LDS Old Testament Images - Page 2

Abraham Taking Isaac to Be Sacrificed

(Genesis 21:1-8; Genesis 22)
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took ... Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:3)

When Abraham was 100 years old, he and his wife Sarah were blessed with a baby son. They named him Isaac, and they were happy and loved him. (Genesis 21:18).

One day the Lord said to Abraham, "Take now thy son, thine only Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering, upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee" (Joseph Smith Translation, (Genesis 22:2). As difficult as this would be, Abraham prepared to obey the Lord. He began his journey to the mountain early in the morning, taking Isaac, two young servants, a donkey, and wood for the burnt offering (Genesis 22:3). On the third day of the journey, Abraham left the two servants and the donkey, saying that he and Isaac would go farther to worship (Genesis 22:4-5). Isaac carried the wood, and Abraham took a knife (Genesis 22:6).

Isaac was puzzled and he asked his father, "Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" (Genesis 22:7).

Abraham answered, "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:8).

When they reached the place that God had revealed, Abraham built an altar. Then he put the wood across the altar, tied Isaac up, and laid him on the wood. (Genesis 22:9). Abraham sadly "stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son" (Genesis 22:10).

But at that moment an angel of the Lord called, "Abraham, Abraham: ... Lay not thine hand upon the lad" (Genesis 22:11-12). Abraham did not have to kill his son, but his willingness to obey this difficult command proved that he was obedient and that he loved God.

After the angel had spoken, Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket (bush). He then took the ram and offered it for a burnt offering in place of Isaac. (Genesis 22:13).

The angel spoke again to Abraham, telling him that the Lord would "multiply [his] seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore" (Genesis 22:17). The angel also said that Abraham's family would be a blessing to all the nations of the earth because Abraham had obeyed the Lord (Genesis 22:15-18).

Summary

Abraham was 100 years old when he and his wife Sarah were blessed with a son, Isaac. The Lord one day told Abraham to take Isaac to a mountain and offer him as a sacrifice. Although this was a difficult commandment, Abraham trusted the Lord and obediently took Isaac to the mountain. As Abraham took the knife to slay his son, he was stopped by an angel of the Lord. Abraham did not have to kill Isaac after all. He looked up and saw a ram, which he offered as a sacrifice instead. Because Abraham was willing to obey, the Lord promised that he would have many descendants and that his family would bless all nations.

Artist, Del Parson

Moses in the Bulrushes

(Exodus 1:1-10)
And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. (Exodus 2:5)

After Joseph and all of his generation died in Egypt, a new king came to power. This king forgot what Joseph had done for the Egyptians and saw only that the Israelites were becoming a fruitful and mighty people. (Exodus 1:7-9). Pharaoh decided to put the Israelites in bondage so they would not become too strong and help Egypt's enemies. The Israelites continued to multiply, however, even though they had hard work to perform and cruel taskmasters to afflict them. (Exodus 1:10-14).

So Pharaoh decided to keep the Israelites from becoming any mightier. He told the midwives to kill the newborn Israelite sons. When the midwives said they could not do it, Pharaoh decreed that all sons born to the house of Israel were to be drowned in the river. (Exodus 1:16-22).

At this time Jochebed, a woman of the tribe of Levi, gave birth to Moses. She could not bear to drown her son, so she hid him for three months. When he became too large to hide, she made a basket of bulrushes and sealed it. She put Moses in the basket in the river, and Miriam, his sister, watched from a distance to see what would happen to the baby. (Exodus 2:1-4).

Pharaoh's daughter came to the river to bathe. She saw the basket in the water and sent her maid to get it. When Pharaoh's daughter saw a Hebrew baby in the basket, she had compassion on the child and decided to keep him. Miriam then came forward and offered to find a nurse for the baby. When Miriam brought her mother for a nursemaid, Pharaoh's daughter told her, "Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages" (Exodus 2:9). After "the child grew," his mother brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter so that he could become her son. Pharaoh's daughter called him Moses because she had pulled him from the water. (Exodus 2:5-10).

Summary

Pharaoh, king of Egypt, worried about the large number of Israelites in his land. Thinking they might become a threat to the Egyptians, he decided to make them slaves. They were made to work hard and were treated harshly. Still their numbers grew. So Pharaoh ordered all the baby Israelite boys killed. An Israelite woman named Jochebed protected her baby son by hiding him for three months. When she could no longer hide him, she put him in a basket made from bulrushes and placed the basket in the river. The baby's sister, Miriam, kept watch to see what would happen to him. Pharaoh's daughter noticed the basket and sent a maid to get it. When Pharaoh's daughter saw that the basket held an Israelite baby, she decided to keep him as her own. Miriam came forward and offered to find a nurse for the baby. She brought their own mother, Jochebed. Pharaoh's daughter named the boy Moses.

Artist, George Soper

Moses and the Burning Bush

(Exodus 3:14-17)
God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. (Exodus 3:4)

As Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law and the priest of Midian, he led the flock to the mountain of God. When Moses reached the mountain, an angel appeared to him "in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush ... and the bush was not consumed" (Exodus 3:2; Exodus 3:1). As he watched this miraculous sight, he heard a voice, which was the voice of God, calling "Moses, Moses" from the bush. Moses said, "Here am I." God told Moses to move back and take his shoes off because he was standing on holy ground. When God identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, "Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God" (Exodus 3:6; Exodus 3:4-5).

Moses learned that God was aware of the children of Israel and their bondage to the Egyptian rulers. God told Moses to tell Pharaoh to release the children of Israel. Moses said, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?" But God assured Moses that He would be with him. (Exodus 3:712). Moses was then concerned about what he should say to the children of Israel. God told him to say that I AM, the Lord God, had sent him unto them. (Exodus 3:13-14). Moses' next concern was that the people would not believe him. The Lord asked Moses what he had in his hand, and Moses replied that he had a rod. Moses was told to cast it on the ground; it became a serpent and Moses fled. But the Lord told Moses to pick up the serpent, and it became a rod again. (Exodus 4:14).

The Lord gave Moses more signs from the burning bush (Exodus 4:6-9), but Moses was still reluctant to perform the mission God had called him to do. He complained of being slow of speech, but God promised to help Moses with his speech (Exodus 4:10-12). When Moses continued to complain and ask for help, God finally became angry with his excuses. God told Moses he could take his brother, Aaron, for a spokesman. (Exodus 4:1416). Before Moses left the mountain, the Lord told him to take the rod and use it to make signs (Exodus 4:17).

Summary

While tending his father-in-law's flock, Moses came to the mountain of God. There he saw a bush that was burning but not being destroyed by the flames. God called Moses by name from the burning bush. He told Moses to remove his shoes, for he was standing on holy ground. The Lord said that He knew of the troubles of His people, and He told Moses to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Moses did not think he could do this. He was concerned that the people would not believe him and said that he was slow of speech. However, the Lord promised to be with him and to give him power. He said that Moses could take his brother, Aaron, to speak for him.

Artist, Jerry Thompson

Moses Calls Aaron to the Ministry

(Exodus 4:10, Exodus 4:14-16, Exodus 4:27; Exodus 5:1; Exodus 7:9; Exodus 8:6-17; Exodus 16:1-2; Exodus 24:9-10; Exodus 28:1; Exodus 40:12-16)
Thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. (Exodus 40:13)

When the Lord called Moses to go to Egypt to free the Israelites, Moses did not feel he could do it. He said he was slow of speech and was afraid to talk to Pharaoh (Exodus 4:10). The Lord was angry with Moses. He told Moses he could take his brother, Aaron, with him to be his spokesman. (Exodus 4:14-16). The Lord then spoke to Aaron: "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses" (Exodus 4:27). Aaron and Moses were happy to be together again.

The two brothers traveled to Egypt and went before Pharaoh. Aaron spoke for Moses, trying to get Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go (Exodus 5:1). Through the power of the Lord, Moses and Aaron performed miracles (Exodus 7:9) and brought plagues upon the Egyptians (Exodus 8:6-17).

Aaron was with Moses when he led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness (Exodus 16:1-2). He was also with Moses and 72 other priesthood bearers when the Lord appeared to them (Exodus 24:9-10).

Once when Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Lord told him to anoint Aaron and Aaron's sons to serve as priests in the tabernacle (Exodus 28:1). When the tabernacle was completed, Moses anointed Aaron and his sons to this calling. He gave them the priesthood of God and the authority to perform sacred ordinances. (Exodus 40:12-16).

Summary

When Moses went before Pharaoh to free the Israelites, his brother, Aaron, went with him to speak for him. Aaron helped Moses to accomplish what the Lord had commanded. After the Israelites were led out of Egypt, the Lord instructed Moses to anoint Aaron and Aaron's sons to serve as priests in the tabernacle. When the tabernacle was finished, Moses did as the Lord directed and gave Aaron and his sons the priesthood of God.

Artist, Harry Anderson

Joseph Is Sold by His Brothers

(Genesis 37)
And they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. (Genesis 37:28)

Joseph was the 11th of Jacob's 12 sons. His older brothers felt that Jacob loved Joseph most, so they were jealous (Genesis 37:4).

One day Jacob sent Joseph to where his older brothers were tending the flocks, saying, "Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again" (Genesis 37:14). When the brothers saw Joseph coming, one of them said, "Let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him" (Genesis 37:20). The oldest brother, Reuben, did not want to kill Joseph. Instead, he suggested they throw Joseph into a pit and leave him there. Reuben secretly planned to rescue Joseph later and return him to his father. (Genesis 37:21-22).

When Joseph arrived, his brothers took the "coat of many colours" that his father had given him, and they threw him into a pit (Genesis 37:23-24). Later, some of Joseph's brothers took him out of the pit and sold him to merchants who were going to Egypt. Reuben came to rescue Joseph from the pit and was very upset when he saw that Joseph was gone. (Genesis 37:25-29).

The brothers dipped Joseph's coat in the blood of a goat and took it to Jacob, their father, who thought that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Jacob mourned Joseph's death for a long time and could not be comforted. Joseph, however, was still alive. The merchants had taken him to Egypt and sold him as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. (Genesis 37:31-36).

Summary

Joseph was the 11th of Jacob's 12 sons. Joseph's older brothers were jealous because they felt that Jacob loved Joseph most. When they saw Joseph coming to find them one day, they took the "coat of many colours" his father had given him and then threw him into a pit. Some of the brothers wanted to kill Joseph, but instead they sold him to merchants traveling to Egypt. To hide what they had done, the brothers dipped Joseph's coat in goat's blood and took it to their father. Jacob believed Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Jacob wept and would not be comforted.

Artist, Ted Henninger