Skip to main content

"No Interest in the Kingdom of God," Mosiah 4:16-23

Mosiah 4:16-23

On the topic of charitable giving, these verses address erroneous attitudes towards the poor.

It is commonplace, at least in my own experience, to rationalize away every petition for charitable assistance. There are some interesting diagnosis of this type of attitude. What strikes me as even more profoundly important is that an attitude of neglect towards the poor is in direct defiance to the work of God:
  • "Whosoever [jugdeth the poor] the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God." (vs. 18, emphasis added)
  • "Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished." (Proverbs 17:5, emphasis added)
Isaiah 58 is for me one of the most inspiring chapters on charitable giving that is found in holy writ, for it helps me to see the blessing or the fruits that come from engaging in such activities. One of the promises that is extended is that we shall be called "the restorer[s] of paths to dwell in." That strikes me as profoundly significant. As the natural state of things is to fall apart, to decay, to be destroyed, the purpose and objective of the kingdom of God then must be to build up, to edify, to bring to an inhabitable and productive state, that which was lost and that which is yet to be established.  This is significant on two levels, both in the outward environs that surround us, but more importantly, within us.

So it becomes our objective to build up everyone. The poor are the same as the well-to-do. All are equal in God's eyes. Hence, very conclusively, King Benjamin declares that if you look past the poor (the lowest rung of the ladder), then you have no interest in the Kingdom of God.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"An Awful Death," Alma 40:22-26

Alma 40:22-26 Ezekiel 37:6-14 - This prophecy of Ezekiel is a key indicator of divine priority. These last few verses at the end of the chapter are a testimony of the reality and nature of the resurrection, and the consignments of the wicked and the righteous thereafter. What questions should I be asking about these verses? Continue in verse 26 tomorrow. There are a number of footnotes on "the death of the wicked," or that death which "pertains to the things of righteousness." So I have spent the morning studying this death of the wicked, by reading the footnotes on "death" as referenced in title of this post, or "an awful death of the wicked."  Doctrine and Covenants 29:41 truly illustrates the seriousness of that predicament. He first is talking about the spiritual death that came upon Adam when he was cast out of the Garden of Eden: ...wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death which is
Post a Comment
Read more

"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
3 comments
Read more