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What Did the Lord Mean When He Said Moses Would Become “God to Pharaoh” During the Plagues of Egypt? (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 13A)

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Moses and Pharaoh

An Old Testament KnoWhy relating to the reading assignment for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 13: Bondage, Passover, and Exodus (Exodus 1-3; 5-6; 11-14) (JBOTL013A)

Question: What did the Lord mean when He said Moses would become “god to Pharaoh”? And how did the symbolism of the plagues undermine the worship of the Egyptian gods?

Summary: Surprisingly, Exodus 7:1 does not say that Moses was to be “like a god” to Pharaoh. Rather, the Lord’s words to the prophet in Hebrew read literally: “I have made you God/god to Pharaoh.” To make sense of this statement, it must be remembered that Pharaoh was considered to be a god by his people, “the living embodiment of the god Horus, god of kingship, represented by the falcon.” Thus, to prepare Moses for his summit meeting with the leader of Egypt, the Lord made him not only Pharaoh’s “equal” in rank but in addition also enabled him to demonstrate the greater potency of the true and living God whom he served. Because Pharaoh was divine in the eyes of the Egyptians, “he should have been the one to function as a god to Moses.” However, in a display of power whose symbolism would have been understood both by the Egyptians and the people of Moses, Jehovah, the God of Israel, turned the tables against Ra, the supreme sun-god of Pharaoh. By means of the plagues, the great I AM executed His judgment “against all the gods of Egypt,” a phrase meant to include Pharaoh and his firstborn son. Drawing primarily on the work of Rutgers professor Gary A. Rendsburg, this article will describe the significance of the means by which Jehovah devastated Ra.

 

The full article may be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL13A — What Did the Lord Mean When He Said Moses Would Become “God to Pharaoh” During the Plagues of Egypt?

For Gary Rendsburg’s 8 March 2007 BYU Kennedy Center talk entitled “Light from Egypt on the Exodus Story,” see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iwvTZnwSy0 .

To access Gary Rendsburg’s 2013 video presentation of “Moses the Magician” at the UCSD Exodus Conference “Out of Egypt: Israel’s Exodus Between Text and Memory, History and Imagination,” see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYhNo1jC9Fg .

How Should We Understand the Rich Symbolism in Jacob’s Blessings of Judah and Joseph? (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 12A)

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Harry Anderson: Jacob Blesses His Twelve Sons

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 12: “Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction” (Genesis 40-45) (JBOTL012A)

Question: Some of the most significant prophecies in scripture regarding the posterity of Jacob are found in the blessings of Judah and Joseph in Genesis 49. However much of the poetry in the blessings is difficult to understand. How should we understand the rich symbolism of these verses?

Summary: The Hebrew manuscripts of Jacob’s blessings of Judah and Joseph present difficult problems in translation, since they contain several obscure and archaic terms and phrases. Some important passages (e.g., “until Shiloh comes” [49:10]; “Joseph is a fruitful branch” [49:22]) have been particularly troublesome, leaving translators with few options outside of “conjectural emendation” to reconstruct the text. This approach may result in translations of key phrases that differ significantly from what is contained in the LDS edition of the Bible. Adding to the difficulties of interpretation of these blessings is that we have no direct help from modern scripture. Surprisingly, while Joseph Smith made substantive changes in the wording of the blessings of Ephraim and Manasseh in Genesis 48 and in the testament of Joseph in chapter 50, he made no significant changes to Genesis 49. And, apart from brief restatements of a few lines from Jacob’s words to Joseph in an 1833 blessing of Joseph Smith’s father, we have no other known allusions to the specific content of Genesis 49 in the teachings and history of the Prophet. The intent of this article is to make this chapter — arguably “the most difficult segment of the Book of Genesis” — more understandable for LDS readers. More importantly, it is hoped that this understanding will lead us to a greater dedication to our own responsibilities as the posterity of Israel.

The full article may be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL12A — How Should We Understand the Rich Symbolism in Jacob’s Blessings of Judah and Joseph?

FairMormon Conference Podcast #4 – Daniel Peterson, “What Difference Does It Make?”

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Podcast: Download (97.2MB)

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This podcast series features a FairMormon Conference presentation each month. If you would prefer to watch the videos, they can still be purchased here for the 2017 conference. Older conference presentation videos are available on our YouTube channel and FairMormon TV for Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.

Daniel Peterson, What Difference Does It Make?

Video and transcript available here.

Daniel C. Peterson

A native of southern California, Daniel C. Peterson received a bachelor’s degree in Greek and philosophy from Brigham Young University (BYU) and, after several years of study in Jerusalem and Cairo, earned his Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Peterson is a professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic at BYU, where he has taught Arabic language and literature at all levels, Islamic philosophy, Islamic culture and civilization, Islamic religion, the Qur’an, the introductory and senior “capstone” courses for Middle Eastern Studies majors, and various other occasional specialized classes. He is the author of several books and numerous articles on Islamic and Latter-day Saint topics–including a biography entitled Muhammad: Prophet of God (Eerdmans, 2007)—and has lectured across the United States, in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and at various Islamic universities in the Near East and Asia. He served in the Switzerland Zürich Mission (1972-1974), and, for approximately eight years, on the Gospel Doctrine writing committee for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also presided for a time as the bishop of a singles ward adjacent to Utah Valley University. Dr. Peterson is married to the former Deborah Stephens, of Lakewood, Colorado, and they are the parents of three sons.

Why Are the Stories of Joseph and Judah Intertwined? (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 11A)

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Jacques Joseph Tissot (1836-1902): Joseph Converses with Judah, His Brother

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 11: “How Can I Do This Great Wickedness?” (Genesis 34; 37-39) (JBOTL011A)

Question: Immediately after telling us that Joseph was sold as a slave in Egypt, Genesis suddenly shifts our attention to the story of Judah and Tamar. Why is Joseph’s story abruptly interrupted at such a crucial point in the narrative? Why are the stories of Joseph and Judah intertwined throughout?

Summary: The story of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38 “seems to be out of place,” with some scholars going so far as to dismiss it entirely as “an extraneous fragment.” But closer examination of this story demonstrates that it was placed where it was for good reason — and with great skill and subtlety. Lacking this important interlude, we might think that the final chapters of Genesis were concerned only with the rise of Joseph in Egypt and how, through God’s hand and his faithfulness, Jacob’s family was saved from death by famine. In fact, however, the inspired editor of Genesis has deliberately interwoven the stories of Joseph and Judah. In doing so, he demonstrates that their trials and tests were part of a divine tutorial designed to prepare them to become models for and eventually leaders of their brothers. Later, Joseph and Judah would become the ancestors of the most prominent tribes of Israel’s northern and southern dominions respectively, thus fulfilling (in part) God’s promises to Abraham: “I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.”

The full article may be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: Why Are the Stories of Joseph and Judah Intertwined?

What Are We To Make of Jacob’s Apparent Deceitfulness? (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 10A)

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Francesco Hayez (1791-1881): Meeting of Esau and Jacob, 1844

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 10: Birthright Blessings; Marriage in the Covenant (Genesis 24-29) (JBOTL010A)

Question: Why is Jacob so greatly blessed when “the pivotal moments in the scriptural account of [his] life seem to turn on deceit”?

Summary: Jacob’s youthful deceits are proverbial. Indeed, the Savior Himself praised Nathanael by contrasting him with Jacob, saying, “Behold an Israelite [i.e., descendant of Jacob] indeed, in whom[, unlike his forefather, there] is no guile!” However, as in all scripture stories (as in life), we cannot fully understand the lessons of Jacob’s divine tutorial unless we follow it to its end. In the Bible’s version of measure-for-measure justice, the deceiver will be himself deceived. Eventually, among the happy results of Jacob’s crucible of experience, he will learn humility, forgiveness, and that God has His own ways to fulfill His own promises.

 

The full article may be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL10A — What Are We to Make of Jacob’s Apparent Deceitfulness?

 

Must Every Disciple Make an Abrahamic Sacrifice?(Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 9A)

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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669): The Sacrifice of Isaac

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 9: “God Will Provide Himself a Lamb” (Abraham 1; Genesis 15-17; 21-22) (JBOTL09A)

Question: In his willingness to offer up Isaac in sacrifice, Abraham made an unthinkable choice — a choice that opposed reason, went contrary to the commandments, seemed to nullify God’s prior promises, and must have made his whole soul recoil in moral repugnance. Does the Lord require every disciple to make a similar choice?

Summary: It is one thing to choose the right when the right seems reasonable and blessings for obedience seem obvious. It is another thing to bow in humble submission when “the thought makes reason stare” and the rewards of faith are not forthcoming. This article will show how Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Hagar each experienced such tests, as have many in modern times. The relevance of these tests to temple covenants and blessings is made apparent, as is the need for the rescuing power of the Atonement. Will something of a similar nature be required sooner or later of every disciple? Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught: “If we are serious about our discipleship, Jesus will eventually request each of us to do those very things which are the most difficult for us to do.” Thus, “sometimes the best people have the worst experiences because they are the most ready to learn.”

The full article may be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL09A — Must Every Disciple Make an Abrahamic Sacrifice?

An excellent 13-minute film portraying Genesis 22 entitled “Akedah (The Binding)” can be found in the LDS Media Library: https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-027-akedah-the-binding?lang=eng

Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 5: Mamre (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8E)

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Meisterman’s 1906 map of the holy places of Hebron

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World (Genesis 13–14; 18–19) (JBOTL08E)

The purpose of this five-part series of videos is to provide a brief introduction to some of the places linked in tradition to the lives of the family of Abraham and Sarah. Many, though not all, of the sites we will visit are in or near the city of Hebron. Hebron and surrounding areas served as somewhat of a hub for Abraham in his many journeys.

Although archaeology cannot directly substantiate the scriptural stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it can tell us something about the geography, settlements, and daily life of their contemporaries. Learning more about these places helps us get a more realistic sense of the setting in which the patriarchs lived. It is hoped that this series of presentations will increase exposure to these lesser-known sites, so rich in biblical history and tradition.

In this last of five video presentations, we will visit traditional sites associated with Mamre, the home of Abraham and Sarah after they separated from Lot. Mamre became the site of some of Abram’s most sacred experiences. After his return to Mamre from the rescue of Lot we read in Genesis 14 that he welcomed Melchizedek, “king of Salem” and “the priest of the most high God” (Genesis 14:18). Abraham sat in the door of his tent near the oak of Mamre when he received the visit of the three messengers who announced that he would have a son, Isaac, through Sarah.

As a first stop, we visit the St. George Church in Madaba, Jordan, where a floor mosaic of more than two million tiny pieces lays out the geography, buildings, and religious sites of ancient Palestine in the last half of the sixth century. The map of Hebron and Mamre provides useful clues to researchers about details of the ancient sites as well as to their location today.

Pinpointing the most likely sites for ancient Mamre is an almost impossible task. Five candidates have been identified, of which we will visit two of the most famous: the Oak of Sibta and Ramet al-Khalil/Elonei Mamre.

Though almost certainly not the tree of Abraham, the oak of Sibta has been venerated since the beginning of the Middle Ages. Its age has been variously estimated from 1000 to 5000 years old. The girth of its trunk is about ten meters. In former times, it grew undisturbed in the middle of a field surrounded by a small rock wall. Now it has declined in fulfillment of a tradition that it must die before the coming of the Antichrist. Anwar Zablah, the caretaker of the tree, has lived at the site of the Russian Orthodox monastery of the Holy Trinity for sixty years.

Two thousand years ago, at the same time he was building the Jerusalem Temple and the Tomb of the Patriarchs, Herod the Great erected a similar third monument at Ramet al-Khalil/Elonei Mamre, a traditional site of Abraham’s oak and well. Archaeologists have since discovered the remains of a church built by Constantine in 330 AD, constructed when he became disturbed by the pagan practices there.

 

The video may be found on the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL08E — Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 5: Mamre

It can also be found on the FairMormon YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNvHd5MzIoc

Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 4: Ancient Hebron (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8D)

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Jeffrey M. Bradshaw: Woman at the Tomb of Jesse and Ruth at Tel Hebron

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World (Genesis 13–14; 18–19) (JBOTL08D)

The purpose of this five-part series of videos is to provide a brief introduction to some of the places linked in tradition to the lives of the family of Abraham and Sarah. Many, though not all, of the sites we will visit are in or near the city of Hebron. Hebron and surrounding areas served as somewhat of a hub for Abraham in his many journeys.

Although archaeology cannot directly substantiate the scriptural stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it can tell us something about the geography, settlements, and daily life of their contemporaries. Learning more about these places helps us get a more realistic sense of the setting in which the patriarchs lived. It is hoped that this series of presentations will increase exposure to these lesser-known sites, so rich in biblical history and tradition.

In this fourth presentation, we will visit archeological sites associated with the ancient city of Hebron. Hebron is referenced 68 times in the Old Testament. The first reference is in Genesis 13:18 when, after Abram separated from Lot and God promised to give him the land of Canaan, he “removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.” Hebron was already a flourishing Canaanite city by that time. Though Abram’s presence would have naturally left little trace, biblical scholars still hope to find traces of King David’s reign of seven years in Hebron that occurred several hundred years later (2 Samuel 2:1-3). David’s son Absalom declared himself king in Hebron when he revolted against his father (2 Samuel 15:7-10). Because of its strategic position historically and geographically, t became the second most important Judean city after Jerusalem.

The population of Hebron is about 200,000 Palestinians and an estimated 600-800 Jews. We will begin by describing the current state of affairs in the partitioning of Hebron between Palestinian and Jewish residents. Certain of these areas continue to experience serious dispute.

Within the new Jewish neighborhood of Admot Yishai (Lands of Jesse) is an area of Tel Hebron thought to contain the entry to the north gate of ancient Canaanite Hebron, pre-dating the time of Abraham. This gate, or another on the south side, may have been the site where Abraham bough the cave of Machpelah to bury for family, the transaction having been witnessed by “all who entered the gate” (Genesis 23:10). A “four-room” house, of a kind typical to Israelite occupation, dates back 2700 years to the time of King Hezekiah. A layer of ash provides evidence that the house was destroyed in the Assyrian conquest of 701 BC.

Our second stop on Tel Hebron will be at the traditional site of the tombs of Jesse, the father of David, and Ruth, his faithful progenitor. On Shavuot, Jews ascend to this place to recite her story from the Bible.

On the south side of Tel Hebron are the “cyclopean walls.” The walls received the name “cyclopean” or giant not only because of the large size of some of the stones but also because the sons of Anak, some of the ancient inhabitants of the city, were reputed by the Bible to be giants.

Our last stop is a perennial spring on the lower eastern slope of Tel Hebron. It is called ’Ain Jadida (New Spring) in Arabic and Ein Avraham (Abraham’s Spring) in Hebrew. The spring seems to have been a water source for the ancient city. The water is about 12 feet deep. On hot, summer days its clear, cold waters are a playground for children. In the spring, adults from the Jewish community sometimes use the site as a “mikvah,” a purifying ritual bath.

 

The video may be found on the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL08D — Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 4: Ancient Hebron

It can also be found on the FairMormon YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-8oARSCdhs

Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 3: Jacob’s Well and the Tombs of Joseph and Rachel (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8C)

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Sign at Entrance to Saint Photini’s Greek Orthodox Church and Jacob’s Well Convent, Nablus, Israel

An Old Testament KnoWhy for Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World (Genesis 13–14; 18–19) (JBOTL08C)

The purpose of this five-part series of videos is to provide a brief introduction to some of the places linked in tradition to the lives of the family of Abraham and Sarah. Many, though not all, of the sites we will visit are in or near the city of Hebron. Hebron and surrounding areas served as somewhat of a hub for Abraham in his many journeys.

Although archaeology cannot directly substantiate the scriptural stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it can tell us something about the geography, settlements, and daily life of their contemporaries. Learning more about these places helps us get a more realistic sense of the setting in which the patriarchs lived. It is hoped that this series of presentations will increase exposure to these lesser-known sites, so rich in biblical history and tradition.

This third presentation will first take us northward in the West Bank for a visit to the traditional sites of Jacob’s Well and the Tomb of Joseph, then southward again to Rachel’s Tomb.

Although, Jacob’s Well is not mentioned explicitly in the Old Testament, it is not unreasonable to suppose that there was a good water source in “the parcel of a field” that Jacob purchased (Genesis 33:18-20). In John 4:5-42, Jesus used the backdrop of Jacob’s Well to teach a Samaritan woman about how the water He could giver her might become “of well of water springing up into everlasting life.” The beautiful Orthodox Church in Nablus that now stands over the crypt where the well still functions is a rich repository of faith and symbolism.

A short distance further up the road is the traditional site of the Tomb of Joseph. According to the Bible, Joseph gave specific instructions that his bones were not to be interred in Egypt but rather in Israel (Genesis 50:24-26). Accordingly, we are told that Joseph’s bones were removed from Egypt during the Exodus (Exodus 13:19) and buried in the tract of land that Jacob had bought in Shechem (Joshua 24:32). Though the physical site is much less well-attested than, for example, Jacob’s Well or the Tomb of the Patriarchs, it is a symbol of great spiritual significance to people of different faiths.

On the road that joins Bethlehem and Jerusalem, is Rachel’s Tomb. Chapter 35 of Genesis records that after Rachel “travailed, and … had hard labour,” she died in childbirth, calling her son “Ben-oni [son of my sorrow]: but his father called him Benjamin [son at the right hand].” She was buried on the road from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Once an isolated and peaceful setting, the tomb is now surrounded by a concrete wall and watchtowers. Within this fortress-tomb, devout Jews gather in a small chapel for study and worship.

 

The video may be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: KnoWhy OTL08C — Abraham’s Hebron: Then and Now, Part 3: Jacob’s Well and the Tombs of Joseph and Rachel

FairMormon Conference Podcast #3 – Elizabeth A. Kuehn, “Finances and Faith in the Kirtland Crisis of 1837”

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Podcast: Download (54.3MB)

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This podcast series features a FairMormon Conference presentation each month. If you would prefer to watch the videos, they can still be purchased here for the 2017 conference. Older conference presentation videos are available on our YouTube channel and FairMormon TV for Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.

Elizabeth A. Kuehn, Finances and Faith in the Kirtland Crisis of 1837

Transcript available here.

Elizabeth A. Kuehn is a historian with the Joseph Smith Papers at the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is a co-editor on two volumes of the Joseph Smith Papers to be published in 2017: Documents, Volume 5: October 1835–January 1838 and Documents, Volume 6: February 1838–August 1839. She is a PhD. Candidate at the University of California, Irvine. She earned her MA in History from Purdue University and her BA in History from Arizona State University. She specializes in nineteenth-century financial records and women’s and gender history.