Thought: D&C 25:12- A hymnal challenge
1. Only 168 of the 358 hymns in
our 1985 hymnal were written by LDS.
2. The original 1835 hymnal had no
music. The chorister would choose the tune.
3. Evan Stephens wrote 16 of the
hymns in our current hymnal.
4. Of the 90 hymns in the 1835
hymnal-26 are in the current edition.
Book of the Week:1835 Hymnal
Chronicles -Two books in the
Old Testament. They give a short history of events from the Creation to the
proclamation of Cyrus allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem.
First Chronicles
Chapters 1–9 list
genealogies from Adam to Saul. Chapter 10 chronicles the
death of Saul. Chapters 11–22 trace the
events associated with the reign of David. Chapters 23–27 explain that
Solomon was made king and the Levites were set in order. Chapter 28 explains that
David commanded Solomon to build a temple. Chapter 29 records David’s
death.
Second
Chronicles Chapters 1–9 trace the
events associated with the reign of Solomon. Chapters 10–12 tell of the
reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam, during which the united kingdom of Israel was
divided into the northern and southern kingdoms. Chapters 13–36 describe the
reigns of various kings until the capture of the kingdom of Judah by
Nebuchadnezzar. The book ends with Cyrus’s decree that the captive children of
Judah could return to Jerusalem. (Guide to the Scriptures)
Proverbs & Ecclesiastes - The
wisdom literature
Our English word proverb is used
to translate the Hebrew mashal. The
primary meaning of the root is "ruled, had power over, had power to
do," as in ruling or having power over one's life, or possessing the
wisdom to rightly govern one's life.(Ogden p. 100)
"Proverbs are small pieces of human wisdom that have been handed
down from generation to generation and that continue to be applicable and valid
even in our modern technological age. Proverbs, simply defined, are concise
statements of an apparent truth that have currency among the people because
they contain a generally accepted insight, observation, and wisdom. . . .it
expresses. . . .in a nutshell the philosophy of the common people. . . .
Proverbs are the true voice of all the people. . . . There appears to be
present a certain pragmatic optimism in the majority of proverbs."
(Wolfgang Meider, 1986)
Division of Proverbs
1-9- The
most poetic containing an exposition of true wisdom.
10-24- A
collection of proverbs and sentences about the right and wrong ways of living.
25-29-
Solomon's proverbs that Hezekiah's men
copied out.
30-31- The burden
of Agur and Lemuel, the latter including a picture of the ideal wife, arranged
in acrostic form.
Favorites:
1:7 (the
theme of the Book of Proverbs); 3:5-6 (the favorites Old Testament scripture of
LDS); 3:11-12; 5:18-20 (I have a hard time thinking that Solomon wrote these
verses); 6:16-19; 9:8-10; 10:1; 11:13; 11:22; 12:4; 13:20; 13:24; 14:34; 15:1; 16:31;
17:10: 17:27-28; 18:22; 21:9, 19; 22:6, 7; 23:7; 23:13-14; 25:6-7; 25:21-22;
26:20; 27:2; 27:6; 28:1; 29:2, 18; 31:10-31
Notes and Commentary on Ecclesiastes
(2-46) Ecclesiastes. The Message of the
Preacher
Ecclesiastes is “a Greek translation of the Hebrew Koheleth,
a word meaning ‘one who convenes an assembly,’ sometimes rendered Preacher. The
book of Ecclesiastes consists of reflections on some of the deepest problems of
life, as they present themselves to the thoughtful observer. The author
describes himself as ‘son of David, king in Jerusalem’ (1:1). “The book of
Ecclesiastes seems permeated with a pessimistic flavor, but must be read in the
light of one of its key phrases: ‘under the sun’ (1:9), meaning ‘from a worldly
point of view.’ The term vanity also needs
clarification, since as used in Ecclesiastes it means transitory, or fleeting.
Thus the Preacher laments that as things appear from the point of view of the
world, everything is temporary and soon gone—nothing is permanent. It is in
this light also that the reader must understand 9:5 and 9:10, which declare
that the dead ‘know not any thing,’ and there is no knowledge ‘in the grave.’
These should not be construed as theological pronouncements on the condition of
the soul after death; rather, they are observations by the Preacher about how
things appear to men on the earth ‘under the sun.’ (OTSM 2:19) The most spiritual part of the book appears in
chapters 11 and 12, where it is concluded that the only activity of lasting and
permanent value comes from obedience to God's commandments, since all things
will be examined in the judgment that God will render on man.
Best of Ecclesiastes
3:1-8 - The
Byrds and Peter Paul and Mary- Sequence and order in the life (Spencer W.
Kimball)
5:12- Happy
is the man who has work he loves to do or Happy is the man who loves the work
he has to do. (Adam S. Bennion, CR, Apr. 1955 p. 110-11)
7:12- See
also D&C 130:18-19
12:13- The
message of the whole book of Ecclesiastes.
1 Kings 1-11
Chapter 1 -
Vs. 4 - "TO KNOW" "Knowing" in the Bible
is not essentially intellectual activity, not simply the objective
contemplation of reality. Rather, it is experiential, emotional, and, above all
relational. Thus, in 18:19, when God says of Abraham, "I have singled him
out" or to Israel, in Amos 3:2, "You alone have I singled out of all
the families of the earth," the true connotation is "I have entered
into special relationship with you." For that reason, the Hebrew stem
y-d-` can encompass a range of meanings that includes involvement, interaction,
loyalty, and obligation. It can be used of the most intimate and most hallowed
relationships between man and wife and between man and God. Significantly, the
verb is never employed for animal copulation. The
Hebrew construction here employed usually indicates a pluperfect sense; that
is, it would normally be rendered "the man had known." this leads
Rashi to conclude that coition had already taken place in the Garden of Eden
before the expulsion, an interpretation that finds support in 3:20. There is
nothing to sustain the idea that sexual activity first occurred outside Eden. A
text like I Samuel 1:19-"Elkenah knew his wife Hannah" shows that the
Hebrew phrase in our text does not need to imply that we have here the first
occurrence of sexual experience.
Adonijah-
(Jehovah is my Lord) Younger brother of Absalom-Promotes self with support from Joab and Abiathar.
Nathan and
Bathsheba counter- I Chronicles 22:1-9; 28:11-12; 29:29-30.
The mule was a symbol of peace and royalty.
(Matthew 21:1-9) Solomon's name in Hebrew shlomo
means his peace. The horse was a
symbol of warfare. (Rev. 19:11; 6:2, 4, 5)
Adonijah
took a horn. Solomon is already showing wisdom and peace.
Chapter 2 - Solomon gets some last words from his father (vs.
1-10) and settles a few scores of his father after King David's death.
Vs. 2 - I
like the footnote 2b
13-25-
Adonijah never gives up until he dies.
26, 27, 35 -
Abiathar sent out of the city for his support of Absalom's rebellion- He is
replaced by Zadok.
28-35- Joab
is punished for his killing of Abner, and Amasa
36-46-
Shimei is quarantined and then put to death.
Chapter 3 - Solomon's Dream (vs. 15) and wisdom
Vs. 1- Note
the JST- And the Lord was not pleased with Solomon, for he made affinity with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and took
Pharaoh's daughter to wife, and brought her
into the house of David; until he had made an end of
building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem
round about. And the Lord blessed Solomon for the people's sake
only. An area of Solomon's wife
where he used the wisdom of the world as opposed to faith in God. (Deuteronomy 20:4 and Joshua 23:10)
Vs. 4 - The
Tabernacle was in Gibeon
Vs. 5 - What
would you ask for?
Vs. 11- things
to NOT ask for.
Vs. 12 -
Note the JST - Behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I
have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none made king over Israel like unto thee
before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
Vs. 14 -
Note the JST- "And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes, and
my commandments, then I will lengthen thy day, and thou shalt not walk
in unrighteousness, as did thy father David.
Chapter 4 - Solomon had a big government with 12 provincial
governors. Big government-Big taxes.
1 Samuel 8:11-20
Vs. 32 -
Solomon the author.
Chapter 5 - Solomon got wood and workers from Hiram of Tyre (often called the Sidonians from the
Phoenician city states of Tyre and Sidon) to build the temple. Hiram's people got paid in food. The
Israelites were assessed manpower and taxes.
Chapter 6 - A 7 1/2 year building project
Vs. 1 - Note
it has been 480 years since the Exodus.
Solomon's
Temple was twice the size of the tabernacle and about half the size of our
modern day small temples.
Many of the
building materials had been assembled by David before his death.
Solomon's
Temple 90'x30'x45=2700 sq. ft; Ogden Temple 112,232
sq ft; Bountiful e 104,000 sq ft
Salt Lake
Temple 186'x118' X 210- 253,000 sq ft;
Kirtland Temple 65'X 55'x45' - 15,000 sq ft;
Brigham City
- 36,000 sq. ft.; Draper 57,000 sq ft; Logan 119,619 sq ft;
Washington DC 160,000 sq ft; Los Angeles 190,614 sq ft; Palmyra New York
11,200 sq ft; Bismarck ND 10,700 sq ft; Lima, Peru 9,600 sq ft; Jordan River -
148,236.
Vs. 11-13 -
Compare D&C 97:15-15; 124:24, 27
Chapter 7 - Solomon's house took 13 years! Size - 150x75x45=11,250 sq. ft.
Vs. 23-26- It
must be remembered that all direct and plain references to baptism have been deleted from
the Old Testament (1 Ne. 13) and that the word baptize is of Greek origin. Some equivalent words, such
as wash, would have been used by the Hebrew
peoples. In describing the molten sea
the Old Testament record says, ‘The sea was for the
priests to wash in.’ (2 Chron. 4:2–6.) This is tantamount
to saying that the priests performed baptisms in it. “In this temple building
dispensation the Brethren have been led by the spirit of inspiration to pattern
the baptismal fonts placed in temples after the one in Solomon’s Temple.” (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 103–4.) The font on the back of
the 12 oxen may have held between 11-16,000 gallons of water. Modern day temple
baptisteries hold from 500 to 2000.
Chapter 8
- Solomon's Dedicatory prayer for the temple. Compare with D& C 109, the
dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple. Note also situations deemed
appropriate to pray about in or toward the temple. (forgiveness of sin, need for moisture, help
in wars, It is a beautiful prayer and Solomon's heart must have been right.
Chapter 9 -
The Lord makes clear His desire to bless Israel if they will stay faithful
The
consequences of an extravagant building
and large government programs: high taxes, punishing the prosperous.
Chapter10 -
Solomon impressed the queen of Sheba. Modern day Ethiopia has claimed their
royalty descends from Solomon and the queen. Sheba was located in southwestern
Arabia or Eastern Africa or both. Solomon's extravagance is detailed in
vs.14-29.
Chapter11- Chapter
heading- note the JST of vs. 4 & 6. When I read this chapter I thought of 2
Nephi 9:28-29. "Joseph Smith's translation of verse 6 rearranges the
phrases to present quite a different comparison of David and Solomon. Solomon's
violation of the marriage law (vs. 2) led to his breaking the first and second
of the Ten Commandments; David's breach of the 10th Commandment led to his
breaking the 7th and then the 6th of the 10 Commandments. (Ogden p. 20) David
united the kingdom of Israel; Solomon, through his policies, divided it.
Read vs. 28-32; the calling of Jeroboam by the
prophet Ahijah. Marrying outside the covenant had been the command of the Lord
since Moses and Samuel (Dt. 7:1-4 and 1 Sam. 8:10-18)
The
division of the Davidic kingdom was a step preparatory to the scattering of
Israel.
