1 Nephi 20: 22

22 And notwithstanding he hath done all this, and greater also, there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.

In more modern language, this verse might read, “And even though the Lord has given all these blessings to his righteous people, unto the wicked there is no peace.” There always seems to be people who seek for peace and happiness by doing things that are contrary to the principles or the very nature of peace and happiness. These are blessings given by the Lord, yet they seek it in their own ways contrary to how He has determined will bring those blessings: righteousness. Life is God’s game, and He makes the rules. Everyone plays the game. We can’t help it. By being alive, we are in the game. There are rewards for playing by the rules (obedience), and there are penalties for breaking the rules (disobedience). The problem comes when people want the rewards without playing by the rules.

• Alma 41: 10
• Helaman 13: 38

1 Nephi 20: 21

21 And they thirsted not; he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he clave the rock also and the waters gushed out.

As Nephi so often reminded Laman and Lemuel of the Exodus to bring them to repentance, so Isaiah does here with the children of Israel. After telling them the blessings of righteousness and calling them to repentance, he now points to history as evidence of how these blessings have manifested themselves. The symbolic significance is pointed out in 2 Nephi 25: 20, where Nephi points out that the source of those miracles is the source or our salvation. This particular miracle has reference to Christ being the Living Water.

• Exodus 17: 6
• Numbers 20: 11
• 2 Nephi 25: 20

1 Nephi 20: 20

20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter to the end of the earth; say ye: The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

Because all the blessings described in verses 18 and 19 could belong to Israel they should leave their sins of the World (Babylon and Chaldea) joyfully. Then they should witness to the world that the Lord had delivered or redeemed them. And remember that Nephi is quoting this scripture, and is likening it to him and his family. He’s telling Laman and Lemuel that it’s not too late for them to be favored again by the Lord. Repentance and fleeing Babylon is what is needed.

• D&C 133: 5 (5–14)

1 Nephi 20: 19

19 Thy seed also had been as the sand; the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.

This verse continues the list of blessings that could have been. When the children of Israel turned from the Lord they gave up some pretty desirable blessings: peace and righteousness, as described in verse 18. Now they find out that their offspring could have been as numerous as the grains of sand, and they would not have been cut off or destroyed from before the Lord. They could have had it good if they had not rebelled.

• Genesis 22: 17 (15–19)
• Hosea 1: 10

1 Nephi 20: 18

18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.

Now we get to the meat of the reason Nephi read this chapter to his brothers. After establishing the legitimacy of the prophets, Isaiah (or the Lord) laments to Israel, and for Nephi’s purposes, Laman and Lemuel (see 1 Nephi 19:23). Through this verse Nephi is telling his brothers, “O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments!” If  you had kept the commandments, you would have a steady stream of peace, and your righteousness would be as constant as the waves of the sea. This is what Nephi was trying to get across. He wanted to persuade his brethren to more fully believe in Christ, and they definitely lacked peace in their lives. It’s not only in their best interest if they have peace, but if they become converted, Nephi won’t have to worry so much about them wanting to kill him all the time. Nephi was apparently the official teacher, and this was a time that his brethren would listen to him. So Nephi tries to strengthen and convert when he can.

1 Nephi 20: 17

17 And thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I have sent him, the Lord thy God who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way thou shouldst go, hath done it.

There’s no question here who the sender is; it’s Jesus Christ. Since this verse begins with “and” it makes me think that the last verse, 16, refers to the Lord sending Isaiah. It seems like a continuation of that thought. The Lord reminds Israel here that He teaches them to profit, or prosper; He leads them in the way they should go. In other words, the Lord, who has always shown himself to have Israel’s best interest at heart, has sent Isaiah (and other prophets) to teach them and lead them in the way they should go. And this is so Israel can continue to prosper. Israel should trust and obey these prophets.

1 Nephi 20: 16

16 Come ye near unto me; I have not spoken in secret; from the beginning, from the time that it was declared have I spoken; and the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me.

I think this verse must have a dual meaning. On the one hand, it tells Israel to come unto Christ (see Matthew 11: 28), that they can trust Him to be true and trustworthy. He has openly preached His gospel from the beginning, and He is acting on the authority of God the Father, who sent Him.

The other interpretation could be the same as above, except instead of talking about the Lord, Isaiah could be referring to himself. He could be saying that the people could come and listen to him; he has not spoken in secret, and that he was sent by the Lord to say the things he said.

Knowing how Isaiah likes dual meanings, it’s very possible that both interpretations are correct at the same time.

1 Nephi 20: 15

15 Also, saith the Lord; I the Lord, yea, I have spoken; yea, I have called him to declare, I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

Here is another verse that seems unclear in its pronouns. I think Isaiah is saying that these prophets who have declared the Lord’s will have been called by the Lord, and his way will be made prosperous, or in other words, his declaring the word will be facilitated. Doors will be opened to enable these prophecies to be declared. Notice that his way will be made prosperous, not him personally.

This interpretation feels good to me, but my edition of the Book of Mormon has a cross reference to the word “him” in the phrase, “I have called him to declare.” That cross-reference changes my thoughts on this completely. It refers to Isaiah 45: 1 (1–4), which is talking about Cyrus and how the Lord will make his way prosperous and help him conquer Babylon, which holds the Jews captive. So now I’m not sure what to make of all this. If we go with this interpretation, then the last phrase in verse 14, “his arm shall come upon the Chaldeans,” probably has to do with the Lord strengthening them against their enemies, instead of punishing them, as I have assumed. In that case, this part of the verse is about the Lord not forgetting His covenant with Israel, and not leaving them captive to Babylon.

• Isaiah 45: 1 (1–4)

1 Nephi 20: 14

14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; who among them hath declared these things unto them? The Lord hath loved him; yea, and he will fulfil his word which he hath declared by them; and he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall come upon the Chaldeans.

This is a verse that is a perfect example of unclear antecedents. In fact, it’s a rare case in which the Bible translation makes more sense to me than what is in the Book of Mormon, simply because it leaves one of the pronouns out that the Book of Mormon includes. The Bible also indicates paragraphs, which in this case is very helpful. I want to break this down phrase by phrase and give it my best attempt at interpretation.

“All ye assemble yourselves, and hear…” Since the whole chapter is addressing Israel, I think it is safe to assume that “ye” and “yourselves” refers to Israel. Even the way the Bible breaks up the paragraphs (vs. 12–15 is a paragraph), the antecedent is Jacob, or Israel.

“who among them hath declared these things unto them?” This is the most confusing phrase to me. Ridges (see reference in verse 13) indicates that the first “them” possibly refers to, Israel’s idols (refers to verse 5), that “these things” refer to prophecies (“see verses 3, 6, etc.”), and that the second “them” refers to Israel. Based on how the Bible divides the thoughts into paragraphs, however, this interpretation doesn’t make sense to me.

At this point I don’t know if I have a better answer, but I have a couple of ideas of what it could be. I think it might be most helpful if I was sure of what “these things” referred to. It could be referring to what is in verses 12 and 13 specifically, or it could be referring to how great the Lord is, as described in the whole chapter. I think that in context of everything else being said, we must be talking about the prophets who have been speaking in behalf of the Lord, and their prophecies have been fulfilled. Prophets are generally called from among the congregations of the Lord. So, it seems reasonable that both “thems” would refer to the Israelites. So if I were to rewrite that phrase, it might be, “who among the people hath declared these prophecies to you, the people?” The confusing thing is the switching between talking directly to Israel, using pronouns like “you” and “ye,” and then using “them” as if he is talking about somebody else. So I don’t know, but I am going with “them” being the people from whom prophets are called.

That being the case, “the Lord hath loved him,” would refer to the one among the congregation that stepped up and declared the prophecies, or in other words, the prophet(s). Then, “he (the Lord) will fulfill his (the Lord’s) word which he hath declared by them (the prophets), and he (the Lord) will do his (the Lord’s) pleasure on Babylon (which could be the actual Babylonians, or the sinful in general), and his arm (the Lord’s arm) shall come upon (punish) the Chaldeans.”

I think that even if I don’t have the details of which pronoun refers to what antecedent, the general intent seems clear: that the Lord is in charge, and he speaks his will through his prophets.

1 Nephi 20: 13

13 Mine hand hath also laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens. I call unto them and they stand up together.

I’m beginning to understand that one of the reasons Isaiah is so hard to understand at times is because he uses so many pronouns (or at least it’s that the way in the translations), that you can easily lose track of who or what they are referring to. This and the next verse are a good example of what I mean.

The first part of the verse seems somewhat self-evident. The Lord is creator of heaven and earth. This seems to be continuation of the idea in verse 12. The Lord is the beginning and the end; he created the heavens and the earth. In other words, He is all-powerful, etc. He created all these things with his right hand, which is a symbol of his power, or his covenant hand. Then it gets interesting. “I call unto them and they stand up together” (emphasis added). In a commentary I have been referring to in my studies of these Isaiah chapters, Isaiah Made Easier, David J. Ridges says that these pronouns refer to Israel, and that the last part of verse 13 actually goes with the beginning of 14. However, I think it’s more likely that the verse 13 pronouns refer to the obvious antecedents, the heavens and the earth just mentioned in the same verse. I think the Lord is drawing a distinction between the rebellious Israel and the rest of God’s creations that “stand up together” when He calls. These other creations obey the Lord’s call, or His word. And they all obey together. Israel, on the other hand, “heardest not” because their “ear was not opened” when His prophets called (vs. 8). Isaiah has been telling Israel how rebellious they are, but the Lord has mercy and will not forsake them in the end. Now he is reminding them that the Lord has all this power, and Israel seems to be one of the few of God’s creations that doesn’t obey Him. Helaman, chapter 12 deals with this very subject and expounds on it nicely. The whole chapter is the complete idea, but verses 7 and 8 draw the same distinction between man and God’s other creations that Isaiah draws here. Even the dust obeys God, but men don’t. Therefore dust is greater than man, because it is more obedient than man.

• Helaman 12:8

1 Nephi 20: 12

12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called, for I am he; I am the first, and I am also the last.

This verse establishes, or verifies that Israel’s God is Jesus Christ. Of course, they didn’t know him by that name, but there are enough places throughout the scriptures where Christ is referred to as the “first and the last,” “Alpha and Omega,” etc. that there can be no doubt for us (see Revelation 1: 8; 3 Nephi 9:18; and D&C 19: 1 for an example of this in each of the Standard Works of the Church). Israel has a call to be the Lord’s covenant people. That means that they (we) have the right and responsibility to participate in accomplishing God’s work and glory. This includes the teachings and ordinances necessary for salvation that must be provided under the proper authority. Those not having authority cannot perform these. Of course, in the process of providing the means of salvation for others, we also partake of those ordinances ourselves. That is the calling of God’s people, or at least a big part of it.

1 Nephi 20: 11

11 For mine own sake, yea, for mine own sake will I do this, for I will not suffer my name to be polluted, and I will not give my glory unto another.

From the very beginning God has required that his people not be divided as to who/what god they worship. Part of the reason Lucifer was cast out of heaven was because he sought to take God’s honor and power (see Moses 4:1–4). The word often used in scripture is “jealous,” as in the Ten Commandments when He commands that we not bow down to or serve other gods, “for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God” (Exodus 20: 5). Most of the time when we use this term today it carries a meaning of resentful envy towards a rival. This would be the wrong definition to use for God’s jealousy. The older, more rare definition is appropriate: “requiring exclusive loyalty” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 3^rd edition). My comments on faith in verse 10 give some insight into why I believe the Lord is a jealous God. If our faith is misplaced on another god, how could we gain the eternal life that is our object in this life? Remember and never forget that God’s work and glory is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1: 39). All of God’s dealings with man should be understood in light of that statement and it’s motivation, which is pure love (charity) for us, His children. So when He says that he will refine his people in the furnace of affliction for his own sake or benefit, we should understand that it is to accomplish the purpose of bringing us to eternal life.

In light of all that we can better understand why it is so important that the Lord protects His name and reputation. Of course He “will not suffer [his] name to be polluted.” Another way of saying this is taking his name in vain, which Jesus cautioned against. So if we invoke His name, we must be worthy to do so, or we pollute it. And if He gives his glory to another god, which is what the first several verses of this chapter address, then why would people worship Him? If another god that is not so exacting in its requirements or standards can get the same results (eternal life) as worshipping God the Father, why would people travel the straight and narrow path instead of the easier way? So of course the Lord has to protect His name and reputation. It’s for our sakes though, not due to His nonexistent insecurities.

• Exodus 20: 5
• Jeremiah 44: 26
• Isaiah 42: 8
• D&C 59: 21
• Moses 4: 1 (1–4)
• Topical Guide: Jealousy

1 Nephi 20: 10

10 For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

Afflictions are an important part of this life, and they serve several different purposes. This verse suggests that afflictions imposed on a people will separate out or remove any impurities, just as in the refining process where impurities are removed from precious metals, such as gold and silver. The pure metal can withstand the intense heat of the furnace, whereas the elements that make these precious metals impure, or of less value, cannot withstand the heat, and they are separated out and removed. In fact, through this process the impurities separate themselves so they are more easily identified and removed. When the furnace of affliction is fired up, those who are not converted or committed become committed one way or the other. They either strengthen their testimonies, thereby adding to the quality of the people, or they remove themselves from the body, which also serves to improve or enhance the quality of the people in general simply by their not being part of the covenant anymore. Either way, the Lord’s people are chosen through affliction. They are tested, tried, and found to be either useable or not.

On a smaller, individual basis the same thing happens. After all, a group or society is made up of individuals. As individuals we are either purified or cast off (usually through self-separation) through afflictions. Almost paradoxically the thing about affliction that determines our quality or strength is how willing we are to depend on the Savior. On the surface this seems somehow wrong. Show your own strength by leaning on another person’s strength? However, when you consider that a major purpose of mortal life is to develop faith, it makes perfect sense. If we want to be like our Heavenly Father, we not only need a physical body (one reason for coming to this life), but we also must learn to live and act by faith, which is a major attribute of Heavenly Father. For example, He doesn’t create worlds with His physical strength; He does it with the strength of His word, or in other words, faith. (See the Lectures on Faith for a more detailed discussion about God’s faith.) If we are to have that kind of absolute faith in our own power and abilities, we must first practice and strengthen our faith by making the object of our faith someone else: Jesus Christ. Just like exercising muscles makes them stronger, exercising faith in Christ makes our faith stronger. So affliction not only separates the strong from the weak (speaking spiritually), it is also a vehicle that strengthens the strong, or weakens the weak. Affliction purifies the pure, and it does all this by making us realize that we can’t handle this furnace by ourselves, so we rely on the Lord. This is how the Lord refines us individually, or as a people, as suggested in this verse, through the furnace of affliction.

• Mosiah 23: 21
• D&C 136: 31

1 Nephi 20: 9

9 Nevertheless, for my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut thee not off.

In spite of the fact that the house of Israel has been trouble since the very beginning, the Lord made a promise to the patriarchs of the people, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He promised, among other things, that his covenant with Abraham would be, “between…thy (Abraham’s) seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant…” (Genesis 17:7, my emphasis). The covenant was continued through Isaac (Genesis 21:12), then to Jacob, who took the birthright from Esau (Genesis 25:29–34; 27:6–40). So to preserve this covenant, and to keep His word and His good name as being true to His covenants, the Lord will not break the covenants He made with the patriarchs. He will defer his anger and not cut off the children of Israel from the covenant.

1 Nephi 20: 8

 8 Yea, and thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldst deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

Among all the prophecies the Lord has given to the house of Israel is this one, the reason He gave all the other prophecies. He knew they would try to credit some other source for events, and He gave prophecies to testify that He is the only true and living God. So another thing the Lord knew beforehand was that Israel would “deal treacherously.” He knew that Israel would reject Him, so he revealed all these events to his prophets, and here he tells them he knew they would apostatize. The Lord is definitely in a position to say he knew about these events, and one of the things He knew about was Israel’s apostasy. As great as the patriarchs of this family were (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), and among the flashes of greatness, as in the prophets, they really have caused the Lord a lot of trouble “from the womb.” And while there were times of great faith, the Lord saw the seeds of apostasy from the beginning, so He provided prophecies from the beginning as a testimony of His divinity.

1 Nephi 20: 7

7 They are created now, and not from the beginning, even before the day when thou heardest them not they were declared unto thee, lest thou shouldst say—Behold I knew them.

This is reiterating that the Lord has revealed what would occur in the future through His prophets. He revealed them long before anyone could have predicted these events without divine aid, when Israel “heardest them not they were declared unto [them].” Again, the Lord wants no mistake as to who is really in charge, and he wants to remove any excuse the people might have to worship someone or something besides Him. So in verse five He points out that dumb idols could not predict the events that were unfolding, and in this verse he points out that nobody had the right to say, “I told you so,” except His prophets. Nobody could have known what would happen on his or her own. Now that the prophecies are being fulfilled, they need to recognize them as being foretold by the Lord’s prophets.

We are in the same situation today. Events are unfolding today that are creating conditions prophesied about in the scriptures, long before anyone could have predicted them on their own. Yet how many people worldwide recognize these prophecies as being from God? Although God may not be starting wars, or climate change, or [fill in the blank with your favorite world problem], He certainly revealed to His prophets thousands of years ago that they would occur. He knew about them long before anyone could have known they would occur.

1 Nephi 20: 6

6 Thou hast seen and heard all this; and will ye not declare them? And that I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

In this verse the Lord seems to be saying, “After all the prophetic evidence that you have seen and  heard, why aren’t you testifying that I am your God? Yet even now, I have shown you new evidence and prophecies, things you couldn’t know on  your own, and yet you ignore me.” Moses told Joshua, “…would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29). In the sense that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (see Revelation 19:10), we are all prophets by covenant, along with Israel. We should testify of Christ. And yet, here is Isaiah talking to those people of Israel who have taken this covenant and rejected it. Not only are they not testifying, they are not even acknowledging the Lord.

So, in the spirit of likening all scriptures unto me, that it might be for my profit and learning (see 1 Nephi 19: 23), do I declare that Jesus is the Christ? Well, I certainly don’t think I ignore that fact. I may not knock doors too much like the full-time missionaries do, but I do try to testify of Him whenever the opportunity presents itself. And sometimes I even make an effort to create the opportunity to talk about and testify of Him. While I have many flaws, I have at least kept this part of my covenant with the Lord. I do testify of Him.

• Numbers 11: 29
• 1 Corinthians 9:16

1 Nephi 20: 5

5 And I have even from the beginning declared to thee; before it came to pass I showed them thee; and I showed them for fear lest thou shouldst say—Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image hath commanded them.

At first this looks like God just wants the credit for what happens in the world. It looks like He’s saying, “I gave you prophets to tell you of things to come so that when those things actually came to pass you would give credit where it was due: to me instead of your idols.” We need to remember, however, what His real purpose is. His revealed job, and the way He grows (growth=life) is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). All of a sudden this verse is not about jealously taking credit for being so smart; it’s about giving His children (Israel, or more personally, us) every opportunity to recognize Him (the Lord) as the only real way to gain exaltation, to return to Heavenly Father. Dumb idols don’t have that power. They don’t prophesy. The people still have a choice to make as to whom they should follow, but if they don’t follow the Lord they need to account for the evidence He has provided via prophets that He is the only true and living God.

1 Nephi 20: 4

4 And I did it because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;

Verses like this make me wonder sometimes why the Lord chose the people of Israel to be His elect. He knew that they would not be humble and teachable, so why did he bother with them? I know He made a covenant with Abraham and Jacob, but did it really have to extend to all their posterity, relatively few of which would truly appreciate it? The only answer I can come up with is that Heavenly Father needed a people who would eventually crucify His son. It’s possible that any race would have developed the pride necessary to do that terrible, and at the same time, necessary thing (leading to wonderful results) of sacrificing their God, just as Israel did in spite of the chosen status with Him that they enjoyed. Somebody had to do it, or there would be no Atonement, and the Plan of Happiness would be foiled. So it had to be done, but what a terrible thing to be the one responsible for doing it! (see Matthew 26:24)

When someone’s “neck is in an iron sinew” they are stiff-necked, and they can’t bow their heads in humility. When their brow is brass, they are hardheaded. You can’t teach them anything, because no idea from the outside can penetrate to the inside of their thick sculls. In short: pride. The Lord knew of His people’s pride, so He needed to give evidence that He knew more than they did. So he had his prophets prophesy, then the prophecies were fulfilled. Then He could say after the fact, “See, I told you so. Now listen to me, because I know more about what’s really going on than you do.”

1 Nephi 20: 3

3 Behold, I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them. I did show them suddenly.

Now that the Lord has established specifically to whom He is talking, He reminds those covenant breakers who He is. He starts out by reminding them that He not only tells his prophets ahead of time what will happen, He then makes or allows the prophesied events to happen. His prophecies are fulfilled, unlike prophecies by false gods and idols made through false prophets. One reason He provides foreknowledge of what He will do is that it might serve as evidence of who He is, i.e. the true and living God. That seems to be what the Lord is establishing in this verse by reminding apostate Israel of the fulfillment of prophecies given through his prophets.