As I was reading this, the poet in me was impressed by the symbolism included in this chapter. First, Isaiah speaks to those that are “broken off and are driven out because of the wickedness of the pastors of my people. (v 1)” The term pastor, in this case, refers to shepherds, and was frequently used among the Jews of the day as a reference to their leaders. Imagine for a moment that you are a sheep. The true shepherd has hired someone to look after you and the flock you are a part of, but that person is wicked. He doesn’t care about you except as a means to an end (as a source of money or, in some cases, food). Though they’re stupid, sheep can usually tell if the person watching them cares or not. So, as a sheep, you know the person watching you doesn’t care about your personal welfare. So, perhaps, you leave in search of the true shepherd.
Second, Isaiah tells us that the Lord has “made my mouth like a sharp sword…and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me.(v 2)” Think about these similes for a minute. If y our mouth were like a sharp sword, your job would be to say things likely to stab your listeners to the heart. The same with an arrow or “polished shaft.” However, in the form of this weapon, your job is to strike the center of the soul. How many of us, while reading the scriptures or listening to the prophets haven’t felt their words seek the very center of our being, as though they were speaking directly to us? To be hidden in the quiver (a storage place for arrows) indicates that he is being saved for just the right moment (like Bard and his black arrow which he used to bring down the dragon, Smaug, in the Hobbit).
Finally, in Isaiah’s vision, we are told that Zion will claim to have been forsaken. The response tells us in a very poetic way who is being referred to. “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands…(v 16)” “Graven” means engraved, or scratched or carved. We know that, during the crucifixion of Christ, they drove nails into the palms of his hands. So this verse is a direct reference to the atonement of Christ.
The Book of Mormon Study Guide makes the following points
- 1 Nephi 21 contains material not included in the original scripture.
- Verses 1-9 are a reference to the Savior, but can also properly be applied to Isaiah and Joseph Smith
Applying the Scriptures to My Life
Having read this chapter and given the amount of time it’s taken me to finally write about it, I feel that the Lord is also talking to me. We are told that each of us was chosen before we were born. perhaps I, too, have a responsibility to “bring Jacob again to him (v 5).” I know I should be anxiously engaged in sharing the gospel and not be afraid of spending my strength in service to him. As he has spent his blood on me and I am carved into the palms of His hands, so, too, are they, and I have a responsibility to them to share what I know.
As usual, you are invited to leave your thoughts in the comments section below. What impressions do you get from this scripture? How do you apply it to your life?
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