D&C 18:9 And now, Oliver Cowdery, I speak unto you, and also unto David Whitmer, by the way of commandment; for, behold, I command all men everywhere to repent, and I speak unto you, even as unto Paul mine apostle, for you are called even with that same calling with which he was called.
Apostolos in its broader sense means “one sent
out or away, emissary,” thus NOT necessarily one of the 12 disciples given an
additional commission to be part of the governing body of the church.
In this
particular historical moment, Cowdery and Whitmer are being ‘sent out’ with the
particular mission of searching out the future 12.
D&C 18:11 For, behold, the Lord
your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all
men might repent and come unto him.
Discuss this
next week
D&C 18:13 And how great is
his joy in the soul that
repenteth!
Context: Joy
and rejoicing in OT: 4 major reasons for Joy and Rejoicing
1. Forgiveness
of sins at the temple thru sacrifices : meat not burned or given to priests as
pay for their help, was taken by the offerer, cooked, and shared with family
and friends: this meal was a big part of ‘rejoicing before the LORD.’
Neh 12:43
Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made
them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that
the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
Psa 27:6 . . .
therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I
will sing praises unto the LORD.
Ecc 9:7
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for
God now accepteth thy works.
Isa 35:10
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting
joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and
sighing shall flee away.
Deu 16:11
And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy
daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is
within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are
among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name
there.
Deu 27:7
And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before
the LORD thy God.
Psa 31:7
I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy
2. Marriage
Isa 25:9
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him,
and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad
and rejoice in his salvation.
Isa 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he
hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the
robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a
bride adorneth herself with
3. Having righteous children
Pro 23:24
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise
child shall have joy of him.
Pro
23:25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee
shall rejoice.
4. Defeating enemies in battle
D&C 18:17 Behold, you have my
gospel before you, and my rock, and my
salvation.
First,
SALVATION or SAVIOR is Jesus’ name. In Hebrew, Yeshua [often translated
as Joshua]is the short form of the name Yehoshua יְהוֹשׁוּעַ yᵊhôšûaʿ: Jehovah Saves. Isaiah (whose name is יְשַׁעְיָה yᵊšaʿyâ or “Jehovah saves” or
“Jehovah will be Jesus” sang [Isa 12:2] Behold, God is my salvation; I
will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song;
he also is become my salvation.
Remember, in
Matthew 1:21, Joseph is told “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save
his people from their sins.”
So D&C
18:23 contains a play on words: only thru
Salvation/the Savior can a person be saved. Behold, Jesus Christ is
the name which is given of the Father, and there is none other name given whereby man can be saved;
The ROCK : Jacob stood his stone
pillow up after his dream vision of the LORD and named it EBEN-ezer or stone
that helped me. [Gen 28:22] And this stone, which I have set for a pillar,
shall be God's house:
Exo 17:6 Behold, I will stand before
thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there
shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the
sight of the elders of Israel.
Moses is the first in the OT to call
the LORD “the Rock” in the Song of Moses (Deut 32:4): He is the Rock, his
work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity,
just and right is he.
Deu 32:15 But [Israel] waxed fat, and
kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with
fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of
his salvation.
Hannah also connects Salvation and the
Rock in her song of praise [1Sa 2:1-2] And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart
rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged
over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as
the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our
God.
David often referred to the LORD as the
Rock of his Salvation [Psa 18:2, 31, 46] The LORD is my rock, and my
fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler,
and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 31 For who is God save
the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? 46 The LORD liveth; and blessed
be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
Isaiah also sings of the rock [Isa
17:10] Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not
been mindful of the rock of thy strength
D&C 18:18 The NAME“ Ask the Father in my name in faith,
believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which
manifesteth all things which are expedient unto the children of men.
D&C 18:21 Take upon you the name of Christ, and speak
the truth in soberness.
D&C 18:22 And as many as repent and
are baptized in my name, which is Jesus
Christ, and endure to the end, the same shall be saved.
D&C 18:25 Wherefore, if they know not the name by which they
are called, they cannot have place in the kingdom of my Father.
After the golden calf incident, Moses
was talking with the LORD, face to face as a man speaks with his friend [Deut
33:11] and he asks the LORD, “Tell me your name.” So in Exodus 34, when Moses
goes up on the mountain with two tablets of stone (get it? The LORD’s words are
written on rocks, stones) to get the 10 commandments a second time, the LORD
met him there:
[Ex 34:5-7] And the LORD
descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the
name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed,
The LORD [Jehovah], The LORD [Jehovah] God [Elohim], merciful [rechem] and
gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, [offering] mercy
[chesed] for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that
will by no means clear the guilty;
These qualities are the LORD’s
name. We need to obtain those qualities ourselves to be saved: we need to
be totally covered [immersed, baptized] in those attributes. If we have
not taken that name, if we do not know the name, we cannot be saved.
In other words, the ritual of baptism
is NOT what saves us: we are saved everyday by being kind, merciful, long
suffering, and forgiving others. We are
‘saved’ eternally by learning to be LIKE Christ, enabling us to feel comfort in
His presence.
D&C 18:19 Defining terms:“And if you have not faith, hope, and charity,
you can do nothing.
A. Faith in Hebrew is אֱמוּנָה 'ĕmûnâ or
amanah. It does not mean believing without proof: it means to be
FAITHFUL, TRUE, LOYAL, STEADFAST. It means that if you make a promise,
you keep it.
B. Hope in Hebrew is תִּקְוָה
tiqvâ or tiqvah. To long for or expect good things. Job 6:8
Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I
long for! Job has a beautiful metaphor for hope in Job 14:7 For there is
hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the
tender branch thereof will not cease.
That is how strong our hope should be, that even if we die, yet shall we
live again.
C. Charity translates several words in
Hebrew.
1. Elder Bednar introduced us to one: Chesed חֶסֶד
cḥeseḏ means ‘loving kindness.’ The LORD treats his children with ‘chesed’ :
Gen 39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy [chesed] and gave
him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. In return, He asks us to
be merciful, to show loving kindness to others
2. רָחַם rāḥam or
rechem is often translated as compassion, pity, mercy. [2Ki 13:23]
And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion [rechem]on them, and
had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. The original meaning of rechem is womb, or uterus. Rechem is
the compassion a mother has for the child in her womb, giving her life for the
child.
D&C 18:29 And they are they who
are ordained of me to baptize
in my name, according to that which is written;
יָסַד
yāsaḏ ordain, establish, lay a foundation [usually
of the temple], put in order 1Ch 9:22All these which were chosen to be porters
in the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by their
genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer did ordain in their set
office.
שׂוּם
śûmo set,
ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix;to set or
make for a sign 1Ch 17:9 Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will
plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more
שָׁפַת šāp̄aṯ to put or place (rare) Isa 26:12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought
all our works in us.
Generally, ‘ordain’ originally, in a
biblical context, meant to appoint, or place someone in a position and give
them authority to act. LATER in the
restoration, this term becomes associated with being given authority to act in
a particular priesthood office.
38 And by their desires and their works you shall know them.
Somehow, members think they are not
supposed to ASK for callings or opportunities to serve, Yet Jesus often said,
“Ask, seek, knock, and it shall be given you.” Almost the only time we formally
ask to serve is in our papers seeking to serve missions, Do you want to proselyte? Go on a service mission?
Do humanitarian work? Do you want to use your medical or legal skills?
Yet, the 12 apostles are to be called
‘according to their desires.’
DESIRE in OT Hebrew : בָּקַשׁ bāqaš to want to do; to ask, requestGen 37:15And a certain man found him,
and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
Exo 10:11 [Pharaoh to Moses] Not so: go now ye that are
men, and serve the LORD; for
that ye did desire.
שָׁאַל šā'alto
enquire, enquire carefully; to ask for (also the name Saul)
חֵפֶץ
ḥēp̄eṣ that in
which one takes delight, pleasure 2Sa
23:5 . . . yet he [God] hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire
Psa 1:2But his delight is in the law
of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
WORKS see
below v.44
D&C 18: 44 And
by your hands I will work
a marvelous work among the children of men,
עָבַדʿāḇaḏ; avodah : work or serve; service Exo
1:13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
Exo 8:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh,
and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve
me. [service to God is WORSHIP]
THUS, Mosiah 2:17 And behold, I tell you these things
that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow
beings ye are only in the
service of your God. = When you work to help others, you are WORSHIPPING
God!
מַעֲשֶׂה maʿăśê works, deed, thing done, act; work, labour;
the things you do from the verb עָשָׂה ʿāśâto
do, fashion [God fashioned man in Genesis 2], accomplish, make; to do, work,
make, produce
Exo 23:12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh
day thou shalt rest:
יְגִיעַ
yᵊḡîaʿ
: toil or work; products of toil Job
10:3 Is it good unto thee that thou
shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work
[yegiyah] of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
יָד yāḏ
literally, hand; that which you do with your hands Exo 14:31And Israel saw that great work
[yad] which the LORD did [asa] upon the
Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his
servant Moses.
מְלָאכָה
mᵊlā'ḵâ
[same word as ANGEL] occupation, business, workmanship, service, use; actions,
works, deeds done with authority from KING [ מֶלֶךְ meleḵ] Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his workwhich he had made
[asa]; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Exo 35:21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred
him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S
offering to the work [Malaka] of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for
all his service [avodah], and for the holy garments.
Probably the word used in Moses 1:39 For behold, this is my work [what I do as
KING] and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
MARVELOUS
פָּלָא pālā't to be marvellous, be wonderful, be
surpassing, be extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action; To be beyond
one's power, be difficult to do; To be difficult to understand;to be wonderful, be extraordinary; to
separate, set apart (an offering); to do extraordinary or hard or difficult
thing, a miracle; to make wonderful, do wondrously; to show oneself wonderful
or marvellous
Isa 29:14 Therefore,
behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a
marvellous work and a wonder:
Miraculous
birth : Gen 18:14 Is any
thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto
thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
Plagues of
Egypt :Exo 3:20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do
in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
Covenant
promises Exo 34:10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy
people I will do marvels,
such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation
Nazarite vow
(like John the Baptist, missionaries, or members who meet temple recommend
requirements) Num 6:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,
When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate
themselves unto the LORD:
Wonders
Joshua 3:5And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow
the LORD will do wonders
among you.
Temples : 2Ch
2:9 Even to prepare me timber in
abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.
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