How He Loves Us!

The parable of the tame olive tree shows many times of God's love for us in His concern for His orchard and His grief that He cannot save all of it.  When it is about to be hewn down and thrown into the fire, He mourns, It grieveth me that I should lose this tree.  What could I have done more for my vineyard? 

In Jacob 6 Jacob also shows us his own love for his people and for us.  He pleads with those who read to choose the right path and to avoid destruction.  Here are some quotes from Jacob in this chapter.

• how merciful is our God unto us
• he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long
• Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.
• why will ye die?
• O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye O be wise; what can I say more?

Jacob grieves that anyone would willfully turn their backs upon the goodness of God.  He weeps at the wickedness of those he sees around him, as well as those that have been shown him in vision.  He demonstrates the Pure Love of Christ.

The natural man loves to feel like he's better than those around him.  Notice the Pharisee in Luke 18.

 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

We all did this as kids.  If our brother or sister got rebuked, we sat there in self-righteousness and gloated that it wasn't us.   Now as adults we love to look at those on the street who look grubby and unkempt, with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth, and make comments about how smoking and long hair seem to go together.  We feel a certain self-satisfaction in our "goodness".  This is not the Pure Love of Christ.  This is not the attitude that Jacob exhibited.  This is not a celestial attitude. 

It we could only "be filled with that love", we would look on those people as a fellow brother or sister.  We would want to reach out and help them and share the Gospel with them.  We would grieve at their problems.  We would love them.

I certainly am not there.  I pray that I can get there.  That I can be less judgmental of those around me at church who are only sliding along.  That I can overcome my prideful nature that wants to criticize everyone who doesn't seem to measure up in every way.  That I can see them as a fellow child of God who is struggling and trying and who hasn't had all the advantages and blessings and training that I have had.  It's not easy, but I pray to be more like Jacob and be full of love.

     

Cleave Unto God as he Cleaveth Unto You.

Jacob beseeches us in chapter 6, verse 5 to " repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts."

One of the meanings of cleave is "hang on tight".  That's not a dictionary definition, but that's how I see it.  And I love the image that we're going to hang on tight to the Lord as he hangs on tight to us.

When Faralee and Charlie first returned from their year in Bolivia, Lydia and Owen gave us hugs every time they visited.  But their hugs were more like we were doing the hugging and they were being hugged.  They would stand like a stiff doll while we wrapped our arms around them and hugged their stiff bodies.  But I've taught them that hugging goes both ways.  I hug them while they hug me back.  Now they have a contest to see who can hug the tightest, and they try to squeeze the stuffins out of us.  They love it if I make groaning sounds and look like I'm going to pass out.

I kind of think sometimes we see God like Lydia and Owen were when they returned from Bolivia.  We see ourselves as holding onto Him with all of our might, while He kindly tolerates us there.  But this scripture tells us that He is cleaving to us also.  I see Him as hanging onto us tightly, sheltering, comforting, loving, cheering for us.  The dictionary says it means "to adhere firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly".  That's what we need to do with the Lord because that's what He does with us.

In His Power

I haven't always had a great appreciation of Jacob chapter 5, in which he quotes Zenos' allegory of the tame and wild olive trees.   It seemed to go on and on and repeat itself and I only had some general ideas as to what the story was referring to historically.

But this time I went slowly, making notes in my scriptures, and more lengthy notes and explanations in the online scriptures, referring to a commentary to get the history tied in,  and I understand it much better, and appreciate it much more.

In chapter 6 Jacob comments on the allegory and applies it to his day and to us.  I love this part about the servants who were laboring with the Lord of the vineyard: 

" 2 And the day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard; and after that the end soon cometh.

 3 And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard . . ."

Notice how the servants will "go forth in His power."  These servants of the Lord, these prophets, these bishops, Sunday school teachers, High Priests' Group leaders, and especially these missionaries are not going forth to do their own work or in their own power.  But as they dedicate their hearts to Him, are obedient and faithful, they're  going forth in His power.  They nourish and encourage the vineyard.  They pray for the vineyard and weep for the vineyard.  

And notice that as they do this,  how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard.  The Lord's arms of mercy are extended to us, and His blessings are pouring out to us as we labor.  Let us not be like spoiled children who take our blessings for granted and just always want more stuff.  We are being blessed!  We must watch for those blessings and notice His tender mercies and record them and be grateful for them always!