Studying the Old Testament provides great spiritual learning and strengthening.
The Old Testament takes us back to the beginning when God defined the purpose of creation. Each story takes place within a larger framework, in which “the scriptures teach us that ‘truth is the knowledge of things as they are, were, and will be’ (D&C 93:24). Truth looks past and future and widens our perspective of small moments,” said Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (“Eyes of Faith,” April 2019 general conference).
A lens through which we view the Old Testament, one that recognizes God’s work to bring “immortality and eternal life” to His children (Moses 1:39), brings purpose to our study and helps us better understand the Old Testament’s relevance today.
This lens helps us focus on what God is and always is trying to accomplish with His children through the sometimes difficult events we encounter within its pages.
Here are some things that can help us experience spiritual growth as we approach the Old Testament “by study and faith” (D&C 88:118).
context
Seeing the Old Testament in its unique historical and revelatory setting—seeking to understand the context of revelation, teaching, and instruction, and the author’s intent—opens new avenues of understanding and allows us to confirm the truths that the Spirit speaks to us.
The cultural, linguistic, and historical distances that can make the Old Testament difficult to understand are very real. It was probably in part in this light that the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith during the translation of the Bible: “And truly I say to you, it is for the salvation of Zion that you hurry to translate my scriptures, and to gain knowledge of history, and of nations, and of kingdoms, and of the law of God and of men, and of all these things” (D&C 93:53).
Angels quote Old Testament scriptures (see Joseph Smith—History 1:36-41), and Old Testament prophetic figures “proclaim their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honor, their majesty and glory, and their priesthood power, line by line, precept upon precept, giving a little here, a little there, offering us what is to come, comforting us and confirming our hope!” (D&C 128:21) A deeper understanding of these ancient prophets and their prophecies seems essential. Understanding this context is so important that this year the Church created a new resource for the study of the Old Testament, now translated into 15 languages (Bible Help: The Old Testament).
Seeking the Spirit
Seeking the guidance of the Spirit along with the teachings of the scriptures and living prophets is invaluable and essential as we approach the Old Testament.
As you seek to learn more about the Biblical situation, you can ask questions such as:
When was the revelation communicated? By whom and to whom? What caused the revelation? What was the big picture that elicited the revelation, and from God’s perspective, what was the desired outcome and intent of the revelation?
These questions can lead to personal revelation as the Spirit explains and testifies to truths revealed in the Bible and the prophets.
read with sensitivity
Reading the Old Testament with sensitivity to both the highs and lows, both the spiritually uplifting moments and the absolutely devastating episodes, and seeking to experience both positive and negative emotions with the participants creates compassion for all involved and allows revelation to touch us through a variety of experiences.
Through my study of the Old Testament, I have grown in faith as I contemplate both the spiritually uplifting and the most tragic events found within its pages. Addressing the challenges people experienced—the challenges and disappointments, the dangers and ridicule, the sorrows and anxieties of tragedy—can humanize our experience of the Old Testament.
The pain experienced by people throughout the Old Testament, especially the suffering and neglect of women such as widows, Ruth, Hannah, and the women of Judges, cannot be minimized, marginalized, or set aside. And sensitivity to this can bring compassion and a desire to right the wrongs we encounter today.
Through this process, we can feel the power of God’s revelation, God’s guidance, God’s knowledge, and God’s mercy. You can feel the weight of justice and injustice, and the comfort of mercy and hope.
reflection
My faith and trust in God grew stronger as I pondered God’s gentle exchange with Eve and Adam when He asked questions that brought them back to Him even though they tended to hide from Him. His gentle, inviting voice, “Where have you gone?” (Moses 4:15) when they were “afraid” gave me the courage to draw near to Him, to see, to hear, when I was troubled, lost, and in need of direction and comfort.
I am strengthened by God’s merciful and joyful response in sending His Savior, His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem all mankind. Because of this reaction, Eve and Adam rejoiced as they experienced the “joy of salvation and eternal life” (Moses 5:11) that God had given them. These verses have given me the courage and strength to get out of bed each day with more hope and intentional purpose.
The relationship between God and His Son was strengthened by what I read and felt about the Holy Spirit when Enoch saw God weeping at the approaching flood, and Enoch was made to think, “How can you weep?” (Moses 7:28-29).
Our perception of the God of the Old Testament may initially lead to feelings of a harsh God with little mercy, but when we dig deep enough into the context, the story witnesses something different. Witnessing God’s emotions enabled Enoch, who was weeping and refusing to be “comforted” (Moses 7:44), to have a vision of the Savior’s salvation and deliverance, where he “received fullness of joy” (Moses 7:67). This series of events strengthened my faith in asking God for answers and trusting in the mission of Jesus Christ to bring me peace through my tears and questions about life.
My testimony of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, was strengthened by the comfort they brought to Sarah, Hagar, Rachel, and Joseph. My faith was strengthened by Ruth’s declaration to Naomi: “Where you are going, I will go…your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth’s influence is immeasurable. I am amazed at her reaction to the difficult life she would face as an outsider, a widow, and a foreigner. Yet she pursued a path of justice that brought communities together.
I have felt God’s love through Hannah’s grief, pain, and eventual relief. Her pain continued to be exacerbated by harsh treatment and misunderstandings from others, but was healed by faith and an appeal to God.
I gained confidence as I read the experiences and revelations of Sarah and Abraham preparing for the horrors of Egypt and the altar of Jehovah-Jireh (see Genesis 22:14), the place where Abraham demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice his son (whose name reflects the appearance of God or the provision of the ram to deliver from the bush). The adversity that individuals and people have faced and the peace that God has brought to them continues to bless my life today.
perspective
Old Testament stories can be difficult to understand and I may even have negative feelings about them, but what has helped strengthen my faith instead of hindering it is approaching seemingly incomprehensible episodes with the following mindset: If I don’t understand something, it’s because of the imperfections of my knowledge, not God’s fault.
I don’t blame God or blame him for human weakness, wickedness, or neglect. I have come to love my all-knowing and all-powerful Heavenly Father, but what I don’t understand is my flaws, not He.
When questions arise (as they inevitably do), I choose to follow the counsel of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, rather than defining my faith by what I don’t know. “Before you doubt your faith, doubt your doubts. Never allow doubt to hold you captive and keep you from the love, peace, and gifts of God that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ” (“Come Together,” October 2013 General Conference).
I don’t try to purify difficulties. With faith in Jesus Christ, I seek to explore and understand both the good and the bad. When I come across a passage that doesn’t make sense to me, I try to declare: “What I see I cannot tell you” (Job 34:32).
I discovered God in that search, and the stories of the Old Testament were an opportunity to find simplicity on the other side of complexity (see Stephen C. Harper, “How I Became a Seeker,” Brigham Young University Devotional, June 8, 2021). These approaches brought me closer to my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and gave direction to my life and faith journey. Studying the Old Testament strengthened my faith in God and His Son in many unexpected ways, and helped me hear His Word better.
—Aaron Shade is a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University.
