Their Pride was Their Downfall

 The Jews were killed and scattered not because they were bad and knew they were bad, but because they were bad and thought they were good.

In 2 Nephi 12, the prophet Nephi -- a man who had left Jerusalem many years earlier -- copies the words of Isaiah the prophet, from Isaiah 2, into the Book of Mormon.

In this chapter, Isaiah talks about how "lofty" the people are by using the imagery of tall cedars, oaks, mountains, hills, towers, walls and ships.

This is what I wrote about this section:

Trees and mountains are metaphors for pride and being haughty.

Because they were proud, the Jews were killed and scattered and Jerusalem destroyed.  Because they thought they were too good to be destroyed, they killed the prophets. 

The interesting thing is that their downfall was not that they were bad and knew it but that they were bad and thought they were good and were unwilling to acknowledge that they might need to change. 

And when I say Jews, I mean all the houses of Israel — but most recently the house of Judah. 

Nephi, two chapters earlier, talks about how this pride of the Jews led to them killing their Savior:

5 But because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified.

3 Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name—should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.

4 For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other nations they would repent, and know that he be their God. 

The interesting thing about all this is... that's me!  I think I'm good.  And when I think I'm good, I am not willing to change and learn.

 

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