Skip to main content

"Our Father Also Saw... The Justice of God", 1 Nephi 15: 26-36

1 Nephi 15: 26-36

This has stuck out as something almost new to me in this reading. After describing the gulf of misery which separates the wicked from the tree of life, symbolized by the river of filthy water which Lehi saw, Nephi uses this as a springboard to make one final observation.

Nephi states that his father also saw the justice of God in his vision, though nowhere else is there an account of it. He describes it as a bright flame that ascends up to God (the image of a flaming pillar is depicted in my mind), which is a divider between the righteous and the wicked (see vs. 30). This "flaming fire" of justice is the topic of their conversation for the remainder of the chapter.

Nephi declares that it is the justice of God that divides the righteous from the wicked. In studying the justice of God, close to it is the concept that God is no respecter of persons. I love this truth. In Isaiah 26, it talks about the gates of the city of Judah being opened for the righteous nation. It also says that the poor and the needy will tread down the lofty. In 2 Peter 2:4, Peter notes that God did not even spare the angels who sinned, but according to His justice cast them down to hell until a time of judgment.

Nephi's final thoughts at the end of this chapter clearly divide the wicked from the righteous. Where the devil would have us to believe in a reality that is gray, God has distinctions. The righteous dwell with God. The wicked are consigned to a state of damnation. The kingdom of God is pure and holy, the realms of hell are awful and filthy. The wicked in the end will be rejected from among the righteous, and from that fruit which is precious, sweet, and eternal.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

"The Lord Seeth Fit to Chasten His People," Mosiah 23:19-24

Mosiah 23:19-24 There are footnotes on the word "chasten." I've found the reference in Deuteronomy 11:1-8 speaks directly to me. Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway. And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm... But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did. Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it; ( vs. 1,2,7,8 ) The admonition to be diligent in all commandments is particularly more applicable to those who know and have witnessed the power of His almighty hand.

"Behold, Here Are Six Onties of Silver," Alma 11:1-22

Alma 11:1-22 I finally arrive at chapter 11 of Alma. We have at the beginning of the chapter an explanation of the currency of the day among the Nephites. It is laid out as such: Nephite Coinage Chart Gold Silver Value limnah onti ( vs.22 ) Equal to a senine, a seon, and a shum of gold combined, or equal to a senum, an amnor, and a ezrom of silver combined. (7 senines, 7 senums, or 7 days of work) ( vs. 10, 13 ) shum ezrom 2 seons (4 senines) or 2 amnors (4 senums) ( vs. 9, 12 ) seon amnor 2 senines or 2 senums ( vs. 8, 11 ) antion 3 shiblons, which means it should be 1½ senine ( vs. 19 ) senine senum This is the base measurement from which all other coins are valued. A day's wages for a judge. Also, the worth of a measure of barley and every other kind of grain.( vs. 3, 7 ) shiblon half a senum, half a measure of barley ( vs. 15 ) shiblum half a shiblon (4 shiblums = a senum) ( vs. 16 ) leah half a shiblum (8 leahs = a senum) ( vs. 17 ) In verse 20 , we learn that the motivation...