DAY 76 of #100daysofJesus
Five years before Jesus' birth, a prophet named Samuel was called of God to prophesy to a wicked people of Jesus' imminent coming.
Throughout the previous centuries the Nephites and the Lamanites were two adversarial civilizations in the Americas who had warred against each other. Through most of that time, the Nephites worshiped God while the Lamanites "dwindled in unbelief." However, at this time the Lamanites had become converted and the Nephites were the people struggling with their faithfulness.
Samuel was a Lamanite who felt inspired to preach repentance among the Nephites, but they rejected him and "cast him out." As he was about to return to his own people, "the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again, and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart."
This is where it gets dangerous. If an angry, corrupt people kicks you out of town for preaching, and then you return, how do you think you'll be received?
As expected, the Nephites would not let him back into their city of Zarahemla, but this did not deter him. Samuel climbed upon the city wall and began to preach from that vantage.
Samuel preached faith in Jesus Christ and repentance.
Like the shepherds in Judea, Samuel declared "glad tidings" that the Son of God would soon be born into the world.
He prophesied of the miraculous light that would be a sign of Jesus' birth, for the sun would set without darkness. And he warned of the destruction awaiting the unrepentant.
God was obviously with Samuel, for he spoke with such power that many believed him, and "as many as believed on his word went forth and sought for Nephi [a Nephite prophet] ... that they might be baptized unto the Lord."
However, the rest of the people were angry with Samuel and sought to kill him. "They cast stones at him upon the wall, and also many shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall; but the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows."
Now, most people would have sensibly jumped down from the wall and left the city once the stone flinging and arrow shooting began. Not Samuel. He wasn't going to leave until as many people believed him as possible - a crazy amount of love for a people who were trying to kill him!
"Now when they saw that they could not hit him, there were many more who did believe on his words, insomuch that they went away unto Nephi to be baptized."
It wasn't until after this second group of Nephites changed their hearts and repented, that Samuel finally jumped down from the wall to return to his own people.
What was so important about Samuel's message, that God would send him twice to Zarahemla to preach to the people? What message was important enough for him to stand on the wall with stones and arrows being launched his direction? And why?
It was the message that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was about to come into the world.
Jesus came to save all mankind, and God invites ALL of us to believe in Him and be saved.
Like the Nephites, God gives us second chances - A LOT of them!
Samuel is not often included in the "traditional Christmas story" but he was not unlike the shepherds of Judea. He saw an angel, was told of Jesus' birth, and had a special assignment to spread the word and invite souls to come unto Christ.
Samuel is a hero of mine. I could write for hours about his courage, faith, and prophetic message.
Let us focus on the true "glad tidings" of this Christmas season, the birth and reality of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I add my testimony to that of Samuel's - that Jesus is the Savior of the world!
(Helaman 13-16)
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