Lesson 13 - Reading Assignment " Bondage, Passover, & Exodus

Due to General Conference being held next Sunday, your next lesson will be presented on Sunday, April 11th. We are now leaving the Book of Genesis and studying Exodus.

Exodus 1–3; 5–6; 11–14

Study the following scriptures:



a. Exodus 1–3. The Israelites are made slaves by the Egyptians (1:1–14). Pharaoh orders that all sons born to the Israelites be killed (1:15–22). Moses is born and is raised by Pharaoh’s daughter (2:1–10). The Lord appears to Moses at the burning bush and calls him to deliver Israel from bondage (3:1–22).


b. Exodus 5–6. Moses and Aaron ask Pharaoh to free Israel, but Pharaoh refuses and places greater burdens on the people (5:1–23). The Lord promises to fulfill the covenant he made with Abraham (6:1–8).


c. Exodus 11–13. After sending many plagues on Egypt, the Lord promises to send one more plague on them, in which the firstborn in every home will die (11:1–10). The Lord instructs Moses in the preparation of the Passover, which will protect Israel from the plague (12:1–20). The firstborn in Egypt are killed (12:29–30). Pharaoh tells Moses to take his people from Egypt, and the Israelites leave (12:31–42). Moses tells the children of Israel to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the future as a memorial of their deliverance (13:1–16). The Lord goes before the camp of Israel in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (13:17–22).


d. Exodus 14. Pharaoh and his army pursue the Israelites (14:1–9). The people are afraid, and Moses appeals to the Lord for help (14:10–18). The Israelites cross the Red Sea on dry ground; Pharaoh’s men pursue them and are drowned (14:19–31).



• At the Last Supper, the Savior instituted the sacrament in place of the Passover (Matthew 26:19, 26–28). What similarities are there between the Passover and the sacrament? (See Exodus 12:14; 13:9–10; D&C 20:75–79.)


• What did Moses tell the children of Israel when they saw Pharaoh’s army and their faith faltered? (See Exodus 14:13–14.) How can we develop faith strong enough to sustain us when we are filled with fear?


• How did the Lord save the children of Israel from the advancing Egyptian army? (See Exodus 14:21–31.) How can this story help us in times of trial?

Additional reading: Exodus 4; 7–10; 15.

Lesson 12: “Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction”

1. Introduction

a) Genealogy

i) Abraham's birthright son, Isaac

(1) Marriage

(a) Rebekah

(i) Twin sons

1. Esau

2. Jacob

(ii) Esau, the eldest, sold his birthright to Jacob

ii) Jacob

(1) Marriage

(a) Story

(i) Went to his uncle Laban, Rebakah's brother, to find a wife

(ii) Fell in love with Rachel

(iii) Worked seven years, Laban said he must marry Leah first

(iv) Worked another seven years to marry Rachel

(v) Also married Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, and Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid

1. Zilpah and Bilhah were lesser wives

(vi) These four wives bore 12 sons for Jacob, who would be called Israel

1. Source of the 12 tribes of Israel

(b) Leah

(i) Firstborn was Reuben

1. Lost his birthright as a result of adultery with one of his father's concubines

(c) Rachel

(i) Could not conceive for some years

(ii) Firstborn was Joseph

1. Became birthright son after Reuben's transgression

(iii) Rachel died bearing Jacob's youngest son, Benjamin

b) Joseph

i)
Spoke last week of Joseph's sale into slavery by his brothers, who told Jacob that Joseph was dead.

ii) When Joseph resisted the advances of Potiphar's wife, he was thrown into prison

2. Prophetic Dreams

a) Prophetic dreams played an important role in Joseph's life

i) While he was living at home

(1) Dream of his brothers' eleven sheaves of wheat bowing to his sheaf

(2) Dream of the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowing to Joseph.

ii) In Egypt

(1) Interpreted the dream of Pharaoh's butler and the baker

(2) Interprets Pharaoh's dreams

b) Other Prophetic Dreams

i) Jacob's dream of the ladder reaching up to heaven

ii) Book of Mormon - Lehi's dream of the tree of life

iii) In the New Testament, Joseph was warned in a dream to take Mary and the infant Jesus to Egypt to avoid the slaughter of the infants that Herod would order.

3. Joseph's Afflictions

a) Afflictions

i) Hated by his brothers

ii) Brothers first planned to kill him, then sold him into slavery

iii) Repeatedly tempted by Potiphar's wife while he was a slave

iv) Unjustly imprisoned for seven years

b) Response to Afflictions

i) Joseph remained righteous

ii) Reading 1 – Genesis 39:21-23

21 ¶ But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

c) Role of Afflictions in Our Lives

i) Have spoken about the mounting afflictions of Abraham, with the greatest affliction coming when he was an old man and commanded to sacrifice Isaac

ii) Joseph Smith's afflictions

iii) Reading 2 – 1 Peter 4:12-13

12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

iv) READ – Elder Richard G. Scott has said, "While you are passing through [your trials], the pain and difficulty that comes from being enlarged will continue. If all matters were immediately resolved at your first petition, you could not grow. Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly. They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love." (Richard G. Scott, "Trust in the Lord," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 17)

v) READ Romans 8:28

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

(1) Joseph is a great example of how all things work out well for them that love God

4. Pharaoh's Dream

a) Joseph in prison and interprets the dream of the butler

i) Asks that the butler tell Pharaoh about him when he is released

ii) Butler forgets about Joseph

b) Reading 3 – Genesis 41:1-16

1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years [after the butler was released from prison], that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.

4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

9 ¶ Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker:

11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

14 ¶ Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.

16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

c) Joseph hears Pharaoh's dream

i) READ – Genesis 41:25

25 ¶ And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

d) Joseph interprets the dream as 7 years of prosperity followed by 7 years of famine

i) Tells Pharaoh that he must store food during times of properity

ii) Must appoint someone wise to oversee the process

e) Great rags-to-riches story

i) Reading 4 – Genesis 41:37-43

37 ¶ And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:

40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

f) Joseph is now 30 years old and has been a slave or in prison for 13 years

g) Joseph been a faithful follower of the Lord and abided by the law of the harvest and after a very long time, the harvest has come

h) Because of Joseph's faithfulness, Jehovah has put him in a position to be the temporal savior of the house of Israel.

5. Joseph forgives his brothers

a) The famine has hit Canaan hard

b) Jacob sends his ten oldest sons to Egypt to purchase grain

c) Reading 5 – Genesis 42:5-8

5 And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

d) Joseph then accuses them of being spies and says that they will have to bring Benjamin into Egypt when they come to buy grain a second time.

e) Reading 6 – Genesis 42:17-24

17 And he put them all together into ward three days.

18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

21 ¶ And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

i) ASK - Why is Joseph speaking roughly to them and why does he tell them they will have to bring Benjamin to Egypt?

ii) Verse 21 - And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

(1) The brothers are consumed by guilt over what they did to Joseph more than 20 years earlier

(a) They had lived with their sin of betrayal

(b) They carried the memories of Joseph pleading with them to release him

(c) They had all lied to their father, Jacob, about Joseph.

(d) They thought that Joseph must be dead by now.

(e) They had no way to repent of their sins.

iii) Verse 22 - And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required

(1) Reuben reminds them that he objected to killing Joseph (but not selling him into slavery)

(2) Now, Reuben is fearful that Benjamin, the only other son of Rachel, will also be killed like he believes Joseph was killed.

iv) Verse 24 – Joseph turned himself about from them, and wept

(1) What must Joseph be feeling at this time?

(a) The injustice of his own treatment at the hands of his brothers

(b) Seeing the bitter pain that his brothers are still suffering because of their sins

f) Joseph holds Simeon and his brothers go back to tell Jacob that they will have to bring Benjamin to Egypt or starve for lack of grain.

i) Jacob's Response

(1) READ Genesis 42:36-38

36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

(2) Finally, the famine is so great that Jacob consents to have Benjamin go to Egypt.

(a) Judah promises that he will bring Benjamin back

ii) When the brothers bring Benjamin to Egypt, Joseph engineers a crisis with Benjamin that tests Judah's promise.

iii) Judah speaks to Joseph, still not knowing who he is.

iv) Reading 7 – Genesis 44:18, 30-34

18 ¶ Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.

(skip)

30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;

31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

(1) This is a big change from the Judah who wanted to kill Joseph and lied to his father many years earlier

(2) Judah is willing to sacrifice himself to save Benjamin

g)


Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers

i) Reading 8 – Genesis 45:1-15

1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.

2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.

3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:

10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:

11 And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.

13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen: and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.

14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.

(1) Verse 1 - Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren

(2) Verse 2 - he wept aloud

(3) Verse 3 - Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?

(4) Verse 3 - his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence

(a) They were worried that the now-powerful Joseph would repay them cruelty for cruelty

(5) Verse 4 - Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt

(6) Verse 5 - be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves

(a) Joseph is forgiving them

(7) Verse 5 - God did send me before you to preserve life

(a) Joseph sees the hand of God in all that has happened to him during the past 22 years

(8) Verse 7 - God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance

(a) Joseph is able to save his father, his brothers and all their families

(b) Joseph is the temporal savior of all the children of Israel, delivering them from death by famine

(9) Verse 9 - Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not

(a) Joseph acknowledges God's hand in his life

(10) Verse 10 - thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children

(11) Verse 11 - there will I nourish thee

(12) Verse 15 - he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them

h) Reading 9 – Elder Dallin H. Oaks has written: The issue for us is trusting God enough to trust also His timing. If we can truly believe he has our welfare at heart, may we not let his plans unfold as he thinks best? The same is true with the second coming and with all those matters wherein our faith needs to include faith in the Lord's timing for us personally, not just in His overall plans and purposes. (Dallin H. Oaks: Even As I Am, p. 93)

i) “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28)

6. Joseph's Posterity

a) In Egypt, Joseph has married Asenath, the daughter of a priest of On (Genesis 41:45)

i) Elder Mark E. Peterson has written that Asenath was not of the forbidden Egyptian blood, but, was, in fact, a Semite, and that marriage by Joseph to her was lawful. The true religion was not in Egypt, except in the person of Joseph, so he taught Asenath the true gospel. (Joseph of Egypt, pp37-38)

b) Asenath bore two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim (Genesis 41:50-52)

i) Manasseh means “forgetting” and Ephraim means “fruitful.” (Bible Dictionary, pages 666 and 728.)

c) Near the end of Jacob's life, Joseph brought his two sons to see their grandfather for a blessing. (Genesis 48).

i) Jacob asked for the boys and Joseph guided the first born, Manasseh, to Jacob's right hand and Ephraim to the left.

ii) Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim and the left on Manasseh.

iii) Joseph tried to lift his father's hands and correct the blessing.

iv) Jacob refused and gave Ephraim the birthright blessing.

d) Ephraim and Manasseh were adopted by Jacob as if they were his own.

i) They each received a share of the inheritance of Israel, thus Joseph received two shares (Genesis 48:22).

ii) Growing out of the birthright and inheritance Ephraim "was to assume the leadership responsibilities for the House of Israel in the last days." (The Millennial Messiah, p.189)

iii) As Joseph gathered Israel for their temporal salvation in his day, in the last days Ephraim will direct the latter-day temporal and spiritual gathering.

iv) Joseph Smith was a direct descendant of Joseph who was sold into Egypt.

7. Conclusion

Lesson 11 - How Can I Do This Great Wickedness?

March 21, 2010 Sherwood Hills Ward

Introduction: Sexually Indulgent Now, Marriage Ruined Later

Reading One: AUSTIN, Texas -- Oftentimes those who preach sexual abstinence have been told to stop trying to impose their beliefs on others. But what if science could prove sexual permissiveness does great damage to future sexual happiness?
That's what Dr. Joe McIlhaney of the Medical Institute for Sexual Health in Austin says. New research shows that sleeping around now could ruin your chances of having a happy, fulfilling marriage later.
"Neuroscientists have produced a lot of information in just the last few years. This is new," he told CBN News.
The sex reseacher recently co-authored the book Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children with Dr. Freda McKissic Bush. McIlhaney said the book contains, "The most modern neuro-science available to man today."

Chemicals Create a Powerful Bond
Research using brain scans now shows powerful chemicals are released during sex that should create a powerful, everlasting bond.

Across much of the American culture, this big scientific news isn't known and certainly isn't much communicated to youth, who these days live in a sexual Wild West.
Teen evangelist Jeffrey Dean administers Web sites viewed by more than 350,000 young people every year. Thousands of them tell him they're pressured to be sexual and are often wounded by it.
"Anything goes is the new rule, and in the process, kids are experimenting," Dean told CBN News. "But they're finding out there is great hurt and baggage along with that."

Question: What doctrine if understood would help us be more committed to living a more virtuous life?

Question: What is the definition of virtue?

Reading Number Two: Webster Dictionary

1 a : conformity to a standard of right : morality b : a particular moral excellence
2 an order of angels — see celestial hierarchy
3 : a beneficial quality or power of a thing
4 : manly strength or courage : valor
5 : a commendable quality or trait : merit
6 : a capacity to act : potency
7 : chastity especially in a woman

Young Women Pamphlet sums it up like this: Virtue is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. It includes chastity and purity.

Question: Name some of the movies, tv shows, books and magazines that are most popular today?

Question: What standards of sexual morality are presented by the popular media items of today? How do these standards differ from the Lord’s standard as taught in the scriptures and by Church leaders?

1. Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers.

Think about the concept of what makes a man standout at a natural leader from the start.

See Genesis 39: 3 “and his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord mad all that he did to prosper in his hand.”

Story of Ammon. Story of Moroni. Story of Joseph Smith

2. Joseph refuses to “sin against God.”

Read: Genesis 39:6-13
6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.
7 ¶ And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

Question: The scriptures emphasize that while Joseph was in prison, the Lord was with him. What does this reveal about Joseph?

Question: What can we learn from Joseph about turning bad experiences and circumstances into good ones?

Reading Number Three: “The ability to turn everything into something good appears to be a godly characteristic Our Heavenly Father always seems able to do this. Everything, no matter how dire, becomes a victory to the Lord. Joseph, although a slave and wholly undeserving of this fate, nevertheless remained faithful to the Lord and continued to live the commandments and made something very good of his degrading circumstances. People like this cannot be defeated.” (Hartman Rector Jr, Conf. Report October 1972)

Genesis 39:13-20
13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.
19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

Question: How was Joseph punished for being virtuous when Potiphar’s wife approached him?

3. Shechem, Reuben, and Judah commit serious moral sins
Notice that the language in Genesis 34:3 that describes Shechems’s feelings for Dinah “And his soul clave unto Dinah…and he loved the damsel.”
Question: Why is this description inconsistent with Shechem’s actions?

When Jacob blessed each of his sons at the each of his life. Read Genesis 49:3-4

3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s abed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

Note how he referred to Reuben’s moral transgression and described Reuben as “unstable as water.” In the mission field we had one or two elders who would be disobedient merely because they could not stand up to their companion and refuse to be disobedient. I referred to these as “feather” missionaries.

Question: How can we raise our children and grandchildren to not be like “feathers?”

Question: What are the spiritual and temporal consequences of sexual sin today?
Why does the Lord place such importance on being morally clean?
Church leaders have consistently taught that obedience to God’s commandments is true freedom.
Question: How do we see this in the life of Joseph? How did disobedience result in less freedom for Shechem, Reuben, and Judah? How can choosing to keep the commandments make us more free than choosing to break them.

4. Bethel –the House of the Lord

While Jacob was traveling to Canaan to the land of his kindred, he stopped to rest for the night and had a remarkable dream of a ladder that reached up into heaven. Jacob named this place Bethel, which means “house of the Lord.” What place has the same name today?

Elder Marion G. Romney said “Temples are to us all what Bethel was to Jacob.”

Genesis 35:1-15 – Jacob took his family back to this sacred place.

Read verse 2: Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
Question: How do these things compare to the preparations we make to go to the House of the Lord? What strange Gods may be among us?

Reading Four:
President Kimball: “The Lord has blessed us a people with a prosperity unequaled in times past. The resources that have been placed in our power are good, and necessary to our work here on the earth. But I am afraid that many of us have been surfeited with flocks and herds and acres and barns and wealth and have begun to worship them as false gods, and they have power over us. Do we have more of these good things than our faith can stand?

In spite of our delight in defining ourselves as modern, and our tendency to think we possess a sophistication that no people in the past ever had—in spite of these things, we are, on the who, an idolatrous people—a condition that most repugnant to the Lord. (Ensign, June 1976, 4-6)

Question: How can we put away our strange gods…and be clean and worthy to attend the temple?

Conclusion: With the Lord’s help, all of our experiences and circumstances can work together for our good. I testify of the value of remaining morally clean in thought and action. Let’s evaluate the movies, magazines, and other media that surrounds us and our children and use only those that reflect the Lord’s standard of sexual morality. May we be as committed as Joseph was to obey the law of chastity.

Reading Assignment for Sunday March 21, 2010 - Lesson 11

“How Can I Do This Great Wickedness?”, Old Testament Class Member Study Guide, 8, Genesis 34; 37–39

Study the following scriptures:

a. Genesis 37. Joseph, eleventh son of Jacob, is hated by his brothers and sold into slavery.

b. Genesis 39. Joseph prospers as a slave but is accused of immorality and sent to prison (39:1–20). The keeper of the prison gives Joseph responsibility over the other prisoners (39:21–23).

c. Genesis 34:1–12; 35:22; 38:1–30. The sin of immorality has negative consequences on Jacob’s family (34:1–12; 35:22; 38:1–30).

Jacob’s wives bore him twelve sons, who became the beginnings of the twelve tribes of Israel (the Lord changed Jacob’s name to Israel; see Genesis 32:28). Jacob’s eleventh son was Joseph; as the eldest son of Jacob and Rachel, Joseph received the birthright when Reuben, the eldest son of Jacob and Leah, lost it through unrighteousness (1 Chronicles 5:1–2).



• What did Joseph do when Potiphar’s wife tried to tempt him to sin? (See Genesis 39:11–12.) How can we follow Joseph’s example when we are tempted?


• What can we learn from Joseph about turning bad experiences and circumstances into good ones? (See Genesis 39:20–23; see also Romans 8:28.)

Additional reading: Genesis 34:13–31.

Lesson 10: Birthright Blessings; Marriage in the Covenant

1. Introduction

a) Coming down to the last acts of Abraham's life

b) Will begin to pick up on Isaac and Jacob, whose name will be changed to Israel by God

c) Abraham is living with his family in Canaan

i) This is before it will become the promised land

ii) Surrounded by people who worship idols

2. The importance of marriage in the covenant (eternal marriage)

a) At the beginning of Genesis 24, we find that "Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things." (Genesis 24:1)

b) Isaac is not married

c) Abraham calls "his eldest servant that ruled over all that he had" (Genesis 24:2)

i) This is the servant, likely named Eliezer (see Genesis 15:2-3), manages all of Abraham's considerable flocks, herds, etc.

(1) Analogous to the position that Joseph held for Pharaoh in Egypt

d) Abraham has his servant make a solemn oath to him

i) Note that Joseph Smith translated thigh as "hand"

ii) Reading 1 – Genesis 24:3-9

3 And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

7 ¶ The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.

9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

iii) Abraham understands the vital importance of the covenant he has made with the Lord and at the heart of that covenant is covenant marriage.

(1) Without a covenant marriage, the blessings of the covenant could not go down to Abraham's descendants

(2) Reading 2 - Elder Bruce R. McConkie has written: "Celestial marriage is a holy and an eternal ordinance; as an order of the priesthood, it has the name the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. Adam was the first one on this earth to enter into this type of union, and it has been the Lord's order in all ages when the fulness of the gospel has been on earth. Its importance in the plan of salvation and exaltation cannot be overestimated. The most important things that any member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ever does in this world are: 1. To marry the right person, in the right place, by the right authority; and 2. To keep the covenant made in connection with this holy and perfect order of matrimony -- thus assuring the obedient persons of an inheritance of exaltation in the celestial kingdom." (Mormon Doctrine, p118)

(3) READ Elder Bruce R. McConkie also wrote: "Those portions of it (the Abrahamic covenant) which pertain to personal exaltation and eternal increase are renewed with each member of the house of Israel who enters the order of celestial marriage; through that order the participating parties become inheritors of all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." (Mormon Doctrine, p13)

(4) If Isaac did not marry in the covenant, the descendants of Abraham would not receive eternal increase

(a) Ishmael, the eldest son of Abraham, was not the covenant son and apparently had not kept the covenant

iv) We don't know why Abraham did not make this journey himself

(1) About 40 days round-trip, without including time spent in Haran

(2) Abraham was "old and stricken with age"

v) Don't know why Isaac did not make this journey

(1) Perhaps the Lord wanted Rebekah to operate entirely on faith, without seeing Isaac, who may have been a handsome guy

e) The servant, Eliezer, is very faithful to his oath

i) Takes 10 camels and travels to Nahor, a town near Haran, in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq)

(1) He goes to this town because this is where Nahor, the brother of Abraham, lives with his family

(a) Abraham charged him to go unto my country, and to my kindred (Genesis 24:7)

ii) Eliezer arrives in Nahor well into the evening, at the time when the women of the city come to draw water from the well.

iii) Eliezer prays

(1) Reading 3: Genesis 24:12-14

12 And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

iv) Response to Eliezer's prayer

(1) Reading 4: Genesis 24:15-20

15 ¶ And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

(a) Verse 15 - before he had done speaking

(b) Verse 15 - Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother

(i) Granddaughter of Abraham's brother

(c) Verse 17 - the servant ran to meet her

(d) Verse 17, 18, 19 – Eliezer asked the question and received the response that he had prayed for.

(e) Amazing physical feat in watering the camels

(i) Camel drinks about 30 gallons per day

1. These camels had just arrived at the end of a long trip and would have been thirsty.

(ii) 10 camels = 300 gallons

(iii) Weight of a gallon of water – 8.34 pounds

(iv) Weight of 300 gallons of water – 2,502 pounds

1. About the weight of a Mini Cooper automobile

(v) Well

1. Not likely a small hole in the ground, although thinking of the upper body strength necessary to drop a bucket down and lift it up for 2500 pounds of water – impressive

2. More likely a large hole in the ground

a. Inverted cone

b. Walk down to the water along a spiral path along the outside of the well

c. Walk down on stone steps to the water

d. Note verse 16 - she went down to the well

e. In one well of this type that archeologists discovered, the water level was 80 feet below ground level

i. Eight story building

ii. Eight stories down to get the water and eight stories back up to give it to the camels

iii. Five gallons per trip – 41 lbs – 150 trips

iv. Ten gallons per trip – 83 lbs – 75 trips

v) Eliezer gives thanks and asks whose daughter Rebekah is

(1) He learns that she is of the kindred of Abraham and asks if he can stay at her house that night.

(a) Rebekah says he can and runs home to tell family they will be having company

(2) Rebekah's brother, Laban, comes to the well and escorts Eliezer to his home.

(3) They offer Eliezer a meal, but he will not eat until he performs his duty

(a) He is Abraham's servant

(b) Abraham has an unmarried son, Isaac

(c) The servant is here to find a wife for Isaac among those who believe as Abraham does

vi) Perhaps because they know who Abraham is or are guided by the Spirit, Rebekah's father, Bethuel, and her brother, Laban, immediately approve of the marriage.

(1) They want Eliezer to wait for 10 days in order to celebrate the betrothal

(2) Eliezer wants to complete his task and wants to leave right away.

(3) READ – Genesis 24:57-58

57 And they [Bethuel and Laban] said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.

58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

(4) READ – Before Rebekah leaves, she receives a blessing from Laban

(a) Genesis 24:60 - 60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions

3. Family of Isaac and Rebekah

a) Like her mother-in-law, Sarah, Rebekah has difficulty bearing children

i) Is childless for 20 years

ii) After Isaac's prayer, Rebekah conceives twins

b) Rebekah's revelation

i) Reading 5 – Genesis 25:22-23

22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord.

23 And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

ii) Rebekah bears two sons – the elder is Esau and the younger is Jacob

c) Great difference in the righteousness of the two sons

d) Reading 6 - Genesis 25:29-34

29 ¶ And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

i) According to Jewish legends, “With the purchase of the birthright Jacob came into possession of the garments which Esau had inherited from Adam and which were the official robes of the officiating minister.”(“Jacob’s Ladder,” Jewish Encyclopedia, http://bit.ly/cQuCB6) For the Jews, this garment had profound symbolism.

e) Birthrights

i) The birthright was usually passed from father to eldest son. Receiving this birthright meant that the eldest son would inherit a double share of the family wealth, and in return he would preside over the family and take care of his mother and sisters after his father’s death. The statement that “the elder shall serve the younger” in the Lord’s revelation to Rebekah meant that in this situation the younger son would receive the birthright and his descendants would be the covenant people.

ii) Material Birthright

(1) Double portion of inheritance

(a) The second portion was only to be used for the support of the mother and unmarried sisters

(b) Esau said in Verse 32 - what profit shall this birthright do to me? Because he was not supposed to materially benefit from the second portion.

iii) Spiritual Birthright

(1) The birthright was far more than just an economics arrangement. It was a token of the covenant God made with Adam, that a Savior—the Firstborn Son—would come into the world to provide salvation for us, to deliver us from death and to atone for sins we could not pay for ourselves.

(2) The birthright also conferred the responsibility to preside in the priesthood. Beginning with Adam, the patriarchal order provided that the oldest man of each generation should preside.

(3) Great and glorious responsibilities came with the birthright blessing: first, the promise of eternal increase; second, the privilege to preside over and minister to a righteous posterity forever;

iv) While the eldest son usually received the birthright, the recipient must be righteous. If he was not worthy, the birthright would go to another.

(1) In determining the heir to the covenant, the Lord chose Isaac over his older brother Ishmael (Galatians 4:22–23), Jacob over his older brother Esau, Joseph over his older brother Reuben (1 Chronicles 5:1–2), and Ephraim over his older brother Manasseh (Genesis 48:17–20), Nephi over his older brothers Laman and Lemuel.

v) Reading 7 – Brother R. Val Johnson has said, “The birthright given anciently to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is also yours. Your patriarchal blessing identifies your lineage in the house of Israel and describes many of the blessings and responsibilities you will receive if you live worthy of your birthright.” (R. Val Johnson, “You Have a Birthright,” New Era, Nov 2005, 9)

vi) READ - Elder H. Ross Workman asks, “Why should you be interested in this birthright, Esau being long dead? Because God has offered the birthright to you. Through temple ordinances every man and woman can receive the birthright blessing.” (Elder H. Ross Workman, “Devotional,” Oct. 28, 2008, BYU-Hawaii, http://bit.ly/cqD7j6)

4. Marriages of Jacob

a) Esau

i) Esau married out of the covenant, taking two idolatrous Canaanite women as wives

ii) When they learned of Esau's choice of a wife outside of the covenant it was a "grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah" (Genesis 26:35).

iii) When Isaac blessed Jacob "he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan" (Genesis 28:6).

iv) "And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?" (Genesis 27:46)

b) Jacob Seeks for a Bride

i) Isaac tells Jacob to go to "the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother." (Genesis 28:2)

ii) In connection with his trip to find a wife, Isaac gives Jacob a blessing

(1) Reading 8 – Genesis 28:3-4

3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

iii) On his journey to the home of Laban, Jacob has a powerful vision in a dream concerning the importance of covenants

(1)

On his journey, Jacob had a vision that clarified for him the vast significance of the covenant. Lying down to rest in a lonely, rock-strewn place, he dreamed.

(2) READ – Genesis 28:11-17

11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. [These are the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant, renewed with Jacob in this vision]

15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

16 ¶ And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

(3) Reading 9 - Elder Marion G. Romney said of this dream: “Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord … were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings—blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord” (“Temples—The Gates to Heaven,” Ensign, Mar. 1971, 16).

5. Conclusion