BOM 3_14
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Brigham Young University *
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122
Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
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5
Uploaded by EarlStarHummingbird39
“Overview: 1 Samuel” [video] BibleProject
1.
During the Israelites’ war with the Philistines in 1 Samuel 4–7, the Israelites were losing
and sent out the Ark of the Covenant. The Philistines defeated Israel and captured the
Ark. God then defeated the Philistines without either the Israelites or the Ark. What does
the narrator say seems to be the point of this story?
God is not Israel's trophy and he
opposes pride among the Philistines– so Israel needs to remain humble and obedient
if they want to experience God’s covenant blessing
“Overview: 2 Samuel” [video] BibleProject
2.
After David became king of all the Israelite tribes, what city did he conquer and make his
capital? What did he rename it? (Note that Isaiah will refer to this city by both names, so
knowing both names will help you recognize what city he is talking about in the Book of
Mormon’s Isaiah chapters.)
David conquers Jerusalem and renames it Zion
“Overview: 1–2 Kings” [video] BibleProject
3.
The Israelite tribes were united under the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon. However,
after Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam continued to mistreat the northern tribes, so a
man named Jeroboam led them to secede from Rehoboam’s kingdom. From this time
forward, the Israelites were split into two different political bodies, each with their own
kings. The southern kingdom (where Rehoboam continued to reign) became known as
___Judah_______
, with its capital at
_Jerusalem_________
. The northern kingdom
became known as
__Israel________
, with its capital at
__Samaria________
.
4.
About 200 years after the Israelites split into two kingdoms (and about 100 years before
the Book of Mormon opens), the northern kingdom (Israel) was destroyed by the
Assyrian Empire. Many of the Israelites were taken into exile and scattered throughout
the ancient world, becoming the “lost ten tribes.” In 2 Kings 17, the narrator offers a
prophetic reflection on why this tragedy happened, blaming what factors?
The idolatry
and covenant unfaithfulness of Israel and its kings.
5.
About 100 years after the destruction of the northern kingdom (and soon after the Book
of Mormon opens), the southern kingdom (Judah) was destroyed by the Babylonian
Empire. Many of the Judahites were taken into exile in Babylon. Despite this great
tragedy, 2 Kings ends with a short epilogue that describes a certain guy living in
Babylon—who is he a descendant of? This story ends 2 Kings with a glimmer of hope
that maybe, somehow, someday, the fallen kingdom might have a chance of being
restored, although the book does not answer the question of how God is going to do that.
The epilogue is about Jehoiachin, a descendant from David
“Overview: Ezra–Nehemiah” [video] BibleProject
6.
About 50 years after the destruction of the southern kingdom of Judah (which happened
around the time the Book of Mormon opens), the Persian Empire conquered the
Babylonians. After the Jews return from exile in Babylon, they successfully rebuild
Jerusalem and the temple. Describe what happens over the course of the next century.
Does the new golden age they were hoping for come to pass?
No, some of the elders
were waiting for God’s presence to descend and it never happened.
Is the line of
David restored to the throne? Does a unified Jerusalem become a light to the nations?
No-Ezra enacts a divorce decree, Zerubbabel refuses help from the grandchildren
who weren't taken into exhile, and Nehemiah builds a wall to keep out the people
surrounding Jerusalem which provokes them into hostile behavior.
So far, this history is a bit of a downer. We have seen the northern kingdom of Israel get
destroyed and scattered. We have seen the southern kingdom of Judah get destroyed and exiled,
and even though some of them were able to return and rebuild Jerusalem, they still struggled to
keep the covenant and life continued to be hard. Their descendants—the Jews—would continue
to have ups and downs for centuries to come. At this point in history, the Abrahamic covenant is
far from being fulfilled: Israel itself is physically scattered and spiritually struggling, and with all
their own problems, they only rarely get around to blessing all the other nations. How can God
turn things around and save this people, let alone use them to save everyone else? While the
historical books of the Old Testament do not answer that question, the prophetic books do
provide an answer.
Isaiah and other prophets revealed God’s plan to get Israel back on the covenant path—and save
the rest of His children at the same time. And while the Israelite prophets laid the groundwork
for understanding that plan, the Book of Mormon fleshes it out in even greater detail and clarity.
So now we will look at that Old Testament prophetic foundation so that later this term we can
better appreciate how the Book of Mormon builds on it. As it turns out, a key concept for God’s
plans is the idea of a
remnant
. The English word “remnant” is defined as “a usually small part,
member, or trace remaining,” or “a small surviving group.” It is etymologically related to the
word “remain.”
Joseph M. Spencer, “The Prophets’ Remnant Theology,” 205–210
(introduction and section titled
“Laying a Foundation)
7.
In Christian history, supersessionism or replacement theology is the idea that Jesus Christ
superseded or replaced the older covenant with Israel, and now God works through the
Christian church (broadly defined). One of the doctrinal contributions of the Book of
Mormon is its repeated assertion that this idea is false: while many of the specific
requirements of the law of Moses were fulfilled when Christ came, the Abrahamic
covenant continues to function as His plan for saving humanity (see 3 Nephi 15:8). But
how can God bless the world through Israel when Israel itself has so often broken the
covenant? [←
rhetorical question; will not appear on quizzes or exams
] Remnant
theology offers the answer. Rather than eliminating or replacing Israel as the covenant
people, God consistently does what?
Shows great mercy and helps show Israel their
weaknesses and reminds them to humble themselves so they can once again receive
the blessings of his covenant
“Overview: Isaiah 1–39” [video] BibleProject
The prophet Isaiah spoke frequently about Israel’s remnant. He lived a little over a century
before Nephi, and his prophecies had a profound impact on Nephi’s understanding of Israel’s
future. To prepare us to see why and how Nephi quoted from Isaiah, we will watch these videos
providing an overview of the book of Isaiah in its biblical context.
8.
Isaiah accuses Jerusalem’s leaders of covenant rebellion, idolatry, and injustice, and God
says He is going to judge the city by sending the nations to conquer Israel. Isaiah says
that this will be like a purifying fire that burns away all that is worthless in Israel in order
to create a new Jerusalem that is populated by a
______remnant____
that has repented
and turned back to God.
9.
All of Isaiah’s warnings of divine judgment in Isaiah 1–39 lead up to what pivotal
moment in Judah’s history?
Isaiah is shown to be a true prophet because it all came to
pass. Over a100 years later Babylon would turn on Jerusalem, come destroy the city,
its temple, and carry the Israelites away to exile in Babylon
“Overview: Isaiah 40–66” [video] BibleProject
10.
The book of Isaiah consists of two main halves, chapters 1–39 and chapters 40–66. Much
of the first half (chapters 1–39) deals with the Assyrian crises taking place during Isaiah’s
lifetime. However, much of the second half (chapters 40–66) deals with a later period in
history, after Isaiah’s lifetime. What major event took place in between the first half and
the second half?
The things Isaiah predicted came to pass and Jerusalem fell to
Babylon
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11.
The book of Isaiah concludes with an image for an entirely renewed creation where death
and suffering are gone forever. In this renewed world of God’s kingdom, people from
“
__all nations_
____” (two words, see Isaiah 66:18, 20) are invited to come and join the
servants of God’s covenant family, echoing the promise given to Abraham in Genesis
12:3.
Isaiah 1:7–9; 4:2–6; 6:9–13; 10:20–23; 11:10–16
The first major section of the book of Isaiah, chapters 1–12, speaks repeatedly about a remnant
of Israel and sets up the reader to understand the remnant theme that permeates the rest of the
book. We will read a few key passages here.
12.
In Isaiah 4, after the Lord comes in judgment, those “that are escaped of Israel” and “they
that are left in Zion” after the destruction shall be “called” what? This tells you
something important about what kind of people make up the remnant. S
hall be called
holy. The remnant is full of purity who have repented and turned to God.
13.
In Isaiah 6, the Lord tells Isaiah about a coming desolation in which the people of Judah
will be both killed (“without inhabitant,” “without man”) and carried away into exile
(“removed men far away”), alluding to the coming invasion of the Assyrian Empire.
What percentage of the people will remain as a remnant? A holy seed? A tenth. 10
percent?
14.
In Isaiah 10, Isaiah says that the remnant that survives the Assyrian assault “shall return.”
However, they will not be returning to a
place
. To
what
or to
whom
will they be
returning?
Stay upon the Lord, the holy one of Israel in truth. The remnant shall
return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
15.
Isaiah 11:11 is a key prophecy for the entire message of Isaiah 1–12, and it is quoted and
discussed several times in the Book of Mormon. Let us lock down the key phrases: “And
it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand
again____
the
____second______
time to recover the remnant of his people . . . And he shall set up an
ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the
dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
Spencer, Prophets’ Remnant Theology, 218–223
(sections titled “Isaiah” and “Conclusion”)
16.
In Isaiah 1–12, the prophet develops the story of the remnant of Israel, which in his
immediate context were the righteous Judahites who trusted in Jehovah and survived the
Assyrian invasion. Using an analogy that compares Judah to a chopped-down tree, the
remnant is a “holy seed” that can sprout like “a branch” from the stump to re-grow the
covenant people. Destruction and devastation for the covenant people eventually give
way to the existence of a winnowed remnant fully prepared to do what?
fully prepared
to receive instruction from the Lord.
17.
The remnant that survived the Assyrian invasion in Isaiah’s day does not represent the
entire story of Israel’s remnant. For Isaiah, this remnant was a type, a representation of
how God will work “again” through remnants of Israel in later periods—a “second time.”
These remnants are a crucial means by which God will accomplish His purposes in the
Abrahamic covenant. Isaiah echoes the prophet Micah, anticipating the role Israel’s
remnant is to play in redeeming whom he
anticipates the role Israel’s remnant is to play
in the redemption of the whole world and of all its peoples