Home Blog Page 12

How Do You Make Bread the Ancient Hebrew Way?

By
Darryl Alder
-

Since publishing the Isaiah Diet, whose centerpiece is sourdough bread, I have wanted to answer this question for our readers.

Bread making using natural fermentation is nearly a lost art, yet for thousands of years, it was the only way people leavened their bread. Most store bread is made with sweeteners, oils, and fast-acting dry yeast. While this pleases most taste buds it cheats the gut.

Sourdough bread has three perfect ingredients whole wheat, water and a bit of salt mixed with live yeast cultures. It is this living culture that gives the bread a tangier flavor that we call sourdough. It was part of the diet of every ancient Hebrew household.

Three simple ingredients: flour, water, and salt combined with starter make this great tasting bread.

Using such simple ingredients provides several benefits. First, this bread stays fresh much long after baking than commercial loaves of bread, which require extra preservatives to keep it mold free. Second, like other fermented foods (pickles, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, etc) this bread uses lactobacillus cultures (a probiotic, bacteria that benefits your gut), and while baking kills the bacteria, beneficial lactic acid is left behind which improves digestion.

OK, okay, the ancients didn’t know all that, but it’s true. What they did know was that when they were in a hurry they could make flatbread with water and flour (barley, rye, or wheat) and when they had the time they preferred leavened bread. No one knows when the first baker mixed water and flour and let it sit around absorbing natural yeast for two weeks, but that is how you start sourdough. I know it sounds disgusting, but it is honestly good for you.

Sourdough Starter

There are many places you can buy a dehydrated sourdough starter but why bother when you can make your own with flour and water. In a glass, crock, stainless steel, or food-grade plastic container mix a half cup of water and flour (preferably whole wheat or rye, wince these grow natural yeast better). Mix well, loosely cover, and set aside in a room temperature location for a day to begin developing the starter.

The next day, discard half the start (if you do not discard daily you will have a huge unmanagable start in the end, plus the yeast needs just a small amount of flour to grow). Then add one-third cup of flour and water and mix again and set aside in a room temperature location. Repeat this daily for a week or until it begins to double in size every 4–6 hours.

On the final day, fill a bowl with 2 cups of water and drop a dollop of start into the bowl to see if it floats. If it does, you are ready to use it, if not continue feeding a few more days. (you may use this test dollop to begin making your first loaf).

Making Your First Loaf

A few months ago I set out to learn how to make sourdough by taking a course in bread making from Martha Levie at Abigail’s Oven. This is her simple or “perfect” recipe adapted for a single loaf

First take a half cup of starter out, then feed the remainder. You can put this in your fridge until you need it next. Just remember to feed it when you take it back out and let it warm for 4 hours before using.

Put two cups of tepid water into a bowl, add a tablespoon of salt and stir to dissolve. Then add the half cup of starter and stir. Then mix in 4 cups of flour until it is well combined and sticky.

Set this mixture aside for 30 minutes then pester the dough with wet hands by digging into one side and pulling the dough over itself in a fold. Turn the bowl and repeat three times. 

Repeat this pestering every 30 minutes for a total of three more times. Then set the dough aside, covered, for 8–12 hours until doubled in bulk.

When doubled, dump the dough onto a floured surface to rest 30 more minutes. Then flour your hands to shape the dough, but in both cases, less is best when using flour at this point.

To shape the boule grab one end and stretch the dough long.  Then, use both hands roll it up like a jelly roll but loosely. Then turn it and roll it again. Do this a total of four times.

Then when the dough is gathered the last time, turn it seam down on your bench. Using both hands turn and shape the dough into a ball of sorts.

Then place the dough in a container with a cover for the final rise. This may take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.

Once the loaf is double in size, slash the surface with a sharp knife (this helps control the bread’s tendency to pop its top), spay it lightly with water if baking outdoors. Otherwise, If you are baking indoors preheat the oven to 465°, which may actually take some time, and slide in a bake-proof dish filled with water.

To control outdoor baking I use charcoal briquettes when I can and follow the heat guide from the Dutch-Oven Dude. However, I mostly bake indoors using an earthenware bowl (pictured in the header above).

In either case, cast iron or earthenware, the container needs to be hot when you place the bread into it to bake, which takes only 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes is up leave the bread to cool in the container for 2 hours. This finishes the baking and sets the bread for better slicing.

This may seem hard but is the easiest bread I ever make. Folks I serve it to, love it and I like making it way it was made for thousands of years.

Old Testament 2018 Teaching Plans for Gospel Doctrine—Lesson 39 Darryl models "Come, Follow Me" lesson plan for Isaiah

By
Skyler Hunter
- 
DOWNLOAD Old Testament 2018 Teaching Plans for Gospel Doctrine 
Lessons 36–40 where Darryl models "Come, Follow Me" lesson plans.
5 Lesson Plans Cover
DOWNLOAD five lesson plans NOW!

Welcome to Gospel Doctrine with Darryl! On behalf of the searchisaiah.org team, we are glad to be here today to share some more insights into what we’ve been doing this year in converting the lessons into the Come, Follow Me format.

Come, Follow Me format:

Prepare yourself spiritually
Make connections
Learn together
Invite to act

This lesson is lesson 39: “How beautiful upon the mountains.”

Understanding the Come, Follow Me format

You need to remember that the parts that we have adapted for you includes preparing yourself through study and prayer by looking at both scriptures and conference talks, and then reading those and asking your class to share and ponder them.

On the whiteboard today, I’ve listed some parts to the Come, Follow Me format, but I want to remind you to download the course outline now.

Lesson plans using the Come, Follow Me format.

When you do this, you get this three-page series which shows you all the components of Come, Follow Me. (These are listed in the box to the left.)

In the standard Come, Follow Me format, we receive a list of scriptures to prepare ourselves spiritually, some videos, and some conference talks. Then during the week we share those with our class members through text, through email, and just to try to encourage them to study a little before they came. We’re actually wanting them to diligently study, but this is sort of the trigger for you to engage them.

When we get to class, we make connections to last week’s lesson, to what is going on in their home life, what happens in Sunday school, relief society, and priesthood meetings.

This means there’s got to be a little bit of time allowed just to sort of decompress about what had happened the previous week. So, with today’s lesson topic, they might not jump right into it, and don’t worry about that, you need to take it easy because you’re not an instructor; you’re a classroom facilitator. We are getting them to chat and talk; that’s what we’re after, to counsel together. So, after we’ve made connections, we jump in learning together.

Now, “learning together” sounds like you’ve got a lesson plan, but its where you have a study plan and you share it with them. You’re going to divide the class up into groups where they read, talk and ponder about talks, scriptures and videos. But what they share, governs the lesson.  It’s not what you think they should do.

Finally, in the end, you summarize everything that you’ve heard as a facilitator and invite them to act on it.

I need to remind you that in order to get both the slide deck and the lesson plan, you need to click ‘download here’ now and then you’ll be able to have access to them. In this particular lesson, there’s a 12-slide deck, but we’ll skinny that down so it’s just the parts that you need.

 

Following the Come, Follow Me format

In the topic “How beautiful upon the mountains,” we’re going to discuss Isaiah 50–53, Mosiah 14–15, and a couple of conference messages that are very timely. The prophet gave a talk called, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,”  in April Conference 2017. This will be a good one for every class member to read before they come, but then they should also read The Living Christ—the Testimony of the Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’m interested in how many posts and social media I’ve seen, where people have memorized the whole Living Christ. What a great challenge to see if any class members can recite parts of it.

 

Then there are some videos. So, when the prophet was recently in Israel, he bore his witness of Christ on the Mount of Olives, which was a beautiful testimony there. And finally, there’s the family home evening supplement you could watch and give one of your study groups called “Missionary Work: Our Greatest Duty”. So, what we’re going to do right now is we’re going to start today by watching one of searchisaiah.org Search Hacks. We’ll take a look at the Forbidden chapter, Isaiah 53| Search Hack 2

Isaiah 53 is a monumental chapter of scripture, often called the forbidden chapter among Jews. Throughout all of Isaiah, the prophet prophesies of many things like destruction, freedom from bondage, and salvation.

Chapter 53 specifically is when Isaiah prophesies of Christ, which is left out of the Jewish Torah because of arguments and great confusion in the synagogues. This confusion can mean the difference of being a Jew or a Christian.

“I came to faith to assure that Jesus was the Messiah.”

Isaiah 53 is also well quoted by modern LDS apostles like Elder Holland.

“Isaiah is by every standard the Messianic Prophet of the Old Testament.”

But Isaiah 53 is perhaps the most famous for Handel’s Messiah, which you all hear at Christmas.

Isaiah is a confusing book because Isaiah speaks in a sort of code that makes it hard to tell who he is referring to. To understand that you should study it rather than just read it. The Gospel Library App for your phone and tablet has great study tools.

Let’s apply them to Isaiah 53. In this chapter, Isaiah is referring to someone using the pronoun, he, it’s difficult to discern who he is until verses 3 and 4 say he is rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and he hath borne our griefs. Then verse 5 says he was wounded for our transgressions and with his stripes we are healed.

Now we can tell Isaiah is referring to Christ, and we can use the red highlight tool every time he refers to Christ, as red is the standard for Christ. Using the highlight tool to discern who Isaiah is referring to in different parts of the book is crucial to understanding his timeless message. We’ve just studied the most controversial chapter in Isaiah. Some faiths refer to Isaiah as the 5th Gospel after Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Why do you think that is? You decide.”

Now that we have seen that, we’re going to divide into four discussion groups of five or six people a piece. There is a lot to read and study.

1. Isaiah speaks of messengers who bring glad tidings. Read and discuss  Isaiah 52:7; Mosiah 15:13–18 and 2 Nephi 2:6–8.

2. Isaiah prophesies of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice.

A: Isaiah 50:5–7; Matthew 26:39; Philippians 2:8; Isaiah 51:6; Mosiah 16:9; Alma 34:10, 14; Isaiah 51:22; D&C 45:3–5; D&C 19:15–20; Isaiah 52:3. 2 Nephi 26:27–28; Isaiah 55:1–3
B: Isaiah 53:2–4; Alma 7:11–13; Hebrews 2:16–18; 4:15;Isaiah 53:5; 1 Nephi 19:9; Isaiah 53:6–7; Isaiah 53:10; John 3:16–17;
C: Isaiah 53:8–11;Mosiah 15:10–13; Mosiah 5:7–8; Isaiah 53:12; Romans 8:16–17; 2 Timothy 4:7–8

3. Isaiah describes some of our responsibilities. Read and discuss Isaiah 51:1, 4, 7; Isaiah 51:12–13; Isaiah 52:1–2; D&C 113:7–8; Revelation 19:7–8; D&C 113:9–10;Isaiah 52:11.

4. Latter-day witnesses of Christ. Read, watch and discuss:

Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,  President Russell M. Nelson. April 2017

The Living Christ—the Testimony of the Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Video: Special Witness of Christ, President Russell M. Nelson, 24 AUG 2018

It’s important that you give your class plenty of time for this. Now remember we talked about this last time, you have 40 minutes between sacrament meeting and relief society and priesthood. And in that 40 minutes, you do a quick introduction of the topic, which we’ve done, we’ve done a little bit about it with the search hack. And then you need to give them at least 15 minutes, maybe 20, to read and talk about the scriptures. And today, they get the chance to explore Isaiah’s witness of Christ.

This is a very moving set of scriptures and readings. And so even if you need to take two weeks for this lesson, I would not rush this. We’ve added in the Come, Follow Me format, a study group that gets to look at President Nelson’s talk, The Living Christ, which is a witness of all 15 apostles at the time. Then we will look at the “Special Witness of Christ” by President Nelson from this last August.

Today I’m going to let each of the groups pick what topic they want because, with just four subjects for us to do, people can be in big groups. If you want to cluster up by family or friends, or if you’d rather just be a pair or three or four people, you can go ahead and do that. So, I’m going to ask you right now to pick one of those four subjects and just let me know which one because I want to make sure all four are taken care of. So, it looks like we’re going to have five discussion groups today. We’ll break into those now and we’ll take reports in 15 minutes.

Troy: Faith that motivates distraction gives us more access to his power, and then he goes, “Covenant keeping men and women, seek for ways to keep themselves…”

Darryl: So, I don’t want to interrupt, but I just want to check to be sure you’ve understood the assignment. Isaiah was the prophet then, and President Nelson is the prophet now. So, trying to explore his witness here of Jesus Christ and you just need to share your most poignant discovery ok.

All right, brothers and sisters, we have about 10 minutes left in class. Let’s take reports. This first group had the assignment, Isaiah talks about how beautiful are the feet. Tell me what you discovered.

Kayli: I know something that we discovered is he kind of talks about like how beautiful are the feet of the people who sing praises and are spreading the word of the Gospel. And kind of what Ken was saying and what Thomas and I were kind of discussing together was that, when it comes to the feet, kind of back then, what it meant was that instead of having social media or telephones or anything like that, they would use their feet to walk to one another to spread the messages.

Darryl:  So, runners went out.  That’s very good. That’s exactly the insight that I had. The insight here is that the Book of Mormon, is probably the best commentary for the book of Isaiah we could get. Group four, you had a special assignment, no scriptures, but you got to explore the words of our current prophet. What did you discover?

Troy: I was reading President Russell Nelson’s talk in April before he became a prophet, but as a disciple. And I’m just going to share one of the quotes he bears witness to the Savior. This was touching. He says, “under the father’s great eternal plan, it is the Savior who suffered. It’s the Savior who broke the bands of death. It is the Savior who paid the price for our sins and transgressions and blocks them out on condition of our repentance.”

Darryl: In the introduction to lesson 39 as we were building this lesson plan, we took a quote from Jeffrey R. Holland, who said, “Isaiah is by every standard, the Messianic Prophet of the Old Testament, and as such, is the most penetrating prophetic voice in that record.” How do you feel about President Nelson now? Is he the most penetrating voice of our day?

Troy: Absolutely.

You saw how we had four discussion groups today, but at the end of every lesson, they list other discussion topics and I find them to be also good breakouts. We have 35 to 40 in the Gospel Doctrine class every Sunday. And so, I tend to use these other topics.

Today, walking in the light, we have these three scriptures that you could read. We also have this family home evening supplement on missionary work, which ties into the lesson.

So, in all, you could have six discussion groups easily today. My class isn’t necessarily obedient. When I say break into groups of six, they break into groups of two to eight, but that’s fine. It gets the job done.

Walking in the light
Review Isaiah 50:10–11and point out the choice Isaiah gives us in these verses. If we choose to fear the Lord, obey the voice of his servants, and trust him, we will have his light to guide us and will not walk in darkness (John 8:12; 12:46). If we choose to walk in our own light, which is compared to the light of sparks, the Lord warns that we will “lie down in sorrow.”

Missionary work
If Family Home Evening Video Supplement 2 (53277) is available, you may want to show “Missionary Work: Our Greatest Duty,” a five-minute segment, as part of the lesson.

In conclusion, today, I’d like to read Mosiah 15:18. This is Abinadi speaking,

And behold, I say unto you, this is not all. For O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people;

I’m sure as you have read with me today, you have enjoyed Isaiah’s testimony as a witness for Christ before He was even born. It’s almost like the book of Isaiah is another witness for Christ before Christ is born.

I want to bear testimony, that as I have studied Isaiah these last four weeks with you, my testimony has been greatly strengthened.  I’ve had huge insights—the discussion on the atonement. I just have to share this with you, this is my own personal experience. When Isaiah received this call in Isaiah 6, and the seraphim took glowing coals from the altar fire and placed it on his lips to purge his sin, I remembered a sacrament meeting where were singing “Reverently and Meekly Now” and the witness I had of Jesus Christ being my Savior was so powerful that I felt that witness again when Isaiah said his sins were purged. And he accepted his call.

So, let’s stop for a minute and ask this question. Have your testimonies been strengthened in the last four weeks? What are you doing in your personal studies of the scriptures to focus more on learning about Jesus Christ?

I think most of us in the Old Testament tend to focus on the stories, but finding Christ, that’s really important. I think that lesson we had five weeks ago on Hosea and how Christ took back this adulterous woman, Gomer, it tells us all that we can be forgiven for whatever we’ve done. The atonement is there for us.

So, in future classes, I’m going to call on you to bear your testimony about what you’ve learned about Christ from the Old Testament.

I’d like to remind you who are instructors, that you can download this lesson plan now. You’ll discover the Come, Follow Me format is the way you want to teach Gospel doctrine from now on.

Isaiah, Prophet, Seer and Poet, by Victor L. Ludlow A Book Review

By
Darryl Alder
-

For more than 35 years, the book Isaiah Prophet, Seer, and Poet has been the clear standard explaining Isaiah’s prophecies and teachings to Latter-day Saints. However, Victor Ludlow’s work also explores this prophet’s ancient Hebrew poetic styles, symbols, and idioms making the rest of the world take notice. This book is filled with sketches, the author’s outlines and charts, maps, and other illustrations.

Victor L. Ludlow has accomplished what few scholars have done-presented a worthy commentary on one of the most difficult books in world literature. The task that Victor L. Ludlow set for himself would have discouraged lesser scholars, but he has the credentials and the will to pursue the project. The work examines the “historical context, literary style, scriptural context and doctrinal application” of Isaiah and is designed “to help the readers of Isaiah to understand his writings” (p. xi). Here for the first time Latter-day Saints have at their command a commentary on Isaiah that brings together LDS doctrine, reputable scholarship, and an informed discussion of the nature of the Hebrew writings of Isaiah.

Two features of the book deserve special note. First, the entire Book of Isaiah has been included within the text of the commentary, making it unnecessary to keep a copy of the Bible at hand to read the passages being discussed. The text of Isaiah used for inclusion varies from section to section with fourteen different translations being used, including some of Ludlow’s original renderings. This use of different English versions of Isaiah allows For the reader to see other possibilities of interpretation and to become familiar with the style and readability of the various translations now available on the market.1 

Conveniently, the author offers fourteen different English translations alongside the King James Version of Isaiah to help readers see possible meanings and some of his translations.  He uses his background from Harvard and Brandeis Universities where he earned an advanced degree in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies to help readers understand the culture and history of the ancient Middle East.

As he moves through Isaiah chapter-by-chapter and verse-by-verse, Ludlow explains historical, literary, other prophetic and doctrinal dimensions. The publisher, Deseret Book, describes it as “a four-dimensional approach to Isaiah.” Within the literary dimension, Ludlow analyzes the poetic and prophetic styles of Isaiah’s writing. Also helpful to the LDS audience, he helps us understand Isaiah through the eyes of other prophets.

In his doctrinal dimension, the author explains Isaiah’s prophecies with verse-by-verse commentary explaining the prophet’s teachings and modern applications to his words. This book offers Latter-day Saints a way to strengthen their testimony of the Lord with a clearer understanding of Isaiah’s writings and witness of the Messiah to come.

For four decades, Ludlow’s work has been a treasure. But it grew out of need as he began teaching Old Testament at BYU to teach those subjects. The demand for Isaiah studies was almost immediate, and in the mid-1970’s he began teaching Isaiah as a stand-alone subject.

However, interest on the subject was spreading church-wide and in the early 1980’s. When Jeffrey R. Holland was the church commissioner, Ludlow received the commissioner’s research fellowship to write resource materials on Isaiah. The research was intended for the LDS Church curriculum writers, but many of the Brethren asked for those materials too. This was the groundwork for what became this go-to book.

1 Isaiah Prophet, Seer, and Poet—Reviewer: Paul Y. Hoskisson, a book review from JOURNAL 23:4

President Nelson—10 Years, 10 Quotes All From Isaiah

By
Darryl Alder
-
Is the Sabbath a Delight?

The First Presidency and the Apostles have spoken many times in General Conference. Like other speakers, they often quote from the book of Isaiah. President Russel M Nelson is no stranger to Isaiah. Since becoming a General Authority he has quoted Isaiah more than forty times in General Conference. Often focusing on Isaiah’s messages of the Book of Mormon as a voice from the dust, family history work and the blessing of the fast.

In past General Conferences, Isaiah has been quoted more than 4,000 times. In fact, only the Gospels of John and Matthew are quoted more often. In General Conference, Isaiah is quoted more than any book in the Book of Mormon, more often than any section of the Doctrine and Covenants,  and more often than any part of the Pearl of Great Price. It is not surprising, for as Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostle states: “Isaiah is by every standard the messianic prophet of the Old Testament and as such is the most penetrating prophetic voice in that record.”1  

Below are a few of verses President Nelson used from Isaiah during the last decade of his General Conference talks:

Isaiah 58:13–14 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord;

In his 2015 General Conference address, “The Sabbath is a delight” He asked: “I am intrigued by the words of Isaiah, who called the Sabbath ‘a delight.’ Yet I wonder, is the Sabbath really a delight for you and for me?” The prophet concluded with this: “When Isaiah described the Sabbath as ‘a delight,’ he also taught us how to make it delightful. He said: ‘If thou turn away … from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, … and shalt honour [the Lord], not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.’”

He used this same verse in General Conference in 2000 “Living by Scriptural Guidance” and 1996 “Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods” making it his most often cited verse in Isaiah.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. In a 2017 address, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives” he placed this in his footnotes: “Long before His mortal birth, Jesus was the great Jehovah—God of the Old Testament. It was Jehovah who communed with Moses on Mount Sinai. It was Jehovah who made a covenant with Abraham that all nations of the earth would be blessed through Abraham’s lineage. And it was Jehovah who made covenants with families of the house of Israel. Jesus was also the promised Immanuel, as prophesied by Isaiah (see  Isaiah 7:14)”
Isaiah 24:1 Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled…
4 The earth mourneth
and fadeth away, the world languisheth
and fadeth away,
the haughty people of the earth do languish.
19 The earth is utterly broken down…
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.		 In a 2016 General Conference address,  “Joy and Spiritual Survival,” he said, “A host of prophets, including Isaiah, Paul, Nephi, and Mormon, foresaw that perilous times would come,  that in our day the whole world would be in commotion, that men would ‘be lovers of their own selves, … without natural affection, … lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God,’ and that many would become servants of Satan who uphold the adversary’s work. Indeed, you and I ‘wrestle … against the rulers of the darkness of this world, [and] against spiritual wickedness in high places.’” 
Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! In General Conference in 2014, in “Let Your Faith Show.” he stated: “Even if ‘everyone is doing it,’ wrong is never right. Evil, error, and darkness will never be truth, even if popular. A scriptural warning so declares: ‘Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.’”

Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

Isaiah 29: 14 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.

 In a General Conference in 2013 talk, “Catch the Wave,” President Nelson said: “The Restoration fulfills many biblical prophecies. For example, Isaiah prophesied that the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains. [Isaiah 2:2] The exodus of Mormon pioneers to the mountains of western America is a fulfilling saga of sacrifice and faith. Isaiah also foretold that God will do ‘a marvelous work and a wonder.’[Isaiah 29:14] That is now being fulfilled by the sacred work of our growing army of missionaries.”
Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. In October 2011 General Conference, then Elder Nelson spoke using this title “Covenants.” Citing Isaiah 55:3 in his footnotes, said “When we realize that we are children of the covenant, we know who we are and what God expects of us. His law is written in our hearts.”
Isaiah 45:3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. In April 2011 General Conference, then Elder Nelson spoke using this title “Face the Future with Faith.” Citing Isaiah 45:3 in his footnotes, he said, “Obedience allows God’s blessings to flow without constraint. He will bless His obedient children with freedom from bondage and misery. And He will bless them with more light. For example, one keeps the Word of Wisdom knowing that obedience will not only bring freedom from addiction, but it will also add blessings of wisdom and treasures of knowledge.”
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; Elder Russell M. Nelson, in April 2010 General Conference, gave an address titled, “Generations Linked in Love” saying, “The preparation of that record is our individual and collective responsibility. As we work together, we can make it worthy of all acceptation by the Lord. That record enables ordinances to be performed for and accepted by our deceased ancestors, as they may choose. Those ordinances can bring liberty to captives on the other side of the veil.” Then he cited Isaiah 61:1

Isaiah 29:4: Thou shalt … speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

14 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.

In October 2007, then Elder Russel M. Nelson in a General Conference talk entitled “Scriptural Witnesses” he asked, “How do scriptures of the Restoration clarify the Bible? Many examples exist. I will cite but a few, beginning with the Old Testament.” Then he cited this from Isaiah 29:4 and continued, “Could any words be more descriptive of the Book of Mormon, coming as it did ‘out of the ground’ to ‘whisper out of the dust’ to people of our day?

In the footnotes of his address he included this:

“Isaiah foresaw that God would do ‘a marvelous work and a wonder’ in the latter days (Isaiah 29:14). Those words of Isaiah echoed in the ears of inhabitants of ancient America: ‘The Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men’ (2 Nephi 25:17). That marvelous work would include the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the Restoration of the gospel. Isaiah was quoted frequently in the Book of Mormon. A study of those quotations may be tedious, but it is not repetitious. Of 433 verses of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, 234 differ from their biblical counterparts.”—Nov. 2007, Scriptural Witnesses

How many times do you think Isaiah will be quoted in this General Conference?

1 Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon (1997), 75.

Stay up to date with the latest news, fulfilled prophecies, and study tips about Isaiah – subscribe to the SearchIsaiah Newsletter

 

The Suffering Servant: Part V

By
Gregorio Billikopf
-
The Suffering Servant: Part II

In this final article on the Suffering Servant, we come to understand that the Father offered His beloved in the flesh for us.

¶ “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.” —Isaiah 53:10

“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him.” These words are said through the principle of Divine Investiture, wherein the Son speaks the words of the Father about Himself. The Targum (𝔗) has, “And it was the pleasure of the Lord to refine and to purify the remnant of His people.” Instead of bruise, the Peshitta (𝔖) has afflict (Lamsa) / humiliate (BPE).

Cheyne well says: “It was no mere accident, but the deliberate will of God that the Servant should suffer innocently … [and then alluding to those who wish to take these scriptures away from the Messiah:] The Servant is a person, not a personification of the pious kernel of Israel. His sufferings are vicarious and voluntary. Hence he who offers the Servant’s ‘soul,’ or ‘life,’ as a sacrifice, must be the Servant himself … may it not be one object of the prophet to show that in the death of the Servant various forms of sacrifice find their highest fulfilment?” Kay explains: “In the old sacrifices He had no pleasure, except so far as they foreshadowed this one all-perfect offering.”

Cheyne notes that the word pleasure is frequent in Isaiah and also means purpose. So, for instance, in this verse חָפֵץ appears twice (חָפֵץ / וְחֵפֶץ). BDAG, when speaking of the translation of חָפֵץ into the LXX (𝔊), i.e., βούλεται, defines its meaning as: “to plan on a course of action, intend, plan, will.”

TDOT has, “especially when God is the subject of חָפֵץ [t]his translation stresses above all the absolute certainty, sovereign self-assurance, and efficacy of the act; it refers to a deliberate and efficacious act of will (Cf. Schrenk, 47).” Was not the coming of Messiah to atone for our sins the central, most wonderful and vital part of the plan of salvation?

President Russell M. Nelson shared: “While visiting the British Museum in London one day, I read a most unusual book. It is not scripture. It is an English translation of an ancient Egyptian manuscript. From it, I quote a dialogue between the Father and the Son. Referring to His Father, Jehovah—the premortal Lord—says: ‘He took the clay from the hand of the angel, and made Adam according to Our image and likeness, and He left him lying for forty days and forty nights without putting breath into him. And He heaved sighs over him daily, saying, “If I put breath into this [man], he must suffer many pains.” And I said into My Father, “Put breath into him; I will be an advocate for him.” And My Father said unto Me, “If I put breath into him, My beloved Son, Thou will be obliged to go down into the world, and to suffer many pains for him before Thou shalt have redeemed him, and made him to come back to his primal state.” And I said unto My Father, “Put breath into him; I will be his advocate, and I will go down into the world, and will fulfil Thy command.”’ (‘Discourse on Abbaton by Timothy, Archbishop of Alexadria,’ in Coptic Martyrdoms etc. in Dialect of Upper Egypt, ed. and translated E. A. Wallis Budge (1914), 482. Timothy, archbishop of Alexandria, died in A.D. 385. Brackets are included in Budge’s English translation).”[1]

“He hath put him to grief;When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin [אָשָׁם] he shall see his seed.” The Targum (𝔗) has, “In order to cleanse their souls from sin, that they might see the kingdom of their Messiah, that their sons and daughters might multiply.” Wordsworth underscores the words of the Targum (𝔗): “The Chaldee Targum has here the remarkable words, ‘They shall see the Kingdoms of their Messiah.’”

Urwick has, regarding אָשָׁם: “a guilt-offering, from אָשָׁם, to be guilty (Leviticus 4:13, 22, 27; 5:2–4, 17, 19); the noun occasionally signifies simply guilt, Genesis 26:10; Psalm 68:22; Proverbs 14:9, but usually guilt-offering. It occurs twenty-six times in Leviticus … The אָשָׁם was a sacrifice for individual sin … As in Isaiah 53:5 the Divine Servant is represented as a sin-offering. His death being an expiation, so here He is described as a guilt offering … His soul, not simply for the pronoun, but with special reference to the nature of the אָשָׁם, which was the guilt-offering in the case of individual sin (Leviticus 5:17; Numbers 5:6). Compare to Matthew 20:28.”

Abinadi, much like Isaiah, testified of Christ expiatory sacrifice and the seed of Christ: “And now I say unto you, who shall declare his generation? Behold, I say unto you, that when his soul has been made an offering for sin he shall see his seed. And now what say ye? And who shall be his seed? Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God. For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed? Yea, and are not the prophets, every one that has opened his mouth to prophesy, that has not fallen into transgression, I mean all the holy prophets ever since the world began? I say unto you that they are his seed. And these are they who have published peace, who have brought good tidings of good, who have published salvation; and said unto Zion: Thy God reigneth!” (Mosiah 15:10–14).

Right after this, Abinadi speaks of the beautiful feet of those who share the Gospel of Jesus Christ). In Mosiah 5 we likewise have: “And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters. And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives. And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ” (Mosiah 5:7–9).

“He shall prolong his days.” Cheyne, speaking of the Servant, explains that, “death hath no more dominion over him.”[2] Urwick writes: “Though the Divine Servant die, yet shall He live.” Jenour has: “He shall prolong his days] The subject of this prophecy was to be cut off from the land of the living, to make his soul, or life, an offering for sin, and to be laid in the receptacle of the dead; yet here it is declared, he shall prolong his days: what can this mean, but that he shall rise from the grave and live again forever? (See Revelation 1:18).”

So also Rawlinson, “A seeming contradiction to the statement (Isaiah 53:8) that he should be ‘cut off’ out of the land of the living; and the more surprising because his death is made the condition of this long life: ‘When thou shalt make his soul an offering [or, “sacrifice”] for sin,’ then ‘he shall prolong his days.’ But the resurrection of Christ, and his entrance upon an immortal life, (Romans 6:9) after offering himself as a Sacrifice upon the cross, exactly meets the difficulty and solves the riddle (comp. Revelation 1:18).”

“And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.” The Lord has power—for He will be the judge—to exalt and justify.

“He shall see of the travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” —Isaiah 53:11

“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.” Urwick has: “The prophet’s strain from this point becomes triumphant—after the sufferings, glory.”

By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many. The Targum (𝔗) has, “By His wisdom He shall justify the righteous, in order to make many to keep (literally, ‘to do’) the law.”” The LXX (𝔊) reads, “To shew him light and fashion him for knowledge—to justify the Righteous One who is serving many well.” The Douay-Rheims (𝔇ℜ𝔅) has just instead of righteous.

Urwick notes: “Here those justified are not righteous; they are sinners, as is clear from the words which immediately follow, where their iniquities are named. But though sinners, the righteous Servant justifies them, and is righteous in doing so, because He bears their iniquities.” (I will say more about this in a paper entitled, “Justification, Sanctification and Grace.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland provided some comfort on the topic of our imperfection: “First of all, if in the days ahead you not only see limitations in those around you but also find elements in your own life that don’t yet measure up to the messages you have heard this weekend, please don’t be cast down in spirit and don’t give up … With the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the strength of heaven to help us, we can improve, and the great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying, even if we don’t always succeed.”[3]

“For he shall bear their iniquities.” The LXX (𝔊) reads, “When he shall bear away their sins.” Instead of iniquities, likewise, the Peshitta (𝔖) has sins.

Urwick explains: “Now, according to the ceremonial law, the sin-stricken Israelite came bearing his own iniquity to the altar, and leading thereto an innocent victim, a bullock or a lamb, whose life he offers as a substitute for his own; thus confessing that the wages of his sin is death; that his own conscience, as well as divine and holy love, demanded an expiation; and that the common basis and fellowship of life involved the possibility of substitution. When within the precincts of the sanctuary, he was to put his hand, or rather to press (סָמַךְ)[4] his hand, heavily (Psalm 88:7) upon the head of the animal (Leviticus 1:4; 4:24). This act was to be performed by the offerer himself; it could not be entrusted to anyone else; never to a priest, except when the sacrifice was presented for the priesthood collectively (Exodus 29:10, 15, 19); for the nation collectively, the elders were to do it, and on the day of atonement the high priest. This act was designed to indicate the personal and intimate relation between the sinner and the victim. We read (Leviticus 1:4): ‘It shall he accepted for him, to make atonement for him.’ The sinner had then with his own hands to perform the act of immolation, that the offering might be clearly marked as his own. The receiving of the blood as it streamed from the fatal wound, and the sprinkling of it, were the exclusive work of the priests. This ritual must be kept in view in the explanation of the words: ‘Upon Him was laid the iniquity of us all; He shall bear their iniquities.’ It finds its fulfilment in the atoning death of the Divine Servant, and the truths it embodied are fully met and satisfied thereby.”

“Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” —Isaiah 53:12

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great. Barnes suggests: “The words here used are taken from the custom of distributing the spoils of victory after a battle, and the idea is, that as a conqueror takes valuable spoils, so the Messiah would go forth to the spiritual conquest of the world, and subdue it to himself … the spoils of his conquests would be among the mighty or the many; that is, that his victories would not be confined to a few in number, or to the feeble, but the triumphs of his conquests would extend afar, and be found among the potentates and mighty people of the earth.”

I wonder if this verse is related to: “And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him” (D&C 84:38); “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (Revelation 21:7); and “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21). Without the atonement, none of this would have been possible.

And he shall divide the spoil with the strong. Gill writes: “…  he shall spoil principalities and powers, destroy Satan and his angels, and make an entire conquest of all his mighty and powerful enemies.” Barnes explains: “It was from language such as this that the Jews obtained the notion that the Messiah would be a distinguished conqueror, and hence, they looked forward to one who as a warrior would carry the standard of victory around the world. But it is evident that it may be applied with much higher beauty to the spiritual victories of the Redeemer, and that it expresses the great and glorious truth that the conquests of the true religion will yet extend over the most formidable obstacles on the earth.”

Delitzsch explains: “… the great ones of the earth will be brought to do homage to Him, or at all events to submit to Him.” And once again, the idea of becoming one with the Father and His Beloved and the Holy Ghost comes to mind.

Because he hath poured out his soul unto death: The Targum (𝔗) has, “Because He has delivered His life unto death.” The LXX (𝔊) reads, “Because his soul was delivered up to death.” Instead of soul, the Peshitta (𝔖) has life. The Douay-Rheims (𝔇ℜ𝔅) has delivered instead of poured out.

Cheyne has: “Poured out his soul] The prophet again emphasizes the voluntary nature of the Servant’s sufferings.” We especially saw this in Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice and Isaac’s disposition to be sacrificed, as a type of Messiah’s expiatory sacrifice. Gill explains: “Because he hath poured out his soul unto death; as water is poured out (Psalm 22:14), or rather as the wine was poured out in the libations or drink offerings; for Christ’s soul was made an offering for sin, as before; and it may be said with respect to his blood, in which is the life, that was shed or poured out for the remission of sin; of which he was emptied.”

Delitzsch has: “The blood of the typical sacrifice, which has been hitherto dumb, begins to speak. Faith, which penetrates to the true meaning of the prophecy, hopes on not only for the Lion of the tribe of Judah, but also for the Lamb of God, which beareth the sin of the world.”

Elder Bruce D. Porter testified: “There is yet another dimension of a broken heart—namely; our deep gratitude for Christ’s suffering on our behalf. In Gethsemane, the Savior ‘descended below all things’ as He bore the burden of sin for every human being. At Golgotha, He ‘poured out his soul unto death’ and His great heart literally broke with an all-encompassing love for the children of God. When we remember the Savior and His suffering, our hearts too will break in gratitude for the Anointed One.”[5]

And he was numbered with the transgressors. The LXX (𝔊) reads, “And he was numbered among transgressors.” Barnes has: “… he suffered himself to be numbered with the transgressors, or to be put to death with malefactors.”

And he bare the sins of many. The LXX (𝔊) reads, “And bore away the sins of many.” Driver & Neubauer quote Yepheth Ben ‘Ali, speaking of the Messiah: “The prophet next says, ‘When his soul makes a trespass-offering,’ indicating thereby that his soul was compelled to take Israel’s guilt upon itself, as it is said below, ‘And he bare the sin of many.’ Another commentator however understands the phrase as meaning that ‘his soul gave itself in place of a trespass-offering,’ i.e., he gave himself up freely to be slain.’”

Urwick explains: “It is true that the verb נשא also expresses the idea of bearing away, and this with reference to sin; because the Israelite, bearing his sin with his sacrifice to the sanctuary, there to offer the victim, had his sin thus canceled and his guilt removed. The ceremonial of the Day of Atonement [יוֹם כִּפֻּר] confirmed this, because the scapegoat was ‘to bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited’ (Leviticus 16:22 [וְנָשָׂא הַשָּׂעִיר עָלָיו —And the goat shall bear upon him]); but even here the words נָשָׂא עָלָיו convey the idea of a burden borne. The word, however, thus came to mean not only the means of forgiveness but forgiveness itself; and thus we find it used in Psalm 32:1: אַשְׁרֵי נְשׂוּי־פֶּשַׁע [Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven] and Psalm 32:5: נָשָׂאתָ עֲוֹן חַטָּאתִי [forgavest the iniquity of my sin]” (emphasis added).

And made intercession for the transgressors. The Targum (𝔗) has, “And as for the transgressors, each shall be pardoned for His sake.” Gill has: “… as he did upon the cross, even for those that were the instruments of his death, (Luke 23:34) and as he now does, in heaven, for all those sinners for whom he died; not merely in a petitionary way, but by presenting himself, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice; pleading the merits of these, and calling for, in a way of justice and legal demand, all those blessings which were stipulated in an everlasting covenant between him and his Father, to be given to his people, in consequence of his sufferings and death.”

Barnes has: “It may not refer here to the mere act of making prayer or supplication, but rather perhaps to the whole work of the intercession, in which the Redeemer, as high priest, presents the merit of his atoning blood before the throne of mercy and pleads for people.”

Elder Bruce R. McConkie explains: “According to the law of intercession, as ordained and established by the Father, the Lord Jesus has ‘power to make intercession for the children of men.’ (Mosiah 15:8.) That is to say, he has the role of interceding, of mediating, of praying, petitioning, and entreating the Father to grant mercy and blessings to men. One of Isaiah’s great Messianic prophecies says: ‘He bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12). Of this ministry of intercession Paul affirms: ‘It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us’ (Romans 8:34). And it is Lehi who tells us: Christ ‘is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved. And because of the intercession for all all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him’ (2 Nephi 2:9–10).”[6]

Henderson notes: “So manifestly is the doctrine of atonement taught in this important section of the prophet, that Gesenius himself is compelled to acknowledge it in the following terms: ‘Most Hebrew readers, who were previously familiar with the ideas of sacrifice and substitution, must necessarily have taken this view of the passage; and it cannot be doubted, that the apostolic representation of the death of Christ as an atonement pre-eminently rests  upon this basis’ (Comment, ii, Theil. p. 191).”

Urwick wrote: “It is true, as the Epistle to the Hebrews says: ‘The blood of bulls and of goats could never take away sins,’[7] they were effectual only as types of the one great sacrifice offered for the sin of the world by the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross; but the penitent Israelite, by means of them, obtained the hope of the forgiveness which God in Christ can grant.”

As LDS we understand, however, that the cross is one part of the atonement, along with Gethsemane and the resurrection itself. I wish to testify, from the deepest part of my soul, of the truthfulness of the atonement and of the divinity of our Redeemer, Christ Jesus. I also wish to say that this atoning sacrifice will not only bless out lives in eternity, but in the here and now. It is the very power that helps us begin to change—through the gifts of justification, sanctification and grace—that we might become women and men in Christ.

Notes

[1] Nelson, Elder Russell M., “The Creation,” Ensign, May 2000, p. 84.

[2] Romans 6:9, “Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”

[3] Holland, Elder Jeffrey R. Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You. April 2016 General Conference.

[4] This word not only includes the idea of placing or leaning but also that of the laying on of hands (TDOT). This last concept has numerous significations, including that of transference: “By means of this gesture, Moses transfers his authority to his successor, the priest transfers sins to the scapegoat, and the offerer transfers them to the sacrificial animal (Jewish tradition)” (TDOT).

[5] Porter, Elder Bruce D., “A Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit,” October 2007 General Conference.

[6] McConkie, Bruce R. A New Witness for the Articles of Faith. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1985.

[7] Hebrews 10:4.

What Are the Biggest Old Testament Archeological Evidences of the Decade? Dead Sea Scrolls, Hezikiah's Clay Seal, and More

By
Darryl Alder
-

Many readers today follow the Bible’s archeological evidence as it is uncovered. Excavations in The City of David in Jerusalem, the Ophal site, and underground reveal Old Testament secrets. In this post, I want to discuss breaking news that we have found throughout the year.

Before we begin, I enjoyed the perspective from a post by Tim Challies this spring, where he shared this perspective:

Biblical archaeology is a wide field offering modern readers fascinating insights into the everyday lives of people mentioned in the Bible. While archaeological findings don’t prove the truth of Scripture, they do have the potential to enrich our understanding and draw us into the world of the biblical writers—giving us a glimpse of the ancient world behind the living Word.

1.Dead Sea Scrolls

What Are the Biggest Old Testament Archeological Evidences of the Decade?
New Dead Sea Scroll caves were one of the five most significant Old Testament archeological evidence of the last decade

Seventy years after the first Dead Sea Scrolls were found, in 2017, according to CNN, excavations in the “Judean cliffside revealed a new cave full of storage jars and other antiquities.

“‘Until now, it was accepted that Dead Sea Scrolls were found only in 11 caves at Qumran, but now there is no doubt that this is the 12th cave,’ said Dr. Oren Gutfeld, one of the project’s lead archaeologists.

“Pottery shards, broken scroll storage jars and their lids—even neolithic flint tools and arrowheads—littered the cave’s entrance.” Sadly the cave had been looted, and only one pot had a scrap of rolled papyrus, which seemed to be prepared for a future use that never came.

In December 2016, another team returned the “Cave of Skulls” and found several new scroll fragments. These pieces were small and the writing was very faded, but these are the first new finds in 60 years.

For the Search Isaiah team, of course, The Great Isaiah Scroll, one of the original Dead Sea Scrolls, was the motherload of the last century’s archeological discoveries. It was the largest and most well preserved. Arranged in 56 columns and 24 feet long,  it contains all 66 chapters of our current Book of Isaiah. This makes it the oldest Old Testament source by 1000 years and the winner of the top five finds.

What Are the Biggest Old Testament Archeological Evidences of the Decade?
Seals or bullae of King Hezekiah (left) and of Isaiah (right). Photo: Courtesy Dr. Eilat Mazar.

2. Hezikiah’s Clay Seal / Isaiah’s Clay Seal

Early this year, Eilat Mazar, a renowned Jerusalem archeologist, revealed a clay seal with the name Isaiah on it. While the name Isaiah may have been frequent in the days of the Prophet Isaiah, the fact that this seal was found only feet from her previous discovery of Hezikiah’s Seal in 2015, may link the two bullae (seals).

It is consequential that these ancient bullae date to the appropriate times of Hezekiah and Isaiah and bear each of their names.  In Biblical Archaeology, Mazar wrote, “[If] this bulla is indeed that of the prophet Isaiah, then it should not come as a surprise to discover this bulla next to one bearing King Hezekiah’s name given the symbiotic relationship of the prophet Isaiah and King Hezekiah described in the Bible.”  Isaiah served as an advisor to King Hezekiah’s court and may himself been of royal lineage. In the Bible (see 2 Kings 19-20 and Isaiah 37-39), of the 29 times that the prophet Isaiah is named, 14 times it is in connection with King Hezekiah.

These two seals were among 34 found at the Ophel site. Each is small, measuring just 0.4 inches in diameter which makes them a remarkable find. But this site has offered a trove of other treasurers as the City of David is revealed.

3. The City of David

The Ophel excavation site at the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Photo: Andrew Shiva.

In Biblical times Jerusalem, or the City of David, stretched across two hills after it was conquered by David. But 250 years later the city was much built up as recorded in 2 Chronicles 27:3 King Jotham “built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.” This was likely a strategic fortification going back to King Soloman’s time.

Discovered only in the early 20th century, following chance finds, this biblical acropolis of First Temple Period in Jerusalem offers up new treasures every year. These include an inscription containing Jerusalem’s earliest known alphabet, a palace complex, other structures, a city gate, royal treasures (2015), towers, a royal ‘bakery’ and the seals of both King Hezekiah (2015) and this possible seal of Isaiah (2018), as described above.

Eilat Mazar, who has worked at the site for more than 30 years said, “politics” keeps archeologists from doing serious research on the Temple Mount which contains the richest relics from both the First and Second Temple periods. When asked what else she hopes to uncover, Mazar said that “the most important finds are written materials, because if you can get the archives of royalty from King David and Solomon until the destruction of the Temples, you learn the true history.”

4. The Pool of Shilom Found 

This pool had been misidentified for generations as a narrow, shallow ending to Hezekiah’s Tunnel and indeed not the grand bathing place described in the bible. Over the last two decades as archeologists have uncovered what was first just two steps, it now reveals an area 225 feet long on one side of the pool and the corners of another side.

Hezekiah’s is a sophisticated engineering feat that zigzags 1770 feet through limestone rock, bringing the waters of Gihon spring inside the walls of Jerusalem to the pool of Siloam.

To tell the story behind the Pool of Siloam, one must go back to the times of King Hezekiah, the Prophet Isaiah, and the Assyrian King Sennacherib. This Assyrian King had conquered the Kingdom of Israel, then Judah, and finally readied an attack on Jerusalem itself. In preparation for this siege, King Hezekiah employed two teams of men to tunnel 1770 feet between the Ghion Spring, which was outside the city walls, to what would become the Pool of Shilom. They did not dig in a straight line but instead followed a serpentine route that gradually sloped into the pool inside the city walls.

In recent years and especially as the steps to this pool have been uncovered, scholars found their notion of the location correct. Until these recent excavations, archeologists had not understood its size, date of construction or other essential details.

BiblePlaces.com makes a wild prediction that  “this will be the archaeological discovery of the decade for biblical studies. At least there is no chance of it being declared a forgery.”

5. Lachish Gate Shrine

At the Tel Lachish National Park, the ruin of a shrine was unearthed adjacent to the city gate. After Jerusalem, Lachish was the second most important city in Judah. In 2016, archaeologists uncovered remains of a disfigured altar with horns cut from each of its four corners. They also found an unused stone latrine located in the holy of holies, both to desecrate the site which had likely been used for false worship. Both discoveries point to the religious reforms instituted by King Hezekiah, in 2 Kings 18:4

He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cutdown the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it

The dig’s director Sa’ar Ganor said this gate is the largest found in Israel from the First Temple period. Parts of this gate were uncovered decades ago but the current excavation was designed to completely expose the remainder of the ancient structure.

He reported: “An opening was exposed in the corner of the room that led to the holy of holies. To our great excitement, we found two four-horned altars and scores of ceramic finds consisting of lamps, bowls, and stands in this room. It is most interesting that the horns on the altar were intentionally truncated!

“That is probably evidence of the religious reform attributed to King Hezekiah, whereby religious worship was centralized in Jerusalem, and the cultic high places that were built outside the capital were destroyed.”

Lesson 38: Beside Me There Is No Saviour Supplement to Old Testament Class Member Study Guide

By
Darryl Alder
-
Lesson 38: Beside Me There Is No Saviour
Beside me, there is no savior.
For lesson 38, ‘Beside Me, There Is No Savior’  we will help each other understand that Jesus Christ is incomparable in his devotion to his people and that he has a great work for them to do.

To prepare for class carefully study Isaiah 40–49 and review these verses. But, As you read each passage, look for answers to the following questions: Which attribute of the Savior is mentioned in this passage? How does knowledge of this attribute help increase our faith in the Savior?

“Isaiah’s metaphoric use of eagles’ wings is also echoed in modern scripture where the Lord promises Lyman Wight that if he is faithful the Lord will “bear him up as on eagles’ wings; and he shall beget glory and honor to himself and unto my name.” (D&C 124:18.) In the same revelation, the Lord promises William Law that as he serves the Lord, he will receive great powers and blessings including the promise that “he shall mount up in the imagination of his thoughts as upon eagles’ wings.” (D&C 124:99.) Other phraseology from Isaiah’s promise is found in the Doctrine and Covenants. For example, those who keep the Word of Wisdom are promised that they shall “run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.” (D&C 89:20; compare Isa. 40:31, KJV.)1
The Lord has waited a long time for this restoration, and he now promises to restore Israel and not forsake her. This latter-day restoration will stand forever, as shown to Nebuchadnezzar and interpreted for him by the prophet Daniel (see Daniel chapter 2, especially verse 44).2
Verses 1 and 7 use the Hebrew terms baurau and yatzar, two verbs of creation in Genesis that are used again here. “I have redeemed thee”—once again the future perfect tense is used (see commentary at Isaiah 3:8–11).
Verse 2: Compare Doctrine and Covenants 122. Our loving, personal God reassures each of us: “When thou passest through the waters [of affliction], I will be with thee . . . when thou walkest through the [refiner’s] fire, thou shalt not be burned.”
Verse 3: Jehovah promises to come as Savior.
Verse 4: Again, the loving nature of the Servant is identified.3
The Lord reminds the children of Israel of their preferred status as his servants (44:21), adding that he will forgive them and forget their sins if they will return to him. Indeed, the Atonement has already been firmly decreed, and mankind’s sins can be blotted out by the Redeemer (44:22). Because of this great gift of redemption, all of God’s creations sing praises to him (44:23).4
This particular chapter contains one of my personal favorite verses, verse 16, which contains beautiful Atonement symbolism.…I will be crucified for you. Just as a workman’s hands bear witness of his profession, his type of work, so shall nail prints in My hands bear witness of My love for you.…I know where you live, see you continuously, and I will not forget you.5
  • Babylon is often used in the scriptures as a symbol for the wickedness of the world. What are the results of seeking after the ways of the world? (See Isaiah 47:1, 5, 7–11.)

SearchIsaiah.org offers study materials for chapters 48–49 below:

Father carrying his son - Getting Into Isaiah 49 Through Nephi 21

Getting Into Isaiah 48–49 Through Nephi 20-21

 
 

Isaiah Chapter 48 in Poetic Form
Sea of Galilee

First Nephi 20 and Isaiah 48—The Furnace of Affliction

1 Nephi 21 / Isaiah 49—The Servant Song
  • What has the Lord promised to those who seek him rather than the world? (See Isaiah 48:17–18.)
  • Many of the prophecies in Isaiah 49 apply both to the work of the Savior and to the work of his servants. What does Isaiah 49:1–6 teach about our responsibilities in the latter days?

Footnotes

1 Victor Ludlow, Isaiah, Prophet, Seer, and Poet, Deseret Book Company
2 Monte Nyman, Great are the Words of Isaiah, Deseret Book Company
3 Kelly Ogden, Verse by Verse, Old Testament: Volume Two, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition
4 Donald Parry, Understanding Isaiah, Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition
5 David Ridges, The Old Testament Mader Easier Part 3, Cedar Fort, Inc., Kindle Edition

The Prophetic Perfect Searching the Scriptures Series

By
Gregorio Billikopf
-

A few days ago someone asked, “Why is it that at times Book of Mormon prophets speak of future events as if these had already taken place?  

This query is just the pretext I needed to start a series of brief articles on scriptural-related principles: Searching the Scriptures Series.  

Prophetic Perfect

Two examples from the Book of Mormon:

“Wherefore, after he was baptized with water the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove” (2 Nephi 31:8).

“And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection” (Mosiah 16:7)

Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) scholars have given a name to this linguistic approach: the prophetic perfect. It means that the prophet’s faith was such that they could speak of future events with the certainty of a done deed. That is because they were permitted to see these events, in some instances, hundreds of years before they took place.  

The Old Testament

The Hebrew Bible is full of such language. Our translations from Hebrew to English or other languages do not always preserve these linguistic details. Here are just a few that are mentioned by Isaiah scholars: Isaiah 1:7; 14:24; 30:7; 42:16; 44:23; 51:3; 53:2; 54:6; 57:18; 59:15; and 59:16 (see Isaiah Testifies of Christ, 3rd Edition, Gregorio Billikopf).

The prophetic perfect is especially evident where the prophets speak of our Redeemer, Jesus the Christ. So we see in Isaiah 52–53 (please read along in Isaiah and pay particular attention to the past tense):  

“As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred” (Isaiah 52:14); “and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not (Isaiah 53:3); “he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4); “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him” (Isaiah 53:5); “and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6); “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth … ” (Isaiah 53:7); “He was taken from prison and from judgment … for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken” (Isaiah 53:8);  “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death” (Isaiah 53:9); “he hath put him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10); “because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

Hebraic Note

The prophetic perfect is not a verbal type as such (Hebrew verbs are generally composed of three root letters with changes that indicate tense). Instead, it is a rhetorical form (Joüon, P., & Muraoka, T. (2006) who cites, A grammar of biblical Hebrew, Roma: Pontificio Istituto Biblico). The context, rather, indicates the prophetic perfect. Also see Gesenius, F. W., 1910. Gesenius’ Hebrew grammar. (E. Kautzsch & S. A. E. Cowley, Eds.) (2nd English ed., p. 472). Oxford: Clarendon Press).

Old Testament 2018 Teaching Plans for Gospel Doctrine—Lesson 38 Darryl models "Come, Follow Me" lesson plan for Isaiah 40–49

By
Skyler Hunter
-
5 Lesson Plans Cover
DOWNLOAD five lesson plans NOW!
DOWNLOAD Old Testament 2018 Teaching Plans for Gospel Doctrine
Lessons 36–40 where Darryl models "Come, Follow Me" lesson plans.
Lesson 38:
‘Beside Me There Is No Saviour’

Welcome to Gospel Doctrine with Darryl! We’re part of the Search Isaiah team, and we are helping Sunday school teachers learn how to use the Come, Follow Me format, for our Gospel Doctrine lessons. I’d like to remind you that you can download a lesson on our blog post by clicking on this image at the right.

Today’s lesson is lesson number 38: “Besides me, there is no Savior.” It’s another discussion on the Savior’s life. The study outlines it for you this time, and it includes a lot more video than normal. Two of the videos come right from the manual itself, and one comes from me discovering some research on my own that I think will help you.

First of all, the groups today are going to be a little bit different again. They’re different every time, for that mixes it up for the classroom.

Gospel Doctrine Lesson Preparation and Study

The scriptures you should read ahead of time are all of Isaiah 40–49.

This is a wonderful series. The temptation here is because the Book of Mormon has Isaiah 48 and 49 and first Nephi 20 and 21, and you might think that’s what we should emphasize, but don’t neglect the rest of this. Remember, it’s a whole, big box of chocolates, not just a little one. There are some chapters in Matthew and Exodus for you to study and contemplate.

Scriptures:

Presentations:

 Talks:

Videos:
    And I’d like to remind you that during the week if you text members of your class about what you’re studying ahead of time, that will help prompt them to take a deeper dive in the read themselves. Ask them to consider what these verses add to Isaiah’s message. There are several conference addresses, which are really good talks for this lesson and a few videos too.

I have to remind you that you can download this lesson outline at searchisaiah.org. Just click here and it will take you there!

Sunday School Gospel Doctrine Lesson Attention Activity

As we start this lesson today, the manual suggests that we write these statements on our whiteboard:

Because I made slides, I almost always use slides in the classroom because it helps me drive the Come, Follow Me format a little tighter.

Gospel Doctrine Classroom Discussions

Our discussion groups today are going to have five or six people in them with a little bit longer study time; we’re going to give you 20 minutes.

1.Isaiah teaches that the Savior is incomparable. Read and discuss Isaiah 40:18; 4:8 ; Isaiah 46:5; Isaiah 43:11; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 45:5, 6, 14, 18, 21–22; and Isaiah 46:9. Also read What Think Ye of Christ, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Oct 2011

2.Isaiah describes the Savior’s incomparable qualities. Discuss Isaiah 40:28–31; Isaiah 40:12, 21–22, 26; 45:12, 18; Isaiah 41:17–18; Isaiah 42:1, 4; Isaiah 42:16; Isaiah 43:1; Isaiah 43:25–26; 44:21–23; Isaiah 44:2–4; Isaiah 46:3–4; and Isaiah 49:14–16

3.The world (Babylon) competes with the Savior for our devotion. Read and discuss Isaiah 47:1, 5; Isaiah 47:7–9; Isaiah 47:10–11; Isaiah 47:8, 10; and Isaiah 48:17–18.

4.Isaiah describes the mission of latter-day Israel. Read and discuss Isaiah 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; Isaiah 49:2; D&C 6:2; Isaiah 49:2; D&C 86:9; Isaiah 49:2; Isaiah 49:6; and  D&C 86:8–11.

The first group is going to study how Isaiah teaches that the Savior is incomparable. The second group gets to describe His incomparable qualities. Lots of Isaiah there, so this is going to be some quick reading. Group number three is going to read about Babylon and how it competes with the Savior for our devotion. And group four is studying the mission of Latter-day Israel.

Also I’ve asked brother Hunter to add to this little search hack that helps us mark our scriptures, particularly because almost everyone in the ward is using a handheld device now.

Skyler Hunter: So, this search hack explained some differences between the manuscripts of Isaiah in Nephi verses 20 through 21, and Isaiah verses 48 through 49. Nephi here is quoting Isaiah but there are differences in the manuscripts when he quotes Isaiah and the hack tells you a little bit about where those differences came from. One came from a Joseph Smith’s translation of the Book of Mormon, and is a one-word change, one came from Nephi, where he says that the house of Israel did not stay themselves.

I just want to share that search hack with the group, so we can watch it together here:

Search Hack: “1st Nephi chapters 20 through 21 is where the reading gets tough. Nephi quotes Isaiah 48 through 49 which means more ambiguously because of the plethora of symbols Isaiah uses for subjects like Christ, his servant, and Israel. Why does Nephi quote from Isaiah for a full two chapters after settling in the Promised Land?

He tells us in chapter 19 saying, “Remember the Lord, thy redeemer.” Nephi reads Isaiah to his family, so his posterity might remember Christ’s coming in 600 years and rely on Him. He writes Isaiah, so we might remember and rely on Christ 1000’s of years after his coming and gather the house of Israel.”

President Russell M. Nelson: You were sent to Earth at this precise time, the most crucial time in the history of the world to help gather Israel.

Search Hack: But when Nephi quotes Isaiah there are key differences between their manuscripts. Let’s explore the meaning of a few of these key differences by comparing 1st Nephi 20 through 21 side by side with Isaiah 48 through 49 in the King James Bible. In the beginning of Nephi 20, Isaiah defines the House of Israel as those who come forth from the waters of Judah. The Book of Mormon version adds “out of the waters of baptism”. Joseph Smith, out of that phrase, adds prophetic clarification of what the “waters of Judah” means. We know this because the Book of Mormon translations did not include this phrase until the 1840 edition.

Last time we highlighted references to Christ in red. This time use pink on Joseph additions because it is close to the red of Christ and that it has righteous prophetic origin. Underline instead of highlight to note that Joseph or Nephi speaking these words instead of someone referring to them.

In the next verse, Isaiah says, the children of Israel to stay themselves upon the God of Israel. The Book of Mormon version says they do not stay themselves upon the God of Israel. Based on the context, Nephi’s reading makes much more sense because the Lord chastises Israel for forgetting him. This discrepancy is most likely a scribe error passing into the King James Bible.

Later, in chapter 21, there’s a bigger change. Nephi adds 48 words to verse 1, saying that the House of Israel is broken off, driven out and scattered abroad because of the wickedness of the pastors and my people. Nephi’s addition seemed to be a huge clarification for who the isles of people from afar are in Isaiah’s version, providing us with a better understanding of the house of Israel.

As you study, ask yourself, who made each change and what are they trying to tell us?

Darryl: So, brothers and sisters, as instructors, it’s important after each of the discussion groups that you get around and visit them to see what they’re working on. This search hack could distract them because there are other things to do, but remember, every group this time has a video to listen to and that’s going to take a lot of time. And they might not feel like they want to actually share the video with the group instead of promote it for home evening or a couple of studies later on and that’s fairly important to notice.

Now, if you feel like those discussion groups are too big, then I’d suggest that you look at other discussion topics that are at the end of the lesson manual, and I’ve put them up here:

Symbols used by Isaiah

Waiting upon the Lord

  • What does it mean to “wait upon the Lord”? (Isaiah 40:31). In what ways does the Lord renew the strength of those who wait upon him?
  • (See Isaiah 41:10.) Invite class members to share experiences about the Lord renewing a person’s spiritual or physical strength.

“But thou hast not called upon me”

  • Why do some of us occasionally feel that the Lord has forsaken us? If we feel the Lord has withdrawn from us, what is likely the cause? (See Isaiah 43:22–26; Mosiah 5:13.) What can we do to feel close to him again?
  • President Spencer W. Kimball said: “I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball,ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 135).

These other discussion topics are at the end of the lesson plan; the first one is on symbols used by Isaiah. It’s really quite fascinating to help people understand some of the symbolism. The second one is the definition of waiting on the Lord. The last one is, “but thou hath not called upon me.” And if you added these three in to the other four, you’d have seven discussion groups.

In our ward’s Gospel Doctrine classroom the size tends to run between 35 and 42, but I can’t always predict that. So I often have one of these other discussion topics up my sleeve, just in case. I’m recommending to you that you always plan on a few more discussion groups than you need, and that you never ever get so married to your syllabus or your lesson manual that you feel defeated.

Your job in the Come, Follow Me format is to be a discussion facilitator. Whatever discussion emerges from any of the study groups is exactly right for your group. So, I don’t want you to worry about that at all.

Gospel Doctrine Lesson Conclusion

As the conclusion comes up today, I’d like you to think back on how you’ve developed a love for the Savior and how you might share that with others. And we’re going to listen as we leave today after our closing prayer to “How Firm a Foundation” because we’re finishing just a little bit early and I’d like you to hear all of this hymn.

Let’s go ahead and have the closing prayer now, and then we’ll go straight to the hymn.

Old Testament 2018 Teaching Plans for Gospel Doctrine—Lesson 37 Darryl models "Come, Follow Me" lesson plan for Isaiah

By
Skyler Hunter
-
5 Lesson Plans Cover
DOWNLOAD five lesson plans NOW!
DOWNLOAD Old Testament 2018 Teaching Plans for Gospel Doctrine
Lessons 36–40 where Darryl models "Come, Follow Me" lesson plans.
Lesson 37:
“Thou Hast Done Wonderful Things”

In this lesson, we’re going to have an opportunity to really dig deep into Isaiah, but remember we’re using the Come, Follow Me format, which means you would have had a bit of homework to do and probably some class members too.

Isaiah 22:22. The Savior opens the door to
Heavenly Father’s presence.

Isaiah 24:21–22.
The Savior shows mercy for those in spirit
prison.

Isaiah 25:1–4; 32:1–2.
The Savior is a strength and a refuge.

Isaiah 25:6–9.
The Savior will prepare a feast and destroy the
“vail.”

Isaiah 25:8.
The Savior wipes away our tears.

Isaiah 26:19.
The Savior will bring the Resurrection.

Isaiah 28:16. The Savior is our sure foundation.

Isaiah 29:4, 9–14, 18, 24.
The Savior will restore the gospel to the earth.

Isaiah 30:19–21.
The Savior knows our trials and directs our paths.

Lesson Preparation and Study

Notice that there are nine scriptures and today we’ve listed the outcomes of those scriptures here on the whiteboard; we will be going over them in a minute. This is going to lead to nine discussion groups, which is a lot larger than normal. We’ll probably break into groups of two or three each

During the week, you’re going to want to engage members of your class with these scriptures, like one or two a day. Tell them you’ve been reading them and you hope they will too.

You might also point them to these conference talks:

There are three videos that probably you won’t have time to watch, especially that Marvelous Work and a Wonder video during the actual Sunday school class. So, it’s something that’s going to have to be done ahead of time:

  • Isaiah Prophesied of Christ, (Isaiah 53) A video telling of Isaiah’s writings of the Savior.
  • Perilous Times, (Isaiah 24) President Hinckley teaches that despite the perilous times that we live in we can all have peace in our lives by living the gospel.
  • A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, (Isaiah 29:4-14) The story of Joseph Smith and his translation of the Book of Mormon

There is also a Prezi slide deck for this lesson that you may use by clicking here.

I’m not interested in calling it homework, but if we’re going to get serious about the scriptures, we’re going to have to do more than drive-by reading, it’s got to be something a little bit deeper.

Additional Lesson Ideas

The following material supplements the suggested lesson outline. You may want to use one or more of these ideas as part of the lesson.

Objects that represent some of Isaiah’s images

Display various objects or pictures that represent some of Isaiah’s images, such as a key, a stone, or a picture of shade in the desert, as you discuss these images.

Music from Handel’s Messiah

Play a recording of “For unto Us a Child Is Born,” the musical rendition of Isaiah 9:6 from George Frideric Handel’s Messiah.

The Touch of the Master’s Hand

If Family Home Evening Video Supplement 2 (53277) is available, you may want to show “The Touch of the Master’s Hand,” an 18-minute segment, as part of the lesson.

I think as you came in today, you noticed that I had chosen to play music from Handel’s Messiah from the LDS Media Library. All three of these things appear at the lesson’s end as “Additional Teaching Ideas.” 

First, to have some objects that represent Isaiah’s images; second, music from Handel’s Messiah; and lastly a video: The touch of the Master’s hand.

These additional teaching ideas are suggestions at the end of each lesson. Often we don’t use those, but I think because we have 10 minutes gathering between sacrament meeting and Sunday school, playing this segment from Handel’s Messiah, For Unto Us A Child Is Born, is really appropriate. It will set the tone for everything happening in the classroom today.

Sunday School Lesson Introduction

Last time we met, we had a little fun with some Whitman’s chocolates. We were talking about how most of us when we read Isaiah, we just choose to skip it or skim it.

Now here’s the problem, when you skip it, you haven’t even unwrapped it, so you haven’t smelled it, you don’t know any of its goodness. So, let’s unwrap this little sampler and we’re going to move from the skipping stage to the skimming stage.

In a different post at SearchIsaiah.org, Victor Ludlow suggested that skimming the chapter headings and finding the one you like will probably give you a taste for what’s ahead.

So, here’s four little chocolates in this Whitman’s Sampler (and by the way, am not a distributor of Whitman chocolates). I just know about these little size ones, and this one was gift-wrapped for Halloween this morning—we are moving into that season in fact, I noticed the trees outside, were already changing.

So, let’s say we do skim, and we just read the chapter headings, but we come across the chapter that interests us, this gives us a chance to take a little bit deeper dive. You’ll notice here that our Whitman’s Samplers are a lot bigger and that could represent all the paragraphs in that chapter.

That’s also something Victor Ludlow suggested, that you take it a paragraph at a time, not a verse at a time and that might help you dig in. So, of course, our goal is not just to read, it’s to study. To study, you’re going to have to go for something much more aggressive.

Now, studying the book of Isaiah could mean a number of things. For me, a few years ago, actually two decades ago, I tried looking up all the footnotes and that didn’t do the trick. So, I bought some scholars books and works on Isaiah and some other translations. Then I read a little bit on the side; that helped me somewhat study, but diligent study might actually be something much deeper, and of course, that takes us to our big box.

Diligent study is what we’re really after because the Savior commanded us to study the words of Isaiah diligently. So, we don’t get just to skip or skim or read or study, we have got to study diligently. Now, I think you’ll notice in here someone has been eating these very diligently. I think all of our team here have enjoyed Whitman’s chocolates since I brought this object lesson.

So, one of our team had a suggestion and I think it’s such a good idea. He said, when you get stumped with a word, turn to the Topical Guide. For example, Isaiah will talk about trees; he’ll write about Oaks and the Cedars of Lebanon. Whenever he’s talking about them, he’s talking about people.

Now, you might discover that by looking in somebody’s study aid or a scholar’s book or something, but another way to do it is to personally study the words ‘tree,’ ‘cedar,’ and oak. Then using the topical guide and as you can see here:

Going to the topical guide and we’re moving down to Isaiah and other Old Testament prophets, looking at all the times they use the words tree. Almost always, one of those will help you know he’s talking about people and then you can substitute the word ‘people’, for ‘tree’ every time.

In the case of Cedars of Lebanon, these are the great and powerful soldiers from the north, from Syria, and the Oaks are the great and powerful warriors from another area, I can’t remember if it’s from Egypt or something else. But it’s a fun thing to do when you take a little deeper dive.

Sunday School Lesson Discussions

The real question we have is, how to feast in the scriptures. And today we’re going to break into study groups and we’re going to try and see what happens to those who tried feasting a little bit at home.

As I told you at the beginning, we have these topics that we’re discussing the Savior today:

  • The Savior opens the door to God’s presence.  
  • He gives us access to Heavenly Father through his name.
  • The Savior shows mercy to those in the spirit prison by opening the doors there.
  • He’s the strength and he’s a refuge.
  • He’ll prepare a feast and destroy the “vail.”
  • He’ll wipe away our tears; He knows our sorrows.
  • He’ll bring the resurrection to pass, first for him and then for all of us.
  • He’s our sure foundation.
  • He’ll restore the Gospel
  • He knows our trials and directs our paths

As we break into our groups, we’re going to divide into much smaller groups; probably two or three people each. Pick one of these topics, (we’re going to let you pick them) and then read the scriptures related to it. In addition, try and find a conference talk, notice there are some listed on the slide:

These are an update to the lesson because our lesson manual is eighteen years old.

Let’s take a look at this next page just so you can see that we’ve gone online and we’re going to break now into our groups.

Brothers and sisters, just organize however you want, it doesn’t matter to me. Pull your chairs together in small circles and read these scriptures. I’ll let you talk about them for 20 minutes and remember to find a conference talk.

Sunday School Lesson Discussion Reports

So, all of our groups have taken assignments. This last group we have looks like it has three in it and they’ve decided to talk about the how Savior knows our trials and directs us. Let’s take a look at my PowerPoint (images above) for just a minute because you also have the assignment to try and define how we feast on the word of God.

Read the scripture from Isaiah, talk a little bit about feasting on the words of God and be sure to find a conference talk that is related to the topic. Do you understand? Any questions?

Sam: “Thou shalt weep no more. He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry.”

Troy: Isaiah is telling us that we need to rely upon the Savior and then verse 21, “And thine ears shall hear a word behind ye saying, this is the way, walk ye in it.”

Darryl: You getting that discussion on adversity ok?

Hannah: Yeah.

Darryl: I think I forgot to give you another scripture. I think Alma 37:37 was also one of yours. You guys take a look at that and remember in just a minute we’re going to want you to report to the whole group what your discussion was.

Hannah: I think that’s what it means to feast upon the word of Christ, or feast upon the word of God because I think we all face decisions in our life and we all have times of hardships, but like you said, when you face those times of hardships with prayer and with scripture study, I think that is true counseling.

Troy: Let’s feast on that Whitman Candy.

Hannah: Yeah, let’s do that.

Darryl: I’m hoping group nine will share their feast with everyone else here in Sunday school today. I don’t usually bring treats, I don’t want people to have a sugar high.

Let’s go ahead now and take reports from each of the groups now.

If you notice during the time that they were having a discussion, I worked my way around to each of the nine groups. In classroom management, this is a lot of people, and you’ve only got 40 minutes and so I allotted 20 minutes for each group to talk with each other; some of the groups had a lot of things to read. This group, not so much. They had the assignment to feast and then share chocolates.

Moving around each group lets you know if they’re engaged, or if they have any questions and that’s fairly important. And then, of course, you need to give them the opportunity to report.

Each group needs a chance to report and almost always, they’re going to take at least a minute, sometimes a minute and a half. So, for this whole lesson, a brief introduction, study assignments which very much engages them, we’ve had such good feedback from people about this. I know that the youth have been using these almost three years now and they’re very happy with it, but every adult class I’ve tried it in has felt very rewarded. When you think about it, they’re only getting a tiny taste, like one chocolate out of the whole box in their discussion group, but it’s still something for them.

Sunday School Lesson Conclusion and Call to Action

Let’s wrap this lesson up and I just want to share with you how grateful I am for the Savior and all He’s done for us.

Now, let me show you Search Hack 2.

Show it to your class using Facebook, to avoid LDS Church firewalls that block Youtube.

I’m going to ask you, because you’ve all got the home study guide, to look at these 9 things and maybe write something in a journal today and think about them. But to conclude, let’s look at Isaiah 35:3–4, and see if we can’t do what this prophet has asked us to do.

“Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not; behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense, He will come and save you.”

What a great promise that defines ministering to me. I hope each of you will have a chance to do that this week.

So, brothers and sisters, after the closing prayers we leave today. This BYU musical group will be singing ‘I Stand All Amazed’ from the LDS Media Library. I think that that probably references how we all feel today at what our Savior has done for us. I hope you’ll enjoy the week. Don’t worry, I’m going to be sending you more things this week, so you can get deeper into Isaiah because we want to diligently search the words of this prophet.

I remind you once again, if you’re a Sunday school instructor, you can download this lesson and get all 5 Isaiah lesson plan and slides in a Come, Follow Me format for Gospel Doctrine Lessons 36-40 by clicking this link.

Teaching a Sunday School class? Worried about the “Come Follow Me” next year.  Isaiah Lessons (Lessons 36-40)? Don’t miss this opportunity to teach something valuable, with these full lesson plans.

Darryl teaches us using the Come Follow Me method, while showing how to use these downloaded lesson plans in your classroom. Use it this Sunday for an easy effective Isaiah lesson.

1...111213...38Page 12 of 38
Search Isaiah
All Things Isaiah.

Search Isaiah exists to share insight into the words of Isaiah.

Share your study notes and help spread the knowledge of Isaiah.
Contact us: info@searchisaiah.org
© Search Isaiah Copyright 2021