Today's Favorite Verse: Abraham 1:2

Today's Favorite Verse: Abraham 1:2

"And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers."

I am in the Book of Abraham now. The introduction to the Pearl of Great Price says this about the Book of Abraham. "An inspired translation of the writings of Abraham. Joseph Smith began the translation in 1835 after obtaining some Egyptian papyri. The translation was published serially in the Times and Seasons beginning March 1, 1842, at Nauvoo, Illinois." The book of Abraham begins with the following added in italics by Joseph Smith. "A translation of some ancient Records that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt. The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus."

Inside this chapter it gives the origins of Egypt. Noah's son Ham married a Canaanite women, named Egyptus. Her name in Chaldean means Egypt, which signifies that which is forbidden. The Canaanites having been cursed to the right of the holy priesthood. Their daughter Egyptus first discovered the land. She had a son named Pharaoh, which signifies king of royal blood, and he established the first government of Egypt. He was a righteous man and ruled after a patriarchal order, and was blessed by Noah with wisdom, but cursed pertaining to the priesthood.

As I was reading this I sat and wondered "Why didn't God just lift this curse against the Canaanites after the flood?"  He had just removed the wicked and was starting over? These were good righteous people. I sat pondering on that for quite a while. Was it simply because we needed opposition in all things? 

It wasn't until I read the first and last part of verse two by Abraham again, that I could understand. "I sought for the blessings of the fathers....I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers."  It was because of the promises God made to their fathers that things continued the way they did after the flood. God is showing us he does not break his promises. Even a curse is a promise God made to a father. God can make new promises, and remove cursing, but they are in his own due time. This was not the time, and his ways are not our ways.

Day 568