Abraham 1Behold, I lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God, and the Lord hearkened and heard, ... and the angel of his presence stood by me, and immediately unloosed my bands. Abraham 1:15
Abraham was a righteous man who lived in the city of Ur in the land of Chaldea. He desired great knowledge and wanted to find more happiness and peace in his life. He also wanted the blessings that could come with the priesthood of God. Because of his faithfulness, Abraham received the priesthood and was ordained a high priest. (See Abraham 1:14.)
Abraham's father and some of his relatives had turned away from the Lord. They worshiped idols and offered human sacrifices. Abraham tried to get them to repent and return to the Lord, but they would not listen to him. They even wanted to have Abraham killed. (See Abraham 1:57.)
The priest of Elkenah (Elkenah was one of the false gods Abraham's family worshiped) was also the priest of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. It was the custom for this priest to offer sacrifices of men, women, and children on an altar. (See Abraham 1:711.) This altar was in the form of a bed and stood before the idols of their gods (see Abraham 1:1314).
One day the wicked priest of Elkenah tied Abraham to this altar to kill him as a sacrifice. Abraham prayed, and the Lord answered his prayer. An angel appeared and untied Abraham from the altar. (See Abraham 1:15.)
The Lord said, "Abraham, Abraham, behold, my name is Jehovah, and I have heard thee, and have come down to deliver thee, and to take thee away from thy father's house, and from all thy kinsfolk, into a strange land which thou knowest not of" (Abraham 1:16).
The Lord told Abraham to leave Ur because his family had turned away from the Lord and had started worshiping false gods (see Abraham 1:1617). The Lord said, "I have come down ... to destroy [the priest] who hath lifted up his hand against thee, Abraham, my son, to take away thy life" (Abraham 1:17).
Then the Lord told Abraham, "Behold, I will lead thee by my hand, and I will take thee, to put upon thee my name, even the Priesthood of thy father, and my power shall be over thee. ... Through thy ministry my name shall be known in the earth forever, for I am thy God" (Abraham 1:1819).
The Lord destroyed the altar and idols of the false gods and killed the priest of Elkenah (see Abraham 1:20). "There was great mourning [among the wicked people of Ur] and also in the court of Pharaoh" (Abraham 1:20).
The Lord sent a famine and the people suffered. Abraham's father was humbled, and he repented of his wicked desire to have Abraham killed. (See Abraham 1:2930.)
The Lord gave sacred records to Abraham to keep and write on. These records told of the Creation and of the planets and stars. It also gave a history, or lineage, of the priesthood as it had been handed down. (See Abraham 1:31.)
Summary
Abraham was a righteous man who lived in a city called Ur. His father and other relatives had turned away from the Lord to worship idols. Abraham wanted his family to repent, but they would not listen. They had a wicked priest tie Abraham to an altar as a sacrifice to one of their false gods. Abraham prayed to Heavenly Father, and the Lord sent an angel to untie him. The Lord told Abraham to leave Ur and promised to lead him and bless him. The Lord destroyed the altar, the idols, and the wicked priest, and then sent a famine upon the land. Abraham's father repented for having desired Abraham's death. Abraham was given sacred records to keep that told about creation and about the priesthood.
Artist, Del Parson
© 2002 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA
Abraham was a righteous man who lived in the city of Ur in the land of Chaldea. He desired great knowledge and wanted to find more happiness and peace in his life. He also wanted the blessings that could come with the priesthood of God. Because of his faithfulness, Abraham received the priesthood and was ordained a high priest. (See Abraham 1:14.)
Abraham's father and some of his relatives had turned away from the Lord. They worshiped idols and offered human sacrifices. Abraham tried to get them to repent and return to the Lord, but they would not listen to him. They even wanted to have Abraham killed. (See Abraham 1:57.)
The priest of Elkenah (Elkenah was one of the false gods Abraham's family worshiped) was also the priest of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. It was the custom for this priest to offer sacrifices of men, women, and children on an altar. (See Abraham 1:711.) This altar was in the form of a bed and stood before the idols of their gods (see Abraham 1:1314).
One day the wicked priest of Elkenah tied Abraham to this altar to kill him as a sacrifice. Abraham prayed, and the Lord answered his prayer. An angel appeared and untied Abraham from the altar. (See Abraham 1:15.)
The Lord said, "Abraham, Abraham, behold, my name is Jehovah, and I have heard thee, and have come down to deliver thee, and to take thee away from thy father's house, and from all thy kinsfolk, into a strange land which thou knowest not of" (Abraham 1:16).
The Lord told Abraham to leave Ur because his family had turned away from the Lord and had started worshiping false gods (see Abraham 1:1617). The Lord said, "I have come down ... to destroy [the priest] who hath lifted up his hand against thee, Abraham, my son, to take away thy life" (Abraham 1:17).
Then the Lord told Abraham, "Behold, I will lead thee by my hand, and I will take thee, to put upon thee my name, even the Priesthood of thy father, and my power shall be over thee. ... Through thy ministry my name shall be known in the earth forever, for I am thy God" (Abraham 1:1819).
The Lord destroyed the altar and idols of the false gods and killed the priest of Elkenah (see Abraham 1:20). "There was great mourning [among the wicked people of Ur] and also in the court of Pharaoh" (Abraham 1:20).
The Lord sent a famine and the people suffered. Abraham's father was humbled, and he repented of his wicked desire to have Abraham killed. (See Abraham 1:2930.)
The Lord gave sacred records to Abraham to keep and write on. These records told of the Creation and of the planets and stars. It also gave a history, or lineage, of the priesthood as it had been handed down. (See Abraham 1:31.)
Summary
Abraham was a righteous man who lived in a city called Ur. His father and other relatives had turned away from the Lord to worship idols. Abraham wanted his family to repent, but they would not listen. They had a wicked priest tie Abraham to an altar as a sacrifice to one of their false gods. Abraham prayed to Heavenly Father, and the Lord sent an angel to untie him. The Lord told Abraham to leave Ur and promised to lead him and bless him. The Lord destroyed the altar, the idols, and the wicked priest, and then sent a famine upon the land. Abraham's father repented for having desired Abraham's death. Abraham was given sacred records to keep that told about creation and about the priesthood.
Artist, Del Parson
© 2002 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA
ASSIGNMENT: Learn more about this covenant by reading on page 602 of the Bible Dictionary (before maps but after Topical Guide) under the heading Abraham, Covenant of. What is the first step to this covenant? Have you made this covenant with proper authority? If you have made the first covenant step, what other blessings are yours?
Read Abraham 1:1-4 In what ways are you like Abraham? What is your duty to yourself and God? (These are some of my most favorite scriptures to teach from...do you understand why?)
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