Unit 15

Question 1

1. Genesis 15: What is Abraham’s suggestion to the Lord concerning his lack of an heir? What is the Lord’s response, and what sign does he give Abraham concerning his posterity?

Answer 1

• Make Ishmael the heir
  
  • No. Eliazer won’t be your heir, but one of your own descendants
  • The stars: his posterity will be as numerous as the stars

Question 2

2. In response to Abraham’s question concerning his inheritance of the land, the Lord performs a ceremony. What is the significance of each of the following elements of this Covenant Oath Ritual: the animals that are divided, the horror of darkness, and the smoking furnace/burning lamp. How does this ritual answer Abraham’s question? What role is God taking in this covenant ceremony, and why is this so significant?

Answer 2

• The animals divided- that the covenant maker should be divided if they break their promise
  
  • Horror of darkness- the devil (think Joseph Smith or Moses)
  • Furnace/lamp- Represents the Lord
  • He covenants the land to Abraham, whether or not he is alive when He gives it to him, in 400 yrs.
  • He is taking the role of the vassal. May He (God) be cut in two if He doesn’t keep his promise (not God)

Question 3

3. Covenant oath rituals in antiquity usually involved a saying similar to this: “The Lord do so to me and more also”, what does this mean? (slide #12)

Answer 3

• The Lord split me in half like these animals and more if I don’t keep my oath

Question 4

4. What is the passage in Genesis 15:13-16 talking about? What do we learn from the JST that Abraham also was told and saw at this time?

Answer 4

• It’s saying that the Lord can still give the land to the his children even if they are dead (in 400 yrs).
  
  • JST adds that Abraham learned about and saw the days of Jesus Christ at this time

Question 5

5. What does Abraham propose for his heir now? (Gen. 17:18) What happened to Ishmael? What does Isaac’s name mean?

Answer 5

• Ishmael.
  
  • Isaac means “he laughed”
  • Ishmael began mocking, Hagar and her son were forced to leave, but Abraham was assured that they will be saved

Question 6

6. What doesakedahmean, and what is it referring to?

Answer 6

• The binding, referring to the near sacrifice of Isaac

Question 7

7. What is the meaning of the word “tempt” in Genesis 22:1? Where is the land of Moriah and why is this a place of significance? How does Abraham respond to God’s command to him to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering? Why is this unusual for Abraham?

Answer 7

• Tempt means to test or to try or prove
  
  • Abraham is silent. He answers simply hi-ne-ni. This is not typical of Abraham because Abraham has talked a lot with the Lord
  • You can see mount Moriah from a long way off, it is the tallest peak in the area. They had to climb down, then back up again

Question 8

8. Do we know how old Isaac was during this experience? How old is a “lad” in the Hebrew tradition? How does Abraham respond to Isaac’s question in Gen. 22:7? What is the symbolic meaning of his answer?

Answer 8

• We don’t know how old Isaac was, a lad could refer to someone in their teenage years or younger, or all the way up to 25
  
  • Isaac is anywhere from 3 - 30
  • God will provide the lamb
  • The symbolic meaning is Jesus Christ

Question 9

9. What happens at the critical moment to spare Isaac? What does “fear” mean here (Gen. 22:12) beyond being afraid? What was substituted instead of Isaac as an offering?

Answer 9

• An angel appears and tells Abraham not to sacrifice Isaac but to sacrifice the ram caught instead
  
  • Fear means to revere, to respect, to honor God and all of His commandments

Question 10

10. How is this experience “fraught with background”? What is just below the surface? How does Abraham’s past play into this story?

Answer 10

• It must have reminded Abraham of his past experience with idol worship and almost being sacrificed by the priest of Pharaoh

Question 11

11. What did Abraham learn? Isaac? God? Who was being tested? What is absolute faith? What does it mean to take a “leap of faith”?

Answer 11

1. What did Abraham Learn? That he can trust God
   
   2. What did Isaac learn? Abraham is faithful
   3. What did the Lord learn? Abraham was faithful
   • Absolute faith- acting in faith when you don’t know everything
   • Take a leap of faith- acting in faith without knowing how it will end or turn out

Question 12

12. How is the event in Genesis 22 a type of the Atonement? What does each element of the story represent? Who is Isaac a type of? Abraham? What type do you think Abraham models during his life?

Answer 12

a. The only son being sacrificed
b. Mount Moriah- place of sacrifice
c. Wood on his back- cross
d. Abraham- represents God the father
e. Lamb- substitutionary offering
○ Isaac represents Jesus Christ