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"The Lord [Shall] Shave with a Razor that Is Hired," 2 Nephi 17:17-25

2 Nephi 17:17-25

(Personal note: The Spirit of the Lord facilitates comprehension of Isaiah.)

These verses explain the effects that Ahaz's choices have on the House of Judah. There is a historical reference in 2 Chronicles 28:19-21 which explains why the condemnation of the Lord had come upon Ahaz.

The remainder of the chapter describes the desolate conditions/bondage that result. Their land becomes overgrown with briers and thorns. Verse 20 describes how the Lord will shave with a hired (or borrowed) razor, thus suggesting that the house of David becomes dependent upon other nations for their strength.

Verse 18 leaves me wondering if this is strictly symbolic or strictly literal or both symbolic and literal. The footnotes from Isaiah 7 suggest that this gathering of flies from Egypt and bees from Assyria represents a call to arms. The verse is also cross-referenced with Isaiah 5:26 which talks about the call to Zion by means of an ensign to the nations.

All this, in comparison with the prophecy found earlier in this chapter, seems to be of minor significance. These are the consequences of faithless reasoning. However the prophecy of the Son of Man being born of a virgin mother is a ray of hope. Powerful.

One more review of these verses leads me to reflect upon the events that are attributed to the Lord's doing it. "The Lord shall bring upon thee," "the Lord shall hiss," and "shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired." And hence comes the reminder of the House of Israel's most frequent omission, the failure to remember the Lord their God and His hand in their lives. This final reference from verse 20 shows to what extent they had descended into forgetting the Lord their God. His work would be assisted by hired hands, instead of members of House of Israel.
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