Learning to Love Isaiah

For a lot of people, reading Isaiah feels like a chore. When people get to Isaiah when they are reading the Old Testament, some of them simply skim Isaiah and move on. I know even more people who do the same thing when they get to the lengthy Isaiah quotations in the Book of Mormon: skim it and move on. Although I always read it carefully, I did not always get a good return on the investment of my time, and often didn't understand much of what I was reading.

However, more than five years ago, at the request of some friends, I started making a YouTube channel about Isaiah. To make each video, I would start by reading Isaiah carefully, comparing the standard Hebrew version (the Masoretic text) with the Greek translation (the Septuagint) and the Dead Sea Scrolls version (the Great Isaiah Scroll) along with the verses of Isaiah preserved in the Book of Mormon as well as the Joseph Smith Translation. I would then explain each chapter, verse-by-verse, line-by-line, and sometimes word-by-word, in order to give one interpretation of what Isaiah was talking about. Because it was initially just for some friends, I didn't worry much about the sound quality of the first half of the series, so sorry about that. Thankfully, the inimitable Zander Sturgill helped me to improve the quality for the second half.

I figured the whole thing would take me a little over a year to finish. Needless to say, it took me a lot longer than I thought. Part of the cause of the delay is just that life happened and I couldn't finish. But I also got stuck for a while on some critical issues, and spent a long time looking at Assyrian and Babylonian documents, ancient Near Eastern history books, archaeological reports from the Holy Land, and a host of other ancient and modern texts. Finally, as of yesterday, I finished the whole project, chapters 1-66, and am pleased to present Isaiah for Latter-day Saints (formerly Isaiah for Mormons). Just click on the link above to start watching.

As I have done more reading, I have realized that some of my conclusions were wrong or incomplete but I have included this information in the notes or comments section as I went along, so make sure to check that when you watch each video. When you open the link just scroll down to the bottom to start with the first video, and you can watch them all in order. I hope you all enjoy them.

Why You Should Feel Welcome at Church, Even When You Don't

The following is a sacrament meeting talk I gave today at my ward in Maryland. Some people said they wanted to read it, so I thought I would put it on the blog, both for them and for my friends in other parts of the country. If some of these Old Testament quotations don't seem familiar, it is because I translated most of them myself (the Amos quotation is part from Hebrew and part from the Greek translation of the Old Testament, since this is probably the older version of the verse.)


In 1952, a man named Malcolm X burst forth onto an unsuspecting United States. He quickly rose through the ranks of a vitriolically racist organization called the Nation of Islam, and became a leading figure in the civil rights movement in the United States. He believed that racial differences were completely irreconcilable, and that people of different races could never get along. He preached this gospel of hatred for many years, until something changed his mind.

In April of 1964, Malcolm decided to take the “Islam” part of the name of his organization seriously and perform a pilgrimage to Mecca, called the Hajj. Every Muslim (who is able to do so) goes on the hajj at least once in their lives, and Malcom flew to Saudi Arabia to make the trip. But while he was there, he had an experience that he did not expect. As he approached Mecca he began to see huge throngs of people performing the rituals of the hajj. But as he got nearer and saw their faces, he realized something that changed his life. Rather than seeing mostly Africans in Mecca, which is apparently what he expected, he saw south-east Asians from Indonesia, light-skinned Europeans from the Balkans, Central Asians from Kazakstan and Uzbekistan, Indians, Anglo-Saxons, Arabs, and people from places he couldn’t even identify, all dressed in white, performing the same rituals to worship the God they all held in common.

He later said, "During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept in the same bed (or on the same rug)-while praying to the same God-with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the words and in the actions and in the deeds of the 'white' Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan, and Ghana."

Through his experience on the Hajj, Malcolm had come to learn a great truth: everyone is equal in the sight of God, and no one who comes to worship Him should feel like they are not welcome.
I have often had, in our own temples, an experience similar to Malcolm’s experience on the Hajj. I have walked into the temple dressed in white, and have looked around and seen people of all races, cultures, classes, political parties, and backgrounds. I have sat between a multi-millionaire businessman, and an agricultural day-laborer, and have realized that God loves us all as His children. There is no fast-lane through the temple for those that can pay, or a slow-lane for those in poverty. All saints come to the temple, dressed in the same white clothes to perform the same ordinances to the same God in the same way.

To me, this teaches us all an important truth that I want to address today. That truth is a simple one: you are welcome here.

Don’t speak English very well? That’s ok. You’re welcome here.

Don’t know the gospel very well? That’s ok. You’re welcome here.

Not sure whether you believe or not? That’s ok. You’re welcome here.

Your ancestors aren’t anglo-saxons or Scandinavians who crossed the plains with Brigham Young? That’s ok. You’re welcome here.

You’re more liberal than everyone else? That’s just fine. You’re welcome here.

More conservative than everyone else? No problem. You’re welcome here, too.

God doesn’t love you any more or less than anyone else because of your dress size, your bank account balance or how many books you’ve read this year. He just loves you and wants you to gather with His saints.

“But,” I can hear some of you saying in your heads, “How can that be true? Doesn’t God have a chosen people? Didn’t He choose the Israelites? So doesn’t God play favorites after all?”
The answer to this question, surprising as it may seem, is actually, “No.” Is it true that God has a chosen people? Absolutely. But we have to remember why he picked a chosen people in the first place. In the beginning, Adam and Eve made covenants with God, and all humanity was meant to be the chosen people. But mankind messed up, so God wiped them out and started over again with the seed of Noah, which includes everyone currently living on the earth. So, once again, it is clear that God wanted all mankind to be the chosen people.

But then people messed up again, and built the tower of Babel, so God finally scattered the people and changed their languages. But then what was He supposed to do? He wanted all mankind to be his covenant people, but now they were scattered. So He chose one man, Abraham, and covenanted with him, as recorded in Abraham 2:9-11: “as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, ... and in thee ... shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel.”

So did God select Abraham and his seed as the chosen people? Yes, but He did this so that literally everyone in the world could become the seed of Abraham and become part of the chosen people if they wanted to. Nephi, when talking to his brothers, brought up the conquest of Canaan by Joshua and then said,

“And now, do ye suppose that the children of this land, who were in the land of promise, who were driven out by our fathers, do ye suppose that they were righteous? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.
Do ye suppose that our fathers would have been more choice than they if they had been righteous? I say unto you, Nay.

Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God.”
Let me read that one more time: He that is righteous is favored of God. Period. If you are trying to keep the commandments, you are righteous and therefore favored of God.
Then, just to drive home the point, Nephi quotes from the hymnal of a religion called Zoroastrianism from what is today Iran:

“Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it.”

In other words, he seems to be implying, even someone from far-off Iran could be favored of God if he kept the commandments. He then clarified, “And he loveth those who will have him to be their God. Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (1 Nephi 17:32–40).

The prophet Amos in the Old Testament is quite clear about God’s relationship with the so-called “chosen people”: “‘Aren’t you like the Sudanese to me, Children of Israel?’ God says. ‘Didn’t I bring Israel up out of Egypt, like I brought the Philistines from Crete and the Syrians from Persia? ... All the sinners of my people will die by the sword. ... In that day will I raise up the fallen tent of David... so that the rest of mankind might seek the Lord, and all the heathen will be called by my name” (Amos 9:7-15).

What God is saying through Amos is: “OK. I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and you think this makes Israel special somehow? I brought lots of peoples into the land they currently occupy. I will save those that listen to me, and allow those that don’t to be destroyed, and I will bring all mankind together to seek the Lord, and call them all by my name.”

“He that is righteous is favored of God.”

To quote Isaiah 2:2: “And it will happen someday, when the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established in the top of the mountains and made higher than the hills, that all the gentiles will flow unto it.”

If these scriptures are any indication, God doesn’t play favorites after all does He? He wants everyone in the world to come together and worship with the saints. We are bound to Him through covenants, not through ethnicity, not through culture, not through language, and not through any other worldly designation that people can concoct.

God’s new “chosen people” are the people that choose Him.

“And He loveth those who will have Him to be their God.”

So please, brothers and sisters, never think that you don’t belong here. If you have made covenants with God through baptism, or even have a vague inkling that you might want to make covenants with God someday, you belong here with the saints.

Isaiah 56 says, don’t “let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people ... For thus saith the Lord unto those that ... take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a hand and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, ... every one that ... taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer ... for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.”

Now, brothers and sisters, I understand that this doesn’t make everything all better. I understand that knowing this may not make you feel any less ostracized or afraid or alone. Sometimes it is easy to feel like a stranger even when you are surrounded by people. Just know that God knows that, and gave us all a commandment just for people who are feeling the way you are feeling right now: Exodus 23:9 commands: “You shall not oppress a stranger because you know the heart of a stranger, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Leviticus 19:34 emphasizes: “The stranger that lives among you shall be to you like one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

Although we rarely think about it in these terms, this is one reason why the sacrament is so important. The sacrament narrows the distance between each other and between us and God. This was driven home to me a few years ago by an experience I had in church. I was sitting there, taking the sacrament, when a very small child sitting next to me grabbed the largest piece of bread on the entire tray. She then proceeded to slowly break pieces off of this big piece with her other hand, slowly savoring the sacrament bread, bite by bite. And as I watched her, it occurred to me that I had been missing something about the sacrament all these years. It was a meal. It was a sacred meal, not unlike the sacred meals that we find throughout the Old Testament, in which people were supposed to sit down and symbolically share a meal with God. In the ancient world, it was during these sacred meals that the distance between God and humanity was thought to shrink to insignificance, and it was in these moments that people could have an intimate, one-on-one experience with the divine. That is what the sacrament is supposed to be.

In 1 Corinthians 11, people have lost sight of this, and Paul has to remind the Corinthian saints of what the sacrament is really about: sharing a meal with God. Christ was the one who instituted the sacrament, and in that first sacrament, people were sharing a meal with Jesus Christ, God the Son. Christ was accused of eating with sinners throughout his life, and in instituting the sacrament, Christ made sure He would share a meal with sinners, you and me, every week until the end of time. Christ is encouraging us all to sit at the table with Him, to eliminate the distance the separates us from the Divine, and feel of His love for all of us.

Brothers and sisters, God loves you all. You are all His children, and you belong here.

Why the God of the Old Testament Is Not as Angry as You Thought

If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times: The God of the Old Testament is a God of anger, and the God of the New Testament is a God of love. God is wrathful in the Old Testament and loving in the New. The God of the Old Testament is an evil demiurge and the God of the New Testament is the supreme God. (Alright, I haven’t heard that one a thousand times, though it is what the early Christian sect called the Marcionites actually believed.)

But is any of this actually true? For believers in the Book of Mormon, the picture is much more complicated that a simple love/ wrath dichotomy. In 1 Nephi 11:17, for example, Nephi testifies that He knows God loves His children. But how did he know this? If the Old Testament were really all about a wrathful god, all Nephi would have known about God from his scriptures (a version of the Old Testament) was that God was angry all the time. Yet his statement suggests exactly the opposite.

Of course, it may well be that the Plates of Brass had a lot more about God’s love than the Old Testament as we have it today. It is also possible that Nephi simply knew about God’s love through revelation. However, it is even more likely that many Christians simply have not read the Old Testament very carefully and have missed the astronomical number of verses in the Old Testament that show God’s love for humanity. How do I know there are so many verses about God’s love in the Old Testament, you ask? I read the entire Old Testament, all 1,184 pages of it, and made a note of every verse that shows God’s love.

Obviously, this is a subjective process. Some might think that a few verses could be added to the list, and some might think that a few could be removed. However, the number of Old Testament verses I identified that show God’s love is 5,871. That raw number probably means nothing to you, so let me put it into perspective. The Old Testament has 23,145 verses in it. This means that roughly 1/4 of the Old Testament is about God’s love. Even more surprising, the New Testament only has 7,957 verses in it. This means that if the verses about the love of God in the Old Testament were compiled into a book, that book would be ¾ the length of the New Testament.

The implications of this for that old, tired, love/ wrath dichotomy is obvious. Even if half of the New Testament were directly about God’s love (and it is really much less than that) there would be 50% more verses about God’s love in the Old Testament than the New Testament. This is not to say that God does not get angry in the Old Testament. He certainly does. But Jesus gets angry in the New Testament as well. Ultimately, caricaturing Jehovah as always angry and Jesus as always kind robs us of the opportunity to see the beautiful complexity of the scriptures and of the God that we worship.

If you would like to read the Old Testament in a new way and see God’s love a little bit more, I have included all the verses that show God’s love in the Old Testament, along with a description of what the passage contains. I have included the number of verses that show God’s love in each book before the title of each book, so you can compare how the various books of the Old Testament compare in this regard. Hopefully these verses can give you a new perspective on the Old Testament and also help you to see God’s love a little bit more in your life.

383
Genesis
Genesis 1:1-2:9 – The Lord created the earth and planted Garden of Eden for man out of love
Genesis 2:18-24 – The Lord created the animals and woman out of love for humanity
Genesis 3:21 – The Lord clothes Adam and Eve when they were found naked out of love for them, even after they transgressed
Genesis 4:7 – The Lord, in his love for Cain, tries to bring him back to the light
Genesis 4:15 – The Lord puts the mark on Cain so people will not kill him, out of love
Genesis 6:8 – The Lord has mercy on Noah, when he could have just wiped out all of humanity
Genesis 6:9 – The Lord walks with Noah, out of love for him
Genesis 6:14-7:3 – The Lord gives specific instruction to Noah about the best way to save him and his family, and even made provision to save the animals
Genesis 7:16 – The Lord even helps Noah close the door of the ark
Genesis 8:1-3 – The Lord remembers Noah, and stops the flood
Genesis 8:21-9:17 – The Lord blesses Noah and his seed
Genesis 12:1-3 – The Lord blesses Abraham
Genesis 12:7 – The Lord blessed Abraham again
Genesis 13:14-17 – The Lord blesses Abraham with land
Genesis 14:20 – The Lord saves Lot from his enemies by helping Abraham win the battle
Genesis 15:1-21 – The Lord blesses Abraham with land
Genesis 16:7-13 – The Lord comforts Hagar
Genesis 17:1-21 – The Lord blesses Abraham again
Genesis 18:1-33 – The Lord visits Abraham, blesses Sarah, and promises to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if a ridiculously small number of righteous people can be found there
Genesis 19:12-22, 29 – The Lord spares Lot, some of his family members, and the city of Zoar
Genesis 20:17-18 – The Lord heals Abimelech’s family
Genesis 21:1-2, 6-7 – The Lord blesses Sarah to conceive
Genesis 21:17-20 – The Lord spares Hagar and Ishmael
Genesis 22:13-18 – The Lord spares Isaac and blesses Abraham for his obedience
Genesis 24:12-52, 56 – The Lord helps Abraham’s servant find a wife for Isaac
Genesis 25:21 – The Lord blesses Rebekah to not be barren
Genesis 26:2-5, 12-14, 22-24 – The Lord blesses Isaac
Genesis 28:13-15 – The Lord blesses Jacob
Genesis 29:31-33 – The Lord blesses Leah with children
Genesis 30:22-24 – The Lord remembers Rachel
Genesis 30:27-30 – The Lord blesses Laban
Genesis 31:3-13, 16, 29, 42 – The Lord blesses Jacob with enough wealth to be able to go return to Canaan
Genesis 32:1-2 – The Lord sends angels to help Jacob
Genesis 32:24-30 – The Lord gives Jacob confidence for his meeting with Esau
Genesis 33:5, 11 – The Lord had blessed Jacob with children and means
Genesis 35:1, 5, 9-12 – The Lord helps Jacob find a place to live and protects him
Genesis 39:2-5 – The Lord blesses Joseph in Potiphar’s house
Genesis 39:21-23 – The Lord blessed Joseph in prison
Genesis 41:16, 25-39, 46-49, 51-57 – The Lord, through Joseph, interprets Pharaoh’s dream and saves Egypt
Genesis 46:2-4 – The Lord blesses Jacob
Genesis 48:3-4 – Jacob recalls the times the Lord blessed him
Genesis 48:9 – The Lord blessed Joseph with posterity in Egypt
Genesis 48:15-22 – Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh with blessings that the Lord eventually fulfills
Genesis 49:8-28 – Jacob blessed his sons with blessings that the Lord eventually gives to them
Genesis 50:20, 25 – The Lord turned the trials of Joseph into a blessing, and will bring them out of Egypt

271
Exodus
Exodus 1:21 – The Lord blessed the midwives who saved the Hebrew children
Exodus 2:23-25 – The Lord hears the cries of the Hebrews
Exodus 3:2-22 – The Lord calls Moses to save the Hebrews and encourages him
Exodus 4:1-12 – The Lord continues to encourage Moses
Exodus 4:27 – The Lord sends Aaron to comfort Moses
Exodus 4:31 – The Lord helps the Hebrews
Exodus 6:1-13 – The Lord promises to save the Hebrews
Exodus 7:1-11:3 – The Lord tries various non-lethal options to free the Hebrews from bondage, showing his love for both the Egyptians and Israelites
Exodus 12:13, 21-27, 51 – The Lord spares the Hebrews who put blood on their doors and delivers them from Egypt
Exodus 13:3, 5, 8-11, 14-16, 19, 21-22 – The Lord saved the Hebrews from Egypt
Exodus 14:13-16, 19-22, 29-30 – The Lord took the Hebrews across the Red Sea on dry ground
Exodus 15:17 – The Lord will give the Hebrews land
Exodus 15:23-26 – The Lord blesses the Hebrews with water in the desert
Exodus 16:4,6-7, 12-15 – The Lord blesses the Hebrews with bread in the desert
Exodus 17:5-6 – The Lord blesses the Hebrews with water
Exodus 18:1, 10 – The Lord helped Hebrews
Exodus 19:3-11 – The Lord has Moses make preparations for everyone to see Him
Exodus 20:2, 6 – The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt and will be merciful to them
Exodus 20:11 – The Lord created Sabbath
Exodus 20:20 – The Lord wanted Israel to see him
Exodus 23:9-11 – The Lord makes sure that the poor and displaced are taken care of
Exodus 23:20-31 – The Lord will keep Israel from getting sick and help them get land
Exodus 24:9-11 – The Lord was willing to personally appear to 70 of the elders of Israel
Exodus 29:43-46 – The Lord will meet with the children of Israel and dwell among them
Exodus 31:17: The Lord made the world
Exodus 31:18: The Lord wrote down commandments personally, with His own hand
Exodus 33:1-3: The Lord will still help the Israelites enter the promised land, in spite of their sins
Exodus 33:9-19: The Lord will be merciful to Israel
Exodus 34:1-11 – The Lord made new tablets for the people despite the golden calf incident
Exodus 40:34-38 – The Lord’s glory fills the tabernacle and stays with them in the wilderness

86
Leviticus
I only included explicit references here, however, if one considers that the Law of Moses prefigures the Atonement, much of the book of Leviticus relates to the sacrifice of Christ – the ultimate sign that The Lord loves His children.
Leviticus 9:23-24 – The Lord accepts Israel’s offerings by burning the sacrifice Himself
Leviticus 11:43-44 – The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt and wants them to be holy like He is
Leviticus 17:11 – The Lord put in place a way for us to make atonement with Him
Leviticus 9:9-10 – The Lord cares about the poor
Leviticus 19:14-15 – The Lord cares about the disadvantaged
Leviticus 19:29 – The Lord cares about women
Leviticus 20:7-8 – The Lord will help us to be holy
Leviticus 20:24-26 – The Lord will give Israel a good land and they belong to the Lord
Leviticus 22:32-33 – The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt and will make us holy
Leviticus 23:22 – The Lord cares about the poor
Leviticus 24:22 – The Lord cares about the displaced
Leviticus 25:1-55 – The Lord makes slavery very difficult
Leviticus 26:3-13 – The Lord will bless us for obedience
Leviticus 26:40-45 – The Lord will remember us when we remember him

135
Numbers
Numbers 6:23-27 – The Lord will bless us all and give us peace
Numbers 7:89 – The Lord speaks to Moses directly
Numbers 9:15-23 – The Lord stays with the Israelites and tells them when to travel through the cloud over the tabernacle
Numbers 10:29-36 – The Lord’s blessing rests on the Israelites and all who are with them
Numbers 11:16-17 – The Lord takes pity on Moses and gives him help
Numbers 11:24-29 – The Lord sends his spirit upon the elders of Israel
Numbers 14:7-9 – The Lord will bring them into the land of Israel
Numbers 14:18-20 – The Lord pardon’s Israel’s sins
Numbers 15:41 – The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt
Numbers 20:11 – The Lord gave Israel water
Numbers 20:16 – The Lord delivered Israel from Egypt
Numbers 22:9-41 – The Lord makes sure Balaam blesses Israel
Numbers 23:1-24:25 – The Lord blessed Israel through Balaam
Numbers 25:10-15 – The Lord makes provision for people who have accidentally killed someone

290
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 1:6-10 – The Lord made Israel numerous and gave them land
Deuteronomy 1:20-21 – The Lord encouraged Israel and gave them the land
Deuteronomy 1:29-31 – The Lord took care of Israel like a man takes care of his son
Deuteronomy 1:36, 38-39 – The Lord gave the land to the Israelites children and to Joshua and Caleb
Deuteronomy 3:18-22 – The Lord will fight for Israel
Deuteronomy 4:1-20 – The Lord will bless Israel if they are obedient
Deuteronomy 4:29-40 – The Lord will bless Israel if they repent
Deuteronomy 4:41-43 – Will make provision for those who accidentally kill someone
Deuteronomy 5:1-6, 10, 15 – The Lord was with Israel, covenanted with them, and will have mercy upon them
Deuteronomy 5:33 – The Lord gave commandments to Israel as a blessing to them
Deuteronomy 6:2-11, 17-25 – If Israel keeps the commandments, the Lord will richly bless them
Deuteronomy 7:7-9 – The Lord loves Israel
Deuteronomy 7:12-24 – The Lord encouraged Israel and gave them the land
Deuteronomy 8:1-18 – The Lord was with Israel throughout their time in the wilderness
Deuteronomy 10:12-22 – The Lord blessed Israel and loved them
Deuteronomy 11:1-32 – The Lord will richly bless Israel if they are obedient
Deuteronomy 12:9-12 – The Lord will give Israel rest from their enemies
Deuteronomy 15:4-11, 18 – The Lord will bless Israel with riches and make provision for poor
Deuteronomy 17:20 – The Lord will prolong the days of the king if he is righteous
Deuteronomy 22:6-7 – The Lord cares about animals
Deuteronomy 23:5 – The Lord loves Israel
Deuteronomy 24:19-22 – The Lord cares about orphans and widows
Deuteronomy 26:5-19 – The Lord will bless Israel if they keep the commandments, just like He blessed them in the past
Deuteronomy 28:1-14 – The Lord will bless Israel in all things
Deuteronomy 29:1-15 – The Lord spared Israel from all other nations, and even kept their clothes from falling apart
Deuteronomy 30:1-20 – The Lord will bless Israel if they are obedient
Deuteronomy 31:6-8 – The Lord encourages Israel to not be afraid
Deuteronomy 32:7-14 – The Lord blessed Israel in all their traveling
Deuteronomy 33:1-29 – The Lord blesses all the tribes of Israel

39
Joshua
Joshua 1:4-15 – The Lord will bless us if we are courageous and meditate on the scriptures
Joshua 2:9-11, 24 – The Lord gave Israel Canaan
Joshua 3:5, 7, 10-11 – The Lord helped Israel across the Jordan
Joshua 10:12-14 – The Lord made the sun stand still for Israel
Joshua 21:42-45 – The Lord blesses Israel with all the blessings he said he would give them
Joshua 23:1-3, 9-10 – The Lord fought for Israel
Joshua 24:1-13 – The Lord helped Israel throughout the conquest

103
Judges
Judges 2:1, 7, 18 – The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt and preserved them from their enemies
Judges 3:9-10, 15 – The Lord delivered Israel from various enemies
Judges 4:9, 14-15 – The Lord delivered Israel from Sisera
Judges 5:2-13 – The Lord delivered Israel from their enemies
Judges 6:7-23, 34-40 – The Lord encouraged and reassured Gideon
Judges 7:7-23 – The Lord delivered Israel from the Midianite with only 300 men
Judges 8:34 – The Lord delivered Israel from all their enemies
Judges 10:11-12, 16 – The Lord took pity on Israel when they repented
Judges 11:29, 32 – The Lord delivered Israel’s enemies into the hands of Jephthah
Judges 12:3 – The Lord delivered the Ammonites into Jephthah’s hands
Judges 13:2-25 – The Lord blessed Manoah’s family and Israel through Samson
Judges 15:18-20 – The Lord gave Samson water

23
Ruth
Ruth 1:6 – The Lord saved Israel from a famine
Ruth 2:2-20 – The Lord ensured that the employer Ruth found was a relative
Ruth 4:13-15 – The Lord blessed Ruth with children

181
1 Samuel
1 Samuel 1:17-28 – The Lord heard Hannah’s prayer and blessed her with a child
1 Samuel 2:1-10 – The Lord blessed Hannah and will bless all who are weak
1 Samuel 2:20-21 – The Lord blessed Hannah with more children
1 Samuel 2:26-28, 30 – The Lord blessed Israel, and will bless those and honor him
1 Samuel 3:4-10, 19-21 – The Lord spoke to Samuel and blessed him
1 Samuel 7:3-10 – The Lord saved Israel out of the hand of the Philistines
1 Samuel 8:6-7 – The Lord comforted Samuel when the people rejected him as judge
1 Samuel 9:15-17 – The Lord appointed a king over the Israelites even after they rejected Him
1 Samuel 10:1-13 – The Lord gave Saul a sign to reassure him that the Lord is with him
1 Samuel 10:17-26 – The Lord confirmed Saul as king, so the people would have confidence in him
1 Samuel 11:13 – The Lord saved the Israelites from their enemies
1 Samuel 12:6-14 – The Lord delivered Israel in the past
1 Samuel 12:20-24 – The Lord will save Israel if they obey Him
1 Samuel 14:6-10, 23 – The Lord can save others with as many or few people as he wants
1 Samuel 16:1-13 – The Lord chose David as king based on what was in his heart
1 Samuel 17:32-51 – The Lord helps David kill Goliath
1 Samuel 18:14 – The Lord was with David
1 Samuel 19:5 – The Lord was with David
1 Samuel 20:15 – The Lord fought for David
1 Samuel 23:2-14 – The Lord helped David save the city of Keilah from the Philistines, and then saved David from Saul
1 Samuel 25:28-31 – The Lord blessed David
1 Samuel 26:12, 24-25 – The Lord put Saul and his men to sleep to protect David, and the Lord will bless David
1 Samuel 30:1-25 – The Lord helped David rescue his family members

115
2 Samuel
2 Samuel 2:5-7 – The Lord blessed the people of Jabesh-gilead because they risked their lives to give Saul a proper burial
2 Samuel 3:18 – The Lord saved Israel from the Philistines through David
2 Samuel 5:2-3, 10, 12, 19-25 – The Lord established David on the throne and helped him beat Israel’s enemies
2 Samuel 6:11 – The Lord blessed Obed-Edom when the Ark was in his house
2 Samuel 7: 1-29 – The Lord gave David rest from his enemies and established him and his seed forever
2 Samuel 8:14 – The Lord preserved David wherever he went
2 Samuel 10:12-13 – The Lord helped Israel beat their enemies
2 Samuel 12:7-8, 13 – The Lord blessed David in all things and spared him even after the Uriah debacle
2 Samuel 12:24 – The Lord loved Solomon
2 Samuel 14:14 – The Lord has devised a way that His children can return to Him
2 Samuel 18:28, 31 – The Lord saved Israel from Absalom’s coup
2 Samuel 22:1-51 – The Lord preserved David through all his troubles
2 Samuel 23:1-5 – The Lord blessed David
2 Samuel 24:16 – The Lord spared Jerusalem

194
1 Kings
1 Kings 1:29, 48 – The Lord blessed David and Solomon
1 Kings 2:15 – The Lord gave the kingdom to Solomon
1 Kings 2:33 – The Lord gave David’s house peace
1 Kings 2:45 – The Lord gave the kingdom to Solomon
1 Kings 3:5-28 – The Lord blessed Solomon with wisdom, which allowed him to judge cases wisely
1 Kings 4:29-33 – The Lord gave Solomon wisdom about many things
1 Kings 5:4, 7, 12– The Lord blessed Solomon with peace and wisdom
1 Kings 6:11-14 – The Lord said he would dwell with Israel
1 Kings 8:9-66 – The Lord accepted the temple of Solomon and blessed Israel when they were obedient
1 Kings 9:2-5 – The Lord accepts temple
1 Kings 10:6-9 – The Lord blessed Solomon with wisdom and riches
1 Kings 11:36-38 – The Lord will bless David’s descendants, but will also bless Jeroboam if he is righteous
1 Kings 12:21-24 – The Lord stopped a war between Israel and Judah
1 Kings 13:6 – The Lord healed Jeroboam’s hand
1 Kings 15:4 – The Lord blessed Jerusalem
1 Kings 17:2-24 – The Lord saved Elijah, a widow in Zarephath, and her son
1 Kings 18:37 – The Lord can change people’s hearts
1 Kings 18:41-46 – The Lord gave the Israelites rain
1 Kings 19:1-21 – The Lord comforted Elijah when Jezebel was trying to kill him
1 Kings 20:1-20 – The Lord helped Israel defeat their enemies
1 Kings 20:22-29 – The Lord helped Israel defeat the Syrians

206
2 Kings
2 Kings 2:1-22 – The Lord took Elijah to heaven and blessed Elijah with power
2 Kings 3:15-24 – The Lord helped the Israelites defeat their enemies
2 Kings 4:1-44 – The Lord, through Elisha, helped many people
2 Kings 5:1-19 – The Lord, through Elisha, healed Naaman
2 Kings 6:1-7 – The Lord, though Elisha, helped a man get his borrowed ax back
2 Kings 6:8-23 – The Lord, through Elisha, helped Israel defeat their enemies in a non-violent way
2 Kings 7:1-19 – The Lord miraculously saved Samaria from a siege and got everyone food
2 Kings 8:19 – The Lord spared Judah from destruction
2 Kings 13:4-5 – The Lord delivered Israel from their enemies
2 Kings 13:14-25 – The Lord delivered Israel from their enemies and brought somebody back to life
2 Kings 14:6 – People are only to be punished for their own sins
2 Kings 14:25-27 – The Lord restores Israel to its former glory
2 Kings 17:36-39 – The Lord will deliver Israel if they are obedient
2 Kings 19:1-34 – The Lord delivered Israel from the Assyrians
2 Kings 20:1-11 – The Lord lengthened Hezekiah’s life
2 Kings 22:18-20 – The Lord blessed King Josiah

125
1 Chronicles
1 Chronicles 5:20 – The Lord helped Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh defeat their enemies
1 Chronicles 11:2, 9, 14 – The Lord blessed Israel through David
1 Chronicles 12:18 – The Lord helped David
1 Chronicles 13:14 – The Lord blessed Obed-edom
1 Chronicles 14:2, 10, 14-17 – The Lord blessed David and his kingdom
1 Chronicles 16:8-36, 41 – The Lord blessed Israel, His mercy endures forever
1 Chronicles 17:3-27 – The Lord will bless the house of David forever
1 Chronicles 18:6 – The Lord preserved David wherever he went
1 Chronicles 19:13 – The Lord helped Israel defeat the Syrians
1 Chronicles 21:15, 27 – The Lord spared Jerusalem
1 Chronicles 22:8-19 – The Lord gave Israel rest and will bless them for building the temple
1 Chronicles 27:23 – The Lord would make Israel numerous
1 Chronicles 28:4-20 – The Lord will help Solomon build the temple
1 Chronicles 29:10-19, 25 – The Lord blessed Solomon to be a good king

167
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 1:1-17 – The Lord blessed David and Solomon when they were righteous
2 Chronicles 2:11-12 – The Lord blessed Israel with a good king
2 Chronicles 5:13-14 – The Lord accepts the temple
2 Chronicles 6:4-42 – The Lord will be merciful to Israel when they repent
2 Chronicles 7:1-6, 10 – The Lord’s mercy endures forever
2 Chronicles 7:12-18 – The Lord will bless Israel if they are righteous
2 Chronicles 9:5-8, 23 – The Lord blessed Solomon with wisdom and riches
2 Chronicles 11:1-4 – The Lord peacefully resolves a war between Israel and Judah
2 Chronicles 12:6-7, 12 – The Lord blessed Israel when they repented
2 Chronicles 13:5 – The Lord blessed David
2 Chronicles 13:10-16, 18 – The Lord blessed Judah when they were righteous
2 Chronicles 14:6-7, 11, 13 – The Lord gave Judah rest, and helped them beat their enemies
2 Chronicles 15:1-4, 15 – The Lord will bless all those that turn to Him
2 Chronicles 16:8-9 – The Lord delivered Judah from its enemies
2 Chronicles 17:3-5 – The Lord blessed Jehoshaphat when he was righteous
2 Chronicles 19:7 – The Lord does not take bribes
2 Chronicles 19:11 – The Lord will bless those who are good people
2 Chronicles 20:1-22, 27-30 – The Lord helped the Israelites become free from their enemies
2 Chronicles 21:7 – The Lord blessed Jerusalem because He remembered His covenant with David
2 Chronicles 25:4 – The Law does not kill children for the sins of parents
2 Chronicles 25:5-9 – The Lord blessed Judah for having faith in God’s power
2 Chronicles 26:5-15 – The Lord blessed Uzziah because he sought the Lord
2 Chronicles 30:6-12 – The Lord will bless those who repent
2 Chronicles 31:10 – The Lord blessed Israel with plenty
2 Chronicles 32:7-8, 21-22, 26-29 – The Lord defended Jerusalem from the Assyrians and saved Hezekiah
2 Chronicles 33:19 – The Lord heard Manasseh when he repented
2 Chronicles 34:26-28 – The Lord had mercy on Josiah
2 Chronicles 36:15 – The Lord sent prophets to Judah


82
Ezra
Ezra 1:1-11 – The Lord inspired Cyrus to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple
Ezra 3:11 – The Lord’s mercy endures forever
Ezra 5:1-17 – The Lord supports the Jews in rebuilding the temple
Ezra 6:1-22 – The Lord helped the Jews get imperial support in rebuilding the temple
Ezra 7:6-28 – The Lord blessed Ezra
Ezra 8:18, 22-23, 31 – The Lord prospered the returning Jews
Ezra 9:8-9, 13, 15 – The Lord blessed the returning Jews

57
Nehemiah
Nehemiah 1:1-11 – The Lord will bless scattered Israel if they repent
Nehemiah 2:1-8, 18, 22 – The Lord blessed Nehemiah to be able to go back to Jerusalem
Nehemiah 4:14-15, 20 – The Lord is strong and can deliver us
Nehemiah 6:16 – The Lord helped the Jews rebuild the wall of Jerusalem
Nehemiah 9:5-36 – The Lord blessed Israel in all they did

Esther
The book of Esther never mentions God. However, His influence is implied throughout the book. One might argue that most of the book shows the love of God for His people because God is presumably the one that raised up Esther to save the Jews. However, because He is never explicitly mentioned, we now move on to Job.

115
Job
Job 1:10 – The Lord blessed Job
Job 5:8-27 – The Lord will bless people with many blessings
Job 10:11-13 – The Lord visited job
Job 19:25-27 – The Lord will redeem Job
Job 29:1-25 – The Lord blessed Job
Job 33:4-6, 24-30 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Job 34:12 – The Lord is just
Job 36:4-33 – The Lord is righteous
Job 42:7-17 – The Lord blessed Job with more than he had lost

1461
Psalms
Psalm 1:1-3 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Psalm 2:6-7, 12 – The Lord has blessed his kings
Psalm 3:1-6, 8 – The Lord will bless us even when we go through hard times
Psalm 4:3-8 – The Lord will bless us in hardship
Psalm 5:11-12 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Psalm 6:8 – The Lord will hear our prayers
Psalm 7:10, 17 – The Lord will save the righteous
Psalm 8:1-9 – The Lord is great, yet still cares about mankind
Psalm 9:7-14, 18 – The Lord is merciful to the poor and lowly
Psalm 10:1-14, 16-18 – The Lord will care for the poor who experience adversity
Psalm 11:1-4, 7 – The Lord will reveal himself to the righteous
Psalm 12:5-7 – The Lord will help the poor
Psalm 13:1-6 – The Lord will bless us in our trials
Psalm 14:5-7 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Psalm 15:1-5 – The Lord will bless righteous people
Psalm 16:1-11 – The Lord will redeem us from hell
Psalm 17:1-15 – The Lord will bless the righteous but not the wicked
Psalm 18:1-6, 16-36, 49-50 – The Lord will strengthen us in times of trouble
Psalm 19:1-14 – The heavens declare the glory of God and all He has made for us
Psalm 20:1-9 – The Lord will save us
Psalm 21:1-7 – The Lord will bless the king
Psalm 22:22-31 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Psalm 23:1-6 – The Lord will care for us like a shepherd cares for sheep
Psalm 24:1-10 – The Lord made the earth for us
Psalm 25:1-22 – The Lord will deliver us from evil
Psalm 26:1-12 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Psalm 27:1-14 – We can wait on the Lord with confidence
Psalm 28:6-9 – The Lord blesses us when we pray to Him
Psalm 29:1-11 – The Lord will give His people peace
Psalm 30:1-12 – The Lord will turn mourning into dancing
Psalm 31:1-5, 7-16, 19-24 – The Lord has redeemed us
Psalm 32:1-11 – The Lord will be merciful to those who trust in Him
Psalm 33:1-22 – The Lord will deliver those that rely on Him
Psalm 34:1-19, 22 – The Lord redeems his servants
Psalm 35:9-10 – The Lord will bless us when we go through difficult times
Psalm 36:5-10 – The Lord will bless the upright
Psalm 37:3-9, 11, 18-19, 21-37, 39-40 – The Lord will deliver those that trust in Him
Psalm 38:1-22 – The Lord will hear us when we pray to Him
Psalm 40:1-13, 16-17 – The Lord will bless the weak
Psalm 41:1-13 – The Lord will deliver us from evil
Psalm 42:1-11 – The Lord will help us
Psalm 44:1-4 – The Lord gave Canaan to the Israelites
Psalm 45:2, 6-17 – The Lord will give us peace
Psalm 46:1-11 – The Lord brings peace to the world
Psalm 48:9-14 – The Lord will be a guide to us
Psalm 49:15 – The Lord will redeem us from the grave
Psalm 52:8-9 – The Lord will take care of those that trust in Him
Psalm 53:6 – The Lord will bring His people out of captivity
Psalm 54:1-7 – The Lord will save those that trust in Him
Psalm 56:1-13 – The Lord will deliver us from death
Psalm 57:1-11 – The Lord’s mercy is great
Psalm 59:16-17 – The Lord is merciful
Psalm 61:1-8 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Psalm 62:5-12 – The Lord is merciful
Psalm 63:1-8 – The Lord upholds us
Psalm 65:1-13 – The Lord will bless us with what we need to survive
Psalm 66:19-20 – The Lord will not turn away His mercy
Psalm 67:1-7 – The Lord will bless us
Psalm 68:1-35 – The Lord will save Israel from all their enemies
Psalm 69:1-36 – The Lord will save those who are in trouble
Psalm 71:1-23 – The Lord will protect us
Psalm 72:1-19 – The Lord will bless the poor
Psalm 73:22-26 – The Lord will hold us by the right hand
Psalm 77:1-20 – The Lord delivered Israel out of Egypt
Psalm 78:1-7, 14-17, 23-29, 37-39, 68-72 – The Lord delivered Israel from Egypt
Psalm 81:1-16 – The Lord will bless us when we repent
Psalm 84:1-12 – The Lord blessed those who trust in Him
Psalm 85:1-13 – The Lord is merciful to the repentant
Psalm 86:1-17 – The Lord blesses the poor and comforts us
Psalm 87:1-7 – The Lord will bless Jerusalem
Psalm 89:1-8, 11-22, 24-29, 33-37 – The Lord will bless his servants
Psalm 90:14-17 – The Lord will make us glad
Psalm 91:1-16 – The Lord will deliver us from evil
Psalm 92:1-5, 12-15 – The Lord will make the righteous flourish
Psalm 94:13-22 – The Lord blesses the righteous
Psalm 95:1-7 – The Lord is the rock of our salvation
Psalm 96:1-13 – The Lord will judge the people with truth
Psalm 97:8-12 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Psalm 98:1-9 – The Lord is a righteous judge
Psalm 99:1-9 – The Lord answers prayers
Psalm 100:1-5 – The Lord made all things for us
Psalm 101:6 – The Lord will bless the faithful
Psalm 102:12-28 – The Lord will hear the prayer of the poor
Psalm 103:1-22 – The Lord will be merciful
Psalm 104:1-34 – The Lord made the earth for humanity to enjoy
Psalm 105:1-15, 39-45 – The Lord saved Israel from Egypt
Psalm 106:1-9 – The Lord’s mercy is on Israel
Psalm 107:1-43 – The Lord’s mercy endures forever
Psalm 108:1-6 – The Lord’s great mercy is on Israel
Psalm 111:1-10 – The Lord is full of compassion
Psalm 112:1-9 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Psalm 113:1-9 – The Lord blesses the weak
Psalm 114:1-8 – The Lord delivered Israel
Psalm 115:8-18 – The Lord will bless those that respect him
Psalm 116:1-19 – The Lord will save us from death
Psalm 117:1-2 – The Lord is merciful
Psalm 118:1-9, 13-29 – The Lord’s mercy endures forever
Psalm 119:1-176 – The Lord will bless us when we repent
Psalm 121:1-8 – The Lord will help us
Psalm 122:1-9 – The Lord will give peace to Jerusalem
Psalm 123:1-4 – The Lord will have mercy on us
Psalm 124:1-8 – The Lord will help us in times of trouble
Psalm 125:1-5 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Psalm 126:1-6 – The Lord will bring Israel from captivity
Psalm 128:1-6 – The Lord will bless those that honor him
Psalm 130:1-8 – The Lord will bless Israel
Psalm 132:1-18 – The Lord blessed Israel
Psalm 134:1-3 – The Lord will bless those that love Him
Psalm 135:1-7, 13-18 – The Lord blessed Israel throughout their history
Psalm 136:1-26 – The Lord’s mercy endures forever
Psalm 138:1-8 – The Lord will not forsake us
Psalm 139:1-18 – The Lord will take care of us
Psalm 140:12-13 – The Lord will preserve the weak
Psalm 142:1-7 – The Lord will bless us in our trials
Psalm 143:1-11 – The Lord blesses the righteous in their affliction
Psalm 144:10-15 – The Lord will bless those that love him
Psalm 145:1-21 – The Lord is slow to anger
Psalm 146:1-10 – The Lord will bless the downtrodden
Psalm 147:1-20 – The Lord binds up our wounds
Psalm 148:1-14 – The Lord empowers people
Psalm 149:1-6 – The Lord loves Israel
Psalm 150:1-6 – The Lord’s might acts are praiseworthy

68
Proverbs – One might add many more to this list from Proverbs if one considers Wisdom to be a reference to God, as some ancient texts suggest.
Proverbs 2:6-9 – The Lord gives people wisdom
Proverbs 3:5-12, 26, 32-34 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Proverbs 8:22-35 – The Lord created us all
Proverbs 10:3, 22, 27-29 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Proverbs 11:1, 20 – The Lord loves justice and the upright
Proverbs 12:2, 22 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Proverbs 14:26-27 – The Lord blessed those that respect Him
Proverbs 15:8-9, 25-26, 29 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Proverbs 16:1-3, 9, 11 – The Lord will bless those that consecrate their work to Him
Proverbs 18:10 – The Lord will protect us like a fortress
Proverbs 20:10, 12, 22-24 – The Lord made us all and values justice
Proverbs 21:31 – The Lord brings victory
Proverbs 22:2, 4, 12, 23 – The Lord made everything that we have and will support the poor
Proverbs 28:5, 25 – The Lord will give us understanding and will bless us
Proverbs 29:13, 25-26 – The Lord can enlighten and protect us
Proverbs 30:4-9 – The Lord’s teachings bless us
Proverbs 31:30 – The Lord will bless those that love him

14
Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 3:10-15 – The Lord blesses us with good work to do in this life
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 – The Lord blesses us with many gifts
Ecclesiastes 7:18, 29 – The Lord will bless those that respect Him, God made man upright
Ecclesiastes 8:12 – The Lord blesses those that respect Him
Ecclesiastes 9:7 – The Lord has accepted our works in this life
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – The Lord gave us life

Song of Solomon
The Song of Solomon never mentions God, so there are no verses that obviously mention God’s love for humanity. However, one of the main reasons the book was included in the bible was because many ancient readers interpreted it as an allegory of God’s love for Israel, making the entire book about God’s love. However, since it is not entirely clear how this should be interpreted, we now move on to Isaiah.

636
Isaiah
Isaiah 1:2, 16-19, 25-27 – The Lord raised up Israel, and will bless us when we repent
Isaiah 2:2-5 – The Lord will bring the gentiles to his temple
Isaiah 3:10 – The Lord will bless the righteous
Isaiah 4:2-6 – The Lord will make Judah holy
Isaiah 5:1-4 – The Lord cared for Israel
Isaiah 6:1-8 – The Lord comforted Isaiah when he felt insecure about his abilities
Isaiah 9:2-7 – The Lord will cause those that walk in darkness to see light
Isaiah 10:10-27 – The Lord will have mercy on Israel, in spite of their sins
Isaiah 11:1-16 – The Lord will deliver Israel from captivity
Isaiah 12:1-6 – The Lord is our salvation
Isaiah 14:1-3, 32 – The Lord will give us rest from sorrow
Isaiah 18:1-7 – The Lord will bring Sub-Saharan Africans to the temple in Jerusalem
Isaiah 19:18-25 – The Lord will one day take care of Egypt, Assyria, and Israel
Isaiah 25:1-9 – The Lord will wipe away tears from all faces
Isaiah 26:1-4, 7-9, 12-15, 19-20 – The Lord has increased Israel
Isaiah 27:2-6, 12-13 – The Lord will cause Israel to blossom
Isaiah 28:5-6, 16, 29 – The Lord will bless those that believe in Him
Isaiah 29:7-8, 14, 17-24 – The Lord will protect Jerusalem
Isaiah 30:15, 18-26 – The Lord wants to help us
Isaiah 31:5 – The Lord will defend Jerusalem
Isaiah 32:1-8, 15-20 – The Lord will give Israel peace
Isaiah 33:13-24 – The Lord will forgive our sins
Isaiah 34:16-17 – The Lord will give the land to Israel to possess forever
Isaiah 35:1-10 – The Lord will bring the people out of captivity
Isaiah 37:1-35 – The Lord saved Jerusalem
Isaiah 38:1-22 – The Lord saved Hezekiah
Isaiah 40:1-31 – The Lord will bring his cosmic power to bear to bless Israel
Isaiah 41:1-20 – The Lord will strengthen us
Isaiah 42:1-21 – The Lord will deliver the prisoners from Assyrian captivity
Isaiah 43:1-25 – The Lord will bring the Judahites back from Assyria
Isaiah 44:1-8, 21-28 – The Lord will cause Judah to be re-inhabited
Isaiah 45:1-6, 11-25 – The Lord created the earth for us
Isaiah 46:3-13 – The Lord will bring salvation to Israel
Isaiah 48:9-13, 15-21 – The Lord has redeemed Jacob’s seed
Isaiah 49:1-25 – The Lord will raise up Israel
Isaiah 50:1-10 – The Lord will suffer for us
Isaiah 51:1-16 – The Lord will deliver the captives
Isaiah 52:1-15 – The Lord will comfort His people
Isaiah 53:1-12 – The Lord will suffer for us
Isaiah 54:1-17 – The Lord’s kindness will not depart from us
Isaiah 55:1-13 – The Lord will bring captives home with joy
Isaiah 56:1-8 – The Lord will accept the gentiles
Isaiah 57:13-19 – The Lord will give peace to the righteous
Isaiah 58:6-14 – The Lord will bless those that observe the fast
Isaiah 59:1, 16-17, 20-21 – The Lord has the power to save us
Isaiah 60:1-22 – The Lord will give Israel peace
Isaiah 61:1-11 – The Lord loves justice for the weak
Isaiah 62:1-12 – The Lord has not forsaken us
Isaiah 63:1-2, 7-9, 11-19 – The Lord gave us rest
Isaiah 64:4-5 – The Lord prepares good things for those that love Him
Isaiah 65:1-10, 17-25 – The Lord will forgive our sins
Isaiah 66:1-2, 5-13, 18-23 – The Lord will bless the gentiles

244
Jeremiah
Jeremiah 1:4-9, 17-19 – The Lord calls Jeremiah and encourages him
Jeremiah 2:2-9 – The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt and pleads with them to repent
Jeremiah 3:7, 12-23 – The Lord begged Judah to return to Him
Jeremiah 4:1-2, 14 – The Lord wants us to repent
Jeremiah 6:16-17 – The Lord begs His people to turn to Him
Jeremiah 7:1-7, 22-23 – The Lord will allow Israel to stay in their land if they repent
Jeremiah 9:23-24 – The Lord delights in lovingkindness
Jeremiah 10:12 – The Lord made the earth
Jeremiah 11:4-5 – The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt
Jeremiah 12:15-16 – The Lord will return the exiles
Jeremiah 14:8-9 – The Lord will not abandon us
Jeremiah 15:11, 19-21 – The Lord will deliver us
Jeremiah 16:14-16 – The Lord will bring back scattered Israel
Jeremiah 18:1-8 – The Lord will bless us if we repent
Jeremiah 20:10-12 – The Lord will defend us from our enemies
Jeremiah 22:1-4 – The Lord will bless Judah if they repent
Jeremiah 23:3-8 – The Lord will cause the exiles to return
Jeremiah 24:4-7 – The Lord will support the exiles that return
Jeremiah 25:3-4 – The Lord sent prophets to get the people to repent
Jeremiah 26:3, 12-13, 17-19 – The Lord will bless Judah if they repent
Jeremiah 27:5 – The Lord made the earth
Jeremiah 29:10-14 – The Lord will bring us back from captivity
Jeremiah 30:1-11, 17-22 – The Lord will be with Judah
Jeremiah 31:1-40 – The Lord will reveal himself to everyone
Jeremiah 32:1-22, 37-44 – The Lord will bring the exiles back to the land
Jeremiah 33:6-26 – The Lord will never break his covenants
Jeremiah 34:13 – The Lord delivered Israel from Egypt
Jeremiah 35:18-19 – The Lord will bless the Rechabites
Jeremiah 39:17-18 – The Lord will deliver Ebed-melech the Ethiopian
Jeremiah 42:10-12 – The Lord will deliver Judah from the Babylonians
Jeremiah 44:4 – The Lord sent prophets to get the people to repent
Jeremiah 46:27-28 – The Lord will save scattered Israel from afar
Jeremiah 48:47 – The Lord will bring the captive Moabites back to Moab
Jeremiah 49:39 – The Lord will bring the captive Elamites back to Elam
Jeremiah 50:4-8, 19-20, 33-34 – The Lord will bring Israel back to their land
Jeremiah 51:5 – The Lord will help Judah

Lamentations
21
Lamentations 3:21-36, 55-59 – The Lord is merciful to His people

450
Ezekiel
Ezekiel 2:1-3:3 – The Lord comforted Ezekiel
Ezekiel 11:16-20 – The Lord will give the people of Judah a new heart
Ezekiel 14:11 – The Lord will be Judah’s God if they listen to Him
Ezekiel 16:3-14, 53-55, 60-63 – The Lord blessed Israel when it was at its lowest point
Ezekiel 17:22-24 – The Lord will cause Israel to prosper
Ezekiel 18:1-32 – The Lord will bless those that repent
Ezekiel 20:5-22, 33-44 – The Lord spared Israel despite their sins
Ezekiel 28:24-26 – The Lord will give Israel peace
Ezekiel 29:13-14, 21 – The Lord will have mercy on Egypt and Israel
Ezekiel 33:11-16 – The Lord will bless those that repent
Ezekiel 34:11-31 – The Lord will take care of His people like a shepherd
Ezekiel 36:8-15, 24-38 – The Lord will cause Israel to flourish
Ezekiel 37:1-28 – The Lord will make an everlasting covenant with Israel
Ezekiel 38:8-9 – The Lord will give Israel peace
Ezekiel 39:25-29 – The Lord will our out His spirit upon Israel
Ezekiel 40:1-49 – The Lord will cause a massive temple to be built and cause the people to return
Ezekiel 41:1-26 – The Lord will cause a massive temple to be built and cause the people to return
Ezekiel 42:1-20 – The Lord will cause a massive temple to be built and cause the people to return
Ezekiel 43:1-27 – The Lord will come back to dwell with Israel
Ezekiel 44:1-31 – The Lord will restore the old rituals to the temple
Ezekiel 45:1-25 – The Lord will make it so that Israel can offer their offerings in peace
Ezekiel 46:1-26 – The Lord will accept the offerings of Israel
Ezekiel 47:1-23 – The Lord will heal the Dead Sea and make everything live
Ezekiel 48:1-35 – The Lord will give Israel land again and live with them

85
Daniel
Daniel 1:17-20 – The Lord blessed Daniel and his companions
Daniel 2:20-30, 37-38, 44-47 – The Lord saved the wise men of Babylon
Daniel 3:17-29 – The Lord delivered Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego from the flames
Daniel 4:2-3, 8-9, 18, 34-35, 37 – The Lord helped Daniel
Daniel 5:18-19 – The Lord had blessed Nebuchadnezzar
Daniel 6:16-23, 25-28 – The Lord saved Daniel from the lions
Daniel 7:27 – The Lord will bless His saints
Daniel 9:4, 9, 14-25 – The Lord is merciful
Daniel 10:11-21 – The Lord comforted Daniel

47
Hosea
Hosea 1:7, 10-11 – The Lord will bless the house of Judah
Hosea 2:1, 14-23 – The Lord will love Israel forever
Hosea 6:1-3, 11 – The Lord will heal His people
Hosea 7:1, 13-15 – The Lord wanted to heal Israel, despite all they did against Him
Hosea 10:12 – The Lord will bless those that seek Him
Hosea 11:1-4, 8-12 – The Lord blessed Israel, but they rebelled against Him
Hosea 12:13 – The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt
Hosea 13:4-6, 9-10, 14 – The Lord is Israel’s savior
Hosea 14:1-9 – The Lord will bless Ephraim

26
Joel
Joel 2:12-32 – The Lord will pour out His spirit on everyone
Joel 3:16-18, 20-21 – The Lord will live in Zion with His people

15
Amos
Amos 2:10-11 – The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt
Amos 5:4, 6, 8, 14-15, 24 – The Lord
Amos 7:3, 6 – The Lord will preserve his people
Amos 9:11-15 – The Lord will cause Israel to return to their land

2
Obadiah
Obadiah 1:17, 21 – The Lord will bring Israel back to their land

41
Jonah
Jonah 1:1-17 – The Lord makes sure Jonah goes to preach to the Assyrians and saves Jonah from drowning, even though he disobeyed Him
Jonah 2:2, 6, 10 – The Lord saved Jonah
Jonah 3:1-10 – The Lord blessed the people of Nineveh when they repented
Jonah 4:1-11 – The Lord saved Nineveh because they repented

38
Micah
Micah 1:15 – The Lord will perpetuate various nations
Micah 2:7, 12-13 – The Lord will bless those that are righteous
Micah 4:1-13 – The Lord will bring the gentiles to the temple
Micah 5:2-7 – The Lord will bless Israel again
Micah 6:8 – The Lord loves justice and charity
Micah 7:7-20 – The Lord will remember His covenant with Israel

3
Nahum
Nahum 1:3, 7, 15 – The Lord is slow to anger

6
Habakkuk
Habakkuk 1:12 – The Lord will save us
Habakkuk 3:2-3, 17-19 – The Lord is our strength

14
Zephaniah
Zephaniah 2:3, 7 – The Lord will put an end to the captivity
Zephaniah 3:9-20 – The Lord will put an end to the shame of Judah

12
Haggai
Haggai 1:12-14 – The Lord was with His people when they repented
Haggai 2:4-9, 18-19, 23 – The Lord blessed His people with prosperity when they listened to Him

96
Zechariah
Zechariah 1:3, 16-17 – The Lord will turn to us when we turn to Him
Zechariah 2:1-13 – The Lord will make Jerusalem a good place to live again
Zechariah 3:1-10 – The Lord blesses Joshua the high priest
Zechariah 4:6-14 – The Lord will bless Zerubbabal
Zechariah 6:9-15 – The Lord will cause His temple to be built
Zechariah 8:1-23 – The Lord will bless the people and cause the gentiles to come to Jerusalem
Zechariah 9:8-17 – The Lord will gather scattered Judah
Zechariah 10:6-12 – The Lord will gather His people from exile
Zechariah 12:6-8 – The Lord will defend Jerusalem
Zechariah 13:9 – The Lord will be Judah’s God, and they will be His people
Zechariah 14:4-11, 20-21 – The Lord will make sure everything is holy

20
Malachi
Malachi 1:2 – The Lord loves us
Malachi 2:4-7, 10 – The Lord blessed the descendants of Levi
Malachi 3:1, 3-4, 6, 10-12, 16-18 – The Lord blesses those that respect Him
Malachi 4:2, 4-6 – The Lord will send Elijah to bless His people

Isaiah for Mormons Chapter 29

Isaiah for Mormons Chapter 28. All text and maps come from lds.org.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mmPkK868Gw

http://isaiahformormons.podomatic.com/entry/2015-08-14T12_44_21-07_00

Isaiah for Mormons Chapter 28

Isaiah for Mormons Chapter 28. All text and maps come from lds.org.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpinzZiLvd8

http://isaiahformormons.podomatic.com/entry/2015-07-19T17_40_55-07_00

Isaiah for Mormons Chapter 27

Isaiah for Mormons Chapter 27. All text and maps come from lds.org.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5j8zjgoxN8

http://isaiahformormons.podomatic.com/entry/2015-07-06T21_33_54-07_00

Isaiah for Mormons Chapter 26

Isaiah for Mormons Chapter 26. All text and maps come from lds.org.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38GDV6J3p9g


http://isaiahformormons.podomatic.com/entry/2015-07-01T14_53_28-07_00