Lynne's Old Testament Study Notes

 6/25/2022 – 1 Kings 11 Why don’t we ever learn??? In Solomon’s later years, he disobeyed the Lord’s commandments by marrying many wives outside the covenant. Some of Solomon’s wives encouraged him to worship idols, which turned his heart away from the Lord. After his death, his son Rehoboam, the new king, decided to increase the people’s burdens. The people revolted and were divided into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Jeroboam, king of the Northern Kingdom, introduced idolatry and other practices the Lord had told them to stay away from. The results: the next kings in Israel and Judah drifted even further into wickedness. Solomon started off as such a wise man and wise king….that was his prayer. But then he found Pharaoh’s daughter and made her his wife. That was followed by wives from the Moagites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites. (v 1)  V 3 tells us that “he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: an...

 6/24/2022 – 1 Kings 8 This chapter describes Solomon’s dedication of the temple the Lord had commanded him to build.  Solomon gathered many Israelites to participate in the dedication of the temple. Solomon first had the installation of the Ark of the Covenant –that held the 10 covenants that the Lord had asked them to make with Him—they are still held upon the tables of stone ‘which Moses put there”, and were protected in the Ark of the Covenant which was now in the Holy of Holies in the new temple. And when the priests had secured the Ark of the Covenant in it’s place in the Holy of Holies, they came out of that room—and at that moment “a cloud filled the House of the Lord.” (v 10) Solomon makes several requests of the Lord as the Israelites use His temple: “hearken thou to the supplication of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven… and when thou hearest, forgive.” (v 30) He continues on and in v’s 39-40 he prays “Then hear thou i...

 6/22/2022 – 1 Kings 3 I think I’ll start with the study manual’s outline of 1 Kings 1-11. This gives an overview of these times, and instead of simply trying to follow the flow of the story, I can zero in on the whys and the wherefores of the choices people made. Being aware of those poor choices can be the key for us to keep our lives in line with Heavenly Father and His commandments, and, I believe, with the plans we had for ourselves when we knew it was close to ‘our turn on earth’.  Outline: “1 Kings 1–11.    Before his death, King David had his son Solomon anointed king. Solomon rules his kingdom with great wisdom. Solomon builds a temple and his palace at Jerusalem, beginning the period known as the “golden age of Israel.” The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon. Solomon’s wives lure him away from worshipping the Lord and encourage him to worship false gods. Solomon’s kingdom is threatened by Jeroboam.” Solomon, son of David & Bathsheba has been crowned as king....

  6/21/2022 – 2 Samuel 11-12 Chapter 11 It is in this chapter that David commits adultery with Bathsheba. This is where President Hinckley’s account of what had happened in his work with the railroad: “We discovered that a baggage car that belonged in Newark, New Jersey, was in fact in New Orleans, Louisiana—1,500 miles from its destination. Just the three-inch movement of the switch in the St. Louis yard by a careless employee had started it on the wrong track, and the distance from its true destination increased dramatically. That is the way it is with our lives. Instead of following a steady course, we are pulled by some mistaken idea in another direction. The movement away from our original destination may be ever so small, but, if continued, that very small movement becomes a great gap and we find ourselves far from where we intended to go.”  David let himself down by bad decision after bad decision: in v 2 David simply goes out on his roof top one evening, and from that ...

 6/20/2022 – 2 Samuel 5-7 Chapter 5 It was sad for me to follow Saul, who as a young man going after his father’s stray donkeys, showed such a strong work ethic, and such a strong faith and belief in Samuel, the prophet, and then see such a rapid downfall from his humility, his belief in the Lord and the Lord’s prophet, and in his desire to help others. He became a spiteful man, intent only on things that would help and elevate his status in the eyes of the word.  And now we see David, who showed true and deep humility, an ability to forgive others who were cruel to him, and to follow the Lord and spread his testimony by his words and by his actions.  As we look at both of these men, we would be wise to learn from them:  1) Regardless of our past wonderful experiences, our spiritual strength depends on the choices we make today 2) I feel that my almost daily time spend in the scriptures truly sets the groove for my day 3) When we give way to temptation, we will...

6/18/2022 – 1 Samuel 18 As I begin this last chapter in Samuel that I’ll cover in Come Follow me, I think of the things I’ve already learned from David: HUMILITY in all circumstances, his amazing focus and belief on the Lord (I believe that is called FAITH),  and his COURAGE to do what is right in all of his doings—whether he fights to save his nation or whether he assures that the sheep he has been asked to care for are in good hands when he has to leave. Saul brings David to live in his home. David and Jonathan (Saul’s son) become close friends. Jonathan gives his sword and bow and his garments to David…honoring and supporting the fact that be believes David will, and should be, the next king instead of Jonathan himself. (v’s 3-4) Saul sends David out to take care of various situations.  “And David went out whtihersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sights ...

 6/17/2022 – 1 Samuel 17 This is where we learn about David and Goliath. The first thing I learned today is that in those times, it was not unusual for opposing armies, which were generally quite small, to select one representative from each side to fight a personal contest—the outcome that ‘one man against one man’ would determine the winner of the battle. And it seems to me, it would greatly reduce the number of casualties of war. Goliath was 9 feet 9 inches tall. They believe the weight of Goliath’s armor was about 150 pounds, and his spearhead’s weight to be somewhere between 12 and 24 pounds. Goliath went out with all these heavy, but protective, things, and called out to the Israelites to send one of them to fight him. If David lost, he and all of the other Israelites, would be slaves to the Philistines. Goliath challenged the Israelites again and again, morning and evening, for 40 days. David had certainly been a help to King Saul, and but at this time –even though he was se...

 6/16/2022 – 1 Samuel 16  Samuel, the prophet, is saddened by Saul’s changes of attitude and of behavior. “And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?” The Lord then tells Samuel to go on a journey to Jesse’s house to find the man that He has now chosen to rule over Israel. The Lord knows the good and the bad of all of us. He gives us our free agency-- that is the plan that we learned in Heaven. If we ask for His guidance, and if we respond to His promptings, we will grow closer to him…which will also help us to have a stronger life, and a more calm and happy disposition.  When Samuel got to the place where Jesse and his family lived, Samuel asked Jesse’s family and those around him to participate with Samuel (their prophet) in his sacrifice to the Lord.  After the sacrifice, Samuel looked over Jesse’s boys and saw Eliab (thinking: “Surely the Lord’s anointed…v 6) But the Lord then spoke to S...

 6/15/2022 – 1 Samuel 15  This is a sad chapter. We see that the Lord rejects Saul as king because of his disobedience. In the beginning, Saul had been called because of his humility: “thou wast little in thine own sight” (v 17) But in a fairly short time Saul began to trust in his own wisdom instead of looking to God. Saul DOES repent, but his repentance was too late and very short-lived.  At the beginning of this chapter, Samuel speaks to Saul confirming that “the Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king…over Israel: [and Samuel specifically reminds Saul of the most important thing] now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.” ( v1) Then in v 11, after Saul has made changes in the battle plan that the Lord had giving him for his battles with the Amalekites, the Lord says to Samuel “It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.” Saul shows no remorse for his not f...

 6/14/2022 – 1 Samuel 10 & 13 1 Samuel 10 Once again, I love the chapter synopsis: “Samuel anoints Saul to be captain over the Lord’s inheritance—Samuel manifests gift of seership—Saul prophesies among the prophets, and the Lord gives him a new heart….” V1: “Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his [Saul’s]head….the Lord hath anointed thee…”  This is what is found in  Keil and Delitzsch Commentary, 2:2:95: “Anointing with oil was a symbol of endowment with the Spirit of God; as the oil itself, by virtue of the strength which it gives to the vital spirits, was a symbol of the Spirit of God as the principle of divine and spiritual power [see Leviticus 8:12].” I loved reading that as I did not know the significance of oil when used when giving a blessing. That touches my heart.   V’s 2-5 explains that after Samuel anointed Saul, he prophesied of the experiences Saul would have as he traveled. He than promises Saul the “the Spirit of the Lord will ...

1 Samuel 8 & 9 1 Samuel 8 Populations of people can have many different types of government. The scriptures show us that a theocracy (a government by immediate directions of God through his ministers and representatives) is His preferred government. This works wonderfully when the head of the government is righteous. Examples: Abraham, Moses, Lehi, Nephi…and with Christ’s second coming, it will be Jesus.  But at this time in 1 Samuel, it is Samuel. It is sad to learn that just as Eli’s sons refused to follow the laws of the Lord, and did much damage to others because of their behavior, now Samuel’s sons “walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment” (v 3)  His sons were not the only ones who were pulling themselves away from the Lord. Many of the Israelites were no longer following the Lord’s commandments. They had become weak and sinful and envious of the kingdoms around them who were ruled by kings, and were now coming to ...

6/10/2022 – 1 Samuel 3 Eli is quite old now. His vision is dim. Samuel, still a child, “ministered unto the Lord before Eli.” (v 1) And we are also told that “the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.” Harold B Lee spoke of this in a talk at BYU. He explained that the word Precious means ‘scarce’, which means that “the word of God was seldom heard in all the land.” Here is Elder Lee’s talk (But Arise and Stand Upon Thy Feet –and I Will Speak with Thee): “‘And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.’ (I Samuel 3:1) ... That means that there was no prophet upon the earth through whom the Lord could reveal his will, either by personal experience, or by revelation. And it came to pass that Eli was laid down in his place and his eyes were dim, and Samuel the boy also lay down to his sleep, and you remember through that night there came a call, ‘Samuel,’ and thinking ...

 6/8/2022 – 1 Samuel 2 Hannah has given Samuel to Eli and Samuel will devote his life to the Lord, and she now sings praises to the Lord for answering her prayer to bear a son: “My heart rejoiceth in the Lord…There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee…neither is there any rock like our God…He will keep the feet of his saints…” (v’s 1-3, 9) In v 10 we learn that Samuel did truly, even as a young person, devote himself to the Lord: “And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest.” Samuel was doing well, but Eli’s sons were not doing well.  V 12 confirms the actions of Eli’s sons: “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.” They did not handle the sacrifices as they should, for they took the best portions for themselves, thus “they thereby brought the sacrifice of the Lord into contempt”. If the person who brought the sacrifice confronted Eli’s sons for their stealing the sacrifice to the Lord, and taking it for themselves...

6/7/2022 – 1 Samuel 1 This chapter is about Hannah (who had not been able to have a baby) and Peninnah (who had lots of children). Both were wives of Elkanah. Peninnah was mean and harsh toward Hannah and was constantly striving to irritate and vex her, to make her fret—to make her discontented with her lot, because the Lord had denied her children. Hannah was a woman of prayer, but an answer to her concerns was so very slow in coming. Elkanah went to his yearly time of sacrifice and worship to the Lord. His wives went with him. After the sacrifices Hannah made her way to the temple where she prayed a fervent prayer. This was her vow: “Oh Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid [I love that word ‘handmaid’ and all the possibilities of our lives that it represents], and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come up...

 6/6/2022 – Ruth  This book tells of a family who either lived during the time of the judges, or possibly after David’s or Solomon’s time. But whenever it was written it is a story of conversion, courage, determination, loyalty, and faithfulness as we read of the compassion and loved shared between Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth. It is a wonderful story of family relationships. Naomi and her family had moved from Bethlehem-Judiah to Moab, where her husband dies, and her sons marry Moabite women. About 10 years after that her sons die. Naomi decides to move back to Bethlehem where she has extended family. She was accompanied by her two daughters-in-law. Naomi knew she would probably have hard living conditions when she got to Bethlehem.  With love, she stopped, telling her two daughters-in-law to each return to their mothers’ houses where their chances for a better life would be much higher. Orpah chose to go back, but Ruth chose to go with Naomi. Ruth goes to Bethleh...

 6/3/2022 – Judges 15 & 16 Judges 15  Samson came back to his father-in law, wanting to live with his wife. But his father-in-law confirms that he gave Samson’s wife to be to Samson’s best man. The father-in-law then tries to convince Samson to marry his younger daughter who was even fairer than her older sister. (v2) Samson certainly has an anger control problem. He took his anger out on the Philistines by catching 300 foxes, tying their tails and putting “a firebrand in the midst between the two tails”, and then letting the foxes go into the Philistines corn fields and vineyards and olive trees. (v 5) The Philistines responded by burning his father-in-law and the woman Samson had wanted to marry. Samson responded by causing “great slaughter” among the Philistines. The Philistines then responded by coming to the edge of the land that had been given to the tribe of Judah, telling them that they had come to bind Samson for his burning of their land and the slaughtering of t...

 6/2/2022 – Judges 13 & 14 Judges 13 The study guide has a diagram called “Cycle of Sin and Deliverance in the Book of Judges”. That title pretty well explains the actions of the Israelites now that they are in Canaan, the land that the Lord promised to Abraham and his descendants. Their problems are described in the first verse of chapter 13: “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.” This chapter also tells us of Samson. His mother had not been able to have children, but an angel came, telling her that she would “conceive and bear a son.” (v 3) She was to not have “wine nor strong drink”; she was not to eat “any unclean thing”; and once her son was born she was to never cut his hair for he would be “a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” (v 5) A Nazarite is one who is “separated, consecrated, devoted”; who i...

 6/1/2022 – Judges 8 The Israelites now enjoy peace for many years. They wanted to make Gideon their king, for that is how other peoples organized their countries. Gideon refused to be their king, and explained to the Israelites that the Lord should be their king. They accepted that and there was peace for 40 years. After Gideon and his 300 men had conquered the Midianites, they didn’t stop there. They chased them out of their country. He and the men were then exhausted and hungry even as they continued to pursue other wicked peoples: Zebah, Zalmunna, and the kings of Midian. He asked the men of Suecoth to give them bread as they were faint. Gideon and his men survived and prospered. The peoples who failed to help Gideon and his men later met with terrible times. The men of Israel once again asked Gideon, or even his son, to rule over them. Once again Gideon told them that “the Lord shall rule over you”. He went on to confirm to them: “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son...