Using the Fullness of Our Creation

Blog #30 May 31, 2022


Our common knowledge of God's creation once again becomes the foundation for our grasp of the changes He seeks in our lives as we grow to become His Kingdom. I have to tell you that in reading these verses and expanding them for a fuller understanding, I am impressed with the skillful use of the language of the day and how much instruction is offered in these three relatively short verses.

 

Proverbs 30:29-31
30:29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going;
30:30 A lion, which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away from any;
30:31 A greyhound; a he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.


In pondering this passage I found great light in the two idioms of verse 29 "go well" and "comely in going".


Go well: I found the term repeated in the book of Deuteronomy. 


Deuteronomy 4:40 Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, forever.


Deuteronomy 5:16 Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.


These verses define the relationship between our obedience to God and our temporal life here on earth. God seems to be teaching us that temporal obedience to His ways can make our time here on earth not only longer, but also blessed with the security of living within the grace of God. 

Comely in going: I first went to the Hebrew meaning of comely.

Comely: From Strong's Concordance Hebrew 2895 towb {tōve}
a primitive root, to be good (or well) in the widest sense

Oddly enough, both of the above verses from Deuteronomy were used as scriptural examples for the word comely. The term seems to echo the meaning of go well. I wondered why the repetition of the need for obedience until I defined the term "in going"

Going- Hebrew 3212 yâlak, {yaw-lak'}
a primitive root to walk, depart, grow, pursue
Going seemed to speak of our future or our growth in God. The idiom seems to say, "To be good for our growth in God". 

I would like to rewrite the target passage using our garnered understandings in the hopes that it will shed more light on the application of the passage to our labor in God. 

Proverbs 30:29-31
30:29 There be three things which support our temporal life in God, yea, four which support our continued growth in the ways of God
30:30 A lion, which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away from any;
30:31 A greyhound; a he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

We are told that in each of these creatures we will find attributes that will support our growth in the ways of God. Let us expand our view of each that we might shed light on the wisdom offered.

The lion: Among the creatures of the world the lion is reputedly the king of the beast. In ancient times this was thought to be fact. Today we know that yes, the lion is a great predator but he is not the biggest, the strongest, nor the most fierce. Studies have noted that even among their own kind the male lion of which we speak is a pampered member of the pride. What he does possess though is the visage of strength through honor. To look at the male lion is to see into the face of a creature that would neither back down nor shy away from any challenge they face. Honor demands of him only one outcome in any conflict, victory. This animal embodies the very nature of the steadfast effort. 

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

The greyhound: In your minds eye, look at a greyhound and what do you see? A creature long, sleek, broad of shoulder, and narrow of hip. They appear to be an animal capable of great speed. They are that but they are so much more. I drew up a video on "You Tube" and discovered what I consider the heart of a greyhound. They are not only capable of running, they are willing to run, and in that willingness they display a love for the chance to utilize to its fullest, their God given talent. This then is the lesson of the greyhound. They are endowed by God and are willing to let that endowment become the desire of their hearts. This attitude not only fosters growth, it demands it. 

Alma 16:169-170
16:169 And thus it is if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.
16:170 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold, it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life;

The he goat: As I pondered the attributes of the ram (he goat), I found many Christ-like attributes. He is a family centered creature. His existence centers around the heard and protection of the heard. In fact the comparisons between Christ and the ram go beyond life even unto death. The ram replaced Isaac as Abraham's sacrifice to God. 

Genesis 22:2 And the Lord said, Take now thy son, thine only Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering, upon one of the mountains of which I will tell thee.


Genesis 22:11-17 
22:11 And Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
22:12 And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
22:13 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham! Abraham! And Abraham said, Here am I.
22:14 And the angel said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him;
22:15 For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only Isaac from me.
22:16 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind a thicket, there was a ram caught in it by his horns.
22:17 And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering, in the stead of his son.

In this, God further established the likeness of Christ to the ram. The ram died that Isaac might live. Christ died that all might live. These sacrifices were notable rituals that had a great spiritual impact by defining the very sacrificial nature of those that would inhabit God's Kingdom. 

Mosiah 9:40 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life:

If we are to truly become God's children we must offer the Kingdom the very best we have to offer. Christ gave His life. Abraham was willing to give the life of his son, and I am convinced that Isaac was willing to give his life for the needs of his father. The commonality between the three is not the sacrifice. Instead, it is the intent within the heart of all involved; "not mine will but thine". We have discussed this Godly attribute before and God seeks here to underline its importance by expanding our knowledge of where it comes from and why we need it.

Moroni 10:5 And if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost; and by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things.

Is it the act of sacrifice God wants from His covenant people? No, it is the willingness to give our all in the name of Christ for the glory of God and His purpose. The ram is prepared to die for those he leads, but believe me; he is just as ready to live for them. If we are to be God's children and grow as His children we must possess the attitude of "not my will but thine". Whether it is by giving our life today for another's need or by living and serving God for decades, we grow in God when the intent of our heart is, "not my will but thine". 

Psalms 34:18  The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

The he goat speaks of the sacrificial nature. In Moses it was the offering of animal blood. It was incomplete and was an offering of death. In Christ the need for blood was fulfilled and sacrifice was allowed to become an offering of life. In our covenant labors this sacrificial nature becomes both life and growth. It causes us to turn our broken hearts into hearts filled with righteousness. It allows us to change a contrite spirit into a life filled with deeds of righteousness and the ways of the Kingdom. It becomes a need within our hearts to reach out to a world filled with sin and offer them a means to turn away from this sin and join us in our labor for God and the purpose of God.   

Ether 1:105-106 
1:105 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit; and he shall know and bear record.
1:106 For because of my Spirit, he shall know that these things are true for it persuadeth men to do good; and whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good, is of me; for good cometh of none, save it be of me.

The king against whom there is no rising up: What would it be like to have a government that never changed? Can we imagine a ruling body that never varied in its ideals of civil authority, or its methods for enforcing that authority? In this ever-changing world, the idea is almost inconceivable. And if it were so, what effect would it have on our ability to grow in the ways of God? How would it affect our covenant labor? 

As we ponder these questions, we must realize that "the king against whom there is no rising up" is a coin with two sides. One side is a king against whom we refuse to rise up. The other is a king against whom we are unable to rise up. To one we are in agreement. To the other we are in bondage. Brethren, I can assure you that there is no government of this earth that can become "a king against who there is no rising up". Man is not capable of sustaining such a situation. Only two entities in creation have the wherewithal to support such a Kingdom. In the spirit and of the heart is the only place such a King will arise. 

1 Nephi 3:220-221 
3:220 And he said unto me, Behold, there are save two churches only:
3:221 The one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil;

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

Genesis 3:1  And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying, That Satan whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning;

Here now are the absolute rulers of both the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness. The difference is obvious, but we must look to their similarities to answer our question of "the king against whom there is no rising up". 

Within both kingdoms nothing ever changes. The rules within each remain unchanged. The conditions are the same. The methods of enforcement never vary, nor do the requirements on the citizen. What is acceptable and what is unacceptable remain constant. In both there is consistency and continuity. Our growth within either system is totally dependent on our willingness to search, ponder, and grow within their prospective doctrines. The leaders of both systems actively advocate their authority and are willing to teach, mentor, and supply both knowledge and wisdom to any who willingly follow them. To entertain the idea of rebellion within either kingdom is to create for the rebel a situation both untenable and unlivable. Expulsion is not necessary. With no good choice to make within said kingdom, the rebel will either cease growing and die or choose to leave. 

In short we have found that to be faced with "a king against whom there is no rising up" brings us consistency, continuity, advocacy, and accommodating fellowship with those of the greatest knowledge and wisdom within our chosen Kingdom. It also allows us the ability to make a clear and knowledgeable decision on whether to stay or leave. 

It appears that facing "a King against whom there is no uprising" is the best thing that can happen for our continued growth. But, like all other things in the God's creation, the biggest difference is our choice of whom to serve. If we chose the kingdom of darkness we choose to live in bondage to the fear and doubt, which thrive in the darkness. In effect, our choice to live in darkness is the last choice we will ever be allowed. We become forever a victim of the system. If we choose the Kingdom of Light, we choose the ability to make our choice with full knowledge. We also choose to be fully responsible and accountable for every choice we make. Essentially, every stage of growth requires that we renew our dedication to the choice we made.

Proverbs 30:29-31
30:29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going;
30:30 A lion, which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away from any;
30:31 A greyhound; a he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

The "mind pictures" supplied by this passage from Proverbs clarifies the needs of God for His Kingdom. He needs people of a steadfast unwavering dedication. He needs people who delight in who they are in God and who they are growing to be. He needs people who are willing to place the needs of the Kingdom above their own. Finally, He needs those people who relish the idea of God as their Father, Christ as their King, and the Spirit of God within us to teach us, because all are the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

How obvious and clear growing in His ways is becoming. 

Thank you Lord. 
FRED