Mormon Life - Gospel Doctrine tag

Gospel Principles Lesson 24: The Sabbath Day

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:02:00 -0700

source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: The Latter-day Saints must lead out in sanctifying this appointed day each week. To all you beautiful, faithful Sunday afternoon Saints, we commend you for the respect of the Sabbath day which you show by attending conference this afternoon, wherever you may be.

We have been instructed, edified, and spiritually nourished through the five sessions of this magnificent general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have been taught “how to act upon the points of [the Lord’s] law and commandments” 1 and have been “sanctified by that which [we] have received.” 2

Now it is time to “bind [ourselves] to act in all holiness before [the Lord].” 3 In other words, based on this conference, we need to decide on specific actions to bring about needed changes in our lives. This action is called faith, and the changes are repentance. Blessings always follow these two principles. If we do not take action quickly, then the very thing which could have sanctified us may turn to our condemnation.

Today is the Sabbath. It does not end when we leave this session; it does not end if someone calls on the phone or knocks at our door inviting us to come out and play, go for a ride, to a ball game, or shopping; it does not end because we are on vacation or someone is visiting us, whether member or nonmember.

The Lord commanded: “Go ye out from among the wicked. Save yourselves. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.” 4 A critical element in observing this commandment is to “remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” 5

The Sabbath lasts all day! In a revelation “especially applicable to the saints in Zion,” 6 the Lord states that the Sabbath was given that we might keep ourselves “unspotted from the world.” 7 It is a day to partake of the sacrament, a day “to pay [our] devotions unto the Most High,” 8 a day of “fasting and prayer,” 9 a day to offer our time, talent, and means in service to our God and our fellowmen, 10 a day to “[confess our] sins [to our] brethren, and before the Lord.” 11 It is also a good day to pay our tithes and fast offerings, a day to be marked by sincere sacrifice of the pursuits and pleasures of the world. It is a day to keep the Sabbath covenant, 12 a day of “rejoicing and prayer,” 13 a day of “cheerful hearts and countenances.” 14

Isaiah promised, “If thou turn away thy foot … from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, … and … honour him, not … finding thine own pleasure, … then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.” 15

Obviously, our attention is on doing the Lord’s will and not continuing to work nor indulge our carnal appetites for recreation and loafing.

The prophet Spencer W. Kimball counseled: “The Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence from work and recreation is important but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it. To observe it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, sleeping, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day to which he is expected. [Failure] to do these proper things is a transgression on the omission side.” 16

Our beloved prophet Gordon B. Hinckley has promised: “If you have any doubt about the wisdom, the divinity of observing the Sabbath Day, … stay home and gather your family about you, teach them the gospel, enjoy yourselves together on the Sabbath Day, come to your meetings, participate. You will know that the principle of the Sabbath is a true principle which brings with it great blessings.” 17

Jesus taught, “The sabbath was made for man.” 18 What does that mean? It means for a man to have the joy and happiness which the gospel promises, on this day he must sacrifice the world, set aside his employment as possible, and keep the eternal covenant of the Sabbath day. The Lord commanded: “Wherefore the children of Israel [which includes all Latter-day Saints] shall keep the sabbath … throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever.” 19

Of all people on the earth, the Latter-day Saints must lead out in sanctifying this appointed day each week. “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,” said the Lord, “ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” 20

To this very day, “the matter of Sabbath observance remains … as one of the great tests which divides the righteous from the worldly and wicked,” said Elder Bruce R. McConkie. 21

The promises of the Lord to those who keep the Sabbath day holy are so wonderfully clear in the scriptures that they leave one asking, “Why would anyone throw away such blessings for the tawdry, temporary pleasures of the world?” Hear again the words of Jehovah as they roll down from Mount Sinai: “Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

“If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

“Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase. …

“… And ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

“And I will give [you] peace in the land, … neither shall the sword go through your land. …

“For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, … and establish my covenant with you. …

“And I will set my tabernacle [that is, my temple] among you. …

“And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.” 22

I love the Sabbath day! It has blessed my family in countless ways. I bear a testimony born of personal experience that the commandments of the Lord are “true and faithful.” 23

I know you will be happier, enjoy greater peace, and find your lives made glad as you witness the miracles that come to each person and family who make the sacrifice of keeping this eternal covenant.

I love our Lord and Savior. I know He lives and that this is His Church and kingdom on earth. I know He is at once a just and merciful God, who loves His children with all the tenderness of a kind and loving Father. May we, in turn, “offer a sacrifice unto the Lord [our] God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit,” 24 I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Notes
1. D&C 43:8.
2. D&C 43:9.
3. D&C 43:9.
4. D&C 38:42.
5. Ex. 20:8.
6. D&C 59: section heading.
7. D&C 59:9.
8. D&C 59:10.
9. D&C 59:14.
10. D&C 59:12 reads, “Thou shalt offer up thine oblations,” meaning to offer one’s time, talents, or means (see footnote b).
11. D&C 59:12.
12. D&C 59:12.
13. D&C 59:14.
14. D&C 59:15.
15. Isa. 58:13–14.
16. The Miracle of Forgiveness (1969), 96–97.
17. Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley (1997), 559.
18. Mark 2:27.
19. Ex. 31:16–17.
20. Matt. 5:20.
21. Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. (1966), 658.
22. Lev. 26:2–12.
23. D&C 71:11.
24. D&C 59:8.

Sunday School Lesson 42: Jeremiah 16, 23, 29, 31

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:56:00 -0700

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

As you read Jeremiah, you should do what the lesson materials for Isaiah suggested: ask how those to whom Jeremiah was speaking would have understood his prophecies, how those in the Book of Mormon (who had a record of part of his prophecies with them) would have understood them, how the members of the Church in New Testament times would have understood them, how we can understand them today, and how they may teach us of things yet to come. Looking at each prophecy from these perspectives may help us see things we otherwise would have overlooked or understand better why some things are opaque to us.

As you read, also think about Jeremiah’s situation. We know that he was reluctant to serve as a prophet. (See Jeremiah 1:6-8 and 17.) He probably knew Lehi, and it isn’t difficult to imagine him wondering “Why me? I’ve been called to remain unmarried and without children, and to be persecuted for prophesying, whereas Lehi has been called to prophecy and then, after relatively brief persecution, to take his family with him to a promised land. That doesn’t seem fair.” Whether Jeremiah wondered something like that or not, what was his response to his call? See Jeremiah 1:18: “I have made thee a defenced city, an iron pillar, and brasen walls [i.e., walls of brass] against the whole land.” What does this image suggest about what Jeremiah can expect his relation with Judah to be like? What particulars of Jeremiah’s biography bear out this image? (Read about Jeremiah in your Bible Dictionary.) How does the Lord strengthen him for his task?

Old Testament Lesson 38: Isaiah 40-49

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 17:43:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

1 Approach

These represent the notes I made during my reading of the scriptural text for this lesson. It is not a lesson outline or a lesson plan but really notes about issues and questions that struck me as interesting during my reading. Consequently, the notes do not have a conclusion and very little mention of application. I like to let those things arise while I teach.

2 Introduction

1. We have now shifted to a world where Babylon is the superpower.

2. Jerusalem is destroyed (describing post 587 BCE world).

3. Many Jews have been scattered through Egypt and Mesopotamia.

4. The rise of Persia and Cyrus and the return of the Jews is either in sight or beginning to happen.

3 The Lord Is Returning to Jerusalem (40:1-11)

3.1 Comfort My People

Read Isaiah 40:1-2

1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.

* How would you summarize or explain the message of these first two verses? What is the Lord’s message?

* What does the phrase, “speak ye comfortably”, mean in the first part of verse 2? The NRSV translates this as, “speak tenderly to Jerusalem.” What does it mean to “speak tenderly” to Jerusalem given the city of Jerusalem is destroyed? How might someone “speak tenderly” in this context? Who is supposed to “speak tenderly” to her?

* Who do you think was the intended original audience for this message? How would they have viewed this message?

Old Testament Lesson 38: Isaiah 40-49

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:41:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

These chapters begin a new section of Isaiah. The first 39 chapters focused on Judah and Israel before the exile in Babylon: the sin and iniquity of Judah and Israel. This section, chapters 40-56, focuses on Judah and Israel during the exile: the promise of return. And the last chapters, 57-66, will focus on Judah and Israel after the exile: life after the return. If we think of these times in Israel’s history as shadows of eternal types, what might we see as their type? Are there other ways of reading the same material, ways of seeing other shadows of the eternal types? For example, what might they mean to Nephi? to Matthew or Paul? to Joseph Smith? to you as an individual?

Overview

If you are having trouble reading Isaiah, this overview may help you see how things are connected to each other. I’ve tried to avoid interpretation in this overview, sticking merely to restatement and description as much as possible.

Chapter 40

1-2: The Lord tells the prophet to comfort his people and tell them that the exile is about to end.

3-5: A highway will be prepared on which the exiles can travel when they return to see the glory of the Lord.

6-8: Though the things of the world are transient, God’s promises are eternal.

9-11: The prophet is told to announce from the mountain tops the return of the exiles, led by the Lord

12-17: The incomparable power of the Lord.

18-20: The Lord cannot be compared to an idol of any kind.

21-26: The incomparable power of the Lord.

27-31: The prophet addresses Israel as a whole reminding them that the Lord has the power to save them and will do so.

Old Testament Lesson 37: Isaiah 22

Sun, 19 Sep 2010 17:42:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

1 Approach

2 Introduction

2.1 A Theme Revisited

I was tempted to start my notes with chapter 24, but I decided not to after rereading chapter 22. The thing that jumped out was how Isaianic themes manifest themselves in chapter 22.

For example, I think an important theme of Isaiah is that Israel needs to learn how to be a servant. Israel and Jerusalem must relearn this role. It is not a new role for Israel but rather the typical role applied to a changing national status. The LORD will teach Israel to be a servant one way or another. This theme in Isaiah always reminds me of the words of Alma to the impoverished Zoramites (Alma 34:12-13):

(12) I say unto you, it is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues, that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom; for it is necessary that ye should learn wisdom; for it is because that ye are cast out, that ye are despised of your brethren because of your exceeding poverty, that ye are brought to a lowliness of heart; for ye are necessarily brought to be humble. (13) And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and bendureth to the end the same shall be saved.

* Do you think the situation of Israel during this historical period is comparable? In what ways is there overlap? What are the important differences?

* Can you think of stories or parts of the Old or New Testament that emphasize the importance of Israel being a servant?

* Does Israel often triumph through servitude?

Old Testament Lesson 37: "Thou Hast Done Wonderful Things"

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:02:00 -0600

by Ted L. Gibbons
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: What is the best thing anyone ever did for you? Have you experienced an act of service or sacrifice so stunning that you could not stop speaking of it. Have you ever used the word "wonderful" to describe such goodness? I got a call from CompUSA a few years ago. They invited me to come to the store and collect my new 21' computer monitor. I was gratified at the invitation but assured them that I had not ordered a monitor.

"Mr. Gibbons," the clerk explained, "someone did. It was ordered for you and paid for by someone else. It's yours. It's paid for. Come and get it."

"Who paid for it?" I asked. The clerk could not or would not tell me. When I asked for the retail value, I was told that it was $1021.00.

I wish I knew who paid for it. I would like to tell them that they did a wonderful thing!

Isaiah recognized in the mission and ministry of Christ a multitude of wonderful things the Redeemer had done for him and for all of us. He must have felt impelled to share his thankfulness with his readers. In celebration he wrote, "Thou has done wonderful things!" (Isaiah 25:1) In Isaiah 12:5, Isaiah says "Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth." How many wonderful and excellent things has the Savior done for you? The presentation of these remarkable things the Savior has done fill the book of Isaiah, ascending again and again from the pages of his testimony to reverberate in our own hearts and souls. We will have a look at several of them in this lesson.

1. THE SAVIOR OPENS THE DOOR TO HIS HEAVENLY FATHER'S PRESENCE.

"And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open" (Is. 22:22).

What doors has the Savior opened for us that no one has the power to close? The Savior has opened the door to his Father's presence. He has opened the grave. Read the following from Revelation:

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it . . ." (Rev. 3:7,8).


2. THE SAVIOR SHOWS MERCY FOR THOSE IN SPIRIT PRISON.

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited" (Is. 24:21,22).

The willingness of the Savior to visit and offer redemption to those in spirit prison is powerful evidence of his mercy and his love. What does Isaiah 42:7 say the Savior will do for some who are in prison? If he brings them out, where will they go?

In Moses, as Enoch learned about the flood, he was also taught a wonderful lesson about the Savior's love for those of that generation who would perish for their iniquities:

"But behold, these which thine eyes are upon shall perish in the floods; and behold, I will shut them up; a prison have I prepared for them. And That which I have chosen hath pled before my face. Wherefore, he suffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my Chosen shall return unto me, and until that day they shall be in torment . . ." (Moses 7:38,39).

The Savior pled before the Father for those who would drown in the floods, and suffered for their sins in accordance with their repentance.

3. THE SAVIOR IS A STRENGTH AND A REFUGE.

"For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall" (Isaiah 25:4)

"Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man [the man is the king in verse 1] shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land" (Isaiah 32:1,2).

I think most of you who are reading this lesson have turned to the Savior during personal, cataclysmic storms. He is the ultimate hiding place; a place of security into which no storm can penetrate.

4. THE SAVIOR WILL PREPARE A FEAST AND DESTROY THE VAIL.

"And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations" (Is. 25:6,7).

The "mountain" in this passage is almost certainly the temple. What sort of feeling does Isaiah want to communicate when he discusses our experiences in this mountain as a "feast of fat things"? What do we feast on in the temple? (See 2N32:5) What vail is "spread over all nations" that will be destroyed in the temple? How does the experience of the temple help us recall and respond to our pre-existent experiences? How does it help us penetrate the vail between us and that eternal world where God dwells?

The temple also destroys the " the face of the covering cast over all people." While this phrase is certainly a chiastic form, it does seem that there is a second source of obscurity and darkness cast over all people.

"And he beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced" (Moses 7:26).

How does the temple experience assist us in detecting and resisting the enticements of satanic darkness?

5. THE SAVIOR WIPES AWAY OUR TEARS

"He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it" (Isaiah 25:8).

Imagine an end to tears, to sadness, to misery. This is precisely what Christ will do for the righteous.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely" (Revelation 21:4-6).

Can you comprehend a being of such limitless power as to be able to put an end to sorrow, tears, death, crying, and pain? He declared here and in may other places that he is "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." What else is he the "end" of?; What is he the "beginning" of?

6. THE SAVIOR WILL BRING THE RESURRECTION.

"Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead" (Is. 26:19).

Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust! Do you think that our joy at the resurrection will move us to anthems of praise D&C 138 is pretty clear about the sense of captivity we will feel without our bodies. Speaking of those awaiting and experiencing the advent of the Savior into the world of Spirits, President Smith said,

"I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand" (D&C 138:15).

"They were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world, to declare their redemption from the bands of death" (D&C 138:16).

"While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful..." (D&C 138:18).

"For the dead had looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage" (D&C 138:50).

Notice in the passage below that the spirits sang praises in anticipation of their redemption.

"And the saints rejoiced in their redemption, and bowed the knee and acknowledged the Son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell. Their countenances shone, and the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them, and they sang praises unto his holy name" (D&C 138:23,24).

My body went bad on me 10 years ago. I have things wrong with me now were I did not know I had things when I was fifty. But Amulek promises more than a return to our bodies at the time of the resurrection. He promises that we will be resurrected to or with a perfect frame. (Alma 11:43,44). Speaking as a man with bad eyes and bad ears and a bad back and a bad leg and a inconsistent heart and no hair, this seems to be to be a wonderful thing!

7. THE SAVIOR IS OUR SURE FOUNDATION.

"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste" (Is. 28:16).

The progression of images in this verse is instructive. Christ is a stone. He is a tried stone. He is a precious cornerstone. Finally, he is a sure foundation. The four images overlap, but also suggest four different things he can do for us.

I had a friend who was standing on a low overhang looking at the ocean near San Diego when the ground beneath his feet gave way. He fell amid a cascade or dirt and rock and slid toward a high precipice above jagged rocks and the pounding surf of the Pacific. He arrested his descent within only a few feet of the edge and avoided a fall to serious injury or death. His foundation gave way. They all will, all but this one foundation--the sure foundation, "a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall" (Hel. 5:12)

What are some of the foundations upon which men try to construct their lives? I know a young man who played professional football. His income was staggering and his hopes were bright, until an unforseen injury caused him to be cut from the team. That foundation gave way. Fortunately, he had already begun to rebuild his life on the only sure foundation. Others have offered us a <i>piece of the rock</i>, but Christ offers us perfect security, a rock against which all other elements and events are powerless.

8. THE SAVIOR WILL RESTORE THE GOSPEL TO THE EARTH.
"Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid" (Is. 29:13,14).

The story of the restoration in Isaiah 29 is sufficiently clear to offer me an excuse not to examine it carefully here. Most of you know what happens, but there is a lesson about the goodness of the Savior also.

I got hopelessly lost one night in the outskirts of Las Vegas, searching for a chapel where a couple of hundred people were awaiting my arrival for a Know Your Religion presentation. I drove frantically up and down the streets trying to orient myself with what I remembered of the directions I had received. Finally, I stopped and asked for help. A kind man in a convenience store drew me a map that led me safely to my destination.

How lost would you and your family be without the Restoration. What hope would you have of finding any worthwhile destination on your own, or by the uncertain light of your own intellect or of manmade creeds?

9. THE SAVIOR KNOWS OUR TRIALS AND DIRECTS OUR PATHS.

"For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Is. 30:19-21)

The Sermon on the Mount makes it clear that storms come to the lives of the obedient and the disobedient.

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it" (Matt. 7:24-27)

Everybody gets a portion of the "bread of affliction. and the water of affliction" The difference is not in the storms that come, but in the way we are able to deal with the storms. In your own lives, what has it meant to you to be able to seek the help and comfort of the Lord when tribulation comes? What does it mean to you to have inspired teachers who can instruct you when the hard times come? How valuable has the sweet and quiet voice from that invisible source (the one behind you)--the one telling you what to do and how to find the way--been in your life?

CONCLUSION: As mentioned in the introduction, in Isaiah 12:5, we read these words: "Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth." Wonderful things . . . Excellent things . . . We have examined 9 of them. But there are so many more. Why not have a family home evening and invite those of your household to make a list of the wonderful things and the excellent things the Lord has done and will do for you? Perhaps at the beginning you could show a clip from the movie The Wizard of Oz. You know the part I mean, where Dorothy and Toto start down the yellow brick road while the Munchkins are singing, "You're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz"

Why make the trip?

"Because, because, because, because, because . . . Because of the wonderful things he does."

Let us be off, as well--off to see the Savior, for the very same reason

Old Testament Lesson 37: Isaiah 22, 23, 24-26, 27, 28-30

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:26:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

Chapters 23 and 27 are not assigned for the lesson. Nevertheless, I have included them because I will refer to them.

This week, rather than giving a list of questions to answer, I will suggest some exercises in reading that seem to me to be particularly appropriate to reading Isaiah, exercises in understanding in terms of types and shadows.

Before studying how these chapters can apply to us, consider a literal, historical interpretation of these chapters. You may need to consult the maps in your scriptures to understand the references to countries and kingdoms. Looking at a literal interpretation may help us understand it better when we try to think of it as a type of something else.

This is how I think the people of Isaiah’s time would have understood what he was saying:

　 22:1-14

What will happen to Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar invades.

　 22:14-25

The condemnation and exile of Shebna, a high official in Hezekiah’s government, and his replacement by someone more worthy, Eliakim. One tradition says that he was the steward of the king’s household, another that he was in charge of the Temple treasury. Tradition also says that he plotted to turn Hezekiah over to the Assyrians, but verse 16 seems to suggest that he has tried to give himself a high status, perhaps by embezzlement.

Old Testament Lesson 36: Isaiah 1-6

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 17:28:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

1 Approach

2 Introduction

2.1 Isaiah, The Prophet

We can glean some information about Isaiah, the prophet, from the book of Isaiah. The first verse of Isaiah informs us that he prophesied during the reigns of four Judean Kings: Uzziah (785-733 BCE), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (727/715-698/687).

1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Thus Isaiah’s prophetic career spanned the second half of the 8th century and the beginning of the 7th century BCE. Isaiah was married and his wife is called a prophetess (8:3):

3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

The prophet and the prophetess had several children and they gave their children symbolic names (like Hosea and Gomer did).

Scholars point out that Isaiah had frequent encounters with the Kings of Judah (Ahaz and Hezekiah).1 Thus Isaiah may have had the same kind of prominence as a prophet as Nathan did during King David’s reign.

Old Testament Lesson 35: Amos

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:28:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

1 Approach

2 Background

2.1 What Do We Know about Amos?

The book of Amos does give us some information about Amos, the person. For example, in the the superscription (1:1) we learn the following:

1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

Amos is from Tekoa which is a town about 10 miles south of Jerusalem1. Despite living in the Kingdom of Judah, his preaching is generally directed to the Northern Kingdom (or Judah and Israel together).

Amos was active during the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel (786-747 BCE), and during the reign of Uzziah of Judah (he vacated the throne in 759 because of Illness and died in 733).2. Many scholar consider Amos to slightly predate both Hosea and Isaiah and hence Amos is often called the first “writing” prophet.3

Sunday School Lesson 33: Jonah 1-4: Micah 2, 4-7

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:56:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

This is another long set of study notes. I have adapted parts of them from a set of notes that Arthur Bassett made several years ago—but don’t hold Art responsible for any mistakes you see here. They are probably mine. I will provide study notes for both sets of readings, that from Jonah and that from Micah, but I will concentrate my notes on the book of Jonah.

With this lesson we begin to study a group of writings called the Minor Prophets. Jews divide the Hebrew Bible (what we call “the Old Testament,” but what is probably more accurately called “the First Testament”) into the Law (the first five books of the First Testament, also called the Pentateuch), the Writings (parts of which are also called “Wisdom Literature”; the Writings consist of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, The Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles), and the Prophets (Joshua, Judges Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel—the Major Prophets—and Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zepheniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi—the Minor Prophets) . The terms “Major Prophets” and “Minor Prophets” have nothing to do with the relative importance of the prophets in question. The terms refer only to the size of the scrolls on which the books are written: the major prophets’ scrolls are large; the minor prophets’ scrolls are small.

To this point, the materials we have read have focused on the miracles done by the prophets. Now the focus changes. Both the minor prophets and the major prophets we will study will focus on their message of repentance to Israel. How would you account for that change? Before dealing directly with this week’s reading materials, I will look briefly at five of the Minor Prophets, Jonah, Hosea, Amos, Micah, and Joel. There is little doubt about the historical existence of these prophets, except for Jonah. Many believing scholars do not believe that Jonah was an actual person; many do. However, whether he did is irrelevant to our purposes in Sunday School, so I will ignore it and treat Jonah as if he were an actual person.

OT Testament Lesson 33 notes: Jonah

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:54:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

Gospel Doctrine
Lesson: Jonah
Reading: Jonah, Micah 2,4-7

1 Approach

2 Background

2.1 Nineveh

Jonah is commanded by the Lord to go to Nineveh. The city of Niveveh was the capital of Assyria during the 7th century BCE.1 Assyria conquered Samaria (the Northern Kingdom of Israel) in 722 BCE. The city of Nineveh was later destroyed by the Babylonians and their allies in 612 BCE.2

2.2 Who was Jonah?

Well, the name and father’s name are identical to a prophet mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25. Jonah of Kings was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom during the reign of Jeroboam II (786-764 BCE3).

3 Tools of the Author

I think the book of Jonah is wonderful to read. I find it both moving and refreshing. I think it provides a nice theological balance to other parts of Old Testament, and emphasizes themes that are very important in the New Testament.

Despite its size, Jonah strikes me as a complex book. The book easily allows the reader to reflect on many important ideas, concepts, and themes. What themes stuck out to when you read the book of Jonah?

1. God’s Grace and mercy

2. The importance of forgiveness

3. The power of repentance

4. The constrained understanding of humans relative to God

5. Others?

KD Old Testament Lesson 31: Proverbs

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:55:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

1 A Note on approach

2 Introduction

2.1 Fools and Folly

Read Proverbs 26:4

4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

And also the proverb is the next verse:

5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

* What do you think of these two proverbs?

* Do you think these proverbs give us any insight into how we should approach the book of Proverbs? About how we should read the different proverbs? About how the different proverbs relate to each other?

* These two proverbs are sometimes held out as good examples of why the instruction in Proverbs is only situationally and not universally true since the two proverbs seem to contradict each other1.

* Do you think these two proverbs contradict each other? Are there any other possibilities?

OT Lesson 31: Proverbs and Ecclesiastes

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:48:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

I laughed when I saw what this lesson covers, “only” slightly less than 16,000 words in Proverbs and slightly more than 23,000 words in Ecclesiastes. If we have the full 40 minutes, that means we should try to cover the content of about 1,000 words per minute (assuming that we don’t have opening or closing prayers and that we don’t do any introductions or visiting—and that Sacrament meeting ends as scheduled). Obviously we cannot look at everything in these books in Sunday School class.

Equally obvious is that if we spend fifteen minutes to an hour a day studying the assigned material, we will be able to get read both books. But it will be difficult to spend much time actually studying them.

Because it is so seldom read and talked about, and because it is such a beautiful book, I am going to focus my study notes on Ecclesiastes. This time, however, my notes will consist primarily of a synopsis of how I read Ecclesiastes rather than questions about it. I hope my notes will help you study that book during the week before the lesson.

KD Old Testament Lesson 30: Hezekiah

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:47:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

1 A Note on approach

2 Hezekiah, Solomon, and the Chronicler 2.1 Solomon and the Chronicler

* Why does the Chronicler paint Hezekiah as a “new” Solomon (Note, he also seems to draw on David imagery as well)? 1 Wasn’t Solomon ultimately flawed? Didn’t the Lord anoint Jeroboam to take Solomon’s place?

* All the preceding are part of Solomon’s reign according to the author of Kings but are missing in Chronicles. Solomon is throughout an ideal or near ideal King. Israel is free from faction and strife during his reign(2 Chr 8-10). There is no mention of forced labor (1 Kings 9:11-16) or Solomon’s unauthorized marriages to foreign woman, the building high places for his wives, or the anointing of Jeroboam in his place (1 Kings 11:1-38).

KD Old Testament Lesson 29 Notes: Elisha

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:04:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

1 Introduction

1.1 A Note on approach

1.2 Parallels between Jesus and Elisha

* Can you think of parallels between events in the life of Elisha and and the life of Jesus?

* LDS1 and non-LDS commentators2 have pointed out a number of parallels between events in the life of Elisha and the life of Jesus.

* A Few parallels between Jesus and Elisha

1. Elisha feeds a multitude with 20 loaves. Jesus feeds 5,000 with a few loaves (2 Kings 4:42-44).

2. Elisha heals a leper (2 Kings 5). Jesus heals ten lepers.

3. A man is raised from the dead after his burial when he comes in contact with Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:2-21). Jesus raises Lazarus and himself from the dead.

* Can you think of other parallels? What do you make of these parallels? Are they important? Are they just a coincidence?

Sunday School Lesson 30: 2 Chronicles 29-30; 32; 34

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:03:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

As the Old Testament tells the history, Hezekiah was the 13th king after David and the 11th king of Judah: David, then Solomon, then Rehoboam (who was king at the time of the split between Judah and Israel, and became the first king of Judah), then Abijah, then Asa, then Jehoshaphat, Joram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and finally Hezekiah. Hezekiah reigned from 715 B.C. to 687 B.C.

King Uzziah was a successful king, but at the end of his career he came into conflict with the temple priests. Whether the description of the conflict that we see in 2 Chronicles 26:16-23 is accurate is debatable, for it is clear that, as king, David had the right to offer sacrifice and to use the Urim and Thummim. (See 1 Samuel 23:9-12; 24:7-8; and 2 Samuel 24:25. The Urim and Thummim were attached to the ephod mentioned in 1 Samuel 23 and 24.) In addition, David tells us that he was given the Melchizedek priesthood (Psalm 110:4). There can be little doubt that the king of Israel was originally a priest-king. (See 1 Chronicles 29:23, which says that Solomon sat on “the throne of the Lord.”) So it seems likely that Uzziah was not doing anything improper when he made offering in the temple. If so, then the story in chapter 29, that Uzziah was stricken with leprosy because he dared to act as a priest in the temple, was written or edited later to justify excluding the king from priesthood functions. (Notice that 2 Kings 15:1-5 gives a different reason for Uzziah’s (Azariah’s) leprosy.)

KD Old Testament Lesson 28: Elijah

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:12:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

Gospel Doctrine
Lesson: Elijah
Reading: 1 Kings 17-19
1 Introduction

In today’s lesson, Ahab is the King of Israel (Northern Kingdom). Let me back up slightly to the end of chapter 16 which actually introduces Ahab and let’s see how the narrator summarizes Ahab’s reign. Read 1 Kings 16:30-34:

(30) And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. (31) And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. (32) And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. (33) And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. (34) In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.

1.1 Baal in Spades

What do we learn about Ahab? Who is he compared to?

How We Taught This Lesson in the Past: Lesson 29: “He Took Up … the Mantle of Elijah”

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:11:00 -0600

source: keepapitchinin.org

Although the title and purpose of this lesson in our current manual appears to make the sole point that Elisha took up the mantle of Elijah in both a literal and figurative sense, illustrating that one prophet succeeds another, the content of the lesson actually covers other incidents in Elisha’s ministry. Most of our old manuals include additional events. The lessons here come from Ezra C. Dalby’s Land and Leaders of Israel (Salt Lake City: Church Department of Education, 1930), a text used by the seminaries of the Church.

Elisha, the Man of God

Lesson Text: 1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 4:8-37.
Song.
Responsive Reading: Matt. 8:1-13.
Prayer by Student.
Memory Text: “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” – Luke 14:11.

The Message of the Lesson

A Woman’s Faith

It will be remembered that Elijah was instructed at Sinai to return and anoint Elisha as his successor. He found him plowing in the field; and as he passed by, he cast his mantle on him. Elisha immediately left his oxen and ran after Elijah, but asked permission to go back and kiss his father and mother goodbye, and then he would follow the prophet. Elijah answered: “Go back again: for what have I done to thee?” By that statement he did not mean to reprove Elisha, as some have supposed. He gave him full permission to return.

Sunday School Lesson 29: 2 Kings 2, 5-6

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:07:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

A reminder: these are not notes for preparing a Sunday School lesson—though they may help a person do that. They are notes for studying the chapters assigned for reading.

Arthur Bassett has pointed out these parallels between Elisha, on the one hand, and Moses and Christ, on the other. (All scripture references are to 2 Kings).

Elisha parts the water [2:14] (as Moses parted the sea and Joshua and Elijah parted the Jordan)—Jesus parts the heavens at the time of his baptism in the same Jordan.

He supplies water [2:19-22] (as had Moses)—Christ presents himself as the living water.

Waters appear to be blood [3:21-23] (as Moses had changed the river to blood)—Jesus turns water into wine.

He provides a never-ending supply of oil [an essential ingredient in bread, the staple food] for a widow [4:1-7] (as did Elijah)—Jesus provides a never-ending supply of the bread of life.

He restores life to a child [4:18-37] (as had Elijah)—Jesus does the same for two.

He renders poison harmless [4:38-41] (as had Moses with the snakes)—Jesus atones for the poisonous effect of sin in our lives.

He feeds a multitude with twenty loaves [4:42-44]—the Savior feeds the 5,000.

He heals a leper [5:1-14]—Christ heals ten lepers.

Gospel Doctrine Lesson 28:1 Kings 17-19

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:42:00 -0600

source: feastuponthewordblog.org

Elijah

We know from passages in the New Testament and, especially, from Latter-day revelation, that Elijah is one of the most important prophets to have lived. (In the Jewish tradition, he is second only to Moses.) Yet we know almost nothing about him. Why do you think that is?

In addition to the story of his life, in these and the next few chapters of scripture, we have Malachi’s prophecy that Elijah would come to bind the hearts of the fathers and the children (Malachi 4:5), as well as the repetition of that prophecy in several places, notably in D&C 2:1-3, where we are told that his coming will bring a restoration of the sealing priesthood. (See also D&C 110:13-16). The Savior thought the prophecy was so important that he repeated it during his ministry to the Nephites.

Of Elijah, Joseph Smith said:

The spirit, power, and calling of Elijah is, that ye have power to hold the key of the revelations, ordinances, oracles, powers and endowments of the fulness of the Melchizedek Priesthood and of the kingdom of God on the earth; and to receive, obtain, and perform all the ordinances belonging to the kingdom of God, even unto the turning of the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the hearts of the children unto the fathers, even those who are in heaven. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 337)
The Spirit of Elias is first, Elijah second, and Messiah last. Elias is a forerunner to prepare the way, and the spirit and power of Elijah is to come after, holding the keys of power, building the temple to the capstone, placing the seals of the Melchizedek priesthood upon the house of Israel, and making all things ready; then Messiah comes to his temple, which is last of all. (Documentary History of the Church, 6:254)