“And now, Moses, my son, I will speak unto you concerning
this earth upon which you stand; and you shall write the things which I shall
speak.” (D&C 22:24a)
Abraham – Friend of God, Old
Testament Study
Willyne Ann Taylor
Lesson I: Laying
the groundwork -- Heritage, Geography, Peoples
Lesson II: Abraham – Pilgrim, Altar Builder
Lesson III: Abraham
-- Man of Covenant
Lesson IV: Abraham
– Father of Nations
Lesson V: Abraham
-- Blessings of the Friend of God to all Nations
Heritage, Geography, Peoples
“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are
lost; In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image
of God, should shine unto them.” (II Corinthians 4:3-4)
Tyndale Handbook of Bible
Charts & Maps, pg. 144
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not
as God, neither were they thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish hearts were darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools. And changed the
glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and
to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to
uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts; to dishonor their own
bodies between themselves; Who changed the truth of
God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator,
who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans
1:21-25)
The exact location of the Tower
of Babel is disputed. It is traditionally located at or near the
ruins of the city of Babylon. The Greek word for “Babel”
(confusion) is “Babylon” although
the latter city was built many centuries after the confounding of languages and
by a later culture. The Sumerians called
the earlier city on the site that would become Babylon,
Ka-dingirra or Babili “gate of god.”
Tyndale Handbook of Bible Charts & Maps, pg. 5
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The Assyrians were known as
fierce and ruthless warriors who at various times dominated the peoples of the Fertile
Crescent. Their name may
have been derived from Asshur, son of Shem brother of Arphaxad. They worshipped Asshur as their chief god at
the latter part of their history. The beginning of the Assyrian nation is
uncertain but there is archeological evidence of them as far back as 1200
BC. Genesis 10:6-7 states that Asshur
went out of Shinar
(the plain area of Sumer
- Babel) and built Nineveh. Nineveh
was one of three capitals the Assyrians had at various times (see Jonah &
Nahum). Much later, the Assyrians conquered Israel,
the Northern Kingdom known as Samaria,
in 721 BC. Consistent with Assyrian
policy, they deported the Hebrew people from the cities and replaced them with
captured peoples from other areas they had conquered. This is when the northern tribes became “ten
lost tribes.” The peoples the Assyrians brought in intermarried with those who
had escaped deportation and became known as the Samaritans of Jesus’ time. Babylon
and the Medes conquered Assyria destroying Nineveh
in 612 BC. By 609 BC, the Assyrian empire
had come to an end.
Tyndale Handbook of Bible Charts & Maps, pg. 144
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The Babylonian empire began in an
area just north of Sumer
between the Euphrates and Tigris
Rivers south of modern day Baghdad. Nimrod, son of Cush
and grandson of Ham, is credited with beginning the kingdom
of Babylon in Genesis 10:5-6. Babylon
eventually conquered Sumer
and incorporated its culture into its own.
Eventually the names Chaldean and Babylonian became closely associated. Two of the greatest of Babylon’s
kings were Hammurabi, also known as Amraphel (Gen. 14:1), and
Nebuchadnezzar. Hammurabi is best known
for The Code of Hammurabi, which was a set of legal procedures designed to
standardize the rights of government and individuals. Many Biblical scholars consider
Nebuchadnezzar as Babylon’s
greatest ruler. Judah
was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC.
He was responsible for three deportations during his campaigns against
Judah, the Southern Kingdom. Daniel and
Ezekiel were included in these deportations.
The Medes and Persians conquered Babylon
in 539 BC, which allowed the return of, the Jewish people to Jerusalem.
Tyndale Handbook of Bible Charts & Maps, pg. 145
Ancient drawing
of Hammurabi receiving the “Code of Hammurabi” from his god.
“And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up
mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed
the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose
dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to
generation; And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he
doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of
the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me;
and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor and brightness returned unto me;
and my counselors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my
kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and
honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment; and
those that walk in pride he is able to abase.”
(Daniel 4:34-37)
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Tyndale Handbook of Bible
Charts & Maps, pg. 6
Tyndale Handbook of Bible
Charts & Maps, pg. 6
Abraham’s
Lineage
Noah
Japheth Shem Ham
(See above) (See
above)
Arphaxad
Salah
Eber
Peleg
Reu
Serug
Nahor
Terah
Abram (Sarai, wife) Nahor
(Milcah, wife) Haran
(See chart A) Bethuel (son) Lot (son)
Rebekah (daughter, of
Bethuel) Milcah (daughter)
Iscah (child of Bethuel) Iscah
(daughter)
Laban (son of Bethuel)
Rachael & Leah
(daughters of Laban)
Ur
of the Chaldees,
Sumer
or Shinar
(country of two rivers)
The Sumerian
history dates back to approximately 2900 BC.
It was the most civilized society of the eastern world in its day. The Greeks called it Mesopotamia
“land between the rivers.” It had a high
degree of industry and wealth. They
built at least twelve large city-states.
One of those cities was Ur. During Abraham’s day, it was a cultural
center, which traded with Egypt,
Ethiopia and India. They developed one of the earliest post-flood
written languages (cuneiform). The art
of writing was considered the most important of skills to learn. They created a calendar, introduced the wheel
and the arch, and had a system of mathematics.
They developed
irrigation canals for their fields and clay drainage pipes connected to sewer
systems for their buildings. Many had
bathtubs in their homes. They managed
their rich land very carefully and harvested bountiful crops for their own use
and for exportation. Fishing was an
important trade and they even trained Pelicans to catch fish for them. They were great craftsmen working in copper
and clay. They studied medicine and for
their day were well cared for by doctors.
Perhaps their greatest achievement was in architecture. They built great buildings and walls. They perfected a sun-dried brick that was so
hard that even those found today are extremely difficult to damage. During a dig at one site, an English
architect who was visiting wanted to take home an inscription on a twelve-inch
square by three-inch thick brick. Since
he only wanted the inscription, he thought he could use an ax to break away the
part he wanted. “After half an hour’s
strenuous effort, the brick was still intact and the architect had to give up.”
The early
Sumerians had strong armies and were able to defend themselves from aggressor
nations and tribes for many years.
Unlike the later Assyrians who glorified war and were savage to their
foes, they did not hold the soldier or military commander in the highest
regard. Their art most often shows honor
being given to the scholar, architect, and laborer. Their conquered foes were forced to pay
tribute or become slaves but they were not shown excessive cruelty or used as
sacrifices.
Their culture
centered around their polytheistic religion. They built large, many tiered edifices called
ziggurats as places of worship. They
rose to great heights and had a temple at the top and a reception ramp for the
gods to descend to earth. They stored
grain in the lower levels and had workshops for craftsmen in weaving, brewing,
carpentry, metalwork, stonecutting, and the making of jewelry. The study of astrology and astronomy was
practiced above. The chief god of Ur
was the moon god Nanna and his consort Ningal although they worshipped many
others as well (Joshua 24:2).
They chose a
“great man” from
among them to be their king. Sometimes
he was also the high priest in the temple.
Every thing belonged to the local god and all the people were to work
for him as his servants including this king and high priest. They believed that everything had the “spark
of life”
even inanimate objects. They would speak
directly to them as having a spirit, bidding them to do their will.
Ur
moved in and out of political importance as different nations controlled this
area. Finally in about 316 B.C., the
final blow came when the Euphrates River
changed course and city was too far from a sustained water source to support
its people. The land in this area today
is desert with searing heat and an annual rainfall of about 6 inches. The ruins or “tells” dot the landscape enticing
archeologists from all over the world to discover its history.
“And the whole earth was of the same language, and
of the same speech. And it came to pass,
that many journeyed from the east, and as they journeyed from the east they
found a plain in the land of Shinar,
and dwelt there in the plain of Shinar.
And they said one to another, Come, go to, let us make brick, and burn
them thoroughly. And they had brick for
stone, and they had slime for mortar.
And they said, Come, go to, let us build us a city, and a tower whose
top will be high, nigh unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be
scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down, beholding the city
and the tower which the children of men were building; And the Lord said,
Behold, the people are the same, and they all have the same language; and this
tower they begin to build, and now, nothing will be restrained from them, which
they have imagined, except I, the Lord, confound their language, that they may
not understand one another’s speech. So
I, the Lord, will scatter them abroad from thence, upon all the face of the
land, and unto ever quarter of the earth.
And they were confounded, and left off to build the city, and they
hearkened not unto the Lord, therefore, is the name of it called Babel, because
the Lord was displeased with their works, and did there confound the language
of all the earth; and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon
the face thereof.” (Genesis 11:1-6)
Chaldeans or Chaldees (Sumerians)
The
Chaldean people possibly descended from Ham’s son Cush*. People who “journeyed from the east” (Genesis
11:1) settled in the southern part of the Land of the Two Rivers (the Euphrates
and the Tigris).
In ancient times, this was a rich, well watered plain about 400 miles
long and 100 miles wide. This culture
was well known for their scholar class.
They were priests, magicians and astronomers. They were sought after for their knowledge
and wisdom. Even after the Sumerians or
Chaldeans were conquered by other nations, their language and learning was
still coveted and held in high regard.
Their scholars were placed in positions of influence in the new ruling
governments (Daniel 1:3-4; 2:1-12)
“For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the
wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where
is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the
wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require
a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; But we preach Christ crucified, unto
the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them who
believe, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of
God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser
than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that
not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are chosen;
For God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and
God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God
chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are
mighty; That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God
is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption;
That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 1:19-31)
*The Tyndale Handbook chart, Bible
Nations Descended from Noah’s Sons, shows the Chaldeans descending from
Shem. Most of the references used in
this study show the Chaldeans descended from Ham. This points out that many authors and
scholars have differing understanding of history; and that we have much to
discover about the people of the scriptures.
Contemporaries of Abraham
through whom or to whom God spoke:
Melchizedek (Genesis 14)
Abimelech, Philistine king (Genesis 20)
Job
PURPOSE
“Thus saith the
Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man
glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; But let him that
glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the
Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth;
for in these things I delight, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
The
purpose for studying the word of God is to help us come into a closer
relationship with God through Christ.
This class will be an overview of the life of one of the most important
persons in the Old Testament - Abraham. It will take a look at the people and
cultures of his day, Abraham’s calling by God, and his
response. The Old Testament accounts are
background for understanding the New Testament and the Book of Mormon. It points us clearly to the Redeemer and the
way in which He interacts with us -- His creation. God’s covenant relationship with Abraham
influences Christian doctrine and world politics today, and gives hope and
encouragement to the believer in these latter days.
How do we know the account of
Abraham and his children is historically true?
Read Section
22 of the
Doctrine and Covenants. Here we
find the experience of Moses as God allowed him to see creation and all the
people of the earth. God prepared Moses
to be able to give us the early history of mankind. We need to take advantage of the wonderful
insights and additional history in the Inspired Version of the Bible, Book of
Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants. We
need to be a people who ask many questions – for God answers those who are
asking. Peter, James, and John asked
Jesus many questions and therefore were privileged to experience many things
the other disciples did not (Mark 9:1).
God delights in talking to His people. Seriously ask, read, and ponder God’s word.
Ask God to enlighten your mind through the Holy Spirit. The word of God was written under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit and so we need the gift and insight of the Holy
Spirit to fully understand the scriptures.
Moses saw everything and everyone, which gave him a unique ability to
write the early history of this earth.
We have it on good authority that Moses knew what to write. God can reveal the truth of all things by the
power of His Holy Spirit (Moroni
10:5). We need to be a people who ask,
seek, and knock.
“And all scripture given by inspiration of
God, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness, That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto
all good works” (2 Tim 3:16-17). In
order for the study of the scriptures to be edifying, it must be applicable to
the reader. Knowledge without
application is fruitless. Understanding
and application can only come through the Holy Spirit. Worship, prayer, fasting, and study are all
components in our spiritual growth. They
are not separate compartments of our Christian walk but essential components of
our everyday experiences. We are
instructed to pray always (2 Nephi 14:12)
and to daily meditate on God’s word (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-2). We are called to fast before the Lord as
rejoicing unto Him (D&C 59:2e-3b).
And over all is a compelling need for us to worship and adore our
God. This need cannot be satisfied with
the vain offerings of this world. Only
as we become submissive and obedient can we hope to be called His children and
inherit a place in His kingdom. Only by
knowing our Redeemer can we find true joy and peace through the hope He
gives. It is my hope that this class
encourages the participant to prayerfully study God’s word and be ready to
follow wherever the Lord leads.
