OLD TESTAMENT STUDENT MANUAL GENESIS–2 SAMUEL OLD TESTAMENT STUDENT MANUAL GENESIS–2 SAMUEL Religion 301 Prepared by the Church Educational System Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah Send comments and corrections, including typographic errors, to CES Editing, 50 E. North Temple Street, Floor 8, Salt Lake City, UT 84150-2772 USA. E-mail: <[email protected]> Cover by Harry Anderson Third edition © 1980, 1981, 2003 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America English approval: 9/02 Table of Contents Preface . v Enrichment Section D Feasts and Festivals . 181 Maps and Charts . 1 Chapter 16 A Law of Performances and Ordinances, Part 3: Laws of Mercy Chapter 1 For Our Profit and Learning: The and Righteousness Value of Studying the Old Testament (Leviticus 19–27) . 185 (Introduction). 21 Enrichment Section E The Problem of Large Chapter 2 The Creation (Genesis 1–2) . 27 Numbers in the Old Testament . 193 Chapter 3 The Fall (Genesis 3) . 39 Chapter 17 Wilderness Wanderings, Part 1 Enrichment Section A Who Is the God of the Old (Numbers 1–12) . 197 Testament? . 45 Chapter 18 Wilderness Wanderings, Part 2 Chapter 4 The Patriarchs (Genesis 4–11) . 51 (Numbers 13–36) . 205 Enrichment Section B Covenants and Covenant Chapter 19 An Exhortation to Obedience, Part 1 Making: Keys to Exaltation. 61 (Deuteronomy 1–16) . 215 Chapter 5 Abraham—Father of the Faithful Chapter 20 An Exhortation to Obedience, Part 2 (Genesis 12–17) . 65 (Deuteronomy 17–33) . 225 Chapter 6 Abraham—Model of Faith and Chapter 21 The Entry into the Promised Land Righteousness (Genesis 18–23). 75 (Joshua 1–24) . 235 Chapter 7 The Covenant Line Continues with Enrichment Section F Idolatry: Ancient and Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 24–36) . 83 Modern . 245 Chapter 8 Joseph: The Power of Preparation Chapter 22 The Reign of the Judges, Part 1 (Genesis 37–50) . 93 (Judges 1–12) . 251 Chapter 9 “Let My People Go” Chapter 23 The Reign of the Judges, Part 2 (Exodus 1–10). 103 (Judges 13–21; Ruth 1–4) . 259 Enrichment Section C Symbolism and Typology Chapter 24 The Prophet Samuel and Saul, in the Old Testament . 111 King of Israel (1 Samuel 1–15) . 267 Chapter 10 The Passover and the Exodus Chapter 25 King David’s Call to Lead Israel (Exodus 11–19) . 117 (1 Samuel 16–31) . 277 Chapter 11 The Ten Commandments Chapter 26 The Fall of King David (Exodus 20). 127 (2 Samuel 1–12) . 287 Chapter 12 The Mosaic Law: A Preparatory Chapter 27 The Price of Sin: Tragedy in the Gospel (Exodus 21–24; 31–35). 137 House of David (2 Samuel 13–24) . 295 Chapter 13 The House of the Lord in the Enrichment Section G Hebrew Literary Styles. 303 Wilderness (Exodus 25–30; 35–40) . 147 Chapter 28 The Psalms: Songs from the Heart Chapter 14 A Law of Performances and of Israel (Psalms) . 309 Ordinances, Part 1: Sacrifices and Bibliography. 317 Offerings (Leviticus 1–10) . 159 Author Index . 319 Chapter 15 A Law of Performances and Ordinances, Part 2: The Clean and Scripture Index. 326 the Unclean (Leviticus 11–18) . 173 Subject Index . 344 Preface The Importance of Studying the Old Testament What Should Be the Goal or Purpose in Taking This The Old Testament has greatly influenced many Course of Study? people down through time. Even today the roots of To Israel Moses declared, “Unto thee it was three of the world’s greatest religions—Christianity, shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is Islam, and Judaism—are firmly planted in the God; there is none else beside him” (Deuteronomy richness of its soil. Except for those to whom the 4:35). This course of study is designed to give you books were originally written, their messages are the opportunity to come to know the God of the Old perhaps of greater value to those living in the Testament in an intimate, personal, and powerful dispensation of the fulness of times than to any way. He is our Redeemer, and our goal for this other people. And they are especially valuable to course should be to be able to declare as did Job: Latter-day Saints. “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he Some of the lessons and insights that make a shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job careful study of the Old Testament’s contents not 19:25). In the pages of the Old Testament we see the only meaningful but critical are— premortal Jesus working with our Heavenly Father’s 1. The testimony of the existence of God. children to save them. From these accounts we can 2. The history of the beginnings of mankind as learn much about how to come unto Christ. Moses a divine race placed on the earth for eternal, divine summed up the process with these significant words: purposes. “If . thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt 3. The importance of establishing a covenant find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with relationship with God. all thy soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29). What greater goal 4. The history and purpose of the establishment could we seek? of the elect lineage through which the priesthood would be restored in the last days. How May This Goal Be Reached Most Effectively? 5. The development of that law upon which most Through the prophet Jeremiah the Lord declared, civil and criminal laws would be built. “My people have committed two evils; they have 6. The knowledge that God intervenes directly in forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and the lives of men and nations and that through Him hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can many are divinely led, directed, and protected. hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13). Cisterns, as sources 7. The consequences of disobedience and rebellion of reserve water supply, were extremely important to against God and His laws. the ancients, for it was on these that they could rely 8. The baseness of any form of idolatry and the to preserve themselves against the uncertainties of commandments of the Lord against it. nature. Cisterns were carved out of rock. On occasion 9. The need to endure, even through suffering the rock would prove full of fissures and unable to and pain. hold water. Using this fact as a metaphor, the Lord 10. The way by which the Saints can escape the brought two accusations against Israel. The first major destructions of the last days. was their lack of trust in Him. Jehovah, as the spring 11. The greatness and dreadfulness of the day of living water, could always be relied upon, but when the Lord will come in His glory. ancient Israel hewed new cisterns for themselves; 12. The testimony that the God of the Old that is, they turned to other sources for spiritual life Testament is Jesus Christ and that He came to earth and power. Second, these new cisterns could preserve to free men from death and make it possible for men the Spirit no better than a fractured cistern could hold to be freed from sin and thus return to the presence water. Thus, Israel was like people in a drought who of God the Father. ignored the cistern that held sufficient reserves to The gems in the book were meant to be enjoyed. help them and trusted instead in sources that could Those whose works are recorded in the Bible provide nothing. were anxious that their message be clear and Each chapter in this manual is designed to help comprehensible. Through time, translation, and you find the true source of living water—Jesus Christ. corruption, part of that clarity has been obscured. In the Old Testament this source is the Lord, and your Fortunately for Latter-day Saints, much of this clarity purpose is to come to know Him better. has been restored by (1) inspired commentary of Each lesson has a designated reading assignment modern prophets; (2) the guidance of the Holy Ghost; from the Old Testament. This assignment will be and (3) the revelation of the fulness of the gospel the core of your study and should be read carefully in the other standard works, especially the Book while you are studying each lesson. This manual of Mormon. (Religion 301) covers approximately one-half of the v Old Testament, from Genesis through 2 Samuel, This manual should be used as a resource to help including excerpts from Psalms. The rest of the you organize and get the most from your study of the Old Testament will be covered in the manual for scriptural passages. The chapters are arranged as Religion 302. follows: The course is not designed to have you read every 1. A short introductory section that sets the stage chapter of this part of the Old Testament. After you for the scriptures you will read. complete the parts assigned in the reading blocks, 2. A reading assignment. however, you will have read the greater part and 3. A section of notes and commentary (primarily acquired the skills necessary to understand the rest on from Church leaders) that will help with particularly your own. Combined with sincere prayer, scripture difficult passages. study can become the source of personal revelation 4. A section of points to ponder that call your and an avenue to increased spiritual power in your attention to some of the major lessons of the part of daily life. It is the way to come to the cistern that will the Old Testament you are studying and gives you quench your thirst, the one filled with living water.