276.1: Heritage, Legacy, Covenant (OT Gospel Doctrine Lesson 7Updated)

The Abrahamic Covenant

The Bible is full of striking and strange stories, with a lifetime of content to dig into. You will notice that I always focus first and foremost on personal application. Not only is personal application the approach that we all can access (as long as we allow ourselves to push back against things that don’t feel right!), it is also the most important. So for this lesson I will focus on…

Heritage

Legacy

Covenant

Lesson 7 focuses on the Abrahamic covenant, the obstacles of that covenant, and how God works within those limitations and obstacles to fulfill divine promises

Lesson 8 will provide a more ethical critique/engagement focusing on Abraham’s actions and character and the surrounding environment (with Sodom and Gomorrah tackled of course)

Then Lesson 9 covers the (near) sacrifice of Isaac with its further character, ethical, and theological/theodicy implications

Lessons from Abraham

Heritage: “all the world will be blessed” We need to humbly realize that everything we have and are is thanks to/because of all those who have gone before. We are their legacy. Think about technology… your phone or computer or whatever you are using to listen to this podcast, and the computer and microphone and internet and programs and everything I am using to produce it… these are the result of thousands of individuals working to put them together (not one of whom could build the technology from scratch) building on thousands of years of innovation. And moving from objects to people (though in a way objects also have the attention of thousands if not millions of people within them), our genetics, traits, tendencies, opportunities, etc are largely thanks to our ancestors. Our attitudes, traits, strengths and challenges come largely from the way our parents raised us.

Legacies: What will our legacies be? How will we be remembered? What would our children or siblings or friends say about us? How have we impacted others for better and worse? (Bring up idea of midlife funerals)

Covenant. The words “steadfast love” or “loving kindness” translate the Hebrew word “Chesed”, which could also be translated covenantal love. The most profound prayer, one I am working on: God, use my pain/make the best use of me and my life. Surrender and empowerment and transformation and channeling ourselves in the most constructive ways… all of this is tied up in covenantal love and relationships. What do we covenant to do and be?

Abrahamic traditions (bring up the tension of our shared heritage, but also some potential for offense and misunderstanding) Jews, Christians, Muslims. Makes for a great college course but… things to remember for engaging with real people

A passing comment on circumcision

276.2: Heritage, Legacy, Covenant (OT Gospel Doctrine Lesson 7, Sunday School)

The Abrahamic Covenant

My spin on this episode is how we can all work together with our differing gifts and situations for the betterment of humanity. Which is actually what the Abrahamic Covenant is about. 

  1. Sunday School
  2. Discussion of the reading (the actual Abrahamic covenant from LDS perspective)
  3. How God works with humans through covenants (bring up flaws, tease next lesson)
  4. Covenants and our relationship with God
  5. Covenants and our relationship with each other
  6. (Important side note: Human messiness vs. sanitized stories—God works with us within the context of our weakness and problems, not when we have overcome them)
  7. Body of Christ, differing gifts, working together (Will explore this in more detail in part 2 of the episode, but we need to take seriously that we all have differing gifts/strengths and limitations/weaknesses, as well as different situations and privileges or challenges)

276.3: Heritage, Legacy, Covenant (OT Gospel Doctrine Lesson 7 Study Notes)

The Abrahamic Covenant

This portion of the episode explores:

  • The Biblical narrative of Abraham
  • The role of Abraham and covenant in Judaism
  • The relationship of Abraham in history
  • Differing privileges and advantages we experience.