Old Testament Lesson 16: I Cannot Go Beyond the Word of the Lord

This week's lesson is really all about perspective.

Others' perspective!

Our perspective!

Most of us go through life seeing things through the lens of just our own eyes. Some see things through the eyes of others affording them an opposite view. Our calling is to rise above our own view and see through the Lord's lens.

Historical Context to this week's lesson:
The children of Israel have been wondering in the wilderness for 40 years. The older generation have just about all passed away and a new younger generation is being readied to inherit the lands they were promised. As the Lord himself, tells them through Moses,

"ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: Turn you, and take your journey...behold I have set the land before you: go in and posses the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers..." Deut 1:6-8

I want to pause here for a moment. Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, your life is going in circles? Do you feel like you are just not getting anywhere? Sure you are surviving, you are existing but life is not progressing how you would like it to. Consider the Israelites. They were smart enough to know they were going in circles in the wilderness for 40 years. Is it any wonder they found themselves complaining about their lot in life and feeling their was no point to their existence other than being led into the wilderness to die. Here on the ground it is hard to see past the mountains. What is different about the Lord's perspective?
Why should we always seek the Lord's perspective?
How do we seek the Lord's perspective?
The children of Israel spent 40 years trying to force the Lord to see things their way. Can't He see we are hungry? Can't He see we are thirsty? Can't He see we can't go on like this? Can't He see we were better off in Egypt as slaves? Who knows how much shorter their journey in the wilderness may have been if they had elevated their sight and raised their perspective into alignment with the Lord's perspective, sooner.

Balak and Balaam (Numbers 22:1-21)
And so as they progress northwards towards their lands (promised to them over the many generations from Adam down to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob), they have encountered the Amorites and defeated them in battle and moved on as instructed by the Lord through the lands of Edom (descendants of Jacob's brother Edom) and Moab (descendants of Lot, Abraham's nephew). Now the Moabites were ruled at that time by a king called Balak. And as he saw this vast people (around 1-2 million people) move towards his borders and through hi lands, and as he hears of the tales of the destruction of the Amorites, you can imagine Balak is worried about Moab being destroyed like the Amorites. In those days, the solution was either to fight and defend your lands or turn to your religious deities to protect you or both. Balak knew that neither his armies nor his gods were powerful enough to protect his people and his lands from this powerful nation. Instead Balak turned to Balaam. Why did he turn to Balaam?
Numbers 22:2-3, 5-6 
Numbers 24:17
Balaam seems to have gained a reputation as a man with divine authority and power. Undoubtedly from the texts he was "called of God" and as Numbers tells us, Balak knew that whomever Balaam blessed or cursed, so it was. We also know from Numbers 24 that Balaam was capable of true prophecy.
As a result, Balak feels his best chance is to turn to Balaam and ask him to curse Israel so that they cannot defeat the Moabites.
But verse 7 is a little worrying because Balak's messengers "departed with the rewards of divination in their hand". It would seem this priesthood authority had a reputation of being bought and Balak meant to buy it.
So what happens? v.12

"And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed."

If we are to compare our status in the latter days with those of the children of Israel, how does the Lord view us?

Balak is used to getting what he wants. What is his response to being rejected? v.16-17 How does Balak represent the world we live in today?
On the surface, Balaam's reply seems proper and appropriate for one called of God, but dig a little deeper and we start to see some worrying signs. Compare Balaam's answer in v.18 to a similar call from Joshua in Joshua 24:15. 
You see the real question is whether Balaam characteristically "will not" or just dutifully and a little reluctantly "cannot". Surely, when you "will not", there is no need to go back to the Lord to check to see if He might change His mind?
Balaam seems like he really really knows that he shouldn't but really really wants all the things Balak has offered him. He is torn between two masters. Balaam represents the natural man. Feeling and experiencing the things of God but tempted and lusting after the things of the world. And in this instance Balaam tries to tiptoe on the edges of his principles, acting the man of God, all the while flirting with money and prestige.

v.20-22 what are the two reasons God gets angry? This time it is disobedience. I know he gave permission in verse 20 but refer back to verse 12. Thou shalt not go with them is about as direct a commandment as they come. So how do we align the original commandment in verse 12 with the apparent change of heart in verse 20 and then his reaction in verse 22? 
It seems to me this is one of the times where the Lord is telling you what is best for you. His perspective sees all and he knows what is over that mountain and for your good he commands you not to go there. But we, with our low-lying mortal perspective who always think we see better, plead and plead for those things we really really want. And eventually if we are stubbornly refusing to listen to him and only want what we want, then at some point I think He just says, and I am of course paraphrasing, "listen I'm not going to strive with you or argue with you. I know whats best for you but if you have your eyes fixed on that, I can't stop you. Go for it. But be warned. I do not want you to go there."
Why does the Lord allow us to follow paths that He knows can lead toward danger?
When I asked my wife's father for permission to marry her we had never met. In fact this conversation was my very first conversation with her father. When I asked for his permission, he said something that I have never forgotten, "Well," he said, "what Marjolaine wants, Marjolaine usually gets." I took that as a "yes". He was probably very concerned not knowing who I was and never having met me, yet he still allowed her to make her own choice.
I wonder if the Lord regards us in a similar way, he loves us and will try to protect us from the dangers of the world, but if you want it bad enough, he is not going to stand in your way.
Why do you think the Lord was so upset with Balaam? cf Doctrine and Covenants 82:3
The Lord expects better choices of those whom he has called.

Balaam and the Ass (Numbers 22:22-35)

Not a picture of Balaam and his Ass

In today's world a talking donkey isn't such a big deal anymore I guess, but this was not a normal event in Balaam's world.
The whole point of this story though is to show how misaligned Balaam is with the Lord's view.
Consider this:
What characterisitic are asses and donkeys most generally associated with?
And yet was it Balaam or his ass that stubbornly persisted against the angel of the Lord and the Lord's will?
A creature as stubborn and dumb as an ass tries to avoid the angel, but he still sees it. Balaam does not even see the angel. This is astounding. This purported man of God, called of God is so spiritually misaligned, his donkey sees more spiritually than he does.
Notice also how the Lord attempts to stop the donkey going where there is danger. At first the donkey's path is as wide as the countryside but then as he stubbornly persists and veers away from the Lord and his angels, the Lord narrows the pathway with a walled vineyard giving the donkey less ability to veer away. As the donkey continues to try to veer away from the Lord, he is finally given no wiggle room. With no way to turn, the donkey must address that which is directly in front of him or back out willfully. Rather than outright rebellion the donkey chooses submission and falls to the ground in apparent recognition of that which is of God.
In comparison, see how Balaam tries to steer the donkey - with force ( "he smote the ass with a staff"). This is not the way of the Lord. He tries to persist without even seeing the Lord's will. It's right in front of him but he can't even see it.
Many of us need to be guided like the donkey, until we are in line with the Lord. That's ok. But when we are not aligned with the Lord and seeking, his will, like Balaam we will be unable to feel the Lord's guidance in our lives.
Notice verse 34 also. "if it displease thee..." ?????  Do you think Balaam gets it? I mean at this point, after the talking donkeys and the angel and the broken foot, is it that hard to figure out that the Lord would prefer you to go home rather than persistently following after your own vision of wealth and honour.

Sacrifice vs. Obedience - The Lord's Perspective (Numbers 23)
So Balaam meets Balak and says the right things - "I can only say what the Lord tells me to say"
v.1 Balaam instructs Balak to make the greatest and most perfect sacrifice there is. 7 altars is a symbol of perfect sacrifice. The ram and the ox were considered the highest type of sacrificial offering, being the most expensive. Essentially Balaam is saying if you plead hard enough and sacrifice enough the Lord may change His mind. Balaam may have done well to heed the words of a future prophet of Israel - Samuel cf 1 Samuel 15:22 Samuel's words are so reflective of Balaam that one wonders if he might have taken the text of that sermon to Saul from the life of Balaam.
What is the lesson that Samuel teaches that Balaam never learned? From the Lord's perspective all these offerings and sacrifices mean nothing without obedience and purity of heart.

v.11 this verse seems to imply there was a business relationship. The verb "took" implies ownership and suggests that Balaam had indeed sold his authority for use with Balak. Of course the power of the priesthood cannot be sold and it cannot or ought not to be maintained only upon the principles of righteousness.

v.19 Balaam continues to say the right thing
v.20-30 Balaam continues to try to find a way to please God and to please Balak. How will that work out for him? cf Matthew 6:24
Balaam at this time is focused on what he wants and what Balak wants - he has not aligned himself with what the Lord wants.

The Wilderness - The Lord's Perspective (Numbers 24)(Numbers 31)
I find this chapter both beautiful and hauntingly tragic. As we have studied him so far it has been hard to see why he was a prophet of God. His perspective has up until now been mostly his own, focused on the honors of man. This chapter we get a glimpse of what might have been, his potential.
v.1-2 Balaam finally aligns with what the Lord wants. He sees the Lord's perspective and we are told he "set his face toward the wilderness and...lifted up his eyes...and the Spirit of God came upon him"
What can we learn from this about aligning our own perspectives with the Lord? What significance does the wilderness have? The wilderness is symbolic of the world, our trials and hardships. Here for Balaam, his trial was this people of Israel that he wanted to curse for money's sake but knew that he couldn't. He tried to find every way he could to avoid the Lord's perspective but when he finally faced the issue and looked to heaven the Spirit of God came upon him and his eyes were opened.

Oh if only that was the end of the story! Alas it is not. See Numbers 31:7-8. Why was Balaam killed after what seemed like a lesson learned? 2 Peter 2:15-16, Jude 1:11, Revelations 2:14.

Josephus, the Jewish historian who lived around or just after the time of Christ wrote this extra record of the story of Balaam. Though not considered scripture, it may well explain what Balaam was thinking and why ultimately the Lord had him destroyed.

"But Balak being very angry that the Israelites were not cursed, sent away Balaam without thinking him worthy of any honor. Whereupon, when he [Balaam] was just upon his journey, in order to pass the Euphrates, he sent for Balak, and for the princes of the Midianites, and spake thus to them:-"O Balak, and you Midianites that are here present, (for I am obliged even without the will of God to gratify you,) it is true no entire destruction can seize upon the nation of the Hebrews, neither by war, nor by plague, nor by scarcity of the fruits of the earth, nor can any other unexpected accident be their entire ruin; for the providence of God is concerned to preserve them from such a misfortune; nor will it permit any such calamity to come upon them whereby they may all perish; but some small misfortunes, and those for a short time, whereby they may appear to be brought low, may still befall them; but after that they will flourish again, to the terror of those that brought those mischiefs upon them. So that if you have a mind to gain a victory over them for a short space of time, you will obtain it by following my directions:-Do you therefore set out the handsomest of such of your daughters as are most eminent for beauty, and proper to force and conquer the modesty of those that behold them, and these decked and trimmed to the highest degree able. Then do you send them to be near camp, and give them in charge, that the young men of the Hebrews desire their allow it them; and when they see they are enamored of them, let them take leaves; and if they entreat them to stay, let give their consent till they have persuaded leave off their obedience to their own laws, the worship of that God who established them to worship the gods of the Midianites and for by this means God will be angry at them. Accordingly, when Balaam had suggested counsel to them, he went his way.

 

So when the Midianites had sent their daughters, as Balaam had exhorted them, the Hebrew men were allured by their beauty, and came with them, and besought them not to grudge them the enjoyment of their beauty, nor to deny them their conversation. These daughters of Midianites received their words gladly, and consented to it, and staid with them; but when they brought them to be enamored of them, and their inclinations to them were grown to ripeness, they began to think of departing from them: then it was that these men became greatly disconsolate at the women's departure, and they were urgent with them not to leave them, but begged they would continue there, and become their wives; and they promised them they should be owned as mistresses all they had. This they said with an oath, and called God for the arbitrator of what they promised; and this with tears in their eyes, and all such marks of concern, as might shew how miserable they thought themselves without them, and so might move their compassion for them. So the women, as soon as they perceived they had made their slaves, and had caught them with their conservation began to speak thus to them:-

 

"O you illustrious young men! we have of our own at home, and great plenty of good things there, together with the natural, affectionate parents and friends; nor is it out of our want of any such things that we came to discourse with you; nor did we admit of your invitation with design to prostitute the beauty of our bodies for gain; but taking you for brave and worthy men, we agreed to your request, that we might treat you with such honors as hospitality required: and now seeing you say that you have a great affection for us, and are troubled when you think we are departing, we are not averse to your entreaties; and if we may receive such assurance of your good-will as we think can be alone sufficient, we will be glad to lead our lives with you as your wives; but we are afraid that you will in time be weary of our company, and will then abuse us, and send us back to our parents, after an ignominious manner." And they desired that they would excuse them in their guarding against that danger. But the young men professed they would give them any assurance they should desire; nor did they at all contradict what they requested, so great was the passion they had for them. "If then," said they, "this be your resolution, since you make use of such customs and conduct of life as are entirely different from all other men, insomuch that your kinds of food are peculiar to yourselves, and your kinds of drink not common to others, it will be absolutely necessary, if you would have us for your wives, that you do withal worship our gods. Nor can there be any other demonstration of the kindness which you say you already have, and promise to have hereafter to us, than this, that you worship the same gods that we do. For has any one reason to complain, that now you are come into this country, you should worship the proper gods of the same country? especially while our gods are common to all men, and yours such as belong to nobody else but yourselves." So they said they must either come into such methods of divine worship as all others came into, or else they must look out for another world, wherein they may live by themselves, according to their own laws.

 

Now the young men were induced by the fondness they had for these women to think they spake very well; so they gave themselves up to what they persuaded them, and transgressed their own laws, and supposing there were many gods, and resolving that they would sacrifice to them according to the laws of that country which ordained them, they both were delighted with their strange food, and went on to do every thing that the women would have them do, though in contradiction to their own laws; so far indeed that this transgression was already gone through the whole army of the young men, and they fell into a sedition that was much worse than the former, and into danger of the entire abolition of their own institutions; for when once the youth had tasted of these strange customs, they went with insatiable inclinations into them; and even where some of the principal men were illustrious on account of the virtues of their fathers, they also were corrupted together with the rest." (Antiquities of the Jews, Book I, 6:6-9, italics added)

When I consider the story of Balaam I cannot help but reflect on the counsel of Doctrine and Covenants 88: 62-68
The Lord wants us to draw near to him and to ask him for that which we need but when we ask for that which we dont need it can turn to us for our condemnation, just as it did with Balaam. If our eye be single to the glory of God, if we share his perspective, all will be understood. And how do we gain the Lord's perspective? v.68 we must sanctify ourselves, cleanse ourselves of all other desires, purify our hearts from the other temptations the world throws at us and then we will see Him, "in his own time in his own way and according to his own will".

Old Testament Lesson 9: God Will Provide Himself a Lamb

Today's lesson should provoke a number of questions pertaining to the Law of Sacrifice. Such a study will lead to a greater understanding and appreciation not only of what is required of us but of what has been given to us, by our Heavenly Father. That which is given and that which are required are inseparably bound as illustrated in Doctrine and Covenants 82:3,
"For of him unto whom much is given, much is required..."
Therein lies the basic foundation of any covenant. It requires effort on both sides, it requires sacrifice on both sides. Nowhere is this illustrated more clearly than in the story of Abraham and Isaac.

A study of the text of Genesis 22
v.1 "And it came to pass after these things..." After what things?  
Read summary of Genesis 21- "Sarah bears Isaac - He is circumcised - Promises to Abraham preserved through Isaac - Hagar and her son cast out of Abraham's household..."
It could also pertain to Abraham's life in general starting at his earlier life in Ur. 
So after all of that, what?

v.1-2 "God did tempt Abraham...and said, 'Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering...' ."
Now we know that the word "tempt" has the same etymology or root as the verb "to temper". God did not tempt Abraham like some devil. He tempted him in the sense of testing him, trying his mettle, proving his character. 

I went to a science fair yesterday and was introduced to a machine that I had never heard of nor seen before. This machine sends vibrations into a tree to measure the tree's strength of resistance to them. This allows foresters to better know the strength and properties of that tree and thus better direct it to its most suited purpose, eg house beam, table leg or furniture peg. In trying to explain the concept to the kids I joked that if I hooked them up to the machine the vibrations going through their bodies might tell us their true characters and strengths and allow me to give them chores at home that might better suit each one of them! Well in some ways this is what God is doing to Abraham and he does to us too. He sends us things in our life or requires things of us that can shake us to our very centre but that can reveal who we are and what our strengths and weaknesses are. Now, do you think God doesn't already know our strengths and weaknesses? So why do we go through all of this testing and proving? And in particular, why does God put Abraham through this heart-wrenching experience?

In an address given on 13th August 1996,  at BYU, Elder M Russell Ballard related this story in answer to that question:

"Brother Truman G. Madsen tells about a visit he made to Israel with President Hugh B. Brown, an Apostle of the Lord who served as both Second and First Counselor in the First Presidency. In a valley known as Hebron, where tradition has it that the tomb of Father Abraham is located, Brother Madsen asked President Brown, “What are the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?” After a short moment of thought, President Brown answered, “Posterity.”

Brother Madsen writes: “I almost burst out, ‘Why, then, was Abraham commanded to go to Mount Moriah and offer his only hope of posterity?’

“It was clear that [President Brown], nearly ninety, had thought and prayed and wept over that question before. He finally said, ‘Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham’”" "The Law of Sacrifice" Ensign, Oct 1998

I find that fascinating. Abraham must be somewhere around 115 yrs old or more at this point and yet he is still learning more about himself and his strengths and his faith and his character. When I consider this and then consider my own age and how I have handled my small "vibrations" in life, with the odd grumble and murmuring or complaint and more than a little impatience, I feel very humbled. It makes me feel like I have so much still to learn.

How much testing will be done on us? Abraham records that we will be tested to see if we will do "all things whatsoever the Lord God shall command them" Abraham 3:26

How does Abraham feel about human sacrifice? Abraham 1:11-12
Put yourself in Abraham's shoes (sandals?). You might feel that you have been through every possible test and trial known to man. Your testimony and faith in your God finds one it's earliest forms with a miraculous escape from human sacrifice. And now, 100 yrs later, as you feel your life has attained that which it should and the end is in sight, retirement seems like a cozy option, you feel like you know your God and He knows you, suddenly the very roots of your faith are subjected to a request from your life-long God to return to that most hateful of all practices - human sacrifice. 
How would you react?

By all accounts and on multiple levels this should turn Abraham's world completely on its head.

v.3 But the only reaction we know is that he rose early, cut the wood, saddled the ass, got his servants and Isaac ready and left. He just set about doing what he had been commanded. NO questions that we are aware of. 
Do we have any hints as to Abraham's inner thoughts or feelings? "Rose early" seems to suggest he wasn't lingering or dallying or waiting to see if there was another command coming that might be different. He didn't question what he had heard. He didn't "accidentally" forget anything. He prepared everything and went. As you ponder that, consider the words of Spencer W. Kimball

"How often do Church members arise early in the morning to do the will of the Lord? How often do we say, 'Yes, I will have home evening with my family, but the children are so young now; I will start when they are older'? How often do we say, 'Yes, I will obey the commandment to store food and to help others, but just now I have neither the time nor the money to spare; I will obey later'? Oh, foolish people! While we procrastinate, the harvest will be over and we will not be saved. Now is the time to follow Abraham's example; now is the time to repent; now is the time for prompt obedience to God's will." "The Example of Abraham" Ensign, June 1975

So what was Abraham thinking, where did his faith rest? Read Hebrews 11:17-19 
It would appear, according to Paul, that Abraham was trusting in God's powers of raising from the dead! Now I find that fascinating. If I was to put myself in Abraham's position, having experienced what he experienced, I would think that I would have been more likely to believe that Isaac would be saved BEFORE it got to the point of being sacrificed. I mean I could even see myself believing it might go all the way to the knife being raised above Isaac on the altar. After all wasn't it at that point that Abraham was saved earlier in his life? But instead, Abraham's point of faith was that God could raise Isaac from the dead. Why? What experience or teaching had Abraham been given that would make this the focal point of his faith? see JST Gen. 15:9-12 Here the Lord instructs Abraham not to worry, even death cannot stop the Lord's purposes or promises. He can conquer death.
And so with faith in Christ's promises and power, Abraham rose early without any apparent physical hesitation to do "all things whatsoever" that he was commanded to.

v.4 "on the third day" I think this really emphasizes the test going on for Abraham internally. Three days of conversing, three days of thinking, three days of knowing what was up ahead, three days of opportunity to turn back. And still Abraham continued on.
v.5 "Abide ye here" No one else could be a part of this. This was holy, sacred and personal.
v.6 "Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac his son...and they went both of them together." We don't know definitively how old Isaac was, but he was strong enough to carry the wood that was to be used to burn him. That's a sizable load of wood. That would suggest Isaac must have been at least in his mid teens. The next chapter tells us that Sarah died aged 127. That puts a high end estimate of Isaac's age at the time of this sacrifice around 37. So it seems Isaac must have been somewhere between around 15 and 37 yrs old when his father took him to be sacrificed.
v.7 "Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Where indeed is the lamb - eventually we learn it was a ram with its head in a thicket but Isaac apparently knows nothing of his Father's plan at this point. 
v.8 "God will provide himself a lamb" or "God will provide himself - a lamb"
If this is Abraham's test why should God provide a lamb? Surely the law of sacrifice requires Abraham to give something. Whose sacrifice is this?
What did God provide Abraham in this story? see v.13 it was not a lamb but a ram. I wonder if the point of this verse has been lost and that in fact Isaac was being taught of the foreshadowing that his sacrifice would point to? I wonder if, with that understanding, he took to the altar willingly, and possibly also with the faith that the power of God could raise him from the dead in similitude to Christ's resurrection. Certainly by the next verse, there appears to be no resistance from Isaac to being sacrificed.
v.9 "And they came to the place which God had told him of" Where are they? see v. 2 
The Moriah mountain range - runs within and without what we now know as Jerusalem. Abraham built an altar there, somewhere. What does that tell us? This was not an established temple site at this point. Obviously in the circumstances described here of Abraham building an altar and offering a sacrifice it has become a temple site but why do you think the Lord sent him to this site rather than a previously established temple site that Abraham was already using? 

"and bound Isaac his son" - this is a "lad" strong enough to carry the wood on which he would be burned. That must have been a large amount of wood and therefore Isaac must have been a strong lad. No matter his age - to be that strong and be bound by a man over 100 yrs old seems somewhat far-fetched and instead strongly suggests that Isaac allowed himself to be bound. Why would he do that? What do you think Isaac, learned about himself here? 

The Jewish people call this whole event the "akedah" or the "binding". How might their focus on this particular part of the story lend deeper meaning to the events we read in Genesis 22? In Abraham's personal life the key point of this event is that he showed his God that he was willing to sacrifice his son, to give that which he most loved and had worked hardest for. In essence he loved his God more than anything else. Of course Abraham did not actually sacrifice Isaac but merely demonstrated his willingness to. That was enough for the Lord. But this story was never really about Abraham, as much as it was about foreshadowing the sacrifice of the Saviour. And thus the focus on the binding is greatly significant. Isaac's apparent willingness to allow himself to be bound is a direct reflection on the Saviour's willingness to be bound according to the plan and direction of His Father. This willingness and obedience to His Father's plan is what made the Atonement possible. Both Father and Son had to be willing to sacrifice and herein lies the ultimate sacrifice. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son..." John 3:16

Heavenly Father gave His Son to be sacrificed, to show us how much He loved us. In obedience to his Father, Christ also willingly allowed himself to be sacrificed because of his love for us. The law of sacrifice is to test and prove someone and to show the depth of their love and allow us in so doing, to get closer to Christ. But here the ultimate sacrifice was performed by God and his Divine Son Jesus Christ. What were they proving and who were they drawing close to by this sacrifice, this Atoning sacrifice, this "at one"-ment?

v.14 "Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh" There is a well-established tradition that the location for this sacrifice (that has come to be known as Mount Moriah) is located on the highly controversial and politically charged Temple Mount. This Mount is also within view of the traditional site of the Lord's final act in the process of his sacrifice - the crucifixion on Calvary (also called by some as Golgotha). While the Temple Mount is within the walls of Jerusalem, the traditional site of Christ's crucifixion is found just outside the old city walls. It is believed Jerusalem got its name when to honour both the righteous city of Salem and to honour the site of Abraham's sacrifice the Jireh and Salem were joined together to form the name Jerusalem that essentially means place from which peace is shown/taught/seen.

v.16-18 "because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son..."
Abraham's blessings are confirmed because he withheld nothing from God.

B.H Roberts the church historian and one of the Seventy wrote,

"when the voice of God came to him commanding him to kill he stood not quibbling or questioning with God, he manifested his readiness to sacrifice even his son unto God's commandment; but when it was clear that Abraham would not even withhold his son from God—when the test was completed, the trial passed, the ram in the thicket was provided, dragged out, and bound in thankfulness upon the altar to take the place of Isaac. How sweet must have been the communion of Abraham with God after that! What confidence must have been his in the presence of God even after that! And how grand the words that came from the lips of Jehovah must have appeared to him, saying: "Because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." Oh! my friends, God indeed calls, nay, demands, sacrifice; but God is able to reward men for their sacrifices, even to the uttermost. You need not doubt it. From that day on, what blessing is there in heaven that Abraham cannot command? What power in the old patriarch now and forever! Marvel you that it is written here in the Doctrine and Covenants that Abraham hath passed by the angels, and is no more an angel, nor a servant, but one of the Gods in the council of the Father? He had the strength and power of it in him, because he had made the sacrifice. (Brian H. Stuy Collected Discourses, 5 vols.)

Doctrine and Covenants 101:4 says that "the saints must be tried, even as Abraham was..." What does that even mean? For further study of this principle, read the lesson notes on the Church History Course Lesson 27
John Taylor once quoted Joseph Smith as saying, 

"'You have all kinds of trials to pas through, and it is quite as necessary for you to be tried even as Abraham, and other men of God,' and, said he, 'God will feel after you, he will take hold of you and wrench your very heartstrings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Kingdom of God.'" (Journal of Discourses XIV, 197)

President Kimball said: 

"If we would seek the blessings Abraham sought, we could also receive such revelation, covenants, promises, and eternal rewards as Abraham received.... Abraham sought for his appointment to the priesthood. He did not wait for God to come to him; he sought diligently through prayer and obedient living to learn the will of God." (Ensign, June 1975, p.7)

From our study of Abraham over the last few weeks one thing that sets him apart was his personal inner drive to seek after righteousness. This is not a man who waited for blessings, who waited for time to teach him the things he needed to learn. He went out and sought after them. He actively looked for and found the Lord. Abraham was not just active in the gospel, he was proactive.

Isaac as a type of Christ

• Both were born under miraculous circumstances
• Isaac and Christ were both beloved and only begotten. Isaac was beloved and the only begotten of Abraham through Sarah.
• Both entered the area of Jerusalem with an ass
• Both carried the wood upon which they were to be sacrificed
• Both experiences endured a period of three days
• Both sacrifices were offered on mountains/hilltops in the Moriah mountain range, in and around Jerusalem.
• Both willingly offered themselves to be sacrificed and were subservient to the will of the father.
• Both sons were resurrected or returned to their fathers on the third day. Isaac was as good as dead to his father who fully expected to sacrifice his son. On the third day God provided another sacrifice and Isaac was restored to his father.

Isaac also typifies us. As he was saved from the suffering, so we too are saved from the suffering through the Lord's Atoning sacrifice. 

Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 36 "The Desert shall Rejoice and Blossom as the Rose"

Salt Lake Valley c.1849

On the right are two images.

This top image is a drawing from around 1849 that depicts the Salt Lake Valley at that time. Notice while there are structures up, the ground looks hard and dry and there is very little vegetation.

Salt Lake Valley c.1949

This bottom image is a photo from around 1949 that depicts the Salt Lake Valley at that time.

Notice now all the vegetation, the green, lush view. The desert truly has blossomed as the rose.

The obvious question to ask based on the lesson title, taken from Isaiah, is how do you get a desert to rejoice and blossom like a rose? There is little doubt a lot of hard work went into it but what else really made this settlement of a dusty, salty valley such a success for the Saints?

In this lesson we will focus on 3 things that not only helped the Saints back then but can help modern Latter Day Saints reclaim the wilderness places in their lives.

1. Making the Temple a central focus in their lives.

On 28 July 1847, President Brigham Young stood on the spot where the Salt Lake Temple now stands. He struck his cane on the ground and said, “Right here will stand the temple of our God”. Did you notice the date? When is pioneer day celebrated? That's right - 24th July. Just four days after arriving in the valley the temple site was identified. Within a week of that the Saints began surveying the new city, with the temple at the centre of the survey. The layout of the city focused the people on the temple.

Just this last week the current St Paul's Minnesota temple president, President Hugh spoke to the Duluth Minnesota Stake of the importance of attending the temple. Sometimes we find it hard to attend because of distance, or family circumstances, or work. In teaching us the importance of attending the temple, President Hugh quoted Rene Daumel, a famous mountaineer who said:

"You cannot always stay on the summits. You have to come down again . . .So what’s the point? Only this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen.
There is an art to finding your way in the lower regions by the memory of what you have seen when you were higher up. When you can no longer see, you can at least still know..."
                              Rene Daumel as quoted by Pres. Hugh, Sept 2013

I think this is a great metaphor for temple attendance. We may not all be able to go every week but if we make it our focus, it changes our perspective, and it changes our lives.

Some of us are blessed with a temple in our backyard, and maybe our challenge is not taking it for granted. Sometimes things so close to us can also be as blurry as those things far away in the distance. Whether near to or far from a temple, it is about where we focus our hearts and our homes.

2. Obedience to their priesthood leaders and gospel principles

During this time President Brigham Young would often call brethren to colonize an area, much like going on a mission and often called from the pulpit without prior warning or notice. By 1877 when Brigham Young died, more than 350 successful colonies had been created across the Salt Lake Valley and around the Utah territory, Southern Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, Nevada and California. 

Two brethren called on such colonization missions were Charles Lowell Walker and Charles C. Rich.

Charles Lowell Walker had finally beaten the desert landscape of the Salt Lake Valley and had a home and garden that was just beginning to bear fruit. This is what he said of his call to leave and colonize another area:

"Here I learned a principle that I shall not forget in awhile. It showed to me that obedience was a great principle in heaven and on earth. Well, here I have worked for the last seven years through heat and cold, hunger and adverse circumstances, and at last have got me a home, a lot with fruit trees just beginning to bear and look pretty. Well, I must leave it and go and do the will of my Father in Heaven, who overrules all for the good of them that love and fear him. I pray God to give me strength to accomplish that which is required of me in an acceptable manner before him."

Charles C. Rich had been called to colonize a colder more severe climate and on arriving found conditions harsher than expected. This is what he said as others around him gave up:

"There have been many hardships. That I admit … and these we have shared together. But if you want to go somewhere else, that is your right, and I do not want to deprive you of it. … But I must stay here, even if I stay alone. President Young called me here, and here I will remain till he releases me and gives me leave to go."

I wonder if that sounds familiar to the Young Men's/Women's President who loves his/her calling and has just got settled only to be told he/she is being released. Or how about the quiet member in nursery who feels they have been left in this calling and forgotten and who long to return to the warmth of Gospel Doctrine class?
This speaks to the great gospel theme of "my will" vs "thy will". Consider Jonah who found his calling too tough and as a result of disobeying his call and choosing his will over the Lord's will had to endure sitting in the guts of a giant fish for 3 days. The Lord blesses those who are obedient (cf Doctrine and Covenants 58:2-4; 64:33-34; 82:10).

3. Sacrifice brought forth blessings from heaven
During this busy time building the temple in Salt Lake and building colonies across the territories, Brigham Young also recognized the importance of building the kingdom. In 1849 several members of the Quorum of the Twelve along with newly called missionaries were called to serve foreign missions.
In 1852, 106 new missionaries were called to go on missions throughout the world. Like those called to colonize, this brought trials and much sacrifice. Many were arrested and imprisoned. Many became very sick as they visited foreign lands and traveled vast oceans. But the result of their labours created a foundation of Latter Day Saints across the world. Many of these new saints heeded the call to gather to Zion. One such family were Charles and Elizabeth Wood:

"Elizabeth and Charles Wood sailed in 1860 from South Africa, where they had labored several years to acquire money for their travel. Elizabeth kept house for a wealthy man, and her husband made bricks until they obtained the needed funds. Elizabeth was carried aboard the ship on a bed 24 hours after delivering a son and was given the captain’s berth so she could be more comfortable. She was very ill during the journey, almost dying twice, but lived to settle in Fillmore, Utah"                                                                           Our Heritage, p. 86

These stories are not uncommon and as Latter Day Saints, having heard many similar tales of sacrifice we may run the risk of taking such stories for granted. But they teach an unfailing principle - sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. Why do we hear so many of these stories? What should we learn from them? How do they make you feel?


In 1973, Spencer W Kimball gave a wonderful talk to the students at BYU, entitled "Marriage is Honorable". In his address to the students he touched on the topic of temples. At this time there were 15 operating temples across the world. This is what he said:

“The day will come when there will be hundreds of temples all over this world, when there will not be one soul in the world, probably, who is more than a thousand miles away; and for a one time experience in all one’s life, a thousand miles is not far to go. It wouldn’t be far to crawl if one knew what he was getting, and what he was missing if he didn’t go”

Now do something for me. Take out your map apps on your smartphones or your GPS on your mobile devices and calculate the distance between you and your nearest LDS temple. I currently live further away from a temple than at any other time during my life, so far. I am 350 miles away (about a 7 hr drive, sometimes 9 hr drive with all the kids and the pit stops that come with kids!). Now read President Kimball's counsel again. Ask yourself, "Can I do better to live up to that exhortation?"

Take a look at the pictures at the top of this post. Is your life (spiritual or physical) represented more by the first or the second picture?
We all have a wilderness to face whether a physical one like the Saints of the Salt Lake Valley back in 1847, or more spiritual wildernesses of the modern days. But the Lord has given us the examples of those that have gone before us. When we centre our lives on the temple, are obedient to our leaders and willingly offer the sacrifice required of us, great blessings await. May we walk the path of those who have already blazed the trail before us, is my prayer.