Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 27:46

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 27:46
"And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?"

I was drawn to understanding why Rebekah felt this way. I pondered on the covenant line. Abraham did not want Isaac to take a wife among the Canaanites, where they dwelt. He sent his servant to find a wife among Abraham's kindred.

"And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:"
(Genesis 24:3)

Isaac and Rebekah experienced much sorrow and grief when Esau married outside of the covenant.

"And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:
Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah."
(Genesis 26:34-35)

I could just see their concern after Abraham being promised to be the father of many nations and then Isaac and Rebekah struggled to have children. If these children, especially the promised birthright son, marries outside of the covenant, what would be the purpose of her life. Not only have they been commanded to not marry outside of their faith, there was danger in their hearts being turned from God. It wasn't simply an issue with blood line, it was an issue of faith and belief in the one true God and protecting and honoring that.

"When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:
Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly."
(Deuteronomy 7:1-4)

"But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father."
(1 Kings 11: 1-6)

Day 3754

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 24:63-65, 67

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 24:63-65, 67
"And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a veil, and covered herself.
And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death."

This is probably the most beautiful love story in the scriptures. You could say Isaac's bride Rebekah was chosen for him, but who better than an angel of the Lord to guide them to the perfect match. Abraham knew Isaac's bride would be amongst his kindred. The rest of the story is just simply a story of obedience and faith.

"The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence."
(Genesis 24:7)

"And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house:"
(Genesis 24:40)

Day 3753

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 27:22-24

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 27:22-24

"And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.

And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am."

Under the guidance of Rebekah, Jacob received the blessing from Isaac that was intended for Esau. Isaac was a prophet and he was deceived. You can see he thinks something is off, but after checking as much as he can, he goes ahead and gives Jacob the first blessing. This makes me think of this counsel the Lord gave Joseph Smith.

"But as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous, therefore I say unto you, hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning the matter."

(Doctrine and Covenants 10:37)

It would not shake my faith to find a prophet was deceived. In such matters I know the Lord will make things right or direct the course after such an event. Just like he prepared ahead of time a second set of records in the Book of Mormon to replace the lost 116 pages. In this case Rebekah had inquired from God before the birth of her children and was given which one should receive the first blessing.

Day 2186

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 26:27-30

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 26:27-30

"And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?

And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;

That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the Lord.

And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink."

Reading this I could not help but reflect on the early persecution of the church, and how attitudes have changed regarding the latter-day saints since then. Isaac was made to leave multiple locations after digging life sustaining wells in the area. Others came to see a pattern. He would dig a well, find water, and then others would claim it and "strove" with him. He would leave and go dig another well. The pattern continued all the while Isaac would be blessed more and more. I thought of the saints being forced to leave one beautiful location after another until finally they came out west and settled Utah. Today it is a beautiful location, as are many areas the saints have settled. As a people and a church we have been blessed in being able to send life sustaining food to many areas of the world. "By their fruits ye shall know them."

Day 2185

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Chronicles 3:1

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Chronicles 3:1
"Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in the mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite."

What else happened in mount Moriah?
"And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, who thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."  (Genesis 22:2)

It is the story of Abraham and Isaac. Where Abraham was command to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham demonstrated his obedience to the will of God. Then an angel of the Lord called out to him, to not lay his hand on him. "I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not witheld thy son, thine only son from me." The Lord then provided a ram to offer up instead.

How fitting that this first house of the Lord would be at mount Moriah. As Abraham being asked to offer up his only son was a type and shadow to God giving his only begotten son for us. I sat and pondered on how many types and shadows the Lord was giving the people in everything he commanded them to do. Why could they not recognize the Christ and his ultimate sacrifice?

As I read in the remainder of the chapter all the precious material put into the temple, I though of the most precious material given for them. It was the blood of Christ, worth more than any other thing.


Day 945

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 26:12

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 26:12

"Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him."

When I read this I thought "I can't imagine being given a hundredfold of anything I already have."  That would be an incredible change of circumstance.

The reference to "an hundredfold" made me check the footnotes. I was referred to Doctrine & Covenants 98:25 "And again, if your enemy shall smite you the second time, and you revile not against your enemy, and bear it patiently, your reward shall be an hundred-fold."

With that I pondered on a very trying circumstance I had over a year ago. Even though I was abused by a repeat offender, I had an incredible sense of calm and peace, and could turn the matter totally over to the Lord. I saw the hand of the Lord in the scenarios leading up to the event. The Lord having told me earlier something I needed to do, and for it I would be blessed. Because of following that council the outcome of the attack was so very different than what it could have been. I never dreamed of how these two things would be connected. I look at the circumstances then, and were I am today, and I have been blessed in so many ways, spiritually, physically, and materially. It may not be an hundredfold, but that's totally ok. God blesses me for the mission I have in life. I have sufficient for my needs. What a great man Isaac must have been, for indeed through him all the nations of the earth are blessed.

Day 601

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 25:21

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 25:21

"And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived."

As I was reading this chapter I read of Abraham marrying again after Sarah died. He had 6 more sons by Ketrurah. Then his son Ishmael by Hagar has 12 sons. While his son Isaac wife Rebekah is barren. Just like his mother Sarah struggled to have him. I couldn't but help think of the promised children and how hard it was for their parents to have them. 

It made me think of Isaiah 54:1 "Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord."

I see today many good, faithful and wonderful, temple covenant couples unable to have children or have to take extraordinary means to get the children they do have. Why is that? Does this all bring us closer to the Lord to entreat him for our blessings? Are the children that are coming now so choice they must be yearned for so deeply?  Something is happening and I don't know what it is, but a connection between the covenant with the fathers and covenant parents today is happening. I do feel I am seeing the prophesy of Isaiah being fulfilled.

Day 600

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 24:27, 40

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 24:27, 40

"And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not let destitute my master of his mercy and his truth; I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.

And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:"

I love this story of Isaac and Rebekah. I do believe that the Lord will send his angels and prosper the way. His ways will not be frustrated but move forward. It is only "I being in the way" that hinders it. I wondered how many times have I been in the way of what the Lord has prepared for me to go? Maybe I don't want to know that answer. I pray with the spirit as my guide I will stop hindering the way. 

Day 599