Gen 12-14

These chapters of the Old Testament are where the modern scriptures add to our understanding of the scriptures.  One thing that is added is that Abram was nearly offered as a sacrifice himself, by his father.  This adds a lot of poignancy to when Abraham is later commanded to offer Isaac.

The BKC points out something that I've never had pointed out before.  Abram entering and leaving Egypt is similar to the Israelites experience.  They both enter because of a famine, Egypt is plagued because they are there, and they leave the land rich.  The BKC says that this probably gave the Israelites comfort while they were going through they're experience.  I doubt it, but it is interesting the way that it is linked.

The modern scriptures clear up the fact that Abram told the Egyptians that Sarai was his sister, because he was commanded to do so by the Lord.  Of course this doesn't really clear everything up because the question then becomes why the Lord told Abram to lie.  Of course in the scriptures it explains that it isn't really a lie.  I just recently read a book recently by Hugh Nibley called "Abraham in Egypt" and in that book there are some articles that talk about Jewish traditions that talk about how this event was actually a test for Sarai to see if she would remain true to the Lord as Abraham later remained true to the Lord in all situations.  Since the BKC doesn't take advantage of modern scripture they just say that Abram lies on his own, if it is a lie.  The Lord still protects Abram, but he's still a liar according to the BKC.

Gen 13 shows and the BKC really emphasizes it that Abram gave Lot the choice of land, and Lot took the worldly route.  This shows that we should rely on the blessings of the Lord on not on the way the world chooses.  I wonder how the story would have ended if the Lot and chosen not go to valley.  Could Abram have withstood the draw of the world?  I think that he could have, but the point is that Abram was willing to do whatever the Lord asked of him, or he was willing to serve the Lord no matter what the world gave him.

The BKC gives a lot of background for the war that happened in Gen 14.  Because of that I was pretty much amazed that Abram had 318 "trained men".  It's amazing how many of the great men of the scriptures seem to also to be military men, even though you have to read carefully sometimes to see it.  Back then keeping a "trained man" was no mean feat.  It's not like you could be farming one minute and then pick up a rifle and protect your homestead as modern militias do.  That's pretty much how it's been since the Minute Men of the American Revolution.  Back then war took a lot of training to be good at it and that's all you did was train for war, so keeping 318 trained men says a lot about Abram.

After Abram returns from the war with Lot and the spoils of war he meets two kings, Melchizedek and the King of Sodom.  The BKC calls Melchizedek a fascinating figure.  Because of modern scripture the LDS know a lot more about Melchizedek, especially why Jesus is called a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec.  Of which I'll write more about later.