Category: Scripture Notes
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The Levites for all the firstborn
The Lord has commanded that all the firstborn in Israel should be dedicated to Him then He took the Levites into his service in place of the firstborn. I wonder how it would have changed the people if the firstborn in every family did service for the Lord rather than having a separate tribe doing…
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If ye keep my commandments
The promises if the people would be obedient were generous. They would feel safer in the land and 5 men of Israel would chase down 100 enemies and 100 of the men of Israel would put 10000 to flight. On the other hand. The promise if they rejected the commandments was that they would for…
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Scribes and Pharisees
As I read through the law I understand that it was meant to point the people to think of Jehovah but I can also see how a people keeping the law but forgetting the reason and symbolism behind it could begin to act like Pharisees – caught up in details but dead to purpose.
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What did Martin need to repent of?
In this revelation to Martin Harris I can understand the final to not covet his own property but to use it to finance the publication of the book of Mormon but the counsel to not covet his neighbors wife suggests that perhaps Martin had a wandering eye. That’s not something that is worth dwelling on…
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Apostles
From the beginning of their calling at early in the restoration, the twelve apostles have been expected to act with unfettered authority to carry out the work of the Lord. They can organize church units, extend callings, ordain leaders, dedicate temples, and declare the word of the Lord wherever they are in the world. They…
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What we already know
How often does the Lord remind us of what we already know, as He does here with Oliver Cowdery, rather than needing to reveal something new to us?
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Stay in the main stream
The people are instructed not to make sacrifices outside the oversight of the tabernacle. In prior times Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had done that but now that they had a tabernacle they were not to try practicing the faith independent of that tabernacle. I hadn’t realized before that all the abominable practices mentioned in chapter…
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Leprosy
As I read all of this I am convinced that all the things referred to here as leprosy were not a single disease but a class of contagious diseases. Who knows what we should call any of them today although I’m sure the one we can leprosy was among them.
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Add the fifth part
I notice that in any trespass in which someone gains through sin (hiding what they found or lying for gain) they were to restore that ill-gotten gain plus ⅕ again it’s value before they could then offer a sacrifice to be forgiven. That’s much better than our present system which often fines less than the…
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First year complete
I never realized before that the first year of their sojourn in the wilderness was completed before they completed the tabernacle. I also had believed that all offerings were to be of male animals. Now I notice that piece offerings can be make it female animals. Other things I noticed are that all offerings must…