Isaiah 1:2 - The Sons of God
ISAIAH 1:2 -
Here is where Isaiah's story pointedly turns toward us. The Lord laments that though he has favored and nourished his children, they still rebel against him. Though the King James’ and the inspired Joseph Smith versions use the word “children”, the Hebrew text says “sons” (בנים ). Sons, or son, is a
term used in scripture to denote a covenant standing before the Lord. The Son
of God was the first, not necessarily in chronology, but in greatness, according to scripture. Abraham said, “And
the Lord said unto me, these two facts do exist, that there are
two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other, there shall
be another more intelligent than they: I am the Lord thy God, I am
more intelligent than they all” (Abraham 3:21).
Though, Jesus Christ is he Only Begotten Son, there are also other sons. A son of God is a covenant
child of God, more expansively than we are taught in our Sunday School classes.
It is true, we are all sons and daughters of divine heavenly parents. This is
not in question, but when the scriptures say, “but as many as
received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God” (John 1:12), we
have to question why all are not sons or daughters of God. This must have more
meaning than our divine heritage, but must refer to a more divine or greater ascending role of son-hood and covenant-making with God.
Becoming Sons of God
It is further explained that these sons are given power to
become sons of God as they believe on his name. Are women left out then of this
promise? No, they are accountable just as men, but Isaiah is using covenant
terminology familiar in his day. And as the Christ “was born, not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13), so
also are the sons of men raised unto and born of God. “Except a man be born
of water, and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which
is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is
spirit” (John 3:5-6). We must be born of the Spirit and become cleansed in the
blood of Christ and become heirs not only to the earthly blessings of God, but heirs
to the heaven kingdom of God, as Christ was and is.
Isaiah sees in vision two covenant people or “children”
(“sons” according to the Hebrew text): those of the ancient covenant, the
descendants of the house of Israel, and particularly Judah, or the Jews,
including Lehi and his descendants; and those of the new covenant, the
descendants of Ephraim, the Gentile church, or us today. Remember that it was our fathers who first
covenanted with God as they came across the sea to settle this continent as
Puritan pilgrims and religious refugees. They were seeking a Zion, a place of refuge,
and covenanted that this land would be dedicated to God and for his work and
the building of a new Zion. Why else would the Lord honor the Gentile nations
in their conquest of the Americas? Regarding the aspirations of Christopher Columbus
and those who later followed in his course, Nephi saw in vision:
“I
looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, which was separated from the seed
of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the spirit of God, that it came
down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth among the many waters, even
unto the seed of my brethren, which were in the promised land.
And it came to pass that I beheld the spirit of God, that it wrought upon other
Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters. And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the
Gentiles, upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was
upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles, and
they were smitten. And I beheld the spirit of the
Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles; that they did prosper, and obtain the land
of their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceeding fair and
beautiful, like unto my people, before they were slain.
“And
it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles which had gone forth
out of captivity, did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the
Lord was with them; and I beheld that their mother
Gentiles was gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to
battle against them, and I beheld that the power of
God was with them; and also, that the wrath of God was upon them, that were
gathered together against them to battle. And I,
Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles which had gone out of captivity, were delivered
by the power of God, out of the hands of all other nations” (2 Nephi 3
[13:12-19]).
Likewise, many generations prior to the coming of these
Gentiles, the Lord made a similar covenant and promise to Lehi and his seed
saying to Nephi, “Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall
prosper in the land of promise” (1 Nephi 1 [4:14]). Now the terms of the
promise were also given that if they were not faithful to the covenant that men
made with God, they would be cut off from his presence, and Nephi saw how the
Gentiles came and subjugated his posterity and the posterity of his brethren.
It was a covenant curse fulfilled, a curse for breaking the covenant. We would be
naïve to think that the Lord would deal differently with us than he had with the
seed of Lehi if we similarly disregard our covenant promises. As we see in
Nephi’s description of the fulfillment of the curse upon the Lamanites, so we
will also see again a similar scourge upon the Gentile if we do not repent.
Regarding sons, Paul said, “If
ye live after the flesh, unto sin, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live unto Christ. For as many as are
led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:13-14). This was
the case with young Joseph Smith as he revealed the new covenant to the
Gentiles in the early 1800s. He established the doctrines of Christ, restored
the priesthood of God, and revealed scriptures as another witness and testimony
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a prophet indeed, and we thereafter came into
covenant with God and became covenant sons of God, like unto ancient times from Moses,
receiving covenants, ordinances, and priesthood. Yet, though sons of God, the
spirit will not always strive with man (see 2 Nephi 11 [26:11]), and we see
from Isaiah’s writing the peril we, too, are in if we disobey God and stray
from his covenants.
Sons in Our Day
To truly understand Isaiah’s intent, you must comprehend that Isaiah’s words aren’t meant for his generation, nor of the Jews alone, but
he points to a future generation, and that all the prophecies of Isaiah have
multiple fulfillment, first referring to prophetic fulfillment from before
Isaiah’s time to the present, and second a prophecy and prediction that foreshadows
a type of the last or end days to occur in our present time. In other words,
Isaiah uses historical precedent to predict future events that combine into one
grand tapestry foretelling what will happen in our day as the Lord prepares to
come a second time. Nephi, who thoroughly understood the prophesies and intent
of Isaiah, also wrote similarly. That which he prophesied is also intended for
our ears and eyes, to be fulfilled in our time.
God has truly reared and “nourished” our people with great
and glorious blessings to exceed that of nearly every preceding generation. We
have knowledge about the prophesies and mysteries of God since the time of Adam
and have more knowledge and understanding than any previous generation, and all
this at the touch of our fingertips. We have received the covenants of God and
made covenant with him through ordinance of baptism and ordinances in the house
of the Lord. He has given us every opportunity to come to know him. Truly we
have been nourished. Yet, despite our nourishment from the Lord, we are at risk
of becoming bitter fruit, as predicted by Jacob, the brother of Nephi (See
Jacob 3 [5:29-32]).
The “children” or sons reared refers simultaneously to the
Jews and the ancient house of Israel — the old covenant — and to us today — the
new covenant. Do we not claim to be the chosen people of God? If so, listen to
Isaiah’s words carefully for they are meant for us. Just as in days of old, if
we rebel against our God, he will raise up other children to be his covenant
people. To the woman Zion, the Lord says, “The children which thou shalt have, after
thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too
strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thine
heart, Who hath begotten me these seeing I have lost
my children and am desolate, a captive and removing to and fro? And who
hath brought up these” (Isaiah 49:20-21; emphasis added).
When the
Resurrected Lord visited the Nephite people, he spoke about the fulfilling of
Isaiah’s words, in which he declared “it shall come to pass, saith the Father,
that at that day, whosoever will not repent and come unto my beloved Son, them
will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel; and
I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as
they have not heard” (3 Nephi 9 [21:20-21]). However, he also promised that “if
they will repent, and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I
will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant,
and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this
land for their inheritance” (3 Nephi 10 [21:22]). May we repent and truly become the sons and daughters of our God.