Skip to main content

To ""Take Away the Righteousness of the Righteous," 2 Nephi 15:22-23

2 Nephi 15:22-23

" Wo unto the mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink;

"Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!"

A footnote that leads to Proverbs 31:3-9 talks about how kings and princes should not drink wine, nor be drunk for the express purpose of being able to judge righteous judgment upon those that need it, especially in relation to the cause of the poor and needy.

What continues to stand out to me as I return to these verses is how Isaiah condemns wine and strong drink because of it distorting properties which allows mighty and strong men to justify the wicked and deprive the righteous of their just reward. The footnote on "reward" in verse 23 leads to a topical guide entry for "bribery". Curiously enough, the word used in Spanish for "reward" is the equivalent of "bribery".

I have not before seriously considered the implications of strong drink, wine, or alcohol, upon the work of righteousness. It truly is a tool of the devil to deaden the senses and to blur the cause of the righteous. This is why Gordon B. Hinckley fought so hard to defend and uphold liquor laws in the state of Utah as a citizen. The work of wickedness and oppression of the righteous is facilitated by strong drink as it allows its participants to ignore any sense of conscience. Hence we have the final and strongest condemnation in a list of woes pronounced against the House of Israel.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Alive in Christ," 2 Nephi 25:21-30

2 Nephi 25:21-31 The premise for these final verses of chapter 25 is found in the end of verse 20 : ...yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.  Then in verse 21 , Nephi explains that this is the reason that the Lord had promised him that the things which he should write would be preserved and made available to future generations. These verse that follow talk about Nephi's efforts to persuade his children to believe in Christ. He said that he "labored diligently to write, to persuade [his] children, and also [his] brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God;"(See verse 23 ). This same verse then concludes with this defining, doctrinal statement: "For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." Nephi goes on to make a very interesting set of observations, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

"A Space Between Death and the Resurrection," Alma 40:15-21

Alma 40:15-21 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/tg/resurrection?lang=eng The New Testament, after the Resurrection of Christ, is replete with testimony by the apostles of the reality of that very thing. I took a pause from this study to reflect over in John 6 . At least twice within that passage, the phrase "the resurrection of the just" had been added back into the passage in the Joseph Smith Translation. No man can come unto me, except he doeth the will of my Father who hath sent me. And this is the will of him who hath sent me, that ye receive the Son; for the Father beareth record of him; and he who receiveth the testimony, and doeth the will of him who sent me, I will raise up in the resurrection of the just. ( JST - John 6:44 ) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up in the resurrection of the just at the last day. ( John 6:54 ) Why, among other doctrines, does the adversary or the world want to suppress...
2 comments
Read more