Old Testament # 7
“The
Abrahamic Covenant”
Abraham 1:1–4;
2:1–11; Genesis 12:1–8; 17:1–9
Introduction
In our Teachers’ Council last week, we talked about prayerfully
considering asking our class to make commitments, and then following up. Kara
and I talked about it for this week and, since the lesson material starts with
a discussion on patriarchal blessing. My invitation to you—as a class—is to
study your patriarchal blessing and maybe write in your journal something that
came to you as a result. Perhaps something that had been fulfilled or something
that you might do in order to help it be fulfilled.
One recognizable part of a patriarchal blessing is
lineage. Sometime it might be worth looking up what that means. I will put some
links in the additional material. But without exception, we are all, either by
heritage or adoption, of the family of Abraham through one of his grandsons or (great-grandsons
in the case of Ephraim and Manasseh).
When I was at BYU—what is now the Maxwell Institute, I
did the index for a book titled
Traditions in the Early Life of Abraham. It was a project
that had taken many years to compile, gathering stories from many different
traditions about a part of Abraham’s life that is barely covered in the Bible. Although
most of it reads like mythology, it nonetheless shows in how great esteem
Abraham was held anciently. Our Book of Abraham has an interesting history. I
will put some links in the additional material, but here is a synopsis:
On 3 July 1835 a man named
Michael Chandler brought four Egyptian mummies and several papyrus scrolls of
ancient Egyptian writings to Kirtland, Ohio. The mummies and papyri had been
discovered in Egypt several years earlier by Antonio Lebolo. Kirtland was one
of many stops in the eastern United States for Chandler’s mummy exhibition.
Chandler was offering the mummies and rolls of papyrus for sale and, at the
urging of the Prophet Joseph Smith, several members of the Church donated money
to purchase them. In a statement dated 5 July 1835, Joseph Smith,
declaring the importance of these ancient Egyptian writings, recorded: “I
commenced the translation of some of the characters or hieroglyphics, and much
to our joy found that one of the rolls contained the writings of Abraham. …
Truly we can say, the Lord is beginning to reveal the abundance of peace and
truth” (History of the Church, 2:236).
1. God covenants with Abraham. Abraham
1:1–4; 2:1–11; Genesis
12:1–8; 17:1–9.
Before we get into covenants, in light of our discussion
last Sunday, notice what it was that Abraham desired to have in Abraham 1: the
Priesthood.
President Benson:
“Abraham, a righteous servant of God,
desiring as he said, ‘to be a greater follower of righteousness,’ sought for
these same blessings. Speaking of the order of the priesthood, he said: ‘It was
conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the
beginning of time … even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is
Adam, our first father, through the fathers unto me.’ (Abr.
1:2–3.)” (“What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children about the Temple,” Ensign,
Aug. 1985, 9).
Elder Neal A. Maxwell:
“The true disciple has an inborn questioning
to know, personally, all that God is willing to teach us. Nephi could have accepted
gladly the vision of his father, Lehi. But Nephi ‘desired to know the things
that [his] father had seen.’ (1 Nephi 11:1.) Abraham sought, even though
he had a father who had turned from the faith, ‘for greater happiness and
peace’ and ‘for mine appointment unto the Priesthood.’ (Abraham 1:2, 4.)
Abraham described himself as desiring ‘great knowledge, and to be a greater
follower of righteousness’ (Abraham 1:2), questing for the word of Christ.
Divine discontent in the form of promptings can move us to feast because we
know that by feasting we can increase our knowledge, effectiveness, and joy” (Wherefore,
Ye Must Press Forward [1977], 119).
Why is it so important that we understand the covenant
that God makes with Abraham. We have seen covenants before—we didn’t get to
talk about it last week, but God re-covenanted with Noah the promise he made to
Enoch (see JST Genesis 9:22–23) which was to perpetuate to all their seed. Here
is a table detailing what we know as the Abrahamic Covenant.
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Here’s President Nelson
Anciently, the Lord blessed Father
Abraham with a promise to make his posterity a chosen people. References
to this covenant occur throughout the scriptures. Included were promises that
the Son of God would come through Abraham’s lineage, that certain lands would
be inherited, that nations and kindreds of the earth would be blessed through
his seed, and more. While some aspects of that covenant have already
been fulfilled, the Book of Mormon teaches that this Abrahamic covenant will be
fulfilled only in these latter days! It also emphasizes that we are
among the covenant people of the Lord. Ours is the privilege to
participate personally in the fulfillment of these promises. What an exciting
time to live![1]
2. We are heirs to the blessings and responsibilities of
the Abrahamic covenant.
If you have been able to re-read your patriarchal
blessing, you have confirmed that you are of the seed of Abraham, his
descendants.
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: “The
great majority of those who become members of the Church are literal
descendants of Abraham through Ephraim, son of Joseph. Those who are not
literal descendants of Abraham and Israel must become such, and when they are
baptized and confirmed they are grafted into the tree and are entitled to all
the rights and privileges as heirs” (“How One May Become of the House of
Israel,” Improvement Era, Oct. 1923, 1149).
So unequivocally we have a responsibility to share what
we know and what we have. But, as President Nelson said, it is an exciting
responsibility.
Additional Materials
Patriarchal Blessings
If you can’t find yours:
Video about lineage
Mormon Channel on YouTube #62 What
is a Patriarchal Blessing, talking with Peter Mourik who gave me my patriarchal
blessing and for whom I typed some 300 blessings which I was in Germany.
Abraham
Information on the Traditions
book
Explanation about the Book of
Abraham
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