1 Ne 8:26-30
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
The Book of Mormon > First Nephi > Chapter 8
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Contents |
Questions
Verse 26
- How did it happen that both the ashamed (vs. 25) and the confident (vs. 26) cast their eyes about?
Verse 27
- Why does the word "attitude" not appear in the Bible?
Verse 28
- Why wasn't it possible for these individuals to avoid feeling ashamed?
Verse 29
- Was Nephi speaking and writing these words simultaneously?
Verse 30
- What does it mean that the people "fell down"?
Lexical notes
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Exegesis
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Verse 30
We often talk about clinging to the rod of iron and holding fast to the rod of iron similarly. Both are descriptors of how we should approach the word of God, or the scriptures. If we follow those who cling to the iron rod to their conclusion, they become ashamed after they have partaken of the fruit of the tree life (verse 28). The group that holds fast to the iron rod (verse 30) comes to the tree, falls down and eats the fruit. Is there a difference, then between clinging and holding fast to the iron rod? Can this difference help us understand how to better approach the scriptures?
Cling is often used in a negative connotation. It also carries a sense of desperation. I envision someone putting their whole attention on the object to which they cling. In the vision, these people may have been clinging to the rod for their life. Or, they were looking to the scriptures to save their life. However, the scriptures are not meant to be the source of life, but something to lead us to the source of life, the tree of life, the love of God, or simply Jesus Christ. Perhaps the mist of darkness and their focus on the iron rod resulted in them not even understanding what they were going to. When they finally arrive at the tree, they partake, but it is not what they expected because this was the life they thought they had received, and they fell away. Perhaps this approach is making the scriptures something they were not intended to be, and maybe this is what wresting the scriptures means.
Contrast holding fast. Fast implies firm and secure. It is similar to fasten. Fastening something together (such as a seatbelt) brings to things together and joins them as one. It gives a sense of safety, without occupying one's entire attention. These people on the path could pay more attention to what was happening and where they were going. Perhaps through breaks in the mist, they could see the tree. They came to understand that the tree would offer them life. They then arrive at the tree and fall down in a worshipful manner and partook of the fruit.
When Nephi and Lehi understood that the rod of iron was a representation of the word of God, they probably thought first and foremost of the Law of Moses. If we apply the two approaches to the rod to the Law of Moses, we can clearly see the history of the Jews in a simple form. There were many who clung to the Law as though it was the source of life. They rejected Christ. There were others who understood that the Law led to Christ. These people continued to follow the law, but it was secondary to their focus on Christ.
Related links
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