Old Testament - Exodus 6 - March 26, 2022

 3/26/2022 – Exodus 6

I read this chapter thinking  mostly of  how it applied to me, instead of seeing it only as a story from ancient history.

As I’ve noted before, the promise of the Lord to bring the Israelites to a place of ‘milk and honey’, took over 40 years, and included lots of difficult times within those years. But as we look at the entire time from getting out of Egypt to getting into Canaan, we also see that many of the Israelites were not only NOT fully following the Lord, and at times they were not happy, even in the midst of a miracle. While Moses was with the Lord on the mountain, the Israelites were making a golden calf to worship. When the poisonous snakes appeared and Moses told them if they came to look at the Iron Snake, they would live. But so many did not even bother to leave their tent to look—and instead they died. After the Lord had miraculously provided them manna, instead of being thankful for their daily food, they began to complain that they were tired of eating only manna.

How often do my complaints take me away from the Lord instead of toward Him. As I look through all of the scriptures, so many times His promises are sure, but His time lines are longer than the people imagined.   The ancient Israelites, as well as the saints of Joseph Smith’s time, followed the Lord’s commandments about where to live. Once again, they did not fully follow His commandments, and their constant moving was difficult and dangerous and often seem to put them back instead of ahead. 

There are many times, then and now, that even when his people ARE being obedient, that their difficulties are not immediately solved and taken away. He may give us situations that end up making us stronger, or helping us realize more about helping others.  The Lord always keeps His promises, but we must be willing to see OUR part in His promises. Oliver Cowdery deeply desired to translate from the Golden Plates. But when he was given the opportunity, he failed. That’s when the Lord explained: you took no thought except to ask me. He wanted that blessing without working for it.

There are also times, as with the Israelites, that He the way He lightened their physical burdens was by giving them situations that would make them physically stronger.  

Some things that kept the Israelites in bondage were ignorance (as some, after so many generations, were never taught the Lord’s gospel; some lost all faith when the promises didn’t come immediately; some were just didn’t want to make the effort as when the poison snakes showed up—perhaps they were tired or frightened or not feeling well.    

When I go to the Lord for specific help, I hope I also remember to ask Him to help me recognize His help, so that I can express my gratitude to Him. I know that when I have pleaded for his help, my views of what is happening become clearer to me, and my feelings of comfort and companionship with Him increase.  These are truths I want to live in my life, and I so hope that I do not fall back and have to learn the lessons I had at one time learned, yet again.


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