God had covenantally promised property, posterity and prosperity to the children of Abraham (see Genesis 12:1-3) if they were loyal to Him. At Mount Sinai, God revealed the covenantal instructions for loyalty through Moses to the Israelites. Insofar as the Israelites were loyal to God by keeping the commandments, they experienced the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. And insofar as they were disloyal to God by purposefully breaking the commandments and refusing to heed God's loving invitations, they lost His abiding presence and protection.
"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did exhort my brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord. And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord; insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness." (1 Nephi 16:4-5)
And it always evokes the sense of being loyal and faithful to God. For example, in Genesis 17:1-2 God told Abraham, "Walk before me...and I will make my covenant between me and thee." What does it mean to walk before God? A clearer translation would read "walk with me" or "walk by my side."
In loving relationships, committed individuals walk together side by side. This is what God desires of us. The path of righteousness is to walk by God's side, to be committed to Him, to be loyal and faithful to Him. Covenantal loyalty to God is expressed by the covenant path which is the path of righteousness.
And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness."
That covenantal truth is that God will ensure that a pathway of salvation is provided to all who trust Him. This truth is on display in Genesis 22 where God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham had such abiding and implicit trust in God to fulfill His promises to provide him with posterity that Abraham obediently went forth to fulfill God's commands. When God saw the totality of Abraham's faithfulness to God, He revealed the salvation for Isaac and Abraham: the ram caught in the thicket.
What does it mean to walk in the paths of righteousness?
To be totally loyal and faithful to God, as was Abraham and Nephi, by keeping His revealed covenantal instructions-the commandments.
How have you seen God provide for you or for others, or how have experienced God's nourishment in your life as you have demonstrated covenantal loyalty by keeping His commandments?
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