Covenant Blessings taken from Kerry Muhlestein's Out of the Dust.
A Closer Relationship with God
- God will lead Abraham by the hand (Abraham 1:18)
- God’s power will be over Abraham (Abraham 1:18)
- God will be God to Abraham and his seed (Genesis 17:7; Abraham 1:19; Abraham 2:7)
- Israel will be God’s people (Exodus 6:7; Deuteronomy 29:13)
- Israel will be a peculiar treasure/special people to God (Exodus 19:5)
- Israel will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6)
- God will set his tabernacle among them and be with them (Leviticus 26:11-12)
- A special mercy available to those in the covenant (Deuteronomy 7:9)
- Be a prince of peace (Abraham 1:2)
- Receive instructions (Abraham 1:2)
- Possess knowledge (Abraham 1:2)
- God’s name put upon Abraham through priesthood ordinances (Abraham 1:18)
A Closer Relationship with God Brings Blessings
- God will prosper Abraham/Israel (provide rain, abundant fruit, land yields generously, flocks increase, storehouses are full, all they set their hand to prospers, land flows with milk and honey, bless beyond measure, etc.) (See, for example, Leviticus 26:4-5 and Deuteronomy 28:3-6, 8, 11-12)
- Abraham will be a blessing to his seed and the families of the earth (Abraham 2:9)
- Abraham’s seed will bless the earth (Genesis 22:18; D&C 124:58)
- God will bless those that bless Abraham (Genesis 12:3; Abraham 2:11)
- God will curse those that curse Abraham (Genesis 12:3; Abraham 2:11)
- Abraham will have a great name (among all nations) (Genesis 12:2; Abraham 2:9)
- Kings/rulership from Abraham’s seed (Genesis 17:6, 16)
- All who receive the Gospel will bless Abraham (Abraham 2:10)
- Priesthood ordinances carried by Abraham’s seed will bless the world and give them a chance for salvation and eternal life (Abraham 2:11)
Covenant Blessings
Blessings include Protection
- God will protect Abraham’s seed (Leviticus 25:18)
- Abraham’s seed will possess the gates of their enemies (Genesis 22:17)
- God will be Abraham’s shield (Genesis 15:1)
- Israel will dwell safely (Leviticus 25:18)
- No evil beasts in the Land (Leviticus 26:6)
- No sword going through the Land (Leviticus 26:6)
- Israel will chase enemies and who will fall by the sword (Leviticus 26:7)
- Five of Israel will chase 100, 100 will put 10,000 to flight, Israel’s enemies will fall by the sword (Leviticus 26:8)
- Israel will smite and chase their enemies in many directions (Deuteronomy 28:7)
- People will fear Israel (Deuteronomy 28:10)
- Israel will lend and not borrow (Deuteronomy 28:12)
- Israel will be a head and not a tail, will be above, and not beneath, among nations (Deuteronomy 21:13)
Covenant Blessings
The Blessing of Posterity
- Abraham will be a great nation, be a father of many nations (Genesis 17:4, 16):
- Seed as innumerable as the dust of the earth or the stars of heaven, multiplication of seed, become a great nation (Genesis 13:16; Genesis 15:5; Leviticus 26:9; Deuteronomy 6:3; Abraham 2:9)
- Seed continues for eternity (D&C 132:30-21)
- Covenant to be everlasting to Abraham’s seed (even to a “thousand generations”) (Genesis 17:7)
- God’s name known in earth through Abraham’s ministry (Abraham 1:19)
- God’s hand will be over Abraham (Abraham 2:8
- Abraham’s seed to bear ministry and priesthood ordinances to the world (Abraham 2:9)
- All who receive Gospel will be called in Abraham’s name and become his seed (Abraham 2:10
- Abraham’s seed has a right to priesthood ordinances (Abraham 2:11)
- Eternal marriage and eternal continuation of seed (D&C 132:19)
Covenant Blessings
Developing a Closer Relationship with God
- God must be Abraham’s and his seed’s God (Genesis 17:7)
- This is primarily manifest by Abraham and his seed loving God with all their heart, might, mind and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5)
- Love, remember, fear, and serve God (Deuteronomy 6:5, 10-13)
- Love God (Deuteronomy 30:20)
- Of course, if you love God, you keep his commandments (John 14:15). Thus we must:
- Keep statutes and commandments (and laws, ordinances, judgments) (Exodus 19:5; Abraham 1:2)
- Hearken to God’s voice (Abraham 2:6)
- Exhibit faithful righteousness (Romans 4:13)
- Receive Instruction (Abraham 1:2)
- Hearken to God’s voice (Abraham 2:6)
Covenant Obligations
Developing a Closer Relationship with Others
- When we truly love God, then we love His children. Thus the second great commandment is to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:39). Many covenant obligations focus on this aspect of the covenant:
- Take care of the stranger, fatherless and widow (Deuteronomy 26:12-13)
- Make God’s name known in the earth through Abraham’s ministry (Abraham 1:19)
- Bear God’s name to others (Abraham 2:6)
- Abraham’s seed to bear ministry and priesthood ordinances to the world so that they can have an opportunity for salvation and eternal life (Abraham)
