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NOTE
So, as usual, and I apologize for this, I’m not completely following the suggested chapter coverage in the way that the Come Follow Me manual does. For example you already know that I included 2 Nephi 25 as part of last week’s study which is part of this week’s chapters, and then, there are going to be sections of scripture that we look at this week that were part of last week’s suggested chapters. So, I hope that’s ok with you, but I’ve just found that the thematic approach that I use to teach the Isaiah chapters works well for me and it makes it easier for my students to understand this sometimes perplexing portion of the Book of Mormon.
Before we begin, let’s review where we’ve been so far. You might remember that last week I showed you the following chart highlighting the different themes that we want to cover in the Isaiah chapters. Isaiah lived at a time when the House of Israel was under the threat of military attack. And so much of his imagery and symbolism reflects that reality. He uses that setting to describe and prophesy the spiritual attack that Lucifer has plotted against all of us and God’s kingdom throughout earth’s history. Remember Isaiah talks about his time, Christ’s time, and our time, all at the same time. So we’ve already covered Satan’s attack, our defense, and our offense. This week we’re going to continue our look at this conflict by focusing on the winners, the losers, and the captains of both sides of this war or contest.
THE LOSERS AND THE BIGGEST LOSER (2 Nephi 12, 23-24)
OBJECT
Our object for this lesson is going to be one of those foam “We’re number 1” hands that you sometimes see at football or basketball games. If you’d like to purchase one of these as an object lesson, I’ll provide a link to an inexpensive option you could get on Amazon. https://amzn.to/42R05uM
ICEBREAKER
And for an icebreaker, I just like to ask my students if they’ve ever had the experience of their team winning a big championship. And if they have, what was that like? How did it feel at the end of that game? And I’ve had that experience a few times in life, not many. But since we just had the Superbowl, I do remember when my team finally won that big event. I’ve been a Denver Broncos fan ever since I was a little kid and we lived in the Denver area, and it was an exciting thing to see them win the Superbowl in 1998 and 99 and then again in 2016. Now it’s been a while and who knows how long it will be before it happens again but those were really exciting years. It was good to be a Broncos fan during those years, to be #1. And if you can relate to that feeling, this lesson will probably resonate with you more. In fact, if you’ve ever been ON the team, a player on the team that won a big championship, then that’s even better, this lesson will mean even more to you in that case. Because that’s the spirit of it. We’re going to talk about winners and losers today.
Therefore, let me present you with a hypothetical situation. Let’s say that it’s the beginning of a championship game. A game that matters, where the stakes couldn’t be higher and funnily enough, you’re being given the choice to play for the side you want to play for. You get to choose your team. And you’re about to make your choice, when by some strange twist of fate, a friend of yours, who you completely trust (and I know this sounds far-fetched but work with me here) says, I’ve traveled through time. I’ve come from the future, and I’ve seen how this game is going to end. This team, this side is the one that wins. The outcome is assured. So my question. If you knew which team was going to win, which side would you choose?
OR, Let’s take a look at it another way. Let’s say there’s a war. And you get to choose which side you fight for. And again, someone from the future comes to warn you and tells you which side is going to win. Which side would you choose to fight for? Wouldn’t the choice be obvious? I would imagine that most individuals are going to want to choose the winning side of any conflict or contest. Nobody likes to lose. Winning is so much more enjoyable.
Well, keep that in mind as we study today, because that’s exactly the situation that we are in here in the latter-days. There’s a war going on right now. The war between good and evil. The contest between team Zion, and team Babylon. And, as Lehi taught us back in 2 Nephi 2, “We are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil”. And God has sent us prophets, ancient and modern, who have had the opportunity to “travel through time” so to speak, to see, as seers, the future. And what’s the message they’re bringing. We know this war ends. We know who is going to win and who is going to lose this battle. The question is . . . Do we believe them? Do we trust their vision and counsel? And are we willing to choose the prophesied “winning team, winning army?”
We’re going to approach today’s lesson with that in mind. And I’ve decided that we’re going to do this a little out of chronological order. We’re actually going to start with the losers first, the Isaiah chapters do just the opposite, he starts with the winners and ends with the losers, but I just prefer to end on a positive note instead of a negative. So let’s begin by looking at the losers, the losing team. What is the fate of team Babylon?
SEARCH ACTIVITY-GAME
We find the answer to that question in 2 Nephi 12:9-22 and all of chapter 23.
I don’t like to dwell too long on this section, so a quick activity you could do is a “Fill-in-the-blank” challenge. This encourages your students to quickly scan through the scriptures to find the major message. So you tell them that you are going to display an incomplete phrase up on the screen or you can just do this verbally but you’re going to leave out a word or two from the phrase. Their job is to be the first person to find the verse the phrase is found in and identify the missing word or words. And I usually like to throw a small treat out to the person who finds it first. So we’ll first go to 2 Nephi 12. All of the answers to these phrases are found somewhere in verses 9-22.
The lofty looks of man shall be ____________ humbled 11
The haughtiness of men shall be made _____ low 17
And I may point out that all throughout those verses you see example after example of tall or high things being cut down or brought low. This is symbolic. So Isaiah mentions, The cedars of Lebanon, the oaks of Bashan, big trees, high mountains, hills, high towers, fenced walls, ships of the sea with big masts, and every single one is bowed down, humbled, or made low. This is what the Lord will do to the prideful. Their pride will be toppled.
The idols he shall utterly ____________ abolish 18
A man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which he hath made for himself to worship, to the ______ and to the ______. Moles and bats. 20
Now why would Isaiah choose those two particular creatures in relation to idols? What do they both have in common. They’re both blind. Idols are blind. They offer no vision. They don’t help. They’re just dumb idols. Stone and wood. Just like our modern idols. Things like money, lust, success, popularity, image, and materialism. Blind. They don’t offer real or substantial rewards. And I like the match with verse 19. Where will the idols go? Into the holes of the rocks, and the into the caves of the earth. Where do moles and bats live? Holes and caves. Places of darkness. No light. That’s a good description of Satan’s idols.
And the majesty of his glory shall _______ them 21 Smite
Now we’ll jump to 2 Nephi 23. Chapter 23 is where Isaiah is going to prophesy the historical fall of Babylon. But he’s going to use that as a metaphor for the fall of the world, or Satan’s kingdom. The city of Babylon, throughout much of scripture, is symbolic of the world. We saw that most notably in our recent study of the Book of Revelation. You can even see that he’s deliberately making that connection by comparing verses 1 and 11. In verse one he says this is the burden of Babylon, or the destruction of Babylon. But in verse 11, he doesn’t say, “and I will punish Babylon” does he? He says, “I will punish the world for evil and the wicked for their iniquity. Maybe the chapter heading says it best.
The destruction of Babylon is a type of the destruction at the Second Coming—It will be a day of wrath and vengeance—Babylon (the world) will fall forever.
So what will that day be like?
Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a _____________ from the Almighty. 5 destruction
I will _________ the world 11 punish
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldee's excellency, shall be as when God __________ Sodom and Gomorrah. 19 overthrew
They shall be _________, pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them 8 afraid.
For I will destroy her _________. 22 Speedily
He shall _________ the sinners 9 destroy
All hands be faint and every man's heart shall _________ 7 melt
Everyone that is proud shall be __________ through 15 thrust
The stars of heaven and the constellations shall not give their _______ 10 light
So it’s not a pretty picture is it. Just consider some of the words Isaiah uses there. Humbled, destroyed, afraid, thrust through, punished, overthrown. And I’m not so sure how literal we should take that as far as , but the message, I think, is clear.
TRUTH
If I choose Babylon (the world), then I will fall.
And historically speaking, that is what happened to the literal Babylon. Isaiah masterfully draws on that future event for him, past event for us, but it comes true. And Babylon falls speedily. In one day. And this was a city that nobody thought could ever fall. Babylon was huge, the most powerful empire anybody had ever known up to that time. It’s reported that the walls of the city itself were so thick, so big, that a 4 horsed chariot was able to ride along the top of it. That might be a historical exaggeration, but the city was considered impregnable. This is the city that housed the famous hanging gardens of Babylon, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. It was a very materialistic, rich, prideful, and powerful city. All great descriptions of the world. You can see why Isaiah would choose it as a symbol for the world. Likewise for us, it may seem for the righteous that Babylon is winning. The power of the world is very intimidating. I mean, how could our little congregations of believers around the world ever hope to win against that vast influence and dominance? Seems impossible. Just like, if you were to ask your average everyday Israelite at the time of Isaiah if they felt Babylon could ever be defeated. They would say. Uh, not likely. Babylon? Never. And especially, not in one day. Well, it did fall in a day. The Persians found a weakness. You see, the Euphrates river flowed right under the walls of the city. So what did the Persians do? They simply dammed and diverted the flow of the river upstream, causing the water level of the river to recede. Then, when the Babylonians were least expecting it, the Persians snuck under the walls and took control of the city in a day. Therefore, what will be the fate of the world and all its influence and wealth and authority at the Second Coming? It will fall, in a day, regardless of how powerful it seems now.
THE BIGGEST LOSER (2 Nephi 24)
What about their leader though? Their team captain, their general. Who would that be? That would be Lucifer. He’s what I would refer to as the biggest loser. What is Satan’s fate? This being that brought so much pain, and suffering, and violence, and hatred to our world. What happens to him? What does the future hold for the devil. Chapter 24 holds the answer. And this is so good. Isaiah gets a little feisty here, I have to say. And I don’t think you need any kind of big activity for this section. I’d just encourage you to walk them through I, reading it verse by verse, asking questions and discussing things as you go. We’ll pick it up in verse 4.
4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon,
If Babylon is the world, who would the king of Babylon be? Satan. And we take up a proverb against him. A proverb in this sense is a taunt, or a satirical song. That’s what the footnote in the actual book of Isaiah says. It’s like when your team is up 50 to 0 and the crowd starts to sing “Nah, nah, nah, nah, hey hey, good bye!” And sometimes I’ve heard fans chant “Overrated, overrated”. That’s the spirit of these next verses. This is the “in your face, Lucifer, you’ve lost” song. And what are the words of that satirical song:
and say: How hath the oppressor ceased, the golden city ceased!
5 The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, the scepters of the rulers.
6 He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.
7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they break forth into singing.
8 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and also the cedars of Lebanon, saying: Since thou art laid down no feller is come up against us.
Everybody is rejoicing that Satan is gone. This being who ruled with anger and persecution is gone. The Lord has ridded our world of his influence. We, like trees, begin to rejoice, because nobody is coming to try and chop us down anymore. And so we rejoice. And what happens to Lucifer?
9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
So Satan is sent to hell, and who is there to greet him, to welcome him? All the evil leaders of history. The chief ones of the earth. So who do you picture might be there? I’ve got a few ideas. In fact, I’ll put some of their pictures up and you see if you can guess who they are. I picture Hitler, and Mao, and Genghis Kahn, and King Noah, and Caligula, and Osama Bin Laden, and Stalin, and the Pharoah at the time of Moses and all the evil leaders you can think of and a few others I threw in there. And yes, I know, I threw Voldemort in there just for fun. But they all line up to welcome Satan into hell. But are they sympathetic and friendly to him? Their leader? Nope.
10 All they shall speak and say unto thee: Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us?
O, poor Satan, you couldn’t hold onto your kingdom either. You lost power just like we did.
11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave; the noise of thy viols is not heard; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
There’s no party to welcome him or celebrate his existence. Instead of the red carpet, a carpet of worms is rolled out for him, and instead of a royal robe, they place a robe of worms around his shoulders. And they say.
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
What part of the plan of salvation is Isaiah referring to here? This is, of course, a reference to the pre-mortal world. Satan had such high aspirations. He was filled with pride, and demanded the throne of God. But instead of a throne, he’ll inherit a pit, and instead of heaven, hell. Which I’ve always thought that was interesting. Satan’s desire was to be like God. Give me thy throne and thy glory. I want to have your power. Well, guess what Lucifer would have eventually received had he decided not to rebel and follow God’s plan? Exactly what he wanted. He would have received the opportunity to become like God. That’s the destiny of the righteous of mankind. But isn’t that just so Satan? I want what I want right now. I don’t want to work for it. I don’t want all the effort, and sacrifice, and struggles. I just want the good stuff, the blessings without the exertion. Most of Satan’s temptations are like that. He tempts us to do the same. You can have money without work, so gamble or steal. You can have sexual pleasure without commitment, so fornicate. You can have the good grade without the studying, so cheat. You can commit the sin, but suffer no consequences, so lie about what you’ve done. That’s how Satan works. Well, now, he’ll be at the receiving end of that equation. Eventually, the consequences catch up with you, and they will for him at this point.
So now we get this scathing verdict. What will people say when they finally see Satan for what he really is.
16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and shall consider thee, and shall say: Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms?
17 And made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof, and opened not the house of his prisoners?
Can you picture that moment. People narrowly looking on him. Narrowing their eyes with a look of incredulity and saying: This is the being that caused so much trouble, and heartache, and pain in the world, and in my life? This worm covered loser? How did I ever fall for his tricks? Is this the man?
18 All the kings of the nations, yea, all of them, lie in glory, every one of them in his own house.
What’s he talking about here? Many powerful leaders over time have built great monuments, mausoleums, or tombs, gravesites so that they would always be remembered. The only way to become immortal is to build something that will last through the ages. My body may crumble and turn to dust, but my memorial of stone will be forever. I’ll make it impossible to be forgotten. Can you think of some examples of this? Or can you name these famous tombs? You could do this activity as a quick handout if you prefer. And no, I’m not saying that all of the people who built these tombs and monuments were evil people. These are just examples of monuments or tombs built to remember powerful people or leaders.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu
Lenin’s Tomb
Temple of the Great Jaguar in Tikal Guatemala
The Terra Cotta Soldiers of Emperor Qin
The Taj Mahal
Hadrian’s Mausoleum
Thousands of tourists flock to these sites every day to admire these amazing works of architecture. Or to honor those who they represent. All the kings of the nations, lie in glory, every one of them in his own house. The question Isaiah is posing is, “Will Satan get one of these? Will there be a monument or memorial to him when his kingdom falls and crumbles to dust?”
19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and the remnant of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet.
20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people; the seed of evil-doers shall never be renowned.
So no, no monument, no memorial. No sun-burned tourists snapping selfies around his grave. Nobody sitting around admiring what his ambition accomplished. Nobody’s going to be reminiscing about the good ol days when Satan was around. He’ll be forgotten. An unpleasant memory from the past.
It kind of reminds me of what happened to Hitler. I visited Berlin not too long ago. And I was shown by a tour guide the site where Hitler’s bunker was, the place where he died, committed suicide. Do they have memorial there? A monument or plaque dedicated to Hitler’s memory? A site remembering his deeds and life? No. It’s a parking lot next to some apartment buildings. The German government doesn’t want anybody creating a shrine or honoring Hitler in any way. That really reminds me of verse 20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people; the seed of evil-doers shall never be renowned. Certainly the German people were also victims of Hitler’s evil.
That’s Lucifer’s story all over.
TRUTH
Lucifer will lose. Maybe we should just call him LOSE-Ifer. Therefore to add to our previous truth. If I choose Babylon(the world) and her king (Satan) than I will fall and lose much.
THE TAKEAWAY
Why would I ever want to choose Him as my team captain then, as my general? And I don’t think many individuals are going to make that decision consciously. I mean, who consciously chooses the adversary as a leader. But, it’s his team that sometimes deceives us. It’s Babylon that often calls with her enticements. With her riches and pride and materialism and sensuality and seeming power. But let’s not be fooled. Babylon will fall, along with its king. Don’t pick the losing team.
THE WINNERS AND THE BIGGEST WINNER
Now, let’s spend the rest of our time on the positive. Let’s take a look at the alternative. If Satan is the Biggest Loser, who would you expect the biggest winner to be? The other team captain we can choose. Jesus Christ is the biggest winner, and Isaiah has a lot to say about Him. Remember what Nephi told us, one of the purposes of Isaiah is to more fully persuade us to believe in Christ.
ICEBREAKER
And a fun way to begin a discussion of what Isaiah teaches us about Christ would be to see if you could complete these famous titles or nicknames.
Alexander the _________ GREAT
Ivan the _____________ TERRIBLE
Abraham Lincoln: __________ Abe HONEST
Elvis: The ______ of Rock and Roll KING
Babe Ruth: ______, ______,______ THE SULTAN OF SWAT, THE COLOSSUS OF CLOUT, THE GREAT BAMBINO
Michael Jordan: ______ Jordan AIR
Tom Brady: _________ THE GOAT
Well, what are Christ’s titles? His nicknames, so to speak. We’ll find a list of them in 2 Nephi 19:6? What’s he known for?
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
QUOTE
If you wished to help your students understand the significance of some of those titles, you could share the following quote from Elder Holland.
The fact that the government would eventually be upon [Jesus Christ’s] shoulders affirms what all the world will one day acknowledge—that he is Lord of lords and King of kings and will one day rule over the earth and his Church in person. …
As “Wonderful Counselor,” he will be our mediator, our intercessor, defending our cause in the courts of heaven. …
“Mighty God” conveys something of the power of God, his strength, omnipotence, and unconquerable influence. …
“Everlasting Father” underscores the fundamental doctrine that Christ is a Father—Creator of worlds without number, the Father of restored physical life through the Resurrection, the Father of eternal life for his spiritually begotten sons and daughters, and the One acting for the Father (Elohim) through divine investiture of authority. (Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 80–81)
So aren’t those great titles? He is wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Ah, such great titles. Which one of those is your favorite and why?
My favorite is wonderful. Jesus is a wonderful Savior. Why is he called wonderful? Well, that question reminds me of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Do you remember why they called HIM wonderful? You may recall the song they sing in that movie. We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz, because, because, because, because, because . . . . because of the wonderful things he does.
I think that’s the same reason we call Jesus wonderful. So, let’s take a look at some of those wonderful things. Wonderful things he does. Wonderful things about his character. Wonderful things about his purpose.
SEARCH ACTIVITY-HANDOUT CHALLENGE
I wish we could just take a couple of hours and walk you through verse-by-verse chapters 17-22. We can’t do that here and neither can you as a teacher. So I like to pull out some of the major messages about Christ in these chapters. As Isaiah discusses the major military threats that Israel is facing and will face, he consistently keeps referring to the Messiah. And the main message of most of those chapters is, Don’t be afraid of these worldly kingdoms. Choose God, choose the future Messiah, look to Him, choose righteousness, and you need not worry about those powers. From the confederacy of Syria and Ephraim, to Assyria, to Babylon. They will all fall and crumble, but God’s Kingdom and it’s king, will rule forever.
So what do we learn about Jesus from the following verses? You could turn this into a team challenge. Divide your students into teams of 2 to 4 members and hand each the following paper. Their job is write down as many things as they can about Jesus. How many different things can they identify about the Savior from these verses. You can give them 5 minutes to do this. Then, count them up and see which team has the most.
2 Nephi 17:14-15
2 Nephi 18:13-14
2 Nephi 19:2-5, 7
2 Nephi 21:1-5
And to give you a sense of the different kind of things they might write, allow me to walk you through those references, highlighting what I see.
2 Nephi 17:14-15
14 Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign—Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil and to choose the good.
So, his birth will be miraculous. He will be born of a virgin. He would have a godly origin.
His name will be called Immanuel. What does Immanuel mean? It means “God with us”. I love that name for Jesus. We have a God that walked among us, became as one of us. His house is with us. Our temples are found within our communities and nations. Our God isn’t UP there, or OUT there. He’s with us, walking beside us, lifting us up, providing us with strength.
Butter and honey shall he eat. That just means that he would be poor, that he would come from humble circumstances. Those were the only foods available to the poor at times. The King of Kings would not be born in a palace, but in a stable. He wouldn’t come as a great military leader, but as a humble carpenter and a teacher. He wouldn’t come to destroy Roman soldiers, but death and hell.
He will know how to refuse the evil and choose the good. Jesus would be the only mortal to ever live who always chose good and always refused evil.
2 Nephi 18:13-14
13 Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
This one may require a little more explanation. The word that stands out most to me is sanctuary. Jesus Christ can be our sanctuary. A sanctuary is a place of refuge or safety from danger. Jesus Christ offers the righteous, sanctuary. Perhaps you’ve seen the Disney movie, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. At the beginning of the movie, Quasimodo’s mother is being chased through the streets of Paris and she runs up to the cathedral doors and shouts out what? Sanctuary! Sanctuary! I need help. Can you offer me protection? That’s what Jesus can do for us. He offers us sanctuary from sin, from temptation, from pain, from death, and from hell. However, if I don’t look to Christ with fear (or respect) then he may be a stone of stumbling to me, or a rock of offense, or a gin and snare. I get to choose which of those things Christ is to me. If I don’t respect him, his gospel, his commandments, I may stumble. These things become an offense to me. When I don’t turn to the Lord of Hosts, I am condemned by his gospel rather than saved by it.
2 Nephi 19:2-4
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and increased the joy—they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor.
5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
And then we already covered verse 6, all those excellent titles. But verse 7
7 Of the increase of government and peace there is no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.
What do we learn about Christ here?
He offers light to those who walk in darkness. The light of his love, his truth, his guidance, his comfort.
He increases joy. What kind of joy? Harvest time joy, a time of plenty and celebration. Winning a war kind of joy, where you get to divide the spoils amongst the victors.
He removes burdens. The burdens of guilt, the burdens of persecution, the burdens of trial.
He brings peace. His leadership, or government is a peaceful one.
He establishes his kingdom on the principle of justice. He’s fair
And then finally, probably my favorite section. 2 Nephi 21:1-5
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
He will have the Spirit of the Lord with him
He’s wise, he’s understanding, he’s willing to counsel us, he’s a strong leader, he’s smart, and respectful to God the Father.
Again, understanding and respect.
He’ll be our judge, but what kind of judge? He’ll judge not by the outward appearance, but the heart. He’ll judge with righteousness, meekness, and justice to the wicked. Now I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of being I want judging me.
He won’t lead by intimidation and fear, but He will lead by righteousness and faith.
Now take a look at that list. It’s quite impressive isn’t it? Now recall what we learned about Satan, the King of Babylon. A being that was prideful, that only thought about himself, that didn’t care for his people or those who chose to follow him, that will descend into hell to be covered in worms and forgotten. Which of the two team captains or war generals would you want to follow? Who would you trust? Who would you be willing to go to battle for?
TAKING IT TO HEART
Which of the qualities of Christ do you love most and why? Please share.
VIDEO
And if you wished to sink that message of Christ’s divine character a little deeper into the hearts of your students, you might consider showing them the following video. It’s called: The Prince of Peace and it’s really well done, very powerful and reviews many of the qualities and characteristics we just talked about here. While they watch, have them consider the following question: Why would I want to choose Christ as my leader?
THE WINNERS
Now for our final section of study. The winners. I’ve saved this for last. For those that choose Christ as their leader, those that choose to play for team Zion, or fight for God’s army, what will be their reward? There’s a famous war saying from history. “To the victor, go the _________. “ What word fills that blank? Spoils. To the victor goes the spoils. The rewards. What are those rewards? What are the spoils of victory in this conflict?
SEARCH ACTIVITY-QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, THOUGHTS, OR FEELINGS
I want you to find them in chapter 21 verses 6-16, and all of chapter 22. Which is a really short chapter, but I would label it “The Victory Song”. When your team wins, you may sometimes sing a victory song. Chapter 22 is the ancient Israelite version of “We are the Champions.” So look for evidence of spoils of victory within the words of that celebrated refrain.
The search activity that I would probably do for this is very open-ended. I just simply call it “Questions, Comments, Thoughts, or Feelings”. I would invite my students to read those verses and come up with at least one of those things from something they study there. Do they have a question they’d like to pose to you or the class as a whole? Do they have a comment they would like to make? Is there a thought they’d like to share? Or what was their overall feeling they had as they studied? The thing is, they get to choose where they take it. So give them a good 5 minutes to study, and then, take as much time as you like allowing them to share or ask questions. If you wanted to add a little element of fun to it, you could find a way to randomly select the people that get to share or make a comment. One of my favorite ways of doing this is with cards. I’m a magician and I know that you can purchase an entire deck of blank cards. I’ve used those before in magic tricks. But the purpose of this blank deck is that it provides you with a chance to write the names of each of your students on the cards. Then, you or somebody else in the class picks a card, any card. Whoever’s name is selected gets to share. I call it the deck of destiny, but for my students who don’t like to share, sometimes they refer to it as the deck of doom. Because it means they have to say something if they get chosen. But it works well and adds an interesting element to the lesson. If you’re interested in purchasing a deck of blank cards, I’ll put a link to one that you can purchase on Amazon. I buy a couple of these every year and use them for all of my classes. https://amzn.to/42SChH8
THOUGHTS
To help you be better prepared to answer questions about these verses or discuss them, here are a few of my own personal thoughts. Look closely at the pairs of animals in 6-8. The wolf and the lamb. The leopard and the kid. The calf and the young lion. The bear and the cow. I know we usually picture the lion and the lamb lying down together, but we get that wrong. It’s the wolf and the lamb, and the lion and the fatling. Well what kind of relationships are these? What kind of pairing is going on here? They are predator and prey. But when Christ overthrows Satan’s kingdom, there won’t be predator/prey relationships anymore. And then in verse 8 we have innocent children playing around the dens of poisonous snakes. What’s Isaiah saying here about millennial or celestial conditions? I know we almost always translate that as literal. And I believe it is literal, there will be peace in the animal kingdom. BUT, more importantly, I think he’s saying there will be no more predator prey relationships among mankind. No more strong powerful nations conquering and dominating weaker ones. No Nazi Germany’s gobbling up the Netherlands and Poland’s. No Russia trying to gobble up Ukraine. No more rich preying on the poor. No more physically strong exploiting the weak. No more abuser preying on the abused. And like the child and the poisonous snakes, the deceitful and cunning will no longer poison the innocent. The con man won’t swindle the senior out of their retirement savings, the sexual predator will not take advantage of the trusting. The intelligent will not deceive the naive. It will be a time of peace and assurance. Because, verse 9, the world will be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Sounds splendid, doesn’t it.
Verse 10-12 speak of the completion of the gathering of Israel. A gathering of God’s people from all nations. Nobody will be left out. He speaks of the remnant, the outcasts, the dispersed of Judah. All will be brought together in one from the islands of the see to the four corners of the earth. President Nelson has spoken much about the Gathering of Israel and reminded us that it is the most important work we can be engaged in during the latter-days. One day that work will be complete. All of Christ’s disciples, his covenant people will be gathered to his ensign or standard of truth. If you’ve ever engaged in missionary work, or temple work, you know that the task of taking the gospel into all the world and sounding it in every ear, or the task of doing temple ordinances for every person that ever lived may seem overwhelming and so huge and monumental as to be impossible. One day that work will be complete. And the great Jehovah shall say, “The work is done.” And what will we experience? In verse 10, rest. And that rest shall be glorious, because it’s the kind of rest that comes after finishing a demanding yet fulfilling job.
Now look at vs. 13, “The envy of Ephraim shall depart.” And then later, “Ephraim shall not envy Judah.” What was the envy of Ephraim? There was something that the kingdom of Judah had within its borders that was a huge and difficult loss for the people of the ten tribes when the kingdom was split in two under the reign of King Rehoboam, Solomon’s son. Why will there be no envy? This is my interpretation. Because there will be temples everywhere. No need for envy anymore. There already are! And temples will continue to be built worldwide until the Second Coming.
Verses 14-16 is a promise that no nation or people will be able to stop the work of the Lord or the gathering of his people. All obstacles will be removed. There will be no nations shutting their doors to missionary work. No anti’s standing in the way of the truth rolling forward. The way will be opened, like the Red Sea parting before the Children of Israel. A highway through the impediments and stumbling blocks that the enemies of truth have placed in our way for ages. They’ll be gone.
Ah, and then the victory song of chapter 22. So good. If you want a good modern-day counterpart to this song, Hymn #3 “Now Let Us Rejoice” would be appropriate to sing here. It’s the same sentiment. That same exultant and energetic spirit. When all that was promised the Saints will be given, and none will molest them from morn until even, and Earth will appear as the Garden of Eden, and Jesus will say to all Israel, Come home!”
So, we will praise the Lord in that day, and all will feel of his comfort. His anger will be turned away. We will receive our salvation. No more death, no more temptation, no more sin, no more pain, no more war, no more fear. With joy we will drink of the living water from the wells of salvation forever. We’ll be happy! A measure of happiness that we have yet to experience in this life. We will praise his name forever as we declare his doings. And I love that phrase in vs. 5. He hath done excellent things. A good question to ask there would be “What excellent things has he done for you?” And then, as verse 6 tells us, the Holy One of Israel will be in the midst of us. We’ll get to meet Him! The Lord Jehovah, our strength and our song. In the flesh! Can you imagine that moment? We will all have a 3 Nephi kind of experience, where he will say, come forth and feel the tokens of my sacrifice. The marks in my side, my hands, and my feet, and one by one we will go forth to witness and worship our captain, our general, our Savior. Doesn’t it sound amazing?
TRUTH
So, our truth that we’ve been building. I know we tend to think that Isaiah’s writings are difficult to understand, but if we really dig deep, we realize that his message is actually quite simple.
If I choose Babylon (the world) and it’s king (Satan), then I will fall and lose much.
If I choose Zion and it’s king (Christ) then I will be exalted and gain much.
OR to put as Lehi put it: “We are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil”
TAKING IT TO HEART
The personal question for us to consider then is, Which team am I playing for? Which army am I enlisted in? Which captain am I choosing? If you looked down right now at your “jersey”, what would it say? Team Babylon or team Zion.
And I wouldn’t have anybody share their answers to these questions, but pondering these might help us to determine where our allegiances currently lie.
In what place do I feel most comfortable? Babylon or Zion? The Church or the World. How do I feel when it’s time to go to Church, or the temple, seminary, or scripture study or prayer.
What kind of language do I use most often? Is it the language of Babylon or the language of Zion?
How do I dress or present myself? With the clothing and styles of Babylon or the clothing and styles of Zion?
What kind of music do I listen to? What kind of movies? Is it the uplifting messages and melodies of Zion, or the sensual, violent, and cynical messages and melodies of Babylon?
Where do I go for my attitudes, opinions, and beliefs? Do I go to the voices and counsels of Babylon, or the voices and counsels of Zion?
And we could go on and on. But I feel it’s beneficial for us to frequently examine our allegiances and actions. We don’t want to get too comfortable in the world. The choice should be clear. And you know what’s really cool about this game or war. It’s not against the rules to change sides halfway through. If you look down at your jersey or uniform and you’re worried that you may have chosen the wrong team? You can switch jersey’s. It’s encouraged even! You don’t have to remain on the losing side. People can change! Although keep in mind one of the hard and fast rules of this game. Jesus calls out to us “No man can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). You can’t play for both teams. So choose liberty and eternal life! Why wouldn’t we?
I WILL GO AND DO
What is one action you can take this week that would show your Father in Heaven you’ve chosen Zion and Christ?
THE TAKEAWAY
So have you been persuaded yet by Isaiah to believe more fully in the Lord your Redeemer? Isn’t the choice easy?! Hopefully we’ve gotten the message. Why on earth would anybody in their right mind choose Babylon and her King? Let’s choose the winning side! The outcome has already been decided. Let’s choose Jesus as our leader, our team captain. Let’s choose the wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace and he will do excellent things for us! And I bear witness that if we do make that choice, we will never regret it. One day we will sing chapter 22 in triumph and joy. We’ll win! And the victory will be glorious!
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