The first Passover was Israel’s great deliverance from Egypt. The Children of Israel may have wanted a powerful zealot "deliverer" to rise out of their ranks and redeem them from slavery. Instead, a soft-spoken Egyptian prince became their leader. It turned out that he really was "one of them," Moses, a Levite, who escaped an annihilation order being saved by an Egyptian princess. Ultimately, both the people and the Levite, Moses, were supposed to learn that the Children of Israel were really to be led by the Lord and his prophet.

The entire massive exodus exercise was to be Israel’s greatest lesson in recognizing the Lord’s hand in their deliverance. Yet, when the Israelites complained about many things including the lack of water, they turned to Moses to fulfill their needs.

"And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink." (Numbers 20:5)

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?" (Numbers 20:6-10)

Moses did fulfill their need, dramatically! Yet, both he and the Children of Israel became "blind sided" by the obvious outward appearance of this miracle. Moses and Aaron were saying "we" will fetch you water. The Israelites became very busy drinking and watering their flocks. They forgot or were unable to recognize the "Rock of Salvation" and the "Fountain of Living Waters." Every one of them, (with the exception of Joshua and Caleb), were also unable to enter the promised land.

Could it be, that they set a pattern into motion wherein they preferred to follow Moses the man rather than Jehovah the Lord. Were they saying, "Moses, let God talk to you, and you’ll talk to us?" Again, unable to recognize that with higher responsibilities (statutes) they would receive higher rewards (judgements), they chose a lesser way, resulting in many written commandments, rules and regulations.

"And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth. Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die. For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it. And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken. O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! Go say to them, Get you into your tents again. But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it." (Deuteronomy 5:24-33)

Instead of relying on the "Rock of Salvation," the pattern of self sufficiency became the millstone of Israel, each time they forgot the Lord, they were on their own. They turned down the higher statutes (commandments) and lost the highest judgements (rewards) God wanted to give them.

"Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; And I polluted them in their own gifts . . . that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 20:25-26)

The Children of Israel wandered first for forty years and later wandered and became scattered and desolate throughout the world.

"Wandering from place to place, has been one of the major components of Jewish history, for since the time of the Patriarchs the "wandering Jew" has suffered from a lack of territory, government, and defense. Major Jewish migrations in search of favorable living conditions and in flight from harassment, persecution and expulsion, include the Exodus from Egypt, the Babylonian exile, Jewish settlement outside Erez Israel during the Second Temple period, the dispersion under the Roman and Near Eastern empires after the destruction of the Second Temple. The scattering of Jews throughout the Christian and Islamic states, culminating in the expulsion from the Iberian peninsula in 1492 and their settlement in the New World since the early stages of the European colonization, a process that greatly accelerated in the latter half of the 19th century. Throughout the period of the Diaspora, small numbers of Jews made their way back to Erez Israel, the land promised them in covenant with their God." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

The Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv plots the far-flung dispersion of Jews throughout the world. It includes references to many people claiming to be of the House of Israel (including Mormons). The museum is also chronicling the gathering of Israel as more than five million have made their way back to the land of their inheritance.

There must be a gathering going on because when I was born in 1941, there were a few hundred thousand Jews in what was to become the land of Israel. Alone, in the last ten years, almost a million Jews have gathered. Most of them were from the north, Russian speaking. There were months when over twenty-thousand Russian immigrants per month were landing in Israel. Mobile homes were hastily bought and built to accommodate them. Many of those mobile homes were built under the direction of a Latter-day Saint, Fred Huckvale of California. (Joseph was blessing Judah!)

During that peak arrival period the brethren in a Jerusalem Branch priesthood meeting were discussing Jeremiah’s prophecy.

"Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers." (Jeremiah 16:14-15)

This exodus from the diaspora, when viewed in its complete scope, will be greater than the exodus from Egypt. The State of Israel has special emissaries assigned throughout the world to assist the Jews in gathering to Israel.

This is a frustrating thing to some religious Jews. They feel that the State of Israel should be established by the Lord through a Messiah. They have strong traditions (mentioned in previous lessons) of a latter-day "Messiah ben Joseph, a Joseph, son of Joseph, who would receive the keys of the gathering of Israel and restore Temple worship."

A parallel gathering is taking place as the keys of the gathering of Israel were restored to the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. during Passover week in 1846 and special emissaries are assigned throughout the world to find and assist the "Blood of Israel" to gather to the Lord. The scope of this gathering is greatest gathering the world has ever known.

Calculating for a moment, we see that when Prophet and President Spencer W. Kimball was leading the Lord’s work there was one Mormon for every 100,000 persons on the earth. Now, Prophet and President Gordon B. Hinckley is leading the Lord’s work with one Mormon for every 800 persons on the earth! These eye-opening statistics are fruits of the Lord’s work.

On one hand, the Jews, without knowing the Lord, are making an exodus from the far-flung reaches of the world and are being gathered home. On the other hand, throughout the world, Latter-day Saints are making an exodus from not knowing the Lord and are being gathered to an eternal home. They are striving to follow the modern prophets who, like the ancient prophets wanted them to know the Lord. Their response is in being worthy to know the law in their hearts, without having to be told by many commandments, rules and regulations.

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-33)

 

"The time has at last arrived when the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has set his hand again the second time to recover the remnants of his people . . . and with them to bring in the fulness of the Gentiles, and establish that covenant with them, which was promised when their sins should be taken away. See Isaiah 6: Romans 6:25, 26 and 27, and also Jeremiah 31: 31, 32 and 33. This covenant has never (before) been established with the house of Israel, nor with the house of Judah . . ." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section One 1830-34 Pg.14)

That covenant is made with One, who in mortality was saved from an annihilation order by fleeing to Egypt. In an eternal scope He has become our great deliverer. We are in the midst of the "Last Passover," a greater deliverance and the restoration of the highest statutes and judgements. The first Passover, led by a prophet, gave us the "Lesser Laws," written in stone, the last Passover, again led by a prophet, is giving us the "Higher Law," written in our hearts.

The old and new laws are again like a chiasmus, with the Savior’s ministry and subsequent atonement as the center, the turning point, linking the lesser and higher laws . The following poem illustrates the point.

SERMONS ON THE MOUNTS

The law was given, the standard set. But, best was not accepted yet.
We compromised with Heaven’s voice, Just ten commandments was our choice.
Tooth for tooth and eye for eye, retribution was the cry.

LESSER      1. No other God -

LAW            2. Or image graven -

                     3. Not in vain, the name of Heaven -

                     4. Remember Sabbath,

                     5. Father, Mother -

                     6. Thou shalt not kill -

                     7. Nor defile another -

                     8. Do not steal -

                     9. Or false word belabor -

                     10. Do not covet the wealth of neighbor -

But then was promised a covenant new; inwardly, God would speak to you.
With sins forgiven and God Revealed a higher law on us was sealed.

HIGHER      10. Bless your neighbor -

LAW              9. Share a kindly word -

                       8. Give to others -

                       7. And clean thoughts preferred -

                       6. No need for anger to hide your smile -

                       5. Parents, children, walk the second mile -

                       4. Use the Sabbath, blessings to bestow -

                       3. The name of God in your good deeds show -

                       2. Your life will God’s true image mirror,

                       1. As you and He become much nearer.

The secret of God’s law is known - when action by intent is shown.
In Heaven’s highest throne to stay, Use thought and reason to guide the way.
The highest law is now defined - in thought, in spirit and in the mind.
                                                                                                                                                  Daniel Rona, 1985