Tuesday, September 8, 2015

1 Nephi 4:33

33  And I spake unto him, even with an aoath, that he need not fear; that he should be a bfree man like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us.
     “… need not fear…”
            -in other words, he could have faith in what Nephi said and promised.  Fear is the antithesis of faith.  It is interesting to compare this phrase to the fear that Laman felt just verses earlier.  To have a conscience free from fear is certainly a great blessing and a manifestation of faith!

        "should be a free man..."
            -this was a most desirable thing.
            -what a huge blessing for Zoram!  We often consider how blessed Lehi (and family) was to be brought out of Jerusalem and sent to the promised land, what manner of man must Zoram have been to be led by the Lord to this situation?  No greater thing could have happened to him. Were it not for Nephi (and God's plan), Zoram most likely would have been killed during the Babylonian conquest or, in the best case scenario, would have been captured and made a slave to a conquering army. Of all the thousands of inhabitants in Jerusalem, he was given a new life (in the promised land with a righteous people) which would be an unmeasured blessing for his posterity.
            -the freedom Zoram was given consisted of at least two dimensions:  his political/social freedom, but more importantly, his spiritual freedom.  His earlier choice to “follow me” as Nephi requested led to this point of increased freedom.  How desirable was it for Zoram, a servant, to be made free?

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