Chapter 6 Atonement

Here we learn that the war can begin before the actual fighting. David and his men started seeking revenge in their hearts, that was the beginning. How many times do we think about doing something for revenge? We need to look in our own hearts to see what we are doing.

Rick has a hard time understanding about Abigail being a "type" of Christ so Grandpa tries to explain it to him. He reminds him of the time he made a mistake in a ballgame that was going to cost the team the championship. But his friend then hit a homerun, which lead to their team winning. Rick said "When Jason hit that homerun, it was the sweetest feeling. It was probably all the sweeter to me because of what he saved me from--not just a loss but also from a personal but very public failure. I felt redeemed." Grandpa explained, "Your error would result in a stinging loss for the team unless someone could do something to make up for it." Jason was a "type" of Christ.

There are so many times that we realize we have done something we shouldn't and we wish someone would divert others attention away from us, from our wrong doings.

David sees Abigail as saving Nabal from his sin of not taking care of David and his men. Nabal was saved from David killing him. Grandpa tries to lead Rick to see that David was also a sinner. We need to look into our hearts. David was sinning when he wanted to kill Nabal. Abigail saved him from doing that.

Grandpa said, "What about our hearts? Remember the Pharisees--they of the perfect actions. Their hearts were corrupt and the Savior branded them as the vilest sinners of the day, notwithstanding their outwardly righteous acts. We sin when our hearts are sinful, no matter what we do on the surface." So what did David do? He carried a sinful heart. "So the story if Abigail is not merely the story of a single sinner, is it? It is rather the story of David responding sinfully to the sin of another."

"The story of Abigail suggests that the atonement is as much for the benefit of the sinned against--the victim of sin--as for the sinner. One of the effects of sin is to invite those who have been sinned against--to become sinful themselves, and that the atonement provides the escape from such provocation to sin."

"Normally we think of the atonement as something that Christ has done for us--for ourselves. But Abigail invites us to look at the atonement from a diferent angle--not from the perspective of how Christ has atoned for our own sin, but rather from the equally true perspective that he has atoned for the sins of others.

That was how Joseph was able to love his brothers when he saw them again after they sold him into slavery. He knew that someone else would pay for their sin. He knew that he needed to accept them. "The Lord packs for each of us, as it were, living bread, water, sheep, corn, raisins, and figs, and comes to us with that offering, inviting us to accept of his atonement for others' sins.

This is one step of the atonement that I never thought of. I always just thought "Christ atoned for my sins." I need to remember that he atoned for the sins of others who sin against me, who hurt my feelings, who want bad things to happen to me and my family. I need to accept Christ's atonement was for them, also, and not harbor feelings against them. Remember actions, perhaps, so I don't put myself in difficult situations, but not expect more from them in order for them to pay the price for their wrong. Christ already did that. I have more thoughts on that, but will address that later.