When the Old Testament was put together, the books were not always placed in chronological order but were instead grouped according to their subject material. The Old Testament contains scriptures that the Jews of Palestine during the Savior’s mortal ministry had. The New Covenant is the law the Lord, Jesus Christ, gave during His mortal ministry. The Old Covenant is the law the Lord gave to His people anciently. In a gospel context, a covenant is a special agreement between the Lord and a person or a group. “… In the Old Testament the word testament represents a Hebrew word meaning ‘covenant’” (Bible Dictionary, “Bible”). “The Christian Bible has two great divisions, familiarly known as the Old and New Testaments. … The Bible is not one book but a collection of books-the Greek word from which bible is derived originally meant “the books” (see Bible Dictionary, “Bible”).
Acting on these promptings will help your testimony of the gospel to grow. As you diligently study the Old Testament, you may feel the Holy Spirit touch your heart and help you identify ways to apply these doctrines and principles in your life. We also need to learn the doctrines and principles taught in these accounts and then apply them in our lives. But we need to do more than just learn the stories in these accounts. For example, we can better understand the teachings in John 3:14–15 1 Nephi 17:40–42 Alma 33:18–22 and Helaman 8:14–15 by studying the account of Moses raising a brass serpent in Numbers 21:4–9. As we become more familiar with them, we can find greater meaning as we study passages in the New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants that refer to these accounts. The Old Testament also contains some of the most well-known accounts in history. We are living in the days when many of these promises are being fulfilled. They would come to a knowledge of the gospel and be restored to their lands of inheritance. Through His ancient prophets the Lord promised to gather the scattered Israelites in the last days. The Old Testament records how the ancient Israelites were conquered, led away into captivity, and scattered throughout other nations because of their sins.
A sincere study of the Old Testament can strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ and help us learn to rely upon His teachings and His Atonement to receive salvation.įurthermore, the Old Testament contains prophecies about the work Jesus Christ will do in the last days before His Second Coming. The laws and ordinances Jesus Christ gave His people anciently helped them to have faith in Him as their Messiah and Redeemer. He is Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament. Like all scripture, the Old Testament teaches and testifies of Jesus Christ and of His divinity. Now almost abandoned by the Christian world, it remains to us a testament of Jesus Christ” ( “The Library of the Lord,” Ensign, May 1990, 37–38). “In seminary you learn to know the Old Testament. You see Elijah demonstrate the sealing power and hear Malachi prophesy that Elijah will be sent with the keys of the sealing authority. You read prophecies of the coming Messiah and of the restoration of the gospel. “The ‘why’ of tithes and offerings is explained. “The whole basis for Judaic-Christian law, indeed for Islam, is taught to you. You become familiar with such words as obedience, sacrifice, covenant, Aaronic, Melchizedek, and priesthood. “In the Old Testament course, you learn of the Creation and fall of man, the foundation for the temple endowment. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained the importance of studying the Old Testament: Why Is Studying the Old Testament Important?
For Latter-day Saints, the Bible stands alongside the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price as holy scripture (see Articles of Faith 1:8).
DICTIONARY OF BIBLE THEMES HOW TO
Through His prophets, the Lord gave the Israelites laws, covenants, and doctrines to prepare them for His coming and teach them how to return to God and how to live in God’s presence. The Old Testament also contains the prophecies and warnings of the Lord’s ancient prophets, whom He called to preach repentance to the children of Israel. It records the history of God’s covenant people, the descendants of Jacob, who are called “the house of Israel” or “the children of Israel.” It states how God delivered the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage through the prophet Moses and led them to a promised land. The Old Testament gives an account of the Creation, the Fall of Adam and Eve, the great flood in the days of Noah, and the establishment of God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom the Lord renamed Israel. It is a record of God’s dealings with His children from the Creation to about 400 B.C. The Old Testament contains the writings of ancient prophets and others who wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
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