Sunday on Monday: 2022 Old Testament (2024)

You know that little feeling of joy that comes from opening a Christmas card and reading a loved one's reflections from the past year? Well, this week's “Come, Follow Me” lesson is a Christmas card of sorts, beginning with an invitation to consider how the Old Testament has strengthened your testimony of the Savior this year. On this week's episode, we'll hear from past guests and a few listeners who share how the Old Testament has strengthened their testimony of Christ. As you listen, we hope that you, too, will reflect on how your relationship with the Savior has grown and that you find joy in the process.

How do you know God loves you? Maybe you feel His love through simple things, like sunsets or the existence of your favorite ice cream. Or maybe tenderly answered prayers assure you that He cares. Gaining a testimony of God’s love isn’t a journey only relevant in today’s world—the people in Malachi’s day wrestled with the same thing. This week’s lesson in Malachi gives us many truths to “lay to heart” (Malachi 2:2) and is a perfect finale to what we’ve learned all year long: no matter what, God loves us.

Have you ever heard someone use the phrase “the apple of my eye”? Did you (or they) know they were quoting the prophet Zechariah? We may be approaching the end of our Old Testament study for the year, but we still have a lot to learn. The books of Haggai and Zechariah are full of wisdom regarding temples, repentance, and the sweet reminder that God’s children are always the apple of His eye. These two prophets taught their people the same truth we like to say at the end of every podcast episode: you are God’s favorite.

Imagine being in a courtroom and holding your breath before a sentence is given to someone. You might experience a similar feeling studying the books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. While these books may be short in length, they are rich in passion and conviction as prophets of old pronounce sentences on the people they have been sent to save. So as we dive into the scriptures this week, we invite you to sit in on these cases to watch and learn as the prophets’ judgments unfold.

Sometimes we find the Old Testament relatable not because of the stories where people have everything figured out, but because of the stories where they don't. Like us, these individuals are imperfect—and occasionally, they might even have a bit of a rebellious streak. This week’s story is about one such prophet. Jonah sacrificed everything to go and do, but when he got his call to serve, he ran in the opposite direction. Eventually, though, he repented and served with his whole heart. Our study today is in the books of Jonah and Micah, where we learn the stories of normal people who answered the call to be prophets.

The prophet Amos’s name has a Hebrew translation that we find fascinating; Amos means being burdened or troubled. At first that seems like an odd name for a prophet, but when you consider the weighty responsibilities God’s chosen servants carry, the name makes sense. In this week’s study of Amos and Obadiah, we’ll learn about the vital role of prophets and why they are asked to carry such a heavy burden. We will also find the comforting reassurance that the Lord “will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

Christ spoke in symbolism and parables when He was on the Earth and that metaphorical language is in the Old Testament too. Hosea chapter 1 begins with a story of heartbreak, a shared human experience that can teach us something about our relationship with God if we know where to look. The books of Hosea and Joel remind us that Christ will always be there and always love us, no matter what low point we find ourselves in.

Daniel was a prophet—we know that from the Primary song, but how well do you really know Daniel? You might have heard that he was thrown into a lion's den, or that three of his friends were thrown into a fiery furnace by the king. But there is so much more to Daniel's story. He had a steadfast testimony, served with several kings, translated dreams, and even had visions of the last days. In Hebrew, his name means "God is my judge"—and in this week's lesson of Daniel 1–6 we see how the prophet lived up to his name and found great power in obeying God's law.

Have you ever called out in a moment of desperation, “Lord, give me strength?” Maybe a do-it-yourself project turned out to be far more complicated and frustrating than the internet made it look, or maybe your moment of pleading came from something more serious and life-altering. In this week’s lesson, we study the words of a prophet whose name in Hebrew translates to “God will strengthen.” We have much to learn from Ezekiel’s 48 chapters about drawing on God’s strength, so let’s dig in.

We all have experienced wounds of some sort. These can be physical wounds, like those that come from falling off a bike, or emotional wounds, like those that occur when your feelings are hurt. Jeremiah and his people saw many kinds of wounds in their day, and the prophet lamented over them in his writing. But these scriptures are about more than mourning—Jeremiah 30–52 and the book of Lamentations also express sympathy for those with wounds of their own while promising that all will be healed through Christ.

Have you ever had that sinking feeling when you find out someone snooped in your diary? Or maybe you've done the snooping yourself? In someone's journal you can learn all about that person's most personal experiences—their pains, joys, hopes, and dreams. Well, the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations are no exception. In these writings, we learn about the deepest and most personal thoughts of a great prophet. But in Jeremiah 1–20, we also learn that despite Jeremiah's sorrows, God had a plan for him—and it serves as a powerful reminder that He has a plan for us too.

Hopefully, the following sentence makes you feel a little sad: this week will conclude our study of Isaiah. When we started on this journey four weeks ago, our goal was to be able to see the great worth of Isaiah’s words and delight in them. Have you experienced that sense of delight yet? Do you feel less timid and more excited about this precious part of scripture? If you do, wonderful. If you haven’t felt that way yet, don’t worry–this week’s lesson in Isaiah 58-66, is sure to do the trick. So let’s dive into our discussion about fasting, repentance, and how God always has our back.

Beauty, majesty, rejoicing, joyful—those are all words that could be used to describe the message we’ll discover within Isaiah 50–57. But as in life, not everything is cheery sunshine: these chapters also invite us to think about rejection and the effects of evil influences. The goal of this week’s lesson is to enlarge our tent and invite everyone to come and learn from the words of Isaiah.

What brings you comfort or peace? If we asked a child that question, their answer might be an ice cream cone or a trip to Disneyland. And while the kid in many of us may find solace in a little ice cream, we’ve likely found deeper sources of comfort; things like a good conversation with someone we trust or a long hug. But the deepest and most lasting peace comes from a knowledge of Christ and His plan. You’ll want to get comfortable for this week’s lesson in Isaiah 40-49, because Isaiah’s words are just what a weary soul needs.

If you've listened to past episodes of this podcast, you've probably heard the phrase "Jesus is coming." That's because we love to talk about the Second Coming and look forward to it with anticipation. Let's be honest, though—the events of the Second Coming, specifically those mentioned in Isaiah 13–35, can be a little frightening. But after today's discussion, you might not find them as scary as you thought. In fact, you might even be excited about that great and important day.

What do you delight in? What really makes you happy? Our goal over the next five weeks is for your answer to be the same as Nephi’s when he said “...that his soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah” (2 Nephi 25:5) And right after that he talked to us saying the words of Isaiah are of great worth and that they are particularly of great worth to those in the last days. Isaiah chapters 1-12 have plenty to delight in and it starts with the message that God is our salvation.

If you’ve ever had a fortune cookie, you know its crispy sweetness is just half the fun—inside these cookies is a fortune on a slip of paper that is said to bring luck and prosperity to the receiver. The verses in this week’s lesson of Proverbs 1–4; 15–16; 22; and 31 as well as Ecclesiastes 1–3 and 11–12, may at first remind you of the messages inside one of these tasty treats. But as we dive deeper into the meaning of these verses, we think you’ll find something much more satisfying than any fortune cookie can offer.

We’ve talked a lot about trusting in the Lord this year. And in this week’s lesson of Psalms 102–103; 110; 116–119; 127–128; 135–139; 146–150, that trust is an important theme. To help us dive deeper into this topic, we invited Chad and Kymberly Wells to talk with us. The Wells' are the parents of Mason Wells, who was severely injured as a missionary in the 2016 Brussels attacks. Their perspective on those harrowing events is anchored in trusting the Lord even through days of great distress and heartache. Their story, along with these chapters in Psalms, will teach us what trust in the Lord can do in our darkest moments.

Growing up, did you ever learn about the three Rs of education? They stand for three basic skills taught in school: reading, writing, and arithmetic—which is a little confusing as only one of those words actually starts with the letter “r.” But just as those three subjects are fundamental to education systems, there are six Rs that are fundamental to this week’s lesson. As we study Psalms chapters 49–51; 61–66; 69–72; 77–78; and 85–86, we’ll learn what those six Rs are and what they have to do with our relationship with Christ.

Pray, sing, pray, sing, pray, sing—this pattern of worship may feel familiar to you as you think about church meetings, but it’s more than a repetitive practice. When we sing and pray, we are literally “pray-sing” or praising God, which is what this week’s lesson is all about. Psalms chapters 1–2; 8; 19–33; 40; and 46 are a collection of songs and poetry that the Israelites used to praise God and His divine love. And as you study these chapters this week, you may find yourself doing the same thing through these inspired words.

You may be surprised to learn that many famous authors like Victor Hugo, Daniel Webster, and Thomas Carlyle, have praised the book of Job as a work of literary art. But why? Isn’t the book of Job a sad account of death and grave sickness befalling a good man and his family? You could look at Job’s story that way, but as we talk about him as a human, a kinsman, and a religious man, you may start to see these chapters as an example of how to react when bad things happen and a comforting reminder that the Savior is always in charge.

Here’s a fun fact: did you know that the name Esther means star in Persian? And when you consider Esther’s story in the Old Testament, there’s obviously no coincidence that one of the greatest biblical heroines was given that name. In fact, as we study this incredible book of scripture this week, we’re going to see how brightly Esther shined in the midst of terrible adversity. Not only was she incredibly brave even when faced with death, but she also had an enduring faith in Jesus Christ that ultimately led to the salvation of an entire nation.

Do you watch DIY shows for hours on end or daydream about home improvement projects? If so, this episode is for you. But if you don’t, this episode is still for you because today we are talking about one of the most monumental moments in all of scripture: the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem. This event was crucial to the Jews who had gone without a temple since their Babylonian captivity. And after the past two years of a worldwide pandemic, we can relate to their hardships and the joys of having a temple once again, even if we have no idea how to read a blueprint.

This week's lesson contains six unnamed women in the Old Testament. Six! That's as many as we'll be covering in detail during this year's special Unnamed Women of the Old Testamentseries. But in this episode about 2 Kings 2–7, we learn about the adversity some of these women faced and how they performed heroic acts through their faith. Others show us the dire consequences of shutting Christ out of our lives. But all show us the importance of staying on the covenant path and helping others do the same. So grab your scriptures and let’s dig into these powerful stories.

This week's lesson contains six unnamed women in the Old Testament. Six! That's as many as we'll be covering in detail during this year's special Unnamed Women of the Old Testament series. But in this episode about 2 Kings 2–7, we learn about the adversity some of these women faced and how they performed heroic acts through their faith. Others show us the dire consequences of shutting Christ out of our lives. But all show us the importance of staying on the covenant path and helping others do the same. So grab your scriptures and let’s dig into these powerful stories.

One definition of the word destitute is to be “without basic necessities.” Has there ever been a time where you felt spiritually destitute? Like you were missing the basic necessities? If so, this week’s lesson 1 Kings 17–19 is for you because if there is anyone who understands the feeling of being destitute, it’s Elijah the prophet and the widow of Zarephath. Through their examples of faith, we’ll learn who we should turn to in our greatest moments of need and learn how all things can be restored through the Savior.

What does it mean to inquire of the Lord? We have a sneaking suspicion that it means more than asking a question, and a look at David’s life might confirm our hunch. For most of his life, David inquired of the Lord to know what he should do—and he was blessed. And sadly, David sometimes chose not to inquire of the Lord—and he suffered a lot of regret and sorrow. As we study 2 Samuel 5–7, 11–12 and 1 Kings 3, 8, and 11, we’ll look for examples of what it means to inquire of the Lord, and how this action can bless and protect our lives.

Have you ever heard that part of “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” where the lyrics read, “Here I raise my Ebenezer” and wondered what it was talking about? It turns out "Eben-ezer" was the name Samuel gave a stone as a token of gratitude for deliverance. In Hebrew, the word also means "stone of help." So when we think about David and Goliath, we see how crucial a stone of help is—and not just in slaying giants. As we study 1 Samuel chapters 8–10, 13, and 15–18 we'll discover how the Savior is our personal Ebenezer, and how He helps us face our own Goliaths.

Here’s a fun fact—the word for “Ruth” in Hebrew means "compassionate friend." And when you think of how friendship was all Ruth and Naomi had during a time of uncertainty, that name has an extra special meaning. As we study the book of Ruth and 1 Samuel 1–3 this week, we’ll see how this compassionate friendship exists between Ruth and Naomi and between all of us and Christ as we face challenges and uncertainties in our lives.

Warfare, scandal, espionage—you’re going to need to buckle up for this week’s lesson in Judges 2–4, 6–8, and 13–16. We are entering a turbulent and wicked time among the Israelites, but also a time when great heroes and heroines rose up to meet the challenges of their day. Now, these men and women weren’t superheroes with magic powers; they were imperfect people who learned to accomplish great works through faith in God—something we can learn to do, too.