“Me Too” Never!
When I was 16, I worked summers in New York City until I graduated from college. Then, I moved to the City and my dream job. My field of work was primarily with males. I dressed professionally, was hit on by the men on the street to those in the boardroom, and everyone in between.
You would be surprised how much a simple “no thanks” at work accomplishes. I must admit I was never offended if someone told me they liked a new outfit or a different hairstyle. It made me feel good about myself; I was working at the start of the feminist movement.
Isaiah had this comment regarding women. In Isaiah Chapter 3, verse 12, Isaiah says:
“As for my people, children are my oppressors, and women rule over them.”
That aligns itself with the breakdown of the traditional family, and the loss, both literally and figuratively, of the male head of household. He also chastised the women in the same Chapter verses 16 and 17 by writing
“the Lord saith because the daughters of Zion are haughty (full of pride) and walk with stretched forth necks (prideful) and wanton eyes (lustful) walking and mincing as they go (flirtatiously to attract the lust of men), and making a tinkling with their feet.”
This was done to attract the attention of their wealthy status. The Lord said he will punish those who do not repent. We just had a perfect example of the above by viewing some of the clothing and jewels worn by the women at the recent Oscar Awards Show and we are surely aware of the lack of modesty shown by so many of today’s women. If this is not the Lord’s choice for women, it is certainly that of the adversary.
Because of the power many women have, and the growing lack of respect for males that women and children seem to have, men have let this feminine harassment keep progressing. The latest feminine insurrection started within the Hollywood, CA ranks, but women have surged forth all over the world to accuse mostly famous men with money of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and even rape. It is called the ME TOO movement.
Many men have lost their jobs, money and families over these accusations. We, the people, have absolutely no idea as to who is telling the truth. Men’s lives have been changed without due process…their right to face their accuser in court. The denial of due process and justice under the law is oppression and unjust.
Isaiah wrote the following about the law and justice. In Chapter 59 verse 4,
“None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies: they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity (the work of Satan).
In verse 9 Isaiah goes on to say
“therefore is judgment far from us , neither does justice overtake us: we wait for “light” but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
In verses 14 and 15 he wrote that
judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street and equity (honesty) cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
I put off submitting this article as I was waiting to see if the Lord’s side would finally fight back. To do this, men needed to regain their God-given power. Finally, a small amount of chatter started about the “male backlash.” Some men are refusing to meet with women on a one to one basis. This makes a lot of sense.
These people saying “me to” have, I believe, hurt all women. We are all men and women who need to work together. Men don’t trust women now, or know what they can or cannot say. The smart God-fearing men must trust in the Lord to be the leaders they were created to be. May I once again reference Vice President Pence, for saying he never goes anywhere socially without his wife. Laughingly, he says he then knows he is always with the prettiest woman in the room. He is not going to be anyone’s prey.
The Lord made men to be leaders of their families and their communities. They were not to be controlling but set an example that they are followers of the Lord. They should be of a good moral character and have integrity. Now, if all men lived as the Lord requested, what a great world this would be. There is always time to repent and start again.
Ann Madsen – Isaiah Scholarship
Kelsey Wilding: When you started studying or wanting to learn more, did you have any scholars that you went to, or was it just prayer and reading and studying it that helped the most?
Ann Madsen: I read everything I could about it and I took classes and I was a member of the society of Biblical literature then. In graduate school I joined the Society of Biblical literature and so I’d go to the conventions and I’d listened to all of the…anything that was on Isaiah, I would go listen to, and especially after I graduated in what I was teaching, then I would listen to everybody’s lecture and it’s funny though, scholars who are…just interestingly enough, not always spiritually tied to the Bible, are using it as an instrument of their scholarship. They go through all kinds of series of a start and they go in one way. And then, for instance, they say there was only one author of Isaiah, and then a few years later somebody will say, oh no, there were five or six authors. It’s all different people. It’s not one author. And then it goes back to, no there was only one Isaiah. And it’s done that about four times in my lifetime.
Kelsey Wilding: What determines that?
Ann Madsen: Well, if you don’t have any kind of spiritual assurance about it, it’s a piece of literature and so linguistics, some people went through and decided how many times ‘the’ and ‘uh’, were used in Isaiah. And then they analyzed the whole thing with the computer and they say, well, chapters five through eight, don’t fit this, so some other author must have done that. I think that’s very thin scholarship. I don’t think that works to know how many, ‘uh’s’, and ‘the’s’ there are in a piece. But when you’re a scholar, you’re looking for something new, something interesting to tell everybody that you’ve learned. So there are people that believe there are two Isaiah’s at least, a lot of people believe in there are Deutero Isaiah, and Isaiah, and the Deutero Isaiah, the second Isaiah is a post exilic prophet that no one has ever heard of before or since, that came after the exile when they came back, when the people of Israel came back, because it’s talking about Cyrus and other people in the Persia that meet, who they think they don’t believe in predictive prophecy. They believe that if you’re talking about it, it has to have happened or you have to know about it. You can’t predict especially the name of someone. You couldn’t do that, but as latter-day saints, that’s easy for us, because the Book of Mormon has a lot of predictive prophecy. Joseph Smith made a lot of predictive prophecies and so for us, that’s not a pitfall at all, but for other people, they see the names Cyrus in the early chapters of the forties and they say, oh, so with Chapter 40, it’s another writer, it’s someone living at that time that would know about Cyrus. We don’t think that, you know, we think that Isaiah can be shown Cyrus and can tell us about what he sees.
Isaiah 10 (2 Nephi 20) — Isaiah Calls the Nation Out for Neglecting the Poor
Being the prophet of social justice himself, in Isaiah 10 the prophet calls out wicked leaders and the rich who neglect the poor and needy among them. During his lifetime, Isaiah watched as both the kingdoms of Israel and Judah became increasingly worldly through trade and commerce. The wealthy “urban upper classes…increased taxes, land expropriations, and social inequities [on] the lower classes and rural dwellers. Idolatry and wickedness permeated all social levels. Thus, wealth, social injustices, immorality, and growing pagan worship came to characterize both”1 Judah and the Northern Kingdom of Israel, who had become the worse of the two.
Isaiah makes this chapter an extension of the last [Isaiah Chapter 9 (2 Nephi 19)], where he warned both kingdoms of pride among the wealthy, wicked leaders, and their wholesale turning from God. Isaiah issues another warning about “unrighteous decrees,” dire writings that turn away “the needy from judgment,” and rob “the right from the poor,” for which, God promises severe consequences. He also prophesies that God will use the Assyrian army to punish them, but even though Assyria will take every city in Israel and Judah, they will only terrify Jerusalem as Jehovah will defend it. Then following the destruction by Assyria, God will turn on it, wiping it out too. “The destruction of Israel and Assyria is a type showing the destruction of the wicked in any age; its prophesied parallel applies even for the latter days.”2
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
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King James Version |
Book of Mormon
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Expanded Notes and Commentary |
| Joseph Smith Translation (JST) corrections in the Book of Mormon are in RED; commentary and notes are GREEN | ||
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1 aWoe unto them that decree bunrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; |
1 aWo unto them that decree bunrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; |
The word woe means intense sorrow and suffering.—Old Testament Study Guide (OTSG)
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2 To turn aside the needy from ajudgment, and to take away the right from the bpoor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! |
2 To turn away the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the apoor of my people, that bwidows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! |
The Israelites unashamedly hardened their hearts against the poor and helpless, blatantly disobeying the Lord’s command.—Victor Ludlow, Unlocking Isaiah in the Book of Mormon. Deseret Book, p 146 |
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3 And what will ye do in the day of avisitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? |
3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? | In Isaiah 10:3–4 we learn that because the leaders and people of Israel had turned away from the Lord through their wickedness, they would be punished and not have the Lord’s help. —(OTSG) |
| 4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. | 4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. | This is the fifth of five times (Isa 5:25; 9:12; 9:17; 9:21; 10:4) that Isaiah uses this phrase: “but his hand is stretched out still.“—Madsen and Hokin, Opening Isaiah—a Harmony, p 38 |
| 5 ¶ O aAssyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. | 5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is atheir indignation. |
Assyria has been a tool of judgment in the Lord’s hands.—Madsen and Hokin, Opening Isaiah—a Harmony, p 38 |
| 6 I will send him against an ahypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. |
6 I will send him aagainst a hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. | aIE against Israel. In other words, “I sent Assyria against Israel.”—Madsen and Hokin, Opening Isaiah—a Harmony, p 38 |
| 7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither adoth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. | 7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but in his heart it is to destroy and cut off nations not a few. | Assyria, however, failed to recognize God’s hand in their rise to power but rather boasted in their own strength— Terry Ball and Nathan Winn, Making Sense of Isaiah, Deseret Bookshelf |
| 8 For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings? | 8 For he saith: Are not my aprinces altogether kings? | The leaders in the Assyrian armies commanded more men than the kings of the small city-states they conquered.—Madsen and Hokin, Opening Isaiah—a Harmony, p 38 |
| 9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus? | 9 Is not aCalno as bCarchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as cDamascus? | Assyria’s conquests are listed north to south, ending at the border of Judah. Carchemish (falls 717 BC) is on a bend of the Euphrates (continued below). |
350 miles north of Jerusalem; Calneh/Calno (falls 738 BC) is about 50 miles southwest of Carchemish; Arpad (falls 740 BC) is just south of Calneh/Calno; Hamath (falls 738 BC and again on 720 BC) is on the Orontes River and about 100 miles south of Arpad and 100 miles north of Damascus; Damascus is the capital of Syria and is 100 miles northeast of Israel; Samaria (falls ca. 722 BC) is the capital of Israel and is just to the north of Judah. See Map Isaiah 10:9 below—Madsen and Hokin, Opening Isaiah—a Harmony, p 38 —Madsen and Hokin, Opening Isaiah—a Harmony, p 40 |
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| 10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; | 10 As amy hand hath founded the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; | The king [of Assyria] boasts about all the cities his forces have conquered so far. Each city had idols of gods that were supposed to protect them, but all were overcome and rendered powerless.—Victor Ludlow, Unlocking Isaiah in the Book of Mormon. Deseret Book, p 159 |
| 11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols? | 11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her aidols, so do to Jerusalem and to her idols? | The king believes that since Israelite Samaria and her idols had recently fallen, the Judean city of Jerusalem and the God of the Jews would fall as well.—Ludlow, ibid. |
| 12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will apunish bthe fruit of the stout heart of the king of cAssyria, and the glory of his high looks. | 12 Wherefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of aAssyria, and the glory of his high looks. | Isaiah prophesied that after the Assyrians had fulfilled the Lord’s purposes in punishing the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the Lord would destroy the Assyrians also because of their pride and wickedness. This destruction is symbolic of the destruction the proud and wicked will experience at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. —(OTSG) |
| 13 For he saith, By the astrength of my hand I have done it,and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: | 13 For ahe saith: By the strength of bmy hand and by my wisdom I have done these things; for I am prudent; and I have moved the borders of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man; | In their conceit and pride, the Assyrians had fallen into a trap that has snared humankind in every age and estranged them from their Maker. They failed to see the influence of God i… and thus arrogantly concluded that everything they accomplished was done by their own power and genius.—Terry Ball and Nathan Winn, Making Sense of Isaiah, Deseret Bookshelf |
| 14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. | 14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people; and as one gathereth eggs that are left have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. | The eggs in the nest represent Israel’s riches (10:13). The fact that Israel was not able to move her wings or to make a peep signifies that she, like a little chick, was helpless before Assyria’s ravenous armies. —Parry, Donald W., Understanding Isaiah, Deseret Book Company, (Also see 3 Ne. 10:4–6; D&C 10:65; 29:1–2). |
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Note: Isaiah next uses some very fascinating imagery in describing the absurdity of the king of Assyria’s taking credit to himself for his “amazing” accomplishments. There is an important message in this for all of us who might at times take or accept credit for accomplishments in the work of the Lord. As you read verse 15 [below], you might even find it a bit humorous. |
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| 15 aShall the axe bboast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that cshaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood. | 15 Shall the aax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood! | In their conceit and pride, the Assyrians had fallen into a trap that has snared humankind in every age and estranged them from their Maker. They failed to see the influence of God in their lives. They did not seek the will of the Lord and thus could not comprehend it. They did not understand their role in God’s eternal plans and thus arrogantly concluded that everything they accomplished was done by their own power and genius. — Terry Ball and Nathan Winn, Making Sense of Isaiah, Deseret Bookshelf |
| 16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his afat ones leanness; and under bhis glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. | 16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, send among his fat ones, leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. | Condemning them for their pride and arrogance, the Lord warns that ultimately Assyria will be decimated— Terry Ball and Nathan Winn, Making Sense of Isaiah, Deseret Bookshelf x |
| 17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his athorns and his briers in one day; | 17 And the light of Israel shall be for a afire, and his Holy One for a flame, and shall burn and shall devour his thorns and his briers in one day; | These names for the God of Israel are appropriate in this context because it is Jehovah’s light and glory that consumed ancient Assyria and will consume the wicked at his coming.—Parry, Donald W., Understanding Isaiah, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition |
| 18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both asoul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth. | 18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth. | The prophecy of destruction upon Assyria, given in verse 17, above, happened suddenly. 185,000 Assyrians died of devastating sickness in one night as they prepared to attack Jerusalem; see 2 Kings 19:35–37. The prophecy is continued with additional repetition in verses 18 and 19.—Ridges, David J.. The Book of Mormon Made Easier, Part 1 (The Gospel Studies Series) (p. 286). Cedar Fort, Inc. Kindle Edition. |
| 19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them. | 19 And the arest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them. | So few Assyrians will remain that a small child could count them with his limited counting ability.—Ridges, David J., The Book of Mormon Made Easier, Part 1 (The Gospel Studies Series) (p. 286). Cedar Fort, Inc. Kindle Edition. |
| 20 ¶ And it shall come to pass in athat day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are bescaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again cstay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. | 20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the ahouse of Jacob, shall no more again bstay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. | The Lord picks up the ax and levels the Assyrians. The forests of Lebanon are used by Isaiah as a type for the proud and haughty, as described by Ezekiel: “Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs” (Ezekiel 31:3).—Bytheway, John. Isaiah For Airheads, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition. |
| 21 The aremnant shall breturn, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. |
21 The aremnant shall return, yea, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. | The Lord then assures that a righteous remnant of Israel will survive the onslaught of Assyria— Terry Ball and Nathan Winn, Making Sense of Isaiah, Deseret Bookshelf |
| 22 For though thy people Israel be as the asand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall breturn: cthe dconsumption edecreed shall overflow with righteousness. |
22 For though thy people aIsrael be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall breturn; the cconsumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. |
The task of the surviving remnant will, of course, be to accomplish the work of the Abrahamic covenant, to see to the work of converting the nations to peace and to the worship of the true God.—Spencer, Joseph M., The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi’s Record, Greg Kofford Books. Kindle Edition. |
| 23 For the Lord God of hosts shall amake a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land. |
23 For the Lord God of Hosts shall make a aconsumption, even determined in all the land. |
At end of the world…the glory of the Savior will consume the wicked at the Second Coming; see Doctrine & Covenants 5:19; 2 Nephi 12:10. — Ridges, David J., The Book of Mormon Made Easier, Part 1 (The Gospel Studies Series), Cedar Fort, Inc. Kindle Edition. |
| 24 ¶ Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall asmite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of bEgypt. |
24 Therefore, thus saith the Lord God of Hosts: O my people that dwellest in Zion, abe not afraid of the Assyrian; he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the bmanner of Egypt. |
Those who stay committed to the Lord need not fear the Assyrians or any other oppressors, ancient or modern. …Yes, there will be times of trial, but the righteous will endure and be preserved. Though in the last days the Saints of Zion will suffer persecution, the Lord’s compensatory blessings are found in Zion, wherein we learn of and receive the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. To dwell in Zion is to enjoy a pure life. To be pure is to “stay upon the Lord in truth.”—Christensen, Reg. Unlocking Isaiah, Covenant Communications Inc., Kindle Edition. |
| 25 For yet a very little awhile, and the bindignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. |
25 For yet a very little while, and the aindignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. |
The plea is for the Israelites to rely upon the Lord. While they may have trials and tribulations, these will be short-lived and the promised blessings of Israel will be restored.—Nyman, Monte S., Great are the Words of Isaiah, Cedar Fort, Inc.. Kindle Edition. |
| 26 And the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of aMidian at the rock of bOreb: and as his crod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of dEgypt. | 26 And the Lord of Hosts shall astir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of bMidian at the rock of Oreb; and as his rod was upon the sea so shall he lift it up after the manner of cEgypt. | [The Rock of Oreb, Judges 7:23–25, is] where Gideon and his 300 miraculously defeated the overwhelming armies of the Midianites; His power came upon the Red Sea to drown the Egyptian armies…God will stop Assyria like he did the Egyptians when they pursued the Children of Israel.—Ridges, David J., The Book of Mormon Made Easier, Part 1 (The Gospel Studies Series)(p. 287). Cedar Fort, Inc. Kindle Edition. |
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27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his aburden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the byoke shall be destroyed because of the canointing. |
27 And it shall come to pass in that day that his aburdenshall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the banointing. | This may refer to the Messiah (Hebrew “anointed one”), who was anointed with olive oil and the Holy Ghost (Acts 10:38). In addition, 10:26–27 contains symbols that represent Jesus the Messiah, including rock, rod, and the removal of the yoke and burden (Matt. 11:28–29).—Parry, Donald W., Understanding Isaiah Deseret Book Company, Kindle Edition. |
| 28 aHe is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages: | 28 aHe is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages. | aThe Assyrian invasion forces introduced in v. 5 progress toward Jerusalem. Isaiah foretells how the Assyrian armies will gobble up city after city and will come right up to the gates of Jerusalem, and then will be stopped in their tracks by the Lord. What remains of their army will then go home. Isaiah speaks of the future as if it has already happened. He is a master at building dramatic tension. —Ridges, David J.. The Old Testament Made Easier Part 3 (Kindle Locations 1951-1955). Cedar Fort, Inc.. Kindle Edition. |
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29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled. |
29 They are gone over the apassage; they have taken up their lodging at bGeba; Ramath is afraid; cGibeah of Saul is fled. | The Assyrians are renowned for their brutality in warfare. They tortured their captives. Their armies were seemingly invincible!—Gerald N. Lund, “Making the Scriptures Live: Levels of Effective Scripture Teaching” audiocassette, Side A |
| 30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. | 30 Lift up the voice, O daughter of aGallim; cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor bAnathoth. | In verses 28–32, Isaiah described as if standing on the wall of Jerusalem, the progress of the Assyrian army toward Jerusalem, featuring in Hebrew a superb example of alliteration. …This idealized sequential conquest narrative apparently symbolizes also the future siege called Armageddon (see Isaiah 40:1–2; 51:19–20; Ezekiel 38–39).—Ogden, D. Kelly. Verse by Verse, Old Testament: Volume Two, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition. |
| 31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. | 31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. | Another Assyrian unit apparently marched against Jerusalem via the province of Samaria, conquering a series of towns as it passed through the district of Benjamin —Aharoni, Land of the Bible, p 339 |
| 32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. | 32 As yet shall he remain at aNob that day; he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. | With a map, (see above], it teaches a powerful lesson. The armies reach all the way to Nob, and “shake their hands” at those on the hill of Jerusalem.—Bytheway, John. Isaiah For Airheads, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition. |
| 33 Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with aterror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the bhaughty shall be humbled. | 33 Behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts shall lop the bough with terror; and the ahigh ones of stature shall be bhewndown; and the chaughty shall be humbled. | Those who refuse the beckoning hand of the Lord and who persist in their lustful greed will be pruned away: “Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled. And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one” (Isa. 10:33–34).—Christensen, Reg. Unlocking Isaiah, Covenant Communications Inc., Kindle Edition. |
| 34 And he shall cut down the athickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall bby a mighty one. | 34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forests with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. | Historically this was fulfilled as leaders of Assyria were lopped off and hewn down, but the figure is also future (see Zechariah 14:2; Revelation 11). The Lord of hosts will do the cutting down in both eras.—Ogden, D. Kelly. Verse by Verse, Old Testament: Volume Two, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition. |
Footnotes
1Victor Ludlow, Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet, Deseret Book, (1982), pp.19-25
2 Old Testament Student ManualChapters of Isaiah Quoted in the Book of Mormon
The Complete Isaiah Study Guide
To more effectively study Isaiah, do NOT try to “eat the whole elephant” all at once. This book has 66 chapters, with each containing valuable insights, teachings, and prophecies. Mentally digest Isaiah one chapter at a time and study each chapter in its smaller units, such as individual paragraphs or sections.
☛ First, read all the 66 chapter headings of Isaiah in your LDS edition the King James Version of the Bible. Read just the chapter headings; NOT any verses or footnotes. This is almost impossible! Select the key chapters that you want to study first. Note – Isaiah chapters are not in chronological order. Different topics are scattered throughout the book – so select those of greatest interest to you.
☛ Second, select the single chapter you want to study first and read that chapter in its entirety, without stopping. Then, read the chapter again. And if that chapter is quoted in the Book of Mormon, read it again and note any differences between the KJV Bible and the Book of Mormon.
☛ Third, identify the smaller sections of the chapter, such as the individual paragraphs (noted with a ¶ symbol in the KJV). read the chapter again and select the key section that highlights the chapter’s major message for you. It might even be the least understood portion of the chapter, or just a portion which you want or need to study in greater depth.
☛ Fourth, this step is very important, study that one key section of the chapter in depth! First, Reread all the verses of that key section in their context and use the footnotes to clarify. Note any Hebrew (heb) clarifications or Joseph Smith Translation (jst) insights. Note the scripture verses cross referenced in the footnotes and read them in their context. Look up the topical guide (tg) entries and note some other scripture passages in the Standard Works that deal with the same theme you are studying; then read these passages to gain additional insights. (As you read the section, consider if there might be any terms, names, places, etc. which might be in the Bible Dictionary; see if they are listed.) Then, prepare a brief outline of the major ideas or key words of that section. Try to identify any poetic patterns or parallelisms of the ideas. Reread the section and write down your summary of its message in just one brief sentence. To review — read, study, reread and summarize that key section.
☛ Fifth, study the other sections of the chapter following the suggestions above. Try to identify how the sections connect with your key section. Review the chapter’s major or important ideas in your mind and write them down. What for you, at this time in your life, are the significant concepts? Highlight the verses of greatest value in your scriptures. Ponder how can you “liken Isaiah’s words unto yourself”? (See 1 Ne 19:23-24.) Pray for insights as you seek to apply relevant messages into your own life. Record key ideas in the margins of your scriptures. You may also want to write your feelings in your journal. Try to bring Isaiah’s words and thoughts into your own mind and heart!
Note: Reading Isaiah is often like camping in the woods and walking through a strange forest at night – it’s not until after the third or fourth time that it begins to feel comfortable for you.
☛ Sixth, after a brief break and a fresh drink, sit down in a comfortable chair and reread that chapter in its entirety, without stopping. Or, you could read along with an audio version. You might also try reading that chapter in a complementary (that is, ‘enhancing each other’!) modern English translation such as the New International Version (NIV) or the New English Translation (NET).
☛ Finally, during this and future Isaiah study, follow Moroni’s admonition on how to study the scriptures as you read, remember, ponder, and pray. (See Moroni 10:3-5.)
You will be pleasantly surprised how much you can learn in your studies of Isaiah!
Vllfile:304\Studying Isaiah 2’18
If you’ve been looking for an easy way to study Isaiah, here’s the complete Isaiah study guide. It’s easy because it gives you an easy place to start without being completely overwhelmed. We’d like to thank Victor Ludlow for his study tips!
Check out more of Victor Ludlow’s Insight.
Has Isaiah’s Signature Been Found?
The question of Isaiah’s signature that Deseret News, writer Daniel Peterson, asked in his weekly column “Defending the Faith” is a story has been carried by many dozens of news outlets, including our own blog. However, Peterson added some very interesting background information regarding the relationship of King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah.
Peterson naturally began by pointing to Eilat Mazar’s article “Is This the Prophet Isaiah’s Signature?” in the Biblical Archaeology Review. The special double issue for March–June 2018, celebrates the contributions of Hershel Shanks, who is stepping down after 43 years as its founding editor. But, the centerpiece of the journal is Mazar’s find, a bulla (clay imprinted “signature”) that might have belonged to the prophet Isaiah.
In the week since the announcement, there has been speculation world-wide by archeologists and Old Testament scholars alike whether this is real or not. Mazar shares in the excitement, but cautions, “This seal impression of Isaiah is unique, and questions still remain about what it actually says. However, the close relationship between Isaiah and King Hezekiah, as described in the Bible, and the fact the bulla was found next to one bearing the name of Hezekiah seem to leave open the possibility that, despite the difficulties posed by the bulla’s damaged area, this may have been a seal impression of Isaiah the prophet, adviser to King Hezekiah.”
The seal impression with the name Isaiah on it (see image on the right), has several missing characters broken off. The drawing blue in the image on the right would make this the prophet Isaiah’s bulla or signature. Because it is missing that portion, there is no sure way to know that this belonged to the prophet for sure.
In Peterson article, he writes: “Fully 14 of the 29 times that Isaiah’s name is mentioned in the Bible (in 2 Kings 19-20 and Isaiah 37-39), it’s mentioned in connection with Hezekiah. So it’s intriguing and significant that ancient bullae or clay seals dating to the appropriate time and bearing the names ‘Hezekiah’ and ‘Isaiah’ were recently discovered within 10 feet of each other in excavations of the ‘Ophel,’ an area located just a few yards from the southern wall of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. These two seals are among 34 found at the site. They are tiny, measuring about 0.4 inches in diameter, and it’s remarkable that they were found at all.”
To understand the roles that Hezekiah and Isaiah played in the Old Testament, you may find Person’s background information interesting; to read it click “Defending the Faith: Has the ‘signature’ of the prophet Isaiah been found?“
“Cease Ye From Man:” Isaiah Chapter 2
In Isaiah Chapter Two, the God of Israel is so angered by the ingratitude and betrayal of his own covenant people that he rises up in apocalyptic anger and cleanses the earth of his fickle, untoward human beings:
[Note: I have parsed the text into phrasal units in an effort to emphasize the poetry. The Arabic numerals are the verse numbers from the King James Translation.]
| 12 For the day of the Lord of Hosts | ||||||||||
| Soon cometh upon all nations, Yea, upon everyone; Yea, upon the proud and the lofty And upon everyone who is lifted up |
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| And he shall be brought low.… | ||||||||||
| 18 | And the idols he shall utterly abolish. | |||||||||
| 19 | And they shall go | |||||||||
| Into the holes in the rocks, And into the caves of the earth |
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| For the fear of the Lord | ||||||||||
| Shall come upon them | ||||||||||
| And the glory of his majesty | ||||||||||
| Shall smite them When he ariseth to shake the earth |
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| 21 | And the majesty of his glory | |||||||||
| shall smite them | ||||||||||
| When he ariseth | ||||||||||
| To shake terribly the earth.… | ||||||||||
| The promised end is not another flood but a terrible shaking of the earth that brings to an end the rebellion of Israel and the wickedness of the nations: | ||||||||||
| 17 | [In that day,] the lofty looks of man | |||||||||
| Shall be humbled | ||||||||||
| And the haughtiness of men | ||||||||||
| Shall be bowed down | ||||||||||
| And the Lord alone | ||||||||||
| Shall be exalted. | ||||||||||
| The closing lines of the chapter are a chilling assignation of what almost seems like an admission of failure: | ||||||||||
| 22 | Cease ye from man | |||||||||
| Whose breath is in his nostrils | ||||||||||
| For wherein is he to be accounted of? | ||||||||||
|
God calling it quits? What is most surprising, then, is the unparalleled optimism of the opening verses to this same chapter. Verses one through five present us with a loving, faithful Israel, “in the last days,” exulting in the opportunity to worship their creator: |
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| 2 | And it shall come to pass in the last days | |||||||||
| When the mountain of the Lord’s house | ||||||||||
| Shall be established | ||||||||||
| In the top of the mountains | ||||||||||
| And shall be exalted | ||||||||||
| Above the hills | ||||||||||
| And all nations shall flow unto it. | ||||||||||
| 3 | And many people shall go and say | |||||||||
| Come ye And let us go up to the mountain of the Lord |
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| to the house of the God of Jacob And he will teach us |
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| of his ways | ||||||||||
| And we will walk | ||||||||||
| In his paths; | ||||||||||
| For out of Zion | ||||||||||
| xxxShall go forth the law | ||||||||||
| And the word of the Lord | ||||||||||
| xxxFrom Jerusalem. | ||||||||||
| 4 | And he shall judge | |||||||||
| among the Nations | ||||||||||
| And shall rebuke | ||||||||||
| many people | ||||||||||
| And they shall beat | ||||||||||
| Their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruninghooks |
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| xxxNation shall not lift up sword against nation xxxNeither shall they learn war any more. |
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So what is happening in this chapter between the God of Israel and his covenant people? In spite of the promised apocalyptic ending, what we find in this chapter is a poignant love story where the God of Heaven shares his vision of the final, happy outcome of things. After the betrayal, where Israel turns away from its covenants and worships “the work of their own hands” (vs. 8), after years of honoring the false substitutes of wealth, and after the prideful neglect of the God who has been the source of any real prosperity, there will be a resurgence of Israel: a new covenant people will arise who will acknowledge God’s love and goodness and seek to honor him with obedience.
In spite of, or in contrast to, the God who rises up in the terror of his might and majesty to cleanse the earth of a rebellious brood, what we discover in this chapter is a constant, loving creator who, with ineffable patience, wades through centuries of human indifference, sending prophets like Moses, Jerimiah, and Isaiah, and ultimately, a Messiah, doing what can be done to build a culture of the spiritual and the redemptive. In the end, and hopefully along the way at various points, there will be, for this patient God, righteous remnants and moments and then the promised, happy ending.
Shon Hopkin – Isaiah Provides Hope
Ken Krogue: So, we’ve been following that pathway of why did Nephi put Isaiah in the Book of Mormon. And, so we’re able to do this fun info graphic of the journey of Nephi, in 1st Nephi. It’s like he goes through these several things, but he gets to that part where he sees the vision that John saw. He saw…the last days, he saw our day, but then he says, but I was forbidden to write more. I’m like…ah, and then, so he stops, he builds the ship, he comes with the new world and then next thing he does, is he puts in Isaiah 48 and 49. That’s remarkable. Why? I mean why did he just…and it’s like out of nowhere. Do you have a thought on that?
Shon Hopkin: So, I don’t know that I will have anything overwhelmingly powerful here. So, the second half of Isaiah is increasingly focused on the branches that have been scattered, right?
Ken Krogue: Yes.
Shon Hopkin: And God’s redemptive plan to bring them back, and here is Nephi, although of course he’s writing thirty years later where he has already been separated from his brother and things have gotten…they’ve gone through the promised land, but things have not been perfect in the promised land. And I think he is really reading Isaiah and seeing their wilderness journeys in Isaiah that…that’s his first time that we see him actually saying, wow, this is our story, and God will redeem us, and I think he takes great consolation, great comfort for that fact. And I think he wants us to know that and more particularly his brother the Lamanites, to know that in the last days, he wants us to know that, in the last days, but I think it matters to him. It’s what moves him, it’s what gives him hope in the midst of being a people cut off.
Ken Krogue: Yes.
Shon Hopkin: God will redeem us. God loves us. God has not forgotten us, and I think that’s the first time you get to see him taking straight from Isaiah.
Ken Krogue: It’s a message of hope that.
Shon Hopkin: Absolutely.
Ken Krogue: I mean, Isaiah was his prophet, was Nephi’s, pretty much, his dispensational. He nicknames him the prophet, as if we all should know the prophet.
Shon Hopkin: Yes, so for us that would be similar to Joseph Smith, is sort of what you’re saying there, right and I agree, right. This is who…who do I quote? Well I quote the current prophet and I quote Joseph Smith, right and what does Nephi do? Well, it’s that, it’s Lehi and then of course him, and it’s Isaiah, right, those various people.
Ken Krogue: Wow, beautiful.
Ann Madsen – How Students Become Teachers as They Study The Book of Isaiah
Kelsey Wilding: Have any of your students continued on the study of Isaiah after your class?
Ann Madsen: Oh, yes, almost all of them.
Kelsey Wilding: Really?
Ann Madsen: I see them on campus or I see them, I mean, forty years’ worth of students, and I see them some place and my first question is, are you still reading Isaiah? And they say yes, I am. And they say, I tried to teach my family about it, I’m trying to teach them what you taught me. And I always say I’d like you to be a proselyte for Isaiah. Would you please at the end of class after they’ve taken their final and we have a little lunch together, or a little dinner together, we have a potluck after they take their written final. And, I always send them off saying, now your job is to go out in the world and explain to people that Isaiah and can be understood. And that you’re beginning to understand it and that your teacher is beginning to understand it too. It takes effort. It takes energy. It takes desire. And it takes prayer. Never open Isaiah without saying a prayer and asking to understand what you’re going to read, that that’s all it takes because the Lord wants us to understand that it’s for our time.
Give Us Just 17 Minutes to Get an Overview of the Book of Isaiah
Staff at the Bible Project produced these two whiteboard animations covering the entire book of Isaiah. Their presentation simplifies the literary design of Isaiah’s writing and his flow of thought into these two 8 minute presentations.
The two-part series includes Isaiah announcing that God’s judgment will purify Israel and prepare them for their King, the Messiah, and the new Jerusalem.
