The king of Assyria may have felt unstoppable as he expanded his empire, but God was ultimately in charge. He promised that when the children of Israel turned to Him again and began to rely on Him, then He would bring them home.
Chapter Outline
- When you oppress the poor, His hand is stretched out still (v. 1-4).
- God will use Assyria to punish Israel (v. 5-19).
- When Israel turns to God, He will gather them again (v. 20-27).
- God will free people from many cities (v. 28-34).
My Takeaways
- God expects us to care for the poor and the needy.
- When we boast, we generally overestimate our own contribution to our success.
- It’s one thing to believe in God. It’s quite another to trust and rely on Him.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Caring for the Poor – 2 Nephi 20:1-3
Where Will Ye Leave Your Glory? – 2 Nephi 20:1-3
1 Wo unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; 2 To turn away the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! 3 And what will ye do…
❖ Assyria – 2 Nephi 20:5-19
Is It Wrong to Boast?
Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi quotes a passage from the Book of Isaiah which warns of the dangers of boasting. Isaiah prophesies that the king of Assyria will claim full credit for his victory over the kingdoms of Israel and Syria and will not acknowledge God’s hand. Isaiah illustrates the foolishness…
What Is “Stoutness of Heart?”
After prophesying that the Savior will one day establish peace and justice on the earth, Isaiah contrasts God’s steady leadership with the frantic efforts of people trying to do things on their own: And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart:…
Shall the Ax Boast Itself? – 2 Nephi 20:12-15
12 Wherefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. 13 For he saith: By the strength of my hand and by…
❖ God Will Gather Israel – 2 nephi 20:20-27
The Remnant of Israel…Shall Stay upon the Lord…in Truth – 2 Nephi 20:20
20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (2 Nephi 20:20, Isaiah 10:20) stay -…
The Remnant Shall Return
Isaiah’s prophecy about the remnant of Israel returning to God assures that no matter how far they are from home, they are not out of God’s sight. Book of Mormon authors echo this sentiment: God is mindful of you, wherever you are, and you can come home.
Old Testament Foundations
Breaking a Yoke
A yoke is a wooden beam placed on the necks of two animals so that they can pull together. That’s the literal definition. Throughout the scriptures, the term is also used metaphorically to represent servitude or oppression. Perhaps that’s because the Hebrew word for yoke—ol (עֹל)—is related to the verb alal (עָלַל), which means to…
Church History Connections
“Plead the Cause of the Poor and Needy”
Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord issued a clear warning to political leaders: Wo unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; To turn away the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! Isaiah 10:1-2,…
Widows and Orphans
In April 1832, the Lord provided specific instructions to the church on caring for those “who have lost their husbands or fathers.” If they lack the resources to support themselves, the combined resources of the church—the Lord’s storehouse—is available to them. “The storehouse shall be kept by the consecrations of the church,” He said; “and widows and…
All Posts Referencing 2 Nephi 20
- “It Was Not You That Sent Me Hither, But God” (3/20/2026)
- Contents of the Brass Plates (1/3/2026)
- The Remnant Shall Return (3/5/2024)
- Insiders Beware! (8/17/2023)
- Hubris, Arrogance, and Haughtiness (9/9/2022)
- Breaking a Yoke (2/27/2022)
- The Abrahamic Covenant (2/8/2022)
- Glory (12/28/2021)
- “Plead the Cause of the Poor and Needy” (10/30/2021)
- Widows and Orphans (7/25/2021)
- Words of Comfort and Encouragement from Isaiah (2/20/2020)
- “Thine Anger Is Turned Away” – 2 Nephi 22:1 (2/18/2020)
- What Is Wisdom? (12/13/2019)
- Is It Wrong to Boast? (9/5/2019)
- What Is “Stoutness of Heart?” (9/4/2019)
- What Is Haughtiness? (9/3/2019)
- How Can I Find Peace? (7/23/2019)
- Which of Isaiah’s Writings Are Quoted in the Book of Mormon? (5/31/2019)
- What Is the Historical Context for the Book of Isaiah? (5/30/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Anger? (5/9/2019)
- The Remnant of Israel…Shall Stay upon the Lord…in Truth – 2 Nephi 20:20 (10/12/2018)
- Where Will Ye Leave Your Glory? – 2 Nephi 20:1-3 (9/20/2017)
- The Yoke Shall Be Destroyed – 2 Nephi 20:27 (12/1/2016)
- Shall the Ax Boast Itself? – 2 Nephi 20:12-15 (3/5/2015)