Lessons from Miriam Criticizing Moses

I love the Book of Numbers! There are so many good stories that are not super well known. After reading through it and teaching them, I made a goal to help my kids understand a lot of the lesser-known good stories from the Bible. Numbers 12 stuck out to me this time around. It’s a short story, and we don’t have all the details, but I bet it was pretty similar to things that are happening to the Church and the prophet today.

Numbers 12 opens up by explaining that Miriam and Aaron, two of the top leaders in Israel, complained against Moses. Since it is always Miriam who is speaking in behalf of the women of the camp, I would guess that she held a position similar to General Relief Society President. And Aaron was the High Priest and president of the Levitical  priesthood at the time. Why were they complaining? Because Moses married a Cushite/Ethiopian woman. Some people think this verse was just talking about Zipporah, but I don’t think so. She isn’t mentioned in the Bible after Exodus 18, so it must have been a second wife.

At first I had the same complaint. How could the prophet marry outside of Israel when he taught the rest of camp not to do so? As I has studied that question, though, I realized that my understanding of the commandment was wrong. All of the verses that talk about marriage only say that they can’t marry Canaanites (Gen 24:3; Deut 7:3-4). Maybe because Canaanites worshiped Baal and Ashterah and had really immoral worship practices? I don’t know why that group is singled out from other groups, but there a few examples of people marrying non-Israelites from other nations. Also, I don’t think God ever cared about race and nation when it came to marriage. It all had to do with covenant keeping. I’m sure there were lots of different nations in the camp of almost 2,000,000 people, and I’m sure many of them made covenants to worship Jehovah and keep the law.

So why was Miriam’s complaint so serious? Because in verse 2 when she said, “Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses?” she was telling the people publicly that Moses wasn’t the only one who could receive revelation for the whole church. She was telling the people that Moses was wrong. And that all the people could speak to others in behalf of the Lord. In effect, she was telling the people that he was a fallen prophet.

It’s interesting that God got so angry with her. It’s one of the only stories I can think of where God personally came down to set it all straight. And I love His answer: “If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches.” Translation: “I’m not going to tell the prophet weird things secretly. I’m not going to deal with him under the table. If I want him to do things for me and for the church, I’m going to tell him face to face. What he has done was specific instructions straight from my mouth.”

This story all came together for me when I noticed that there is another place in the scriptures where someone asked the SAME question as Miriam, but he did it in a much different way. In D&C 132 we see an answer to a 12-year question that Joseph Smith had. He questions is found in verse 1: “God, how can you justify that all of the major prophets from the Bible, including Moses, had plural wives?” Verse 3 shows that Joseph was ready for the answer, and that God wants us to be “prepared” when He gives us answers to hard questions. It truly would be hard to be in Joseph’s position. He had this question for years, and all the Lord told him was that “I commanded them to.”

Here’s the point I learned: God doesn’t get angry with us when we have questions. But there is a right way to ask a question and a wrong way. When these two had a question of why the prophet married a Cushite woman, one person went humbly to the Lord and the other publicly criticized the prophet.

This chapter is totally what we are dealing with right now! Miriam’s complain is almost word-for-word some of the current criticisms: “Is the prophet the only one who can receive work from God? Are we even sure this comes from God in the first place? Has the prophet EVER spoken to God?” God’s response echoes true today just as it did in Moses’ time. “I will speak to him mouth to mouth.”

The Parable of the Cigarettes and the Lollipop

In primary on Sunday, the girl giving the talk told the story of the Good Samaritan, which was almost my entire sharing time lesson plan. So I punted a little and trusted that God would fill my mouth with what else Senior Primary needed to learn from that story. The thing that came to mind was a story that I had always equated with service, but until I shared it in primary, I had never realized how perfectly it fit with the story of the Good Samaritan. So I'm going to share my unique version of the parable of the Good Samaritan here.

"A certain mother with three daughters went down from West Valley to Holladay to attend their weekly piano lessons. While on their journey, they fell among some sharp objects on the road and got a flat tire, which left their poor car as good as half dead. And by chance there came down a certain well-dressed businessman that way: and when he saw the mother with her three children in need, he passed by on the other side. And likewise another middle-aged gentleman, when he was at the place, came and looked on them, and passed by on the other side. But a certain  young man in worn out clothes and with cigarettes and a lollipop in his pocket, as he journeyed to an appointment to discuss potential parole with his lawyer, came where the family was: and when he saw them, he had compassion on them. And went to them, and changed their flat tire, and took care of them."

"Which now of these three was a true neighbor unto them that were in need?"

"The unexpected Samaritan- a kind man with a carton of cigarettes and a lollipop."

Rachel's Response to the Law of Moses

I really like the following Ensign Article. I think it gave me a different perspective on the Law of Moses:

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1981/06/reflections-on-the-law-of-moses-old-testament-apostasy-in-context?lang=eng

Some of my other random unorganized thoughts:

*It seems like the part of the Law of Moses that dealt with the carnal commandments was intentionally made very specific for a purpose. 1) All the carnal commandments were symbolic of Christ (kind of like the Sacrament is for us today) so if you had to constantly do very specific things that reminded you of Him, your chances of catching onto that symbolism and "always remembering Him" as a result would be increased. 2) There is ONE way back to Heavenly Father, and that path is very narrow. Following this path requires great diligence and precise measurements so you don't get off track even by just one degree. Sounds very specific and detailed to me. 3) Children require that you specify commands more often than adults do- mostly just until they understand the why on their own. Considering where the Children of Israel were coming from (apostasy and being surrounded by a culture of false Gods and teachings), they really were Children... so God gave them step by step rules to help lead them to an understanding of the why, at which point, they could more effectively govern themselves (like Joseph Smith says about the church members in our dispensation).

*I wonder if the difference between the Nephites and the Children of Israel (in that the Nephites developed an understanding of the meaning of the law and the Children of Israel overall did not), has to do with where they came from spiritually? Lehi, Nephi, and their righteous descendants came from a multi-generational covenant keeping family. This would give their children a spiritual advantage in better understanding the real meaning behind the law. Maybe the people in the Old Testament, through disobedience, had lost that multi-generational strength as a people, and as a result, had resorted back to starting over spiritually as children. I also wonder if the children of Israel had the same type of access to the scriptures that the Nephites did (since Nephi went back for the Brass Plates). Maybe this would impact a people's ability to fully remember the why behind the covenant they'd been given. It could also be as simple as the Nephites chose to use their agency to obey the law, and as a result, developed spiritual eyes to see. Whereas the children of Israel (and even the Lamanites) chose not to obey even the Law of Moses, so they remained blind to a testimony of the Savior, as well as stayed unprepared for a higher law which would allow for more listening to the Spirit to determine the nature of ones choices, rather than just following a stagnant list of things to do.

*How does obedience bring you to Christ? Other than just the symbolism of the law, just the act of obeying helps us to draw closer to the Savior. I think this is because this is the very essence of who the Savior is- He is perfectly obedient to the Father because He loves and trusts Him. As we love and trust the Savior, we become like Him in that way, and as a result get to know Him better.
*I think sometimes we think we know what the commandments are- we're supposed to do this and this, and not do this. But I think the Law of Moses intended to lead humble followers beyond the "this's" and "that's" to gain a testimony of the principle of obedience itself. For example, Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son. Nowhere in the context of Abraham's spiritual understanding did this commandment make any sense, other than in his testimony of exact obedience. As a result, he gained a testimony and understanding of the Savior as the Father's sacrifice for all mankind. Nowhere in the context of Hosea's spiritual experiences would taking a prostitute to wife be considered moral, but he did it anyway because he had a testimony of exact obedience. And through his obedience he and we learn a great lesson about how the Savior feels when we are unfaithful to him. I think even with the Higher Law, we still find ourselves with limited spiritual understanding compared to God's omniscience. That gap between our understanding and His requires a testimony of exact obedience if we plan to be able to continue to become like the Savior.

Lessons from the Law of Moses

As I have slowly trudged through the muddy chapters of the Law of Moses yet again, I have had some major questions: Why so many details and explanations of how the people should act? Why are the commandments so specific, and the consequences even more specific? Did God really have to write out a law that was so cut and dry for the Israelites? Although it is hard to answer those questions using the Old Testament and the Law of Moses itself, there are some great verses in the Book of Mormon and New Testament.

In my studies I have found at least ten passages in the Book of Mormon and a few more in the writings of Paul that explain why they practiced the Law of Moses, and I have learned some great lessons from them. Here are some of my favorites:

• Jacob 4:4-6 - "All the holy prophets believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him ... Wherefore, we search the prophets, and having all these witnesses we obtain hope."
• Jarom 1:11 - "The prophets and priests did labor diligently teaching the law of Moses and the intent for which it was given; persuading the people to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was." 
• Alma 25:15-16 - "The Law of Moses was a type of Christ's coming. Now they did not suppose that salvation came by the Law of Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; thus they did retain a hope through faith."
• 2 Nephi 25:23-30 - "We labor diligently to write to persuade our children to believe in Christ and be reconciled to God. For this end was the law given. We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins" (the rest of those verses are really good, too!).
• Others that help explain: Mosiah 3:14-15, Mosiah 13:29-32, Mosiah 16:14-15, Alma 33:19-22; Alma 34:13-14; Luke 24:44, Romans 8

So what's the rundown on why God gave the people the Law of Moses? To look forward to Christ! 

It may not seem (especially in this modern world) that commandments and detailed instructions lead people to God, but I have really come to believe it. In Galatians 3:24 Paul taught that "the law was a schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ." This verse really helps me understand commandments that I may not want to follow. They are a teacher - kind of like training wheels for kids, or a dog leash for puppies. The purpose of training wheels is to help kids learn how to ride a bike. 

There are lots of commandments that do that for me. Paying tithing helps me be more like Christ because I don't care as much about earthly things. Going to the temple often helps me be like Christ in every way. And going to Church helps me remember the Savior and help my neighbors in the ward instead of focus on myself on Sundays.

However, there are other commandments that I have struggled with in life. But seeing the purpose behind them has helped me keep the commandment, and in the end become a little more like Jesus. I don't love going home teaching every month, but the commandment to do so helps me see how important it is to visit your neighbors and to love them. I don't think I would ever visit the Wrights if I wasn't originally required to do so, but every time I do I feel much better afterward. They help me be more like Christ. Another commandment I have struggled with in the past is the necessity of confession in the repentance process. But as I have kept the commandment, I really do see that it brings me closer to Christ.

Personally, as I kid I never used training wheels. I didn't think I needed them. I watched other people ride and thought I could ride without them. I thought some kids might rely too much on the training wheels and never really learn how to ride a bike, so I didn't want them. I have done this with commandments, too. Sometimes I think I may see the purpose behind the commandment and therefore not need the details. I definitely have done this with mutual and home teachings, but I think a better example is certain mission rules. Some of them didn't seem necessary and I felt like I should be able to "take them off and really ride the bike." 

Then one day I found another phrase in those verses from 2 Nephi. verse 25, speaking about the law of Moses, says "For this end was the law given; wherefore, the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith" (they didn't need the details because they already looked forward to Christ). But the verse adds something else. "Yet we keep the law becuase of the commandments." Nephi was so faithful that he could see that to truly be like Christ, we needed to be obedient to every commandment, even if we don't understand it. Or more importantly, even if we understand everything about it. On my mission, I saw another line in Preach My Gospel that says faithful people will want to learn more commandments just so that they can keep them and be more obedient. As I continued to follow those "pointless rules," and learn the purpose behind them, I soon saw that they didn't become burdensome anymore. I thought that training wheels (extra rules) kept me back from doing even better work, but in the end I learned that the laws aren't the things that keep you back from "riding a bike fast," but it is the reluctance to follow them that kept me back. Keeping the law without bitterness is what made me more faithful and more like the Savior in focus and in purpose.

Does anyone else have any insights from the law of Moses, or thoughts on why the Nephites caught them so well while the Israelites, and later the New Testament Jews, never really did? I think this topic can teach us A LOT!

Lessons from the Miracles in the Wilderness

Reading through the experiences of the Israelites in the Wilderness has always been frustrating to me! I can never understand how they could have the same experience again and again with the same outcome. How could they forget so quickly? Just to recap, after they experienced 10 miracles in the plagues allowing them to leave Egypt, the Israelites reacted this way:

1. After being led to the Red Sea by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22), they were being approached by the hostile Egyptian Army. They responded to Moses in this way: “Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore has thou dealt with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Didn’t we tell you in Egypt, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.” (14:11-12).
2. After they were told by Moses not to fear, then led through the Red Sea on dry ground, and finally singing praises to God, they later went three day without finding water. They responded by murmuring “What shall we drink?"
3. God helped Moses heal the waters so they were drinkable, but soon after that the whole congregation murmured even more. “Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat break to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (16:2-3).
4. Then, even after God rained down bread from heaven and explained how to gather the manna, some people “hearkened not, but left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank.” Others didn’t gather enough on Saturday, and went out on the Sabbath to find food, but found none. God asked the people, “How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?”
5. Then, even after the Lord gave the people water and bread and meat to eat, they again went without water. This time, though, the people chided with Moses and were even ready to stone him! (17:4). Instead of punishing the people, God gave them what they wanted and allowed Moses to smote the rock - and water came out.

Seriously! How could a group of people not see that Moses and God were helping them throughout all of their hard trials? Could they really have been that thick-skulled?

Anyway, I saw a new perspective on the stories this week as I read through some Book of Mormon chapters. I've never noticed how similar Nephi and his family's journey is - and it is in the exact same wilderness. His commentary on those experiences are pretty sweet. 

Like the Israelites, Lehi’s family spent a long time in the desert (8 years). During that time they also went without food and complained to God about it when they couldn’t find anything to eat. And, like the Israelites, they were miraculously blessed in being led to food. And just like manna, the Nephites were blessed with meat that didn't even have to be cooked. Even while they were being blessed with food, some of the Nephites were fed up with their leader (Lehi) and wanted to kill him (1 Nephi 16:37). Last of all, just like Moses and his people, the Nephites were stuck at the ocean and were miraculously blessed to cross it (this time, however, they had to build their own boat instead of crossing over it on dry ground).

In 1 Nephi 17, while his brothers were complaining about all of their hard trials, Nephi had to use a whole chapter to basically say, "DON'T YOU GUYS GET IT?! YOU ARE EXACTLY LIKE THE ISRAELITES! THEY WENT THROUGH THE SAME EXACT TRIALS YOU ARE GOING THROUGH AND GOD LED THEM ALL THE WAY TO THE END?"

While I was reading through that chapter and trying to picture how Nephi was saying it, his voice came into my head with a similar tone, "Don't you get it? You are EXACTLY like the Israelites! God has led you through your trials and you forget! Remember that He is still helping you through your wilderness, and He is doing things all along the way to help." This month I have a goal to remember that God has helped me in my trials and is still helping me through my trials.

Lessons from the Passover

I have been thinking a lot lately about Grace and Works. What is their relationship and if I am going to put an emphasis on works, how can I include Christ? A lot of my questions were answered from the Passover story.

The Passover was instituted for multiple reasons, but one of them (Ex 12:14) was to "be a memorial unto the people." They were supposed to Remember! While they ate the herbs they remembered their physical and spiritual bitterness while in Egypt (and hopefully that Jehovah would later partake of the "bitter cup"). While they cleaned out all of the leaven from their houses, and then ate of the unleavened bread, they remembered that spiritual "leaven," or sin, makes us go moldy (and that God is the Bread of Life). I've also noticed that repenting, or getting the leaven out of my life, takes away the bitter taste in my mouth.

While they ate, the people were instructed to do so "in haste," with staff in hand on their loins girded. There were to remember to leave Egypt as soon as they could (and all of its wicked traditions!), and not to linger behind when Jehovah wanted them to leave right away.

Most of all, they were to remember the Lamb of God. Raising the lamb, then killing it, saving the blood, and then preparing and roasting the meat, would have been a great reminder to me of what the Savior would go through in the future. It must have been a solemn and sacred night to remember all of those things.

The best lesson of all, to me, is the blood of the lamb. It was not just the lamb dying that saved them from the destroying angel, but its blood that was applied to the doorposts. As I thought about how I can apply Christ's blood to my "doorpost," and the doorposts of my family's house, the teachings of Christ came to life. Although Christ suffered in Gethsemane and died at Golgotha, His blood cannot save me unless I know how to put it on correctly.

Recently I have been thinking a lot about the phrase "apply the Atonement in your life." It didn't make sense to me. How do you "apply the Atonement?" I think sometimes we use it as a blanket statement for unspecific application of the Gospel. I didn't like the statement because it doesn't direct works or change to Christ. But today, that statement finally makes sense. In order for the Israelites to be protected from the destroying angel, they needed to (A) raise a lamb with the correct specifications, (B) kill the lamb on the evening of Passover, (C) collect the blood, (D) put the blood on the top and sides of the doorposts, and (E) cook and eat the lamb correctly. What amazing symbolism!

In order for me to be saved spiritually, I need to (A) learn about Christ and study His words, (B) know that He died for me and for my sins and for my better future "outside of Egypt," (C) "catch" His blood - or to understand the point of why He died, and finally to (D) follow His teachings, apply them to all parts of my life, and trust that it is not my actions that will get me out of Egypt, but His atoning sacrifice applied correctly.

I know that Christ lives. His death is what brings good into my life and what takes the bad out. Sometimes I wish we still did cool symbolism like the Passover, but I also know that today we do the same thing when we partake of the Sacrament. Always remembering His death and Resurrection, taking His name in my life, and keeping His commandments does the same thing today as it does then - allows Christ to keep out the destroying angel and have His Spirit to be with me.

Lessons from the Calling of Moses

I studied Exodus 3&4 in depth this week, trying to understand what I could about Moses (actually, I was trying to compare what the scriptures ACTUALLY say compared to Hollywood movies about Moses). I learned a great lesson from what Moses said back to God after he was chosen to lead Israel out of Egypt.

Moses first responded by saying, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?” Later, he had other questions: “When they ask who sent me what should I say? When they don’t believe me what should I do? How can I say it, seeing that I am slow of speech?” After the Lord answered all of those questions, he even said, “Can you please send someone else?” (Exodus 4:13, NIV version)

God reassured him each time: “Surely I will be with thee. I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. I made man’s mouth, and I will teach thee what to say.” He even allowed Moses to do great miracles as signs to the people, and called another man (Aaron) to help him along the way.

As I was reading these chapters I had a few things come to mind. First off, that I was helped ALL THE TIME in my calling in the Bishopric. I remember looking throughout the congregation my first Sunday on the stand and only being able to name 5 people! President Monson said, "It is the Lord's work, and when we are on the Lord's errand, we are entitled to the Lord's help. Remember that whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies" (April 1996 Conference).

Secondly, a couple scriptures came to mind: The message that Christ will help us in our God-given responsibilities is summed up great in D&C 84:88 – “And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” When I was on my mission Elder Holland came to visit us. He shared Moses 1:39 about the Lord's work and glory. Then he said, "To me, the two most important words in that verse are 'my' and 'my.' Remember that the work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man is HIS work. God's work and God's glory are in GOD'S HANDS." 

I have come to believe this principle. If we just do God's work, the way that He wants us to, then everything will work out. And God's power, grace, and guidance will be there the whole time.

Lessons from Joseph and His Brothers

One time I did a study on what it means to "be spiritual," or to be better at having the Spirit with you. I found a talk from Elder Oaks that really opened my eyes. In his Oct 1985 Conference talk, he defined spirituality as "being able to keep an eternal perspective." After I read that talk I tried to go through the scriptures and find good examples of people who were good at keeping an eternal perspective.

Other than Jesus Himself, Joseph in Egypt is one of my favorite examples. First, his brothers tried to kill him, then instead sold him to spice traders. He was passed on to Egypt and then sold again to Potiphar. After working hard as a slave, he was tempted by Potiphar's wife, then tricked into going to prison. While in prison, he was forgotten about by someone he helped, and had to spend even more time as a prisoner. All of that without "deserving" any of it.

When he finally revealed himself to his brothers, rather than holding a grudge or punishing them for all that had happened, he instead kept an eternal perspective: "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" (Genesis 50:20). 

After all of his hard trials, he realized that he might not have been able to save his family and the Egyptians without spending those hard years in servitude and in prison. Sometimes it is almost impossible for me to keep an eternal perspective during difficult trials, but I like to think of Joseph during those times. Even if he wasn't able to stay positive DURING his trials, but in those experiences time can be a great teacher. From Joseph (and Elder Oaks) I have learned that I can stay positive and keep the Spirit with me when I try to have an eternal perspective and see what things I can learn after it is all over. 

Lessons from Joseph in Egypt

Last week, while doing an interview on ESPN, Steve Young quoted Joseph Smith: “I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves.” I’ve been thinking a lot about that quote, and another one I heard from Elder Bednar in a seminary training speech. He said, “If they know the Why, the Hows will take care of themselves.”

I really believe those quotes. I feel like the teenagers in my classes really know the “Dos and Don’ts” of the Gospel well. They know what Mormons are and aren’t “supposed” to do. But often many of them don’t know the doctrine behind the actions.

I really gained a testimony of this principle when I lived in China. For the first time in my life I didn’t have to be spiritually accountable to anyone. I didn’t have anyone telling me what time to go to bed or when to wake up; I could eat as I pleased, and I never had anyone to check what I was doing on the computer; and on Sundays I was completely free to do WHATEVER I WANTED! During that time no one knew my background or my beliefs, so it was the ultimate test of integrity and testimony.

While reading the story of Joseph this week, my experiences in China really stuck out to me. When he was tempted by Potiphar’s wife to sleep with her, instead of saying “I can’t; I’m a Mormon,” (By the way, I HATE those t-shirts!), he told her the real reason – he couldn’t turn his back on God. If Joseph didn’t have a real relationship with the Father, I don’t think he would have lasted in Egypt. The reason he prospered and eventually saved the entire house of Israel is because he knew the real reason we keep the commandments.

I know that if we learn the whys behind keeping the commandments, and then try to teach those doctrines to our kids, the commandments will always make sense to us. I also know that if that is the case then God will always prepare a way for us to accomplish them. 

Lessons from Isaac and Rebekah

Someone once explained to me that if the power of God is like electricity, then covenants are like outlets. As I've studied more about Ordinances and Covenants, especially from the D&C, that object lesson really makes sense. Covenants are given to us so that we will stay in connection with the power of God. Through experiences, I've learned in my life that grace, the power of God, really es always accessible. And that His power comes into my life when He asks me to make promises to Him, and then to keep them.

During this last week I taught about Rebekah and Isaac. In my studies I have thought a lot about their marriage story. Although I don't know all of the details, it struck me that both of them (with support from their parents) went to so much effort to marry someone who believed in God and would be able to make a covenant to worship Him in connection with their marriage. They were both very adamant that they should not marry someone who was not from the covenant line.

From Rebekah and Isaac I have once again realized how much my marriage has pointed me toward Christ. Our covenant to each other, and to God, really has been the outlet that has plugged us in to grace. I've also realized how grace and the Spirit have been in our experiences and in our home when we have kept our marriage promises. Most of all, this truth is what has stuck out: being married in the temple, and returning often, has been really important because I keep my marriage promises best when I keep God at the forefront of my life.

The Aquarium!

Lessons from Abraham and His Faith in Jehovah's Covenant

While studying the story of Abraham the past few years, I have been more and more awed by Abraham’s faith in Jehovah’s covenant. After Abraham "desired greater righteousness" and to "be a father of many nations" (Abraham 1:2), Jehovah appeared to him and made a covenant. Part of the covenant is that God would (1) make of Abraham a great nation, through which all the earth would be blessed, and (2) give unto them the Promised Land. I think those two things are meant to go together. First, you cannot have numberless seed without land on which to raise them; and secondly, Promised Land doesn't do any good for parents with no posterity.

In the past, I never really looked closely at all the stories between the time the covenant was first made and the fulfillment of it. But I think they were written to teach us a great lesson: That God never forgets His covenant if we do not forget Him. Here is a (not so short) summary of what happened to Abraham's family and what amazing faith they showed. 

1. He and Sarah traveled through the desert from Ur to Canaan. When they arrived, God even told them that this was the land He would give them. I wonder how they might have reacted when they finally heard Him renew the covenant. I know what I would have thought: "We finally made it! The Promised Land! Now we can relax and receive the promises."

A.     However, it wasn’t all fun and games in the Promised Land. There was an intense famine in the land, and they weren’t able to stay. Abraham even built multiple altars there, where they made offerings and “called on the Lord devoutly” (Abraham 2:17-20). Those must have been hard times (even years?).

·   In answer to their prayers, the Lord appeared to Abraham and renewed the covenant AGAIN, telling him that God would indeed give unto his seed the Promised land.

2. Because of the famine, Abraham and their group had to travel all the way down to Egypt – just for a temporary stay.

B.     This time, however, Sarah was taken by Pharaoh because she was so beautiful. This was even harder than the first trial! How could God promise them both numberless seed (twice!) and then let her get taken?

·   As always, God came through again. The Egyptians were plagued for their mistake in taking her, and she was freed.

3. After the famine finally abated (how many years or decades did it take?), Lot and Abraham and their families returned to Canaan, this time with money and cattle. Life must have been good! Abraham even gave lot the best part of the valley, and both settled down to receive their blessings from the covenant. Even if Abraham and Sarah couldn’t have any seed of their own, at least they had a nephew to continue the line, right?

C.     Lot messed up, though. He moved to Sodom and Gomorrah and was taken in battle. Was Abraham now going to lose his only extended family?

·   This must have been both stressful and annoying for Abraham. This trial came directly from Lot’s bad choices, not just happenstance. In the end, though, Abraham was able to free him and the armies went away (Genesis 13-14).

4. After the battle, Abraham and Lot both returned to their lands, and things may have settled down. The Lord even appeared to Abraham afterward, and told him not to fear.

D.     However, this time Abraham finally expressed his situation with God: They were childless, and a steward was the one set up to be heir. What a hard trial! God had now promised Abraham three separate times, but still no child.

·   God answered Abraham’s concerns with His most specific reassurance yet: “this shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.” He then shows him the stars, and points out that his seed will be just as numberless (Genesis 15).

5. As a possible answer to their prayers, this time Sarah came up with the solution: have a child through Hagar. Hagar conceived and the line was established!

E.      What faith from all of them! But, in the end, it didn’t end up she had thought. It was harder on Sarah and Hagar than first expected – can you imagine!? Genesis 21 teaches that this was really hard on Abraham, too. He loved both Hagar and Ishmael, and it was hard to see them leave.

·   In the middle of this hard trial, God gives specific blessings (A fifth time?!) to all three of them! He promised Hagar that great nations will come through her seed, established the covenant and circumcision through Abraham, and even tells Sarah that she will bear a son named Isaac (Genesis 16-17). What a great promise to all of them – Sarah even knew the name of the established line.

6. More trials! They almost lost Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah, and Sarah is almost taken again, this time from King Abimelech. But, in the end, just like before, God preserved them and everything worked out (Genesis 18-20).

7. I can’t imagine how great it was for Abraham and Sarah when they found out she was pregnant! She was even visited by the Lord in the process, and Isaac was finally born. After decades of trials and amazing episodes of faith, it finally happened!

F.      However, the Lord still had one more lesson to teach them. As the greatest trial of all, as Isaac grew up, Jehovah asked Abraham to take “his only son, and offer him on mount Moriah.” What an unbelievable request! Did God not realize what they had been through the last 80 years? They had waited for this day in faith, through unimaginable trials. But, because Abraham had faith in the covenants, he did as he was asked. It’s no wonder so many prophets wrote about Abraham with reverence (Romans 4, Galatians 3:6, James 2:23, Jacob 4:5, D&C 132:36). And no wonder that when the Pioneers asked God how long their trials would continue, He had them compare their trials to Abraham! (D&C 101:4)

·   In the end, though, God never really wanted Abraham to sacrifice his son. He was just teaching him – teaching him what great faith the Father and the Son had, and how great the Atonement truly was.

As I read through the chapter on the sacrifice of Isaac again (Genesis 22), I was struck at how amazing it must have been for Abraham and Isaac, after they were told to not go through with it, to offer up the ram that was provided for them in the thicket. What a great teaching tool to learn about the Savior! How much gratitude for the Savior were they expressing while watching? What thoughts and feelings did they have while processing all the prayers that been answered and the faith that was strengthened over the years? How many trials and renewed promises did they remember during that time? I wonder if there has ever been another sacrifice that made people more grateful for the Atonement.

From Abraham and his family, I have learned that no matter how bad things get, no matter how forgotten we might think we are, God never forgets His promises or his children, “for they are graven upon the palms of His hands.”

Lessons from Noah and the Flood

I studied and taught about Noah this week, but I wanted to study it from a different perspective. Something I have not thought about previously is how Noah and his family might have felt during their preparations. Preaching to strangers would have been hard, but being mocked by them, including friends, neighbors, and even extended family, would be a tough trial. On top of that, they had to build a massive ark and prepare to be on the ark for an unknown amount of time with thousands of animals.

This quote from President Kimball really stuck out to me: "As yet there was no evidence of rain and flood. His people mocked and called him a fool. His preaching fell on deaf ears. His warnings were considered irrational. There was no precedent; never had it been known that a flood could cover the earth. How foolish to build an ark on dry ground with the sun shining and life moving forward as usual!" (Teachings of Spencer W Kimball, 2006, pg 140-141). Too often I feel mocked, foolish, and irrational for doing things that I feel prompted by God to do. Noah is a great example to me of someone who continues to do what is right no matter what others, or even his own doubts, may tell him.

President Monson said this in the Oct 2002 conference: "The wisdom of God ofttimes appears as foolishness to men; but the greatest lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and we obey, we will always be right."

Lessons from the Fall

While studying the Fall this week, I have learned a lot from this President Benson quote: "[Man] does not desire the salvation of Christ until he knows why he needs Christ… No one adequately and properly knows why he needs Christ until he understands and accepts the doctrine of the Fall and its affects upon all mankind."

As difficult as they have been, I am grateful for trials and hardships in my life because they have taught me how much I need Christ. And the more I realize about my weaknesses, the more I learn how much I really do need Him.

Katelyn's first trip to the zoo!

Glow in the dark mini golfing

Cupcake Wars