Abrahamic Covenant Genesis 17

     My earliest remembrance of learning about the Abrahamic Covenant came in Sunday School. Sister Price prepared each lesson with hand outs, visual aids, and treats. Her classroom table always had a table clothe on it upon which a vase of flowers sat. I loved her lessons.
     This one particular lesson was no less worthy of her effort. She gave us all a laminated list of what the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant meant to me. Although I had keen interest in her lesson there was much that I did not fully understand. Through the years I have always wanted to gain a deeper understanding. I got that the covenant was for Abraham, but not until recently did I understand the covenant was also meant for me. When I enter into a covenant with God he will take care of me - just as he did Abraham.
     Today I understand that Abraham's covenants started with his baptism, then his marriage, then his priesthood powers. As he and the Lord established a bond of trust and integrity with one another, God blessed Abraham and entrusted him with sacred powers of the priesthood. He taught him sacred truths.

About the Abrahamic Covenant, Elder Bruce R. McConkie had this to say:

Abraham first received the gospel by baptism (which is the covenant of salvation); then he had conferred upon him the higher priesthood, and he entered into celestrial marriage (which is the covenant of exhaltation), gaining assurance thereby that he would have eternal increase; finally he received a promise that all of these blessings would be offered to all of his mortal posterity. (Abra. 2: 6-11, D & C 132:29-50) Included in the mortal divine promises to Abraham was the assurance that Christ would come through his lineage, and the assurance that Abraham's posterity would receive certain choice, promised lands as an eternal inheritance. (Abra. 2: Gen 17: 22: 15-18, Gal 3)
All of these promises lumped together are called the Abrahamic covenant. This covenant was renewed with Isaac (Gen 24:60; 26: 1-4), 24) and again with Jacob. (Gen 28; 35: 9-13) ; 48:3-4) Those portions of it which pertain to personal exaltation and eternal increase are renewed with each member of the house of Israel who enters the order of celestial marriage; through that order the participating parties become inheritors of all the blessing of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (D&C 132: Rom 9:4 Gal 3:4) 

            Bruce R. McConkie Mormon Doctrine 1966 Salt Lake City BookCraft 

Once I understood the importance of the covenant in my life I was able to go back and do a reread through Chapter 17.

God Says:

• I will make my covenant ... will multiply thee exceedingly  vs 2 
• I will make thee exceedingly fruitful  v. 6
• I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed v. 7 
• I will give unto thee and unto thy seed after, the land v. 8 
• I will be their God v. 8 
• I will bless her and give her a son v. 16 
• I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him v. 19 
• I will establish my covenant with Isaac v. 21 

What a strong friendship. A strong promise. Who can go wrong with the God of Abraham? 

I am grateful for my baptismal covenant, for my marriage covenant, and for the reliability of the promises God made unto Abraham... and unto me. 

• 
  

Out of the Waters (My Father's Baptism)

1 Nephi 20

Out of His Waters

Out of his waters,

Come I.

I know, by the

Name of the Lord.

I swear, by the

truth within me.

A transgressor from the womb

I didst not know,

My brass brow,

My iron neck,

My molten image.

Suddenly, I saw.

The Lord of Hosts,

whose right hand spanned the heavens,

And causes us to stand up together,

He has cut me,

He has refined me,

And chosen me, to

utter and tell

with a voice of singing.

New,

and hidden things,

that flow

from the rock,

He clave.

Out of his mouth,

have his words gushed.

Not in secret,

But for the glory

of His name.

For He is the first.

He is the last.

He is the river of peace.

His righteousness is

As the waves of the sea.

Through the desert he leads me,

Staying my soul upon His name.

Multiplying my seed as the sand,

Teaching me profit,

Making my waters flow.

I have seen.

I have heard, and

That his anger might be deferred

I will declare.

The Lord hath loved us. Beware for

The arm of his pleasure shall

fall upon Babylon.

Out

of his waters

Come I.

Redeemed

His servant

Quenched

of my

thirst.

Linda Conkey Shaw C June 28 2010

Isaiah can be hard to understand. But I love the poetry within his words. Nephi told us he read the words of the prophets. One of these prophets was Isaiah from the Old Testament. When I read this chapter I was reminded of the zeal those who are newly baptized feel.

My father was a very zealous convert. He knew it was true and he declared to any who would listen. I am his sand.. that has multiplied. I am the quenching of his thirst. For I have been born to a new understanding (not a secret) but something that has been declared from the foundations of the world. I dedicate this poem to my father for Father's Day 2010 and to the newest members of our ward, the Michael and Sandra Babb family. I thought of their fire and how they accepted "the spirit" that allows him to declare with gladness all that they feel.

It is a joyous thing to be around those who "know" by the name of the Lord and swear by the truth within them.

I hope that you enjoy this poem. I hope to write many more.

(Words and Phrases)

(vs 1) Out of the waters .. Isaiah is speaking of all those who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, either by Judah or by baptism. Waters change us. They clean us. They refresh us and bring us peace.

(vs 1) they swear not in truth - Many of us mention God. How many of us mention him in truth or sincerity. I hope that I can be more mindful of the times I mention his name.

(vs 2) do not stay themselves upon the God of Israel - It is to God that we must look. He has promised he will guide our paths and quench our thirst while he leads us through the desert.

(vs 3) I did show them suddenly - the epiphany. the moment when we get it. The light clicks on. We understand. We find truth suddenly. We feel it and We know. We just know.

(vs 4) thou art obstinate - whoa... I have been very obstinate. I have been brass browed. It is a reminder to me to consider all that I am before I declare what I think I know. God will help me understand. When we declare what we know with the spirit of the Lord, it is received with greater understanding.

(vs 5) my molten image hath commanded them. - I can only think of today's preoccupation with media and image. The molten image to me is our own image in the mirror. This image tends to command what we eat, how we dress, how we perceive ourselves, how we perceive others see us, IT DOES NOT COMMAND HOW GOD SEES US. Only if we allow it.

(vs 6) new things... even hidden things... I love this phrase. Why? Because every time I read the scriptures I find new things. I find hidden things that the spirit teaches me. I find them because I am looking for them. I find them because God helps me to see and this not only teaches me but it puts me afloat upon his river of peace.

(vs 7-9) God's words have always been. They are written so that we can never say... I heardest not. But God know's that we are hard of hearing, he will defer his anger and allow us time to learn, time to listen, time to declare.

(vs 15) I have called him to declare - Once we have heard, and understood, we all are called. Some of us hear better than others. Some of us declare in ways different than others. I declare through my blog. It brings me such joy.

(vs 16) God's ways are not in secret. His words are not in vain. His love is for all who will enter the waters and come out to a new understanding.

(vs 17-20) Isaiah helps us understand the blessings of listening to the words of the Lord of Hosts. We can find profit, peace like a river, leadership, promise for our family (offspring), ... a voice of singing will be within us. He will bring us water...

(vs 22)... no peace unto the wicked - How true. Look at those who refuse God. Anxiety, fret, worry, dismay, sorrow pain, anger, darkness. I know when I am separated from my God when I feel out of sorts. I lose my peace.