Not a pretty picture

2 Nephi 13

Nephi is quoting from Isaiah again.  This chapter is about the last days – our days, even.  It’s not a pretty picture – especially for women.

In the first verse, it sounds like Christ is not in the lives of the people.  “. . .the Lord of Hosts, doth take away . . . the staff of bread, and the whole stay of water.”  Isn’t this the same as say Christ will be removed from our lives?  What becomes of the people when this happens? 

V4 Children will rule over them.  How is this?  A lot of people feel oppressed because they have children.  We see this all the time in today’s world

V6-7  “Man” is looking for anyone to rule over them and put things into order.  Nobody wants to take leadership.  I seriously see this today.  At the rate we're going, really - who would want to be a ruler?  I can't see it as being something to seek after.

V9 This is probably one of my favorite scriptures.  “The show of their countenance doth witness against them. . .”  When a righteous person turns away from the teachings of the gospel, it is not hard to see it in his/her face.  It is obvious in their demeanor as well. 

V12 “Children are their oppressors”.  See my comment on v4.  It is similar.  Women rule over the children.  They are too busy/important in their own eyes to be bothered with having them and abort them or use birth control to prevent them from coming.

V16 & 17 – “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet - -  Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.”  This really sounds gruesome to me.  Pride is at the root of this verse – haughty, stretched-forth necks, wanton eyes.  The definition of wanton is anything unchaste.  What is the outcome of this behavior?  Scabs!  The world will know from the malady suffered the type of life a person has been living. 

V18-26 The results of the unrighteous living – the last verse says it all: “. . .and she shall be desolate, and shall sit upon the ground.”  This is a visible sign of mourning.

This is not a pretty chapter, and one we should take into careful consideration as far as our own lives are concerned.  Do I value my children?  With all my heart.  They are my jewels and my treasures.  Where am I on the pride scale?  This is something to be checked daily. 

I left off the most important verse.  V13 – The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.”  Christ will plead our cause to God and he will judge us.   We would be wise to follow the Savior to avoid the outcome so graphically written in this chapter.