -

"...said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no."  (Old Testament | Exodus 16:4)

And so the Lord promised -

"...This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full..."  (Old Testament | Exodus 16:8)

But the condition was thus -

"...Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents."  (Old Testament | Exodus 16:16)

"...it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.  (Old Testament | Exodus 16:5)

And as promised -

"...it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was."  (Old Testament | Exodus 16:13 - 15)

Obviously there was a process of learning obedience for  -

"Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted."  (Old Testament | Exodus 16:20 - 21)

As I read of the conditions and blessings given to the children of Israel as they obeyed, I couldn't help but think of the law of tithing where the Savior taught -

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it."  (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 24:10)

I believe this law of obedience is not much different.  It seems as we continue to live the law of tithing, we are blessed with daily temporal and spiritual food and blessings.  It may not be as evident as manna, but as we look back we will see small but continual blessings poured out upon us as we obey.

Exodus 13

In modern day, the Lord promised us -

"Behold, I will go before you and be your rearward..."  (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 49:27)

Even -

"...I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left..."
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 84:88)

As the children of Israel followed the prophet Moses, we read -

"...the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people."  (Old Testament | Exodus 13:21 - 22)

I personally believe these two pillars are one of the same.  The cloud to protect the people from His glory in the day, and His glory permeating forth through the cloud at night.

It appears as we follow His designated prophet, I believe there will always be evidence that the Lord is leading us.  We also see that as the Israelites approached the Red Sea -

"...the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night."  (Old Testament | Exodus 14:19 - 20)

His promises are the same today and they were anciently, if we follow the prophet.

Exodus 12

The Lord instructed Moses -

"Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire."  (Old Testament | Exodus 12:3 - 10)

And -

"...thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover.
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever."  (Old Testament | Exodus 12:11 - 14)

The Lord made it clear that this was a "token" and "ordinance" and was to be kept "for ever" or until He said it's purpose was fulfilled.  As one ponders the instructions of the Lord, you can see that it all points to the atonement of Jesus Christ for -

"...this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal."  (Book of Mormon | Alma 34:14)

 I believe the children of Israel understood this.  I could go through each point of these instructions to point out similarities, but rather, I will enter the comments of Elder Bruce R. McConkie -

“At the time appointed for their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, the Lord commanded each family in Israel to sacrifice a lamb, to sprinkle its blood on their doorposts, and then to eat unleavened bread for seven more days— all to symbolize the fact that the destroying angel would pass over the Israelites as he went forth slaying the firstborn in the families of all the Egyptians; and also to show that, in haste, Israel should go forth from slavery to freedom. As a pattern for all the Mosaic instructions yet to come, the details of the performances here involved were so arranged as to bear testimony both of Israel's deliverance and of her Deliverer. Among other procedures, the Lord commanded, as found in Exodus 12:

“1. ‘Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year,’ signifying that the Lamb of God, pure and perfect, without spot or blemish, in the prime of his life, as the Paschal Lamb, would be slain for the sins of the world.

“2. They were to take of the blood of the lamb and sprinkle it upon the doorposts of their houses, having this promise as a result: ‘And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you,’ signifying that the blood of Christ, which should fall as drops in Gethsemane and flow in a stream from a pierced side as he hung on the cross, would cleanse and save the faithful; and that, as those in Israel were saved temporally because the blood of a sacrificial lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts of their houses, so the faithful of all ages would wash their garments in the blood of the Eternal Lamb and from him receive an eternal salvation. And may we say that as the angel of death passed by the families of Israel because of their faith— as Paul said of Moses, ‘through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them’ (Heb. 11: 28)— even so shall the Angel of Life give eternal life to all those who rely on the blood of the Lamb.

“3. As to the sacrifice of the lamb, the decree was, ‘Neither shall ye break a bone thereof,’ signifying that when the Lamb of God was sacrificed on the cross, though they broke the legs of the two thieves to induce death, yet they brake not the bones of the Crucified One ‘that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.’ (John 19: 31– 36.)

“4. As to the eating the flesh of the sacrificial lamb, the divine word was, ‘No uncircumcised person shall eat thereof,’ signifying that the blessings of the gospel are reserved for those who come into the fold of Israel, who join the Church, who carry their part of the burden in bearing off the kingdom; signifying also that those who eat his flesh and drink his blood, as he said, shall have eternal life and he will raise them up at the last day. (John 6: 54.)

“5. As ‘the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt’ because they believed not the word of the Lord delivered to them by Moses and Aaron, even so should the Firstborn of the Father, who brings life to all who believe in his holy name, destroy worldly people at the last day, destroy all those who are in the Egypt of darkness, whose hearts are hardened as were those of Pharaoh and his minions.

“6. On the first and seventh days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Israelites were commanded to hold holy convocations in which no work might be done except the preparation of their food. These were occasions for preaching and explaining and exhorting and testifying. We go sacrament meetings to be built up in faith and in testimony. Ancient Israel attended holy convocations for the same purposes. Knowing that all things operate by faith, would it be amiss to draw the conclusion that it is as easy for us to look to Christ and his spilt blood for eternal salvation as it was for them of old to look to the blood of the sacrificed lamb, sprinkled on doorposts, to give temporal salvation, when the angel of death swept through the land of Egypt?

“It was, of course, while Jesus and the Twelve were keeping the Feast of the Passover that our Lord instituted the ordinance of the sacrament, to serve essentially the same purposes served by the sacrifices of the preceding four millenniums. After that final Passover day and its attendant lifting up upon the cross of the true Paschal Lamb, the day for the proper celebration of the ancient feast ceased. After that Paul was able to say: ‘Christ our passover is sacrificed for us,’ and to give the natural exhortation that flowed therefrom: ‘Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.’ (1 Cor. 5: 7– 8.)” (The Promised Messiah, pages 429– 31)

Exodus 7

As Moses was commanded to perform a miracle before Pharaoh -

"...Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods."  (Old Testament | Exodus 7:10 - 12)

Obviously then, Satan and his Legions have the capacity to perform miracles in order to deceive for John saw -

"For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world..."  (New Testament | Revelation 16:14)

President Joseph Fielding Smith taught -

“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. One of the most striking examples of this is recorded in Exodus, where Pharaoh called ‘the wise men and the sorcerers’ who duplicated some of the miracles the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron to perform. When Aaron threw down his rod, it became a serpent. The Egyptian magicians threw down their rods, and they also became serpents….

“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]. If Satan has power to bind the bodies, he surely must have power to loose them. 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.” (Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 1: 176, 178.)

But, the power of God or the priesthood is greater than the powers of Satan where "Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods" and will always be greater when exercised.  Mormon taught -

"For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.
17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him."  (Book of Mormon | Moroni 7:16 - 17)

Miracles performed by Satan will only bring darkness.

Exodus 3

As Moses was called to deliver Israel from bondage, he responded as so many of us would -

"...Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"  (Old Testament | Exodus 3:11)

For the last 40 years he had just been a shepherd.  Obviously, in this little pressure lifestyle, I'm sure he had become quite complacent in his leadership skills.  But the Lord answered -

"...Certainly I will be with thee..."  (Old Testament | Exodus 3:12)

Accepting any calling requires a great deal of faith that He will be us.  But it is always interesting, as we look back, we can always see the hand of the Lord in our callings and that He really has been with us even though it may have not necessarily seemed that way all the time.

I was also impressed as the Lord told Moses -

"...I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them."  (Old Testament | Exodus 3:7 - 9)

And then He adds -

"Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt..."  (Old Testament | Exodus 3:16)

In these words, the Lord declared that He had visited them where they obviously were unaware of.  I wonder how many times in our life as we plead in prayer for his blessings that He literally visits us and we know it not.

Exodus 3

As we study the beginning of the Book of Exodus, we are told little of his childhood training by his mother.  Though Moses spends 40 years as a shepherd with the family of Jethro,  Moses spends little time of his training there.  But what we as Latter-day saints know is that Moses received a great deal of divine teaching and training for his mission to free the children of Israel from bondage.  It is in the Book of Moses where we learn what Moses experienced and was taught.  This training seemed to follow his calling after his visit with the Lord in the burning bush for we read from Moses record -

"And he also gave me commandments when he called unto me out of the burning bush, saying: Call upon God in the name of mine Only Begotten, and worship me."  (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 1:17)

Adding -

"And calling upon the name of God, he beheld his glory again, for it was upon him; and he heard a voice, saying: Blessed art thou, Moses, for I, the Almighty, have chosen thee, and thou shalt be made stronger than many waters; for they shall obey thy command as if thou wert God.
26 And lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days; for thou shalt deliver my people from bondage, even Israel my chosen."  (Pearl of Great Price | Moses 1:25 - 26)

Do receive a greater understanding of the spiritual and personal training of Moses, one should read his experience in the 1st Chapter of Moses and following chapters as Moses learns of the creation and his forefathers.

Exodus 2

As Moses begins the record of his life, he provides very little detail of the first 80 years of his life.  What I find interesting is that upon the Pharaoh's daughter finding Moses, is the Josephus writes -

"Thermuthis was the king's daughter. She was now diverting herself by the banks of the river; and seeing a cradle borne along by the current, she sent some that could swim, and bid them bring the cradle to her. When those that were sent on this errand came to her with the cradle, and she saw the little child, she was greatly in love with it, on account of its largeness and beauty; for God had taken such great care in the formation of Moses, that he caused him to be thought worthy of bringing up, and providing for, by all those that had taken the most fatal resolutions, on account of the dread of his nativity, for the destruction of the rest of the Hebrew nation. Thermuthis bid them bring her a woman that might afford her breast to the child; yet would not the child admit of her breast, but turned away from it, and did the like to many other women. Now Miriam was by when this happened, not to appear to be there on purpose, but only as staying to see the child; and she said, “It is in vain that thou, O queen, callest for these women for the nourishing of the child, who are no way of kin to it; but still, if thou wilt order one of the Hebrew women to be brought, perhaps it may admit the breast of one of its own nation.” Now since she seemed to speak well, Thermuthis bid her procure such a one, and to bring one of those Hebrew women that gave suck. So when she had such authority given her, she came back and brought the mother, who was known to nobody there. And now the child gladly admitted the breast, and seemed to stick close to it; and so it was, that, at the queen's desire, the nursing of the child was entirely intrusted to the mother." (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 2, chapter 9, paragraph 5).

Of this same even, Moses writes of his mother that -

"...Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son..."  (Old Testament | Exodus 2:9 - 10)

It seems apparent to me that Moses's parents had sufficient time to teach Moses about Jehovah and the covenants of his fathers.

I also thought it was interesting a dream that Moses's father had concerning Moses as recorded by Josephus -

“3. A man whose name was Amram, one of the nobler sort of the Hebrews, was afraid for his whole nation, lest it should fail, by the want of young men to be brought up hereafter, and was very uneasy at it, his wife being then with child, and he knew not what to do. Hereupon he betook himself to prayer to God; and entreated him to have compassion on those men who had nowise transgressed the laws of his worship, and to afford them deliverance from the miseries they at that time endured, and to render abortive their enemies’ hopes of the destruction of their nation. Accordingly God had mercy on him, and was moved by his supplication. He stood by him in his sleep, and exhorted him not to despair of his future favors. He said further, that he did not forget their piety towards him, and would always reward them for it, as he had formerly granted his favor to their forefathers, and made them increase from a few to so great a multitude. He put him in mind, that when Abraham was come alone out of Mesopotamia into Canaan, he had been made happy, not only in other respects, but that when his wife was at first barren, she was afterwards by him enabled to conceive seed, and bare him sons. That he left to Ismael and to his posterity the country of Arabia; as also to his sons by Ketura, Troglodytis; and to Isaac, Canaan. That by my assistance, said he, he did great exploits in war, which, unless you be yourselves impious, you must still remember. As for Jacob, he became well known to strangers also, by the greatness of that prosperity in which he lived, and left to his sons, who came into Egypt with no more than seventy souls, while you are now become above six hundred thousand. Know therefore that I shall provide for you all in common what is for your good, and particularly for thyself what shall make thee famous; for that child, out of dread of whose nativity the Egyptians have doomed the Israelite children to destruction, shall be this child of thine, and shall be concealed from those who watch to destroy him: and when he is brought up in a surprising way, he shall deliver the Hebrew nation from the distress they are under from the Egyptians. His memory shall be famous while the world lasts; and this not only among the Hebrews, but foreigners also:— all which shall be the effect of my favor to thee, and to thy posterity. He shall also have such a brother, that he shall himself obtain my priesthood, and his posterity shall have it after him to the end of the world.

“4. When the vision had informed him of these things, Amram awaked and told it to Jochebed who was his wife. And now the fear increased upon them on account of the prediction in Amram's dream; for they were under concern, not only for the child, but on account of the great happiness that was to come to him also. However, the mother's labor was such as afforded a confirmation to what was foretold by God; for it was not known to those that watched her, by the easiness of her pains, and because the throes of her delivery did not fall upon her with violence. And now they nourished the child at home privately for three months; but after that time Amram, fearing he should be discovered, and, by falling under the king's displeasure, both he and his child should perish, and so he should make the promise of God of none effect, he determined rather to trust the safety and care of the child to God, than to depend on his own concealment of him, which he looked upon as a thing uncertain, and whereby both the child, so privately to be nourished, and himself should be in imminent danger; but he believed that God would some way for certain procure the safety of the child, in order to secure the truth of his own predictions. When they had thus determined, they made an ark of bulrushes, after the manner of a cradle, and of a bigness sufficient for an infant to be laid in, without being too straitened: they then daubed it over with slime, which would naturally keep out the water from entering between the bulrushes, and put the infant into it, and setting it afloat upon the river, they left its preservation to God; so the river received the child, and carried him along. But Miriam, the child's sister, passed along upon the bank over against him, as her mother had bid her, to see whither the ark would be carried, where God demonstrated that human wisdom was nothing, but that the Supreme Being is able to do whatsoever he pleases: that those who, in order to their own security, condemn others to destruction, and use great endeavors about it, fail of their purpose; but that others are in a surprising manner preserved, and obtain a prosperous condition almost from the very midst of their calamities; those, I mean, whose dangers arise by the appointment of God. And, indeed, such a providence was exercised in the case of this child, as showed the power of God. (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 2, chapter 9, paragraph 3-4).

Exodus 1

Having settled in the land of Goshen, Moses writes of the posterity of Israel -

"And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them."  (Old Testament | Exodus 1:7)

The family of Jacob that settled Goshen was about 70 individuals.  After a few hundred years, they were now considered a serious threat to Pharaoh and the people.  The covenant made with Jacob just as his fathers that their posterity would be as the sands of the sea or the stars of heaven.  It appears to me that it was always the intention of the Lord to have them settle for a period in the fertile area of Goshen instead of the volatile area of Canaan where there was much conflict.  It was in Goshen that Israel was established to eventually become a great nation.  Is it any wonder Joseph, in a sence prophecied -

"...God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance."  (Old Testament | Genesis 45:7)

Genesis 50

As the Prophet Joseph Smith was concluding his translation of the Bible (JST), he added much more to the prophesies of Joseph to his brethren.  I would assume that this was had at the time of Moses wrote his record for much of this prophecy was had in the plates of Laban (or Book of Mormon).  But whether Joseph Smith received this additional material by revelation, not being had previously or not, it does not matter to me other than I find it inspirational as he adds ( included the bracketed comments by David J Ridges for additional information from whom I retrieved the translation) -

"And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die, and go unto my fathers; and I go down to my grave with joy. The God of father Jacob be with you, to deliver you out of affliction in the days of your bondage; for the Lord hath visited me, and I have obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of my loins, the Lord God will raise up a righteous branch out of my loins; and unto thee, whom my father Jacob hath named Israel, a prophet; (not the Messiah who is called Shilo;) and this prophet [Moses] shall deliver my people out of Egypt in the days of thy bondage.
25 And it shall come to pass that they shall be scattered again; and a branch shall be broken off, and shall be carried into a far country; nevertheless they shall be remembered in the covenants of the Lord, when the Messiah cometh; for he shall be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the Spirit of power; and shall bring them out of darkness into light; out of hidden darkness, and out of captivity unto freedom.
26 A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins.
27 Thus saith the Lord God of my fathers unto me, A choice seer [Joseph Smith] will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins, and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins; and unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren.
28 And he shall bring them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers [the ancestors of Joseph in Egypt, including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]; and he [Joseph Smith] shall do whatsoever work I shall command him.
29 And I will make him [Joseph Smith] great in mine eyes, for he shall do my work; and he shall be great like unto him [Moses] whom I have said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of Israel, out of the land of Egypt; for a seer [Moses] will I raise up to deliver my people out of the land of Egypt; and he shall be called Moses. And by this name he shall know that he is of thy house; for he shall be nursed by the king’s daughter, and shall be called her son.
30 And again, a seer [Joseph Smith] will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins [Joseph Smith will be a descendant of Joseph in Egypt], and unto him will I give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins; and not to the bringing forth of my word only, saith the Lord, but to the convincing them of my word [the Bible], which shall have already gone forth among them in the last days;
31 Wherefore the fruit of thy loins shall write [the Book of Mormon], and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write [the Bible]; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah [the Book of Mormon and the Bible], shall grow together unto the confounding of false doctrines, and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to a knowledge of their fathers in the latter days; and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.
32 And out of weakness shall he [Joseph Smith] be made strong, in that day when my work shall go forth among all my people, which shall restore them, who are of the house of Israel, in the last days.
33 And that seer [Joseph Smith Jr.] will I bless, and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded [those who seek to destroy his work will not succeed]; for this promise I give unto you; for I will remember you from generation to generation; and his name shall be called Joseph [Joseph Smith Jr.], and it shall be after the name of his father [his father will also be named Joseph]; and he shall be like unto you; for the thing which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand shall bring my people unto salvation.
34 And the Lord sware unto [covenanted with] Joseph that he would preserve his seed for ever, saying, I will raise up Moses, and a rod shall be in his hand, and he shall gather together my people, and he shall lead them as a flock, and he shall smite the waters of the Red Sea with his rod.
35 And he shall have judgment, and shall write the word of the Lord [Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy]. And he shall not speak many words, for I will write unto him my law by the finger of mine own hand [the Ten Commandments tablets]. And I will make a spokesman for him, and his name shall be called Aaron."  (JST - Genesis 50: 24-35)

I wonder if this is had in some old record like the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Genesis 48

It is apparent that Joseph received the birthright which includes that right of double an inheritance as Jacob adopts Joseph's sons a his own saying -

"...now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

6 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance."  (Old Testament | Genesis 48:5 - 6)

Thus there now seems to be 13 tribes of Israel.  The importance of this becomes more apparent in the JST where we read -

6 And thy issue which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance, in the tribes; therefore they were called the tribes of Manasseh and of Ephraim.
7 And Jacob said unto Joseph, When the God of my fathers appeared unto me in Luz, in the land of Canaan; he sware unto me, that he would give unto me, and unto my seed, the land for an everlasting possession.
8 Therefore, O my son, he hath blessed me in raising thee up to be a servant unto me, in saving my house from death;
9 In delivering my people, thy brethren, from famine which was sore in the land; wherefore the God of thy fathers shall bless thee, and the fruit of thy loins, that they shall be blessed above thy brethren, and above thy father’s house;
10 For thou hast prevailed, and thy father’s house hath bowed down unto thee, even as it was shown unto thee, before thou wast sold into Egypt by the hands of thy brethren; wherefore thy brethren shall bow down unto thee, from generation to generation, unto the fruit of thy loins forever;
11 For thou shalt be a light unto my people, to deliver them in the days of their captivity, from bondage; and to bring salvation unto them, when they are altogether  bowed down under sin."  (JST - Genesis 48:6-11)

I will note the great responsibility of these two birthright tribes in verse 11 in that they are to deliver the people and bring salvation to the people in the latter days.

We learn why the posterity of Ephraim was to take the lead in this great work for as -

Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.
14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 ¶ And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day.
16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.
18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh."  (Old Testament | Genesis 48:12 - 20)

The responsibility of Ephraim then was to take the lead in the work of salvation.

Genesis 45

In support of my blog yesterday, I note the change in Judah as he speaks in private with Joseph -

"...Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.
19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
20 And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.
21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
22 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.
23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
26 And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.
27 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:
28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:
29 And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;
31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.
32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.
33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father."  (Old Testament | Genesis 44:18 - 34)

Definitely sounds like a mighty change of heart.

As Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, he makes a profound statement saying -

"...I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life."  (Old Testament | Genesis 45:4 - 5)

Where the world would want revenge, Joseph was forgiving and looked at life from an eternal perspective.  The Lord has provided in scripture many "types" of the plan of salvation.  Is this not a type of the Savior where upon our failures in life, he stands as one to preserve eternal life.

Genesis 42

Several days ago, I blogged about the unrighteousness of many of the sons of Jacob.  I know our Father in Heaven loves all his children and gives every opportunity to repent. 

What I find interesting is of the story of Joseph in Egypt and his brothers visit to Egypt because of the great famine in the land.  It is after we are told that after Joseph apparently accused his brothers of being spies (intentionally), the his brothers spoke among themselves in their own language as -

"they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required."  (Old Testament | Genesis 42:21 - 22)

These words must have sounded quite remorseful and sorrowful for -

"...they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.
24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept..."  (Old Testament | Genesis 42:23 - 24)

Maybe having been greatly humbled because of the famine as well as knowing their father suffered, and maybe because they were older and wiser, Joseph's brethren were in the process of Godly sorrow and repentance.

There is some evidence and Simeon seems to willing to be held as collateral.  We also see evidence as -

"...Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again."  (Old Testament | Genesis 42:37)

As well as Judah as he stepped forward saying -

"...I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:"  (Old Testament | Genesis 43:9)

These comments suggest that they may be repentant and willing to take responsibility for their actions.

Genesis 41

As we read the story of Joseph interpreting the dreams of Pharoah, I find to things that caught my attention.  First, as -

"...Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh."  (Old Testament | Genesis 41:14)

This may not seem like a big deal but I would expect that one that had been in prison for sometime having built some animosity to those that put him there, would make no effort to change his appearance...in other words, look at what you have done to me.  But Joseph seemed different.  Over and over he had taken opportunities to elevate himself.  Thus, "he shaved himself, and changed his raiment".  This must have really impressed Pharaoh, seeing his commitment to show respect.

The second is his humble nature for as -

"...Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.
16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace." (Old Testament | Genesis 41:15 - 16)

Joseph clearly understood that this was a gift of the Spirit and acknowledge that taking no credit to himself.  This is a good practice as we serve in any of our callings.

 

Genesis 39

I find it interesting that as a slave -

"...the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
6 And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured."  (Old Testament | Genesis 39:2 - 6)

And later as a prisoner -

"...the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper."  (Old Testament | Genesis 39:21 - 23)

This is a great lesson for us all.  No matter our circumstances, if we are trustworthy and diligent, great blessings follow.  Many blame others for all their problems, but it seems Joseph must have saw things from an opportunity basis.