Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual

Contents
Title Page
Introduction to the Teacher Manual
Old Testament Lessons
- Welcome to the Old Testament
- Moses 1; Abraham 3
- Genesis 1–2; Moses 2–3; Abraham 4–5
- Genesis 3–4; Moses 4–5
- Genesis 5; Moses 6
- Moses 7
- Genesis 6–11; Moses 8
- Genesis 12–17; Abraham 1–2
- Genesis 18–23
- Genesis 24–33
- Genesis 37–41
- Genesis 42–50
- Exodus 1–6
- Easter
- Exodus 7–13
- Exodus 14–18
- Exodus 19–20; 24; 31–34
- Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19
- Numbers 11–14; 20–24; 27
- Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34
- Joshua 1–8; 23–24
- Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16
- Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–7
- 1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–16
- 1 Samuel 17–18; 24–26; 2 Samuel 5–7
- 2 Samuel 11–12; 1 Kings 3; 6–9; 11
- 1 Kings 12–13; 17–22
- 2 Kings 2–7
- 2 Kings 16–25
- 2 Chronicles 14–20; 26; 30
- Ezra 1, 3–7; Nehemiah 2; 4–6; 8
- Esther
- Job 1–3; 12–14; 19; 21–24; 38–40; 42
- Psalms 1–2; 8; 19–33; 40; 46
- Psalms 49–51; 61–66; 69–72; 77–78; 85–86
- Psalms 102–103; 110; 116–119; 127–128; 135–139; 146–150
- Proverbs 1–4; 15–16; 22; 31; Ecclesiastes 1–3; 11–12
- Isaiah 1–12
- Isaiah 13–14; 22; 24–30; 35
- Isaiah 40–49
- Isaiah 50–57
- Isaiah 58–66
- Jeremiah 1–3; 7; 16–18; 20
- Jeremiah 31–33; 36–38; Lamentations 1; 3
- Ezekiel 1–3; 33–34; 36–37; 47
- Daniel 1–7
- Hosea; Joel
- Amos; Obadiah; Jonah
- Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah
- Haggai 1–2; Zechariah 1–4; 7–14
- Malachi
Life Preparation Lessons
- Doctrinal Mastery: Finding Answers to My Questions
- Scripture Study Skills
- For the Strength of Youth Guide
- Building Self–Reliance
- Physical and Emotional Health
- Preparing for Future Education and Employment
- Succeed in School
- Missionary Preparation
- Temple Preparation
- Teachings of Church Leaders
Appendix

Genesis 22: A Similitude of Jesus Christ

“Genesis 22: A Similitude of Jesus Christ,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2026)

“Genesis 22: A Similitude of Jesus Christ,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual

Genesis 18–23: Lesson 27

Genesis 22

A Similitude of Jesus Christ

Abraham and Isaac. Abraham looking toward the heavens with a knife in his hand. Isaac laying on the alter. The Gospel in the Old Testament (Religious Tract Society, 1908).

Our mortal minds may never fully comprehend the heart-wrenching commandment God gave to Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. The Nephite prophet Jacob increased our understanding of the powerful symbolism of this commandment when he taught that the sacrifice was “a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son” (Jacob 4:5). This lesson can help students feel the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for them.

Student preparation: Invite students to identify a scripture they have found that helps them recognize the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for us. Have them come prepared to share it.

Possible Learning Activities

The love of God

Consider beginning the lesson by sharing the following statement.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then a member of the First Presidency, described the love Heavenly Father has for His children:

19:44

Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you.

God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely. (“The Love of God,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 22)

In addition to the words used by President Uchtdorf, what are some other words or phrases you could use to describe God’s love for us?

To help the students personalize the lesson to their lives, invite them to consider how often they feel or recognize the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for them. You might also invite them to consider what questions they currently have about the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Encourage the students as they study today to pay attention to impressions from the Holy Ghost that can help them feel the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

A manifestation of God’s love

The scriptures contain many teachings that describe the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for us. One example is in John 3:16.

Read John 3:16, looking for the greatest manifestation of Heavenly Father’s love.

How would you summarize what you found?

Students may share something like Heavenly Father demonstrated His love for us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

How does the Savior’s atoning sacrifice demonstrate the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for us?

Abraham is commanded to sacrifice his son

Explain that today, students will study an account that can teach us about the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ demonstrated through the Savior’s Atonement.

Consider displaying the following picture.

The Old Testament prophet standing beside an altar. Abraham's son Isaac is strapped to the altar. Abraham is holding a dagger in the air as he prepares to sacrifice Isaac. An angel is appearing before Abraham and commanding him to not sacrifice his son.

What do you know about this experience from the lives of Abraham and Isaac?

After students share their responses, explain the following.

The account of Abraham and Isaac can teach us about the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ demonstrated toward us through the Savior’s atoning sacrifice.

Read Jacob 4:5, looking for what Jacob taught about this account.

What did you find?

As students study the account of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, invite them to pay attention to what this account can symbolically teach them about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

To prepare students to do this, consider making two columns on the board. Title one column Abraham and Isaac and the other column Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. You could also invite the students to create this chart in their study journals.

Students could complete the following study activity on their own or with a partner. Consider sharing one example from the completed chart (found later in the lesson) before students begin their study.

Prayerfully read Genesis 22:1–14, looking for similarities to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Highlight meaningful scripture phrases. Record your thoughts about what these phrases teach you about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

The following chart contains examples of insights students may find while they study this account. As needed, you could use these examples to help students in their study. For example, you might share the insight about the land of Moriah (see Genesis 22:2) before or after students study.

Abraham and Isaac	Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
Genesis 22:2, 12—“thine only son”	Jesus Christ is Heavenly Father’s Only Begotten Son (see John 3:16).
Genesis 22:2—“the land of Moriah”	“The site known traditionally as the place where Abraham offered Isaac is … in the same area in which the Father would make the sacrifice of His Son” (Old Testament Student Manual, 3rd ed. [2003], 77).
Genesis 22:2—“a burnt offering”	Burnt offerings were a form of animal sacrifice. Animal sacrifice was symbolic of Jesus Christ (see Moses 5:4–7).
Genesis 22:6—“took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son”	Christ carried His cross (see John 19:16–18).
Genesis 22:7–8—“God will provide himself a lamb”	Heavenly Father sent His Son, the Lamb of God, as an atoning sacrifice (see John 1:29).
Genesis 22:9—“bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar”	Christ was bound to the cross with nails (see 1 Nephi 11:33).

After students have had time to study, give them an opportunity to share what the Spirit taught them as they studied these verses. You might ask questions like the following as part of this discussion.

What did you learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ from the story of Abraham and Isaac?
What were some of the symbols of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that were most meaningful to you? Why?

God’s love for me

Give students an opportunity to reflect on the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for them. To prepare them to reflect, you could sing or listen to a hymn that focuses on that love, such as “God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son” (Hymns, no. 187).

You could also consider sharing the statement by President Dallin H. Oaks in Additional Resources.

How can remembering the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for you affect your life?
What has helped or could help you to feel the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

Conclude the lesson by inviting students to think about what they have learned and felt today about the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for them. Invite them to record their thoughts and spiritual impressions in their study journals. Consider sharing your testimony about the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for each of us. Encourage the students to seek out experiences that will help them consistently feel God’s love for them.

Additional Resources

How does the Savior’s Atonement demonstrate God’s love for us?

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency shared:

12:44

The magnificent and incomprehensible effect of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is based on God’s love for each of us. It affirms His declaration that “the worth of souls”—every one—”is great in the sight of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10). In the Bible, Jesus Christ explained this in terms of our Heavenly Father’s love: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). In modern revelation, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, declared that He “so loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 34:3). (“What Has Our Savior Done for Us?,” Liahona, May 2021, 76)

What if I doubt Heavenly Father’s love for me?

President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) explained:

16:33

Your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there. (“We Never Walk Alone,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 123–24)

Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?

President George Q. Cannon (1827–1901) of the First Presidency said:

Why did the Lord ask such things of Abraham? Because, knowing what his future would be and that he would be the father of an innumerable posterity, he was determined to test him. God did not do this for His own sake for He knew by His foreknowledge what Abraham would do; but the purpose was to impress upon Abraham a lesson and to enable him to attain unto knowledge that he could not obtain in any other way. That is why God tries all of us. It is not for His own knowledge for He knows all things beforehand. He knows all your lives and everything you will do. But He tries us for our own good that we may know ourselves. (George Q. Cannon, in Conference Report, Apr. 1899, 66)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Akedah (The Binding) video

It may be helpful for some students to visualize the story of Abraham and Isaac. To help them do so, you could show some or all of “Akedah (The Binding)” (12:57). Use the following video time codes to supplement students’ study of Genesis 22:1–14.

Genesis 22:1–2 (0:00 to 1:34). After this segment, consider inviting students to discuss questions Abraham may have had.

Genesis 22:3–6 (3:08–6:00). Before this segment, consider inviting the students to look for evidence that this was a difficult commandment for Abraham to obey.

Genesis 22:7–9 (6:01–10:10). Before this segment, consider inviting students to look for ways Isaac reminds them of Jesus Christ. After watching the segment, they could discuss their insights.

Genesis 22:10–18 (10:11–12:57). After this segment, consider inviting students to share what they learned about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ from this account.

12:57

Hard things

The following activity can help students understand some of the reasons God may ask us to experience difficult things. Students could read Genesis 22:2 and discuss reasons it would have been difficult for Abraham to do what the Lord asked him to do. You could then watch the following two video clips. These clips show (1) a modern-day hard thing Elder Isaac K. Morrison of the Seventy experienced and (2) the things he learned through his experience.

10:53

Additional video resources

At the end of the lesson, students have a chance to think about the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for them. To help prepare students to reflect, you could use the following videos:

4:49

“For God So Loved the World” (4:48). As students watch these depictions from the Savior’s life, they could reflect on the love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for them.

5:37

“There Is No Limit to God’s Love” (5:37). Students could think about their own experiences feeling God’s love as they watch this video, which describes the love a young adult woman felt as she worked toward repentance.