"that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

A fellow named Just Peachy has written some chiasms. One of the sections of scripture.

One of the sections of scripture that he highlighted was Isaiah 28 with emphasis on the following verse;

"that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

He then provides this commentary which I find very insightful;

"The Lord says he will try and prove those self-asserting faithful to every line and precept of the law. These faithful will receive a trial which they will fail; and through falling backward, being broken, snared and taken, they will be proved and made ready for the atoning influence of Jesus Christ. There is a sense to the definition of prove that has a feel of being activated or coming into what one was designed to be, like yeast is proved or activated when warm water is poured over it. It thus makes the bread rise. This coming into what one was designed to be happens when our hearts are broken and spirits made contrite through falling backward, being broken, snared and taken. Also a trial and proving will break one’s heart and make him contrite, thus opening his heart to the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. “Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.” (2 Nephi 2:7). So this trial and proving is a wonderful thing, a necessary thing, a transformation from natural man to Godly man. This is what happened in Jackson County. But in the end the trial and proving will work for the good of those going through the trial, and to his name’s glory. There will be no exalting oneself."

Thank you Just Peachy for sharing that.

I find it interesting that in an Epistle to the Saints now known as section 128 Joseph quotes part of the section of Isaiah from which the highlighted verse originates. He only quotes part of the verse with a positive spin on it in an effort to buoy up and encourage his fellow brethren;

"And the voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice of ^bGabriel, and of Raphael, and of divers ^cangels, from Michael or ^dAdam down to the present time, all declaring their ^edispensation, their rights, their ^fkeys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, ^gprecept upon precept; here a little, and there a little; giving us consolation by holding forth that which is to come, confirming our ^hhope! Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. ^aCourage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into ^bsinging. Let the ^cdead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the ^dKing Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to ^eredeem them out of their ^fprison; for the prisoners shall go free."

Although in section 128 Joseph is characterizing the verses he is paraphrasing in a positive manner, it is interesting that when the verses are used in section 98 they warn that he will prove the Saints by giving them his word line upon line precept upon precept but it does not reveal what the outcome will be.

Yet the original use of the terms in Isaiah reveal that the outcome of receiving God's word line upon line and precept upon precept for the Saints of the Restoration is to fall backwards and be broken and taken because they were not ready to be weaned from the milk .

When Gods Servants return we need to be ready to receive the meat!

I feel that there is overwhelming evidence that the Saints as a group fell backwards in their attempt to establish Zion and to keep the commandments of the Lord during the 2nd watch.

We often talk about individual sin and individual repentance but we seldom speak of group sin or group repentance. But even though the wheat were mingled with the tares during the restoration movement, and even though the righteous from that time will ultimately be redeemed, Zion is a group proposition.

Daniels prayer of confession in behalf of ancient Israel, as a group, in Dan 9 is applicable to the Saints of the restoration movement. Try reading it some time and simply reorient the context to the Kirtland, Jackson County and Nauvoo Saints... "We have sinned and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from they precepts and from they judgments..."

Are you open to the possibility that latter day Israel is in need of group repentance or are you going to fight to defend the traditions of your fathers and/or the organization? That is one of the things that will be be covered in the last part of the Rigdon tribute..