Introduce this week's scripture:
“Now therefore,
if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall
be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is
mine:
“And ye shall
be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the
words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”
Let's break this down...
“Now
therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant...”
Every saving ordinance is accompanied
by a covenant, including baptism and temple ordinances. What are
some of the promises we make through the covenant of baptism, which
we renew when we take the sacrament?
- Take upon us the name of Christ.
- Always remember Him.
- Serve Him and keep His commandments.
- Bear one another's burdens.
- Mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.
- Stand as witnesses of God at all times, in all things, and in all places.
“...then ye shall be a peculiar
treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.”
What does it mean to be a peculiar
treasure unto Heavenly Father?
In
the Feb 1997 Ensign, then Elder Russell M. Nelson said:
“In
the Old Testament, the Hebrew term from which peculiar was
translated is cgullah, which
means ‘valued property,’ or ‘treasure.’ …
“With
that understanding, we can see that the scriptural term peculiar does
not mean ‘queer’ or ‘odd’ at all. It signifies ‘valued
treasure,’ ‘made’ or ‘selected by God.’ Thus, for us to be
identified by servants of the Lord as his peculiar people
is a compliment of the highest order. …
“… These
are [the] latter days. … We are the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. We are, in fact, the hope of Israel. We are God’s treasure,
reserved for our particular place and time.” (A More Excellent Hope)
“And
ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests...”
The
church is referred to as a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), and
those who will inherit the celestial kingdom are referred to as
“priests and kings” (D&C 76:56).
This
means that individuals and families who keep covenants can receive
all of the ordinances and blessings of the priesthood and be exalted
in the celestial kingdom with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
“...and
an holy nation...”
BibleDictionary, Holiness: “According to the [Old Testament] things or
places were holy that were set apart for a sacred purpose. ... The
Israelites were a holy people because they stood in a special
relationship to Jehovah. … The word holy... came to refer to moral
character. ...Israel must be holy in character because the God of
Israel was holy.”
“These
are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”
Who
are the children of Israel? (We are.)
So
who is this scripture for? (Us)
What
can we do to show Heavenly Father that we want to be part of His
“peculiar” people?
Encourage
family members to ponderize Exodus 19:5-6 and close with testimonies.
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