1 Nephi 20:4

"And I did it because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and they brow brass;"

In class this week we studied the chapters of Isaiah found in 1 Nephi. I think many of us can agree that Isaiah is difficult to process and understand. Often times, I read it just to say that I have and understood very little to nothing about what is actually being taught. As a result of class this week I have gained a much deeper respect and understanding for the words of Isaiah, I can see why it is a commandment that we diligently search his words. One particular scripture that we talked about was 1 Nephi 20:4. I really enjoyed this scripture and found its meaning to be powerful.

Initially, I was confused about what was being said, but upon further explanation, it was extremely profound. “Neck is an iron sinew, and they brow brass,” symbolizes an inability to look upward or bow. Meaning that they were not humble or compassionate and looked horizontally for help rather than vertically, or to God. God knew that they were looking to the wrong sources for help and treated them accordingly.

What can be learned from this scripture is to live in such a way that your neck is not like iron sinew and your brows are not like brass. We need to be humble enough to ask and look to the Lord when we need him. We can learn from the mistakes of the Israelites and be humble, compassionate, and not be afraid to look up rather than side to side.