Lynne's Old Testament Study Notes

 12/6/2022 – Zechariah 1-3 Zechariah is the Lord’s prophet at this time. Many of the messages Zechariah received from the Lord were in the form of visions. The student manual suggests that “because of the difficulty of conveying heavenly visions in earthly terms, most of the messages in the book of Zechariah are given in symbolic imagery and descriptions.” Chapter 1 ’s synopsis: “Zechariah calls upon Judah to repent—He is shown by visions that the cities of Judah and the temple will be rebuilt.” In v 3, the Lord helps Zechariah in his calling as the Lord’s prophet: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Turn ye unto me… and I will turn unto you…” I believe the Lord will offer this gift to any of us who truly ‘turn unto Him’.  Zechariah warns the Israelites to “Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying…Turn ye now from your evil ways and from your evil doings, but they did not hear, nor harken unto me, saith the Lord.” (v 4) In Zechariah’s time, the Is...

 12/5/2022 – Haggai 1-2 Chapter 1: The Israelites had in captivity in Babylon for decades when they were finally able to return to Jerusalem. Their beautiful city had long been destroyed by the Babylonians. Their homes were in ruin, and their beautiful temple was rubble. It should be very telling to us that when they returned to Jerusalem, the most important thing they began to work on was the rebuilding of the temple, for they felt a deeper understanding of the urgency and importance of building temples and then worshipping in those temples. They started on the temple, but they realized that it would take years to rebuild. They went back to building their houses for their protection from the elements. When they reached that point they decided they should work on improvements for their houses. I believe these efforts lasted for some 15-18 years. The interesting, and important thing to recognize is that it took a prophet’s guidance for them to change their ways. Haggai spoke out in ...

11/30/2022 – Zaphaniah 1-3 Zaphaniah, I’ve just learned, lived during the seventh century B.C. He was a prophet in Judah. The interesting thing I’m finding with this reading of the Old Testament, is that the words of many of the ancient prophets can apply to the time in which they are living AND to future times. That makes sense as the Lord’s commandments for us on this earth haven’t really changed since the beginning of this earth’s time. At this particular time of Zephaniah, a foreign army is threatening destruction of the Israelites (who just can’t seem to be able to get their act together), and the things they needed to realize in those times are very close to the things we need to realize in in our times. The Lord has let his prophets tell us throughout all times that there will be great destruction, especially of the wicked, that will proceed the Second Coming of Christ. My study manual says “the blessings of Lord promised to the righteous inhabitants of Jerusalem can foreshadow ...

 11/29/2022 – Habakkuk 1-3 We don’t know much about Habakkuk, except that he was a prophet who lived in the kingdom of Judah…they think around 600 BC. What we do know is that this book is an exchange between Habakkuk and the Lord. Habakkuk asks God sincere questions that show his concern for his people, and for the Lord’s plans for them.  Chapter 1 ’s synopsis basically tells us that the Lord is not happy with how the Israelites have been living: “When Habakkuk learned that the Lord raised up the Chaldeans to overrun the land of Israel, he was troubled that the wicked could be thus employed.” V 2 shows us the worries that Habakkuk has been living with: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!” There are times for all of us when we petition the Lord, but we don’t feel an answer. When this happens, I have to remind myself that the Lord knows when I will be able to handle His answers.  The Lord’s respo...

 11/28/2022 – Nahum 1-3 Once again the Lord has a prophet telling the people that their cities would be destroyed because of the wickedness of the people. One of the cities Nahum is warning is Nineveh—those living in Nineveh were not the same as those who had repented of their sins after Jonah had preached to them more than a century before. Why do people in every time period tend to slowly fall away from the Lord’s commandments, even though they have lived through sweet and loving periods when the Lord has been their guide and their comforter? V 3 tells us that while “the Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked...” V’s 4-5 tell us that He uses droughts and earthquakes and volcanoes, and fires, and floods, and great winds to get His people to focus on Him once again. He knows who has fallen from Him, and He “knows them that trust in him” (v7).  Then in v 15 He encourages all of us to stay close to Him. I take that to mean that whatever ...

11/26/2022 – Micah 6-7 Chapter 6 The Lord is working through Micah to help the people understand that they have forgotten the help and the goodness that the Lord brought into their lives, and they have also forgotten that the Lord can help them so much more when they are already living justly--according to the commandments He has given them, now and in the past, which has them (and us) showing love, and mercy to one another in daily living, and “walking in humility before him”.  He tells us all plainly in v 8 the three things that are most important for us to do: “…and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” That’s our sacrifice to Him, and that sacrifice serves to help us grow closer to Him every day we live up to His requests. After telling them [and us] of how He wants us all to live, He then takes time to speak of the hard things that will enter our lives if we fall into wickedness, if we try to deceive others, ...

11/25/2022 – Micah 4-5 Chapters 4 & 5 are full of prophecies that will come to the Israelites at a later time. Chapter 4’ s synopsis: In the last days, the temple shall be built, Israel shall gather to it, the Millennial era will commence, and the Lord will reign in Zion.” In v 1 he tells us that in the last days…the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains…and people shall flow unto it…”  I only have to look out my window and see many temples in the mountains here.  People do flow to it as v 1 said—for now we can’t just drop-in to do temple work, we need to make a reservation! And now President Nelson is telling us that new chapels will not be built until the standing chapels are used by 4 different wards. They want to take the money that would have build more chapels, so they can build more temples. It will be very interesting when they announce a temple in Jerusalem!  One other hint that we have not yet reached the ‘latter days’ is found i...