Old Testament

At the beginning of the year I set a goal to read the Old Testament.  I only had to read a few pages a day to finish by the end of the year, so I figured it would be pretty manageable.  Then, we were challenged to read the Book of Mormon during the summer, so my Old Testament reading was put on hold.  When I started reading again, I had to read quite a few pages to be able to finish by the end of the year.  I started taking my Bible around in my car and reading it when I was waiting to pick up my daughter at the bus stop.  With my morning reading and this extra reading, I was able to accomplish my goal.  I finished the Old Testament this morning.  I decided to post about some of my thought and impressions I've received while reading in the Old Testament this year.

First, I am grateful for an institute teacher who encouraged me to mark all the footnotes that give alternate translations from Hebrew and Greek versions of the Bible, that explain the idioms used, that give the Joseph Smith Translation, and that give other words to clarify the meaning.  Because I took the time to mark my Old Testament this year, whenever I came to a passage with such a footnote, I could look down and read the explanations.  It really helped me understand the Old Testament better and with these markings, reading Isaiah was actually interesting!

Second, I am amazed at how often the people in the Old Testament were told to change and come unto the Lord and He would bless them.  If they didn't, He would curse them.  Often they chose not to listen.  I've thought a lot this year about how I do the same thing.  I know the way I need to live my life.  I know I need to be more forgiving, less judgmental, more kind, and to reach out more often to those in need.  But, I often convince myself that I don't have the time, that now is the time to focus on my children.  I continue to harbor ill feelings towards people, even though I know I need to see them as children of God and treat them accordingly.  I have been taught by my Lord and Savior how to love others and I choose not to live that way.  I guess sometimes I look at the people in the scriptures and think, "Why didn't you listen so your life could be better?"  I really should be thinking, "How am I not listening to the prophets today?  What could I be changing in my life today to make it better?  What do I need to be doing to soften my heart and not letting it turn to stone?"

Third, I LOVE the last few chapters of the Old Testament.  They apply to our day and have some wonderful prophecies for when Christ comes again. 

I am grateful I took this opportunity to read the Old Testament.  Though it was discouraging at times, and hard to understand, I learned a lot about the history of the House of Israel and gained insight into things I need to be doing better in my life.