Lesson 9 Abraham and Isaac

THE RESUR REC TIO N O F C HRIST

R eading Assignm entsAbraham 1

G enesis chapter 15G enesis chapter 16G enesis chapter 17G enesis chapter 21G enesis chapter 22

Objective

The Purpose of this lesson is to show how the story of Abraham and Isaac is a type and a shadow of the resurrection of Christ.

Introduction

One of the most poignant stories in the Old Testament is the story of Abraham and Isaac. The process of following Abraham in his life to the point where, under a commandment of God, was told to sacrifice his own son is beyond our comprehension. When we internalize the feelings we would have if we were somehow asked to take the life of one of our children, is more than we can contemplate. The story of Abraham and Isaac is equally perplexing when Abraham is asked to offer a human being as a sacrifice, a concept that his father practiced which was so egregious that Abraham was instructed to leave his own household and his own land. As a young man, Abraham himself was saved by Jehovah from being sacrificed by the false priests of Pharaoh (Abraham 1:5-20).

However, the story takes on a different meaning when we understand that Moses is using the story of Abraham and Isaac as a stepping stone to teach us about God giving his only Begotten Son as an infinite sacrifice in order that all mankind might be saved.

We will first take a look at the major characters in this great religious epic and then we will analyze the scriptures associated with Abraham and Isaac.

Sarah

The wife of AbrahamBeautiful and fair

Unable to have childrenGave her handmaid to AbrahamWas told she would have a son

She named her son IsaacShe sent her handmaid awayThe world will rejoice in Isaac

Hagar

Handmaid of SarahMother of Ishmael

Was cast out with her sonWas comforted at the well

Ishmael

Son of HagarAbraham’s first born

Circumcised at age thirteenMocked Isaac

Did not believe in ChristCast out of the presence of

Abraham Abraham mourned for him

To be a father of nations

Isaac

The promised son of Sarah and Abraham Circumcised at the age of eight daysKept his covenants with GodThe promises of Abraham given to Isaac Was married under the covenantAll that will hear about Isaac will rejoice Isaac believed in Christ

Abraham

Called as a Prophet of GodTaken to a promised land

Made everlasting covenant with GodWealthy in sheep, cattle and goldPromised riches in the eternities

His seed to be as numerous as the stars

Loved Isaac as his only son God would provide the lamb

The Calling of Abraham (Abraham 1:2-4)

 2 - And, finding there was greater happiness, peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, also to be one who possessed great knowledge, to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.

3 - It was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time, even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is  Adam, or first father, through the fathers unto me.

4 - I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed.

Commentary

As cited in the first chapter of the book of Abraham, Abraham sought for the blessings of the fathers, to be ordained a High Priest and to become a prince of peace and a father of many nations. He desired happiness and peace, and to be a follower of righteousness. That same desire is instilled in the hearts of every righteous Latter-day Saint as it implies that we, like Abraham, may have rest, or as Alma stated,

“ And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow” (Alma 40:12).

Abraham, the Record Keeper (Abraham 1:31)

31 - But the records of the fathers, even the patriarchs, concerning the right of Priesthood, the Lord my God preserved in mine own hands; therefore a knowledge of the beginning of the creation, and also of the planets, and of the stars, as they were made known unto the fathers, have I kept even unto this day, and I shall endeavor to write some of these things upon this record, for the benefit of my posterity that shall come after me.

Commentary

Abraham reaffirms the importance of having authority from God. He also makes it clear that he has access to previous records, or scriptures, and he informs us that he will also write that which he considers expedient for his posterity to read and to understand. The importance of record keeping cannot be underestimated. Every righteous father, mother, grandfather or grandmother hopes that their progeny knows what they know. In our vocabulary, we want our offspring to know that we know that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the Restoration and that the Book of Mormon, that ancient record that whispers from the dust, along with other canonized scriptures, is true. Indeed, collectively we bare witness as we endorse the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that the Book of Mormon is the “most correct of any book on earth and the keystone of our religion, and [that we can get] nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (Introduction, The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Christ).

A Personal Letter

A member of a stake presidency in Guatemala, speaking at a ward conference, said that his father had passed away. He then expressed how he would cherish a letter from his father. He then held up a copy of the Book of Mormon and said, “we have such a letter from our fathers”. He went on to emphasize the importance of having the words of their forefathers who once walked the lands where they now live. As descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we have the records in our hands in the same manner that Abraham had the record of his forefathers in his hands.

The Faith of Abraham (Gen 15:3-6)

 3 - And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.4 - And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.5 - And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.6 - And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Faith like unto Abraham

What woman in Zion who has not been able to have offspring for one reason or another does not feel the pain of not having a child? While we do not know all the answers, the experience of Abraham and Sarah, when carried beyond the veil is indeed comforting. As we shall see in the following scriptures, the account of Abraham and Isaac is meaningless without taking into consideration the next life. The major point here may be that although Abraham had been given no seed, he believed in the Lord. That is, we hope for things which are not seen, which are true (Alma 32:21). Whether it be as a result of a pre-mature death, of never being married, or just being unable to conceive, does not mean that having seed is withheld forever. These blessings may be preserved for the resurrection. Nevertheless, they are still blessings.

A Deep Sleep Fell upon AbrahamGen 15:8-12

8 - And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?9 - And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.10 - And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.11 - And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.12 - And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

Joseph Smith Translation Gen 15:9-12

Abraham saw in vision the Son of God and knew of the resurrection. (compare Genesis 15:1-6)

  9 - And Abram said, Lord God, how wilt thou give me this land for an everlasting inheritance?   10 - And the Lord said, Though thou wast dead, yet am I not able to give it thee?   11 - And if thou shalt die, yet thou shalt possess it, for the day cometh, that the Son of Man shall live; but how can he live if he be not dead? he must first be quickened.   12 - And it came to pass, that Abram looked forth and saw the days of the Son of Man, and was glad, and his soul found rest, and he believed in the Lord; and the Lord counted it unto him for righteousness.

Commentary

Abraham didn’t doubt. He just asked how, or in what manner, the Lord would give him the land as an everlasting inheritance. President Kimball told a great story about a man that owned a lot of property and who at the same time boasted of what he had done. The farmer was reminded of two things, (1) It is God who gives the increase to the crops, and (2) It is very temporary.

Abraham was told to offer sacrifices to the Lord. This means that he knew that about 2000 years later a Savior of the world would be born. The scripture states that “a horror of great darkness fell upon him”, or in other words Abraham would die. The Joseph Smith translation states that, “though thou was dead, yet am I not able to give it to thee?”

Because the day cometh that the Christ shall come to earth and then die and then break the bonds of death. And then, “blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (3 Ne 12:5).

The Birth of Ishmael Gen 16:14-16

  15 - And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.   16 - And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram

CommentaryThe law justified Sarah in giving her maid servant as a proxy to Abraham in order for Abraham to have seed. The law also meant that even though Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, it was though he was Sarah’s son, because Hagar was her servant. Even at birth, tradition tells us that when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, the mid wife would deliver the child to Sarah, as though she had given birth to Ishmael.

The Covenant of CircumcisionGen 17:14

  14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

CommentaryAbraham was instructed to circumcise every man

child as a covenant that they would keep the commandments of God. The cutting of the flesh is a reminder that if they did not keep the commandments, they would be cut off from the presence of God.

The word of the Lord was fulfilled regarding Laman and Lemuel. The Lord said to Nephi, “Inasmuch as they [Laman and Lemuel] will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence” (2 Ne 5:20.

Ishmael was circumcised at the age of thirteen years, but because of disobedience, he was cut off from the presence of God.

Sarah gives Birth to Isaac and Rejoices

Gen 17:16-1816 - And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.17 - Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bare? 18 - And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!  

Gen 21:2-62 - For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.3 - And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.4 - And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 - And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.6 - And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

Commantary

Three men came to the tent of Abraham and informed him that his wife, Sarah, would have a child and that she would be a mother of nations. In some ways, Sarah’s life is a parallel with both Eve, the mother of all living, and Mary, who gave the seemingly impossible birth to the Savior of the world. Sarah wondered how, being ninety years old and passed the age of child bearing, she could have a child. She laughed inside herself. When Abraham learned that Sarah was to have a child, he fell on his face and laughed (Gen 17:17). And Sarah said. God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me (Gen 21:6).

The word is REJOICED. Abraham and Sarah rejoiced in the birth of their son Isaac. The Hebrew word for laugher and rejoice is the same. Sarah desired that all that hear about Isaac would rejoice with her. And that has indeed been the case. They named their son Isaac, which in the Hebrew language, means “laughter” or “to rejoice”.

A Little Humor

What mother or father does not rejoice upon finding out they are going to have a child? And when the child is born, the joy is indescribable. I recall when our first son was born and how I thought that the whole should be as excitied as I was. So I bought a few boxes of almond joys (in place of cigars) and handed them out to everyone. However, they seemed to enjoy the candy bar more that the news that I had just become a father.

I often tell the story, of how I told me wife how excited I was. Although the story isn’t true, it could be. I said, “he looks just like me. My wife smiled and said, “that’s alright, we will keep him anyway”.

Ishmael Mocked IsaacGen 21: 7-9

7 - And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.8 - And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.9 - And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

Mocking is not a good thing. It means to ridicule, make fun of, to scorn or to have contempt. The story of Isaac and Ishmael is repeated several times in the scriptures such as in the stories of Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, Judah and Joseph and Laman and Nephi. In each case, it is the fulfillment of a prophecy wherein, the birthright son is relegated to a secondary position, and the second son, often referred to as the “spiritual son,” is exalted. It is as if the first born, Ishmael in this case, represents death because of his disobedience, and the second son, Isaac in this case, represents life [Eternal Life], because he believed in Christ.

Commentary

In Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life, he explains that those who were in the great and spacious building were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit (1 Ne 8:26-27).

In 1 Nephi 8:31-33, we read the following.31 - And he [Lehi] also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building. 32 - And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depthsd of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads.  33 - And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.

Commentary

Ishmael may well represent that pride spoken of, as he mocked Isaac for believing in Christ. We also see hints of Laman and Lemuel in the story of Ishmael and Isaac. Laman and Lemuel mocked Nephi, and yet, like Ishmael before them, became fathers of a great nation. Ishmael became a father of nations, and his followers like, the Lamanites rejected Christ. To this day, the Arab world, the nations of Ishmael, have not accepted Christ.

And sadly speaking, the Law of Moses became a stumbling block for the Jews. Today, the tribe of Judah, the older son and the tribe of Joseph, the younger son, fulfill the scripture wherein, the last shall be first and the first shall be last (1 Ne 13:42). The Jews are involved in a physical gathering. The tribe of Joseph (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) is concentrating on a spiritual gathering.

Abraham and Isaac Gen 22:6-12

6 - And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.7 - And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?8 - And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.9 - And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10 - And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.11 - And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.12 - And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Commentary

We are not able to understand the story of Abraham and Isaac without putting it into a spiritual context. We read in Jacob 4:5 in the Book of Mormon the following.  Behold, they believed in Christ and worshipped 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; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son.

The minute that Moses tells us that Isaac was Abraham’s only son, alerts us to the fact that we are talking about God and his Only Begotton Son, even Jesus Christ.

The Nephites were taught that the story of Abraham and Isaac was a similitude, or a type and shadow. of that which would transpire 500 years later when, as recorded in John 3:16 that, “God so loved the world, that he gave his Only Begotten Son as a ransom, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Faith and Obedience

Abraham had faith in God. He knew that though obedience to God that Isaac would not perish, but that he would have everlasting life. He knew that even if Isaac suffered death in this life, he would rise in the resurrection. He also knew that Isaac would keep the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth which would result in Abraham’s seed being as numerous as the sands on the sea shore.

Abraham knew that sacrificing humans was an abomination. In Deuteronomy 12:31 we read: Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire of the gods.

There are a lot of details we don’t know about the story of Abraham and Isaac. We don’t know how Sarah reacted, or if she even knew what her husband was about to do. We don’t know why Isaac was so calm throughout the ordeal. We do know, however, that Abraham knew Christ. He loved Christ and he had faith in Christ. He basically said the same thing that Christ said to God the Father. “If it is possible, let this cup pass from me.” He knew that the key is the resurrection of Christ.

We read in Hebrews 11:17-19 the following.By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. [type].

Types and Shadows

Going to mount Moriah was a type of Christ going to Calvary. Isaac carrying the wood was a type of Christ carrying the cross, and catching the ram in the thicket was a type of Christ being captured and bound over.

You see, Abraham knew that the promise that God had already given him involved Isaac raising up a righteous seed. Even before Isaac was born, Abraham believed that from his loins a son would be born. And now at the moment of presenting his son to God, he still knew that his seed would number the sands of the sea shore. Whatever detail seems strange, the principle is that Abraham put his trust in God and he believed in the resurrection.

The concept of a similitude is only good to the extent that it reminds us of a greater spirtual event. Even if Abraham would have gone through with sacrificing Isaac, it would be irrelevant. Had he sacrificed Isaac and returned home to Sarah, that sacrificial action would not have resulted in breaking the bonds both physical and spiritual death. Only Christ could do that. That is why the story of Abraham and Isaac is a type and a shadow of God and His Only Begotton Son.

Commentary

It seems to me that we can aspire to be like Father Abraham to the extent that we can have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that when our oldest daughter was killed as a result of an automobile accident, my ONLY concern at that moment was, “Is she all right” The Lord’s answer is clear and penetrable.

Alma 40:23-25 23 - The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.24 - And now, my son, this is the restoration of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets—25 - And then shall the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of God.

Summary

In summary, this lesson is more about the Resurrection of Christ than it is about Abraham and Isaac. Even if Isaac would have been sacrificed, that would not have resulted in breaking the bonds of death. It is Christ who broke the bonds of death. By they way, Christ not only broke the bonds of death for Abraham, Sarah and Isaac, He broke the bonds of death for Hagar and Ishmael, and you and me.

In 2 Nephi 9:18, we read, But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever.