Abraham is a great example of that. As I mentioned in last week’s post, he was perfect – or whole. He followed the commandments and used the atonement so far as he was commanded to do. He rescues his brother (brother’s son, Lot), he partakes of the sacrament with Melchizedek, he pays tithes to Melchizedek. Abraham even refused to take goods which he reclaimed for Sodom because he didn’t want to be beholden to the king (smart man). He is ready for heavenly visitors and treats them with honor and respect and actually listens to them. He feeds them with the best they have, with no thought of recourse. Then ultimately in Gen 18:17-18 the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and might nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” The answer essentially is no, because Abraham is so obedient and teaches his children the right way, that there is no need to keep anything from him. I would say that this is living righteously in a wicked world.
Sarah is an interesting example of living righteously in a wicked world. She is told by the three angels that she will have a son. The scriptures say she laughed within herself because she had passed the time of having children. The scriptures make it seem as if she is rebuked for laughing, but I think she is just getting an education. She is of the world (how can my old body, that obviously is not equipped anymore with necessities for childbirth, have a child?), but not of the world (she realized that there really is nothing too hard for the Lord v14). I wonder that the word fear used in v 15 is not being afraid, but knowing truth.
Negotiations between the Lord and Abraham in Ch 18 are interesting. I am so intrigued with this. When I read through it this time, it occurred to me that there are other instances in the scriptures where the Lord does let the righteous die and there are instances where the Lord destroys wicked cities. Mostly I thought of Alma and Amulek, when they had to witness the death of righteous people. Amulek asked Alma why they could not use their power to save the people and Alma said that the “Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand. . and he doth suffer that they may do this thing. . . that the judgements which he shall exercise upon [the persecuters] in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them,” Alma14:11. Why is it in that instance, the righteous were allowed to die, but in the instance of Sodom and Gomorrah (the city all evil is compared to), the whole wicked city might be saved for the sake of ten righteous people? Then as it turns out, most of the people saved from Sodom were not that righteous. Many lessons I have listened to on this subject teach about the mercy of the Lord in saving a whole city for the purpose of a few righteous. But comparing it with the story of Alma and Amulek (and others in The Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants) I wonder if it’s another example of mercy and wisdom and the will of the Lord. I have to think about this more.
Pillar of Salt I have to say a bit about this because it is just so curious. I read a bit in the student manual about how the area of Sodom and Gomorrah is under part of the Dead Sea somewhere and since it is a very salty sea, perhaps Lot’s wife turning to salt was a foreshadowing. Maybe. Though I don’t think that’s important. Lot and his family were specifically commanded “look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed” 19:17. Lot then tells the messengers that he cannot escape to the mountains, he should go to a small town (missed the point). Lot’s wife then turns around to look at Sodom and Gomorrah so she was turned to a pillar of salt. Whether her demise is literal or figurative, it doesn’t matter. She did perish, and it was because she disobeyed an express commandment. If you are going to live righteously in a wicked world, and especially if the Lord provides an escape for you (he does for all of us), live righteously and don’t look back!
Matt gave a talk today and the talk he was assigned was the conference talk- The Best is yet to Come by Elder Holland. Elder Holland talked about Lot's wife and that it wasn't just the act of looking back but that she looked back in her heart and longed for her life and sins in Sodom and Gomorrah. So the act of looking back was just the tip of the iceberg (Matt said he would look back to see the city being destroyed by fire and brimstone cause he loves his special effects. :) ).
ReplyDelete