READ There are two plans…
It is significant that, before revealing the pattern of the tabernacle itself, the Lord told Moses that Israel had to demonstrate a willingness to sacrifice to build His sanctuary
READ Exodus 25:2
In Exodus 25:8 the Lord clearly revealed the purpose for the tabernacle—it was to be the house of the Lord. The Hebrew word which is translated “tabernacle” actually means “tent” or “dwelling” (Wilson, OT Word Studies, s.v. “tabernacle,” p. 434).
Exodus 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 35-40 The Lord wants us to become holy as He is.
These chapters describe in great detail the building, furnishing, preparing and the use of the Tabernacle. It is apparent that every bit of care that goes into building a Temple was in place for the construction of the Tabernacle.
ASK Why is this?
ASK What does it mean to become holy?
ASK How do our latter-day temples and the work we do there help us become more holy?
Despite their other faults and failings (the golden calf episode took place while Moses was on the mount receiving this revelation), when Israel heard what the Lord asked to be donated, they responded with joyous liberality. Their hearts were indeed touched and finally Moses had to restrain them, for they gave far more than was needed for the tabernacle.
There are two plans for building the Tabernacle described in Exodus, the revelatory plan and the building plan. Since they closely parallel each other the revelatory plan is what we study in chapters 35-40.
Exodus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
OT-19 SS Lesson: May 1-May 8, Exodus 35-40 - Leviticus 1, 16, 19 “Holiness to the Lord”
Through the prophet Moses, the Lord commanded the children of Israel to build a tabernacle that would be a sanctuary where the Lord could dwell among His people. He gave detailed instructions for the building of each item that would furnish the tabernacle. It’s purpose was to teach the Israelites about the blessings of obedience to God.
READ Becoming Perfect… in Add’l Res
-What have you learned in your reading of chapters 35-40 that
READ Why Did the Lord Tell Moses to “Anoint the Tabernacle” in Add’l Res.
READ The Tabernacle as a School…in Add’l Res
READ Latter-day Tabernacles…in Add’l Res
The Tabernacle’s purpose was to prepare us for Jesus /Christ. In Hebrews chapters nine and ten the apostle Paul discusses the spiritual meaning to the tabernacle of ancient Israel and relates it to the larger role that Christ plays in our lives.
READ A description of the Law of Moses…ln Add’l Res
Leviticus 1
Question 1: Wasn’t the law of Moses given as a genuine rebuke to Israel and imposed upon them as a punishment for rejection of the higher law?
Question 2: But wasn’t the law of Moses at least a great step backward?
Under the law of Moses:
Answer 1: Admittedly, God does chasten His people for disobedience, but the giving of laws is not a punishment. His commandments are, as Moses said, “for our good always” (Deuteronomy 6:24). Every law is meant to lift and inspire, reconcile and perfect. That principle includes the law of Moses. It was a punishment only in the sense that it was less than they could have received. But it was a means for accomplishing God’s ends, as are all His commandments.
Answer 2: No. It was a great step forward, not as great as Israel could have taken, but a great step nevertheless. We know from the record that Israel was in poor spiritual condition when they came out of Egypt. They had lost the prophetic office, prophecy, and the spirit of revelation and had become steeped in Egyptian tradition and idol worship. The
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness
Question 3: Then the Mosaic law really embraced all the basic principles of the gospel?
Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven.
The book of Leviticus contains direct revelation from God through Moses to Israel. It was the priesthood handbook of that generation. This fact makes the book of great interest, for whenever God speaks to man He reveals Himself. Through the pages of Leviticus one can come to understand Him and His purpose better.
READ Leviticus 1:3
-What made an animal acceptable for an Offering to God?
In addition to this requirement, all sacrificial animals had to meet two other requirements. They had to be of the category that the Lord declared clean (see Leviticus 11), and they also had to be from domesticated herds and flocks.
This offering was to be “voluntary” (Leviticus 1:3). It was not forced, but served as a free expression of gratitude on the part of the individual. Anything less would violate a basic principle of free will offerings
READ Verse 4 The sacrificer, by laying his hands on the sacrifice, caused it to be an acceptable atonement for his sins.
Let’s look at our lives today?
READ D&C 64:34
-What sacrifices does the Lord require of us today?
READ Moses 5:7
-How should we view our sacrifices for the Lord’s work?
Answer 3: More accurately, the Mosaic law is called the “preparatory gospel” (D&C 84:26). Because Israel lost the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood, they could not have the fulness of the law of Christ. And when the Lord fulfilled the law, the preparatory gospel was brought under the law of Christ and the carnal commandments were done away.
Leviticus 1:3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.
4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
D&C 64:34 Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.
Moses 5:7 And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.
Leviticus 19: The Lord wants us to become holy as He is.
READ Leviticus 19:1-2
In this chapter we read what has been termed “the heart of the ethics of the book of Leviticus” (Rasmussen, Introduction to the Old Testament, 1:105). These ethics are the heart not only of Leviticus, but also of the entire Old and New Testaments. Recorded here for the first time is the revelation of the one principle that governed all the laws dealing with proper social relationships: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” . Thus viewed, it is easy to see that all the other laws were merely the application of the law of love under various circumstances. This law, being both timeless and of universal application, is the seamless fabric on which not only the Old and New Testaments are richly embroidered but our own modern scriptures as well.
What Commandments Underlie All Others?
READ Lev 19:18 and Deut 6:5
During His earthly ministry, the Master was asked by a scribe which of all the commandments was the greatest. The Savior’s reply is well known: Love God and love your neighbor. Then He said: “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (READ Matthew 22:35–40). Or, to put it another way, those two principles are the foundation for all the writings of the Old Testament. All principles and commandments stem either from the need to love God or to love our neighbor.
Obedience to these two commandments will help us become more like Jesus Christ.
Watch recent video by Elder Christofferson
Leviticus 19:1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.
Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Matthew 22:35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
VIDEO The First Commandment First | BYU Speeches March 22 BYU Devotional Talk by Elder Christofferson. 25.5 minutes
My Thoughts: Although we didn’t really dwell on the Lord’s specifications for the building and furnishing of the Tabernacle I think it is instructive to review the great detail and the attention to the materials that went into preparing the Tabernacle. It really should not have been a surprise, given the purpose of the Tabernacle as a place where the Lord would visit. Still, these people were not in their homes, they were in (somewhat) temporary transit, and yet this did not lessen the requirements for construction detail. The scriptures record that they joyfully responded when they were asked to bring their precious possessions to be used. The story of their efforts to show their obedience and love for the Lord, parallel the stories of the building of the Kirtland Temple in our time. Like the Kirtland Temple the Tabernacle was used as a meeting place, the Institute manual says a “school.” For practical purposes the Kirtland Temple was a forerunner of the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Unlike the purpose of the Kirtland Temple, which did have some sacred ordinances practiced within, the Tabernacle was designed to take the worthy Israelites through a symbolic journey to the point where they would be worthy to see the Lord. Unfortunately, due to their previous choices, the Israelites were not granted this privilege. The Melchizedek Priesthood, and soon Moses, were taken from them.
The Tabernacle did fulfill a very valuable purpose in the teaching and preparation of the Israelites. They were taught principles of the Gospel, faith, repentance and baptism. The preparatory gospel. The Tabernacle was always placed in the center of the Israelite encampments, a pattern repeated in Joseph’s design for the city of Zion, and later in the planning of Salt Lake City and other cities. The Tabernacle, or Temple was to occupy the center of the city. Interestingly, the ancient Tabernacle was supported in its position by the use of ropes and stakes, The Church today is supported and upheld by our stakes.
Finally, a little clarification of why the Law was given. Paul, when asked that question replied “Why was the law of carnal commandments given? “It was added because of transgressions.” To what was it added? The preparatory gospel. And what was the purpose of the added law of carnal commandments? To teach the children of Israel how to repent, so they could increase the Spirit in their lives to become more focused and come unto Christ. In Galatians 3:24, Paul makes a great statement in which he described the law as a “schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.” The Joseph Smith Translation adds a very significant change: “The law was our schoolmaster until Christ” (JST, Galatians 3:24). The law was not just to bring us to Christ but a schoolmaster until
Christ came, and then it was fulfilled.
Along the preparatory gospel we have been given the “New and everlasting covenant.” The Melchizedek priesthood has been restored.
The Lord loves us. He provides for His people. Those that preceded us were blessed. We are blessed as well.
Greg
There is a great video on the history of the D.C. Temple with journalist Dale Van Atta, who has published a book on the subject:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZw5nhaDNVA It is about 138 minutes in length. It is worth watching and will give you a greater perspective of the events that preceded the dedication of the temple. This is a fireside talk, shared with me by Lynne Davidson.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Exodus 30:22–33. Why Did the Lord Tell Moses to “Anoint the Tabernacle” and All Its Furnishings?
Pure olive oil was a sacred symbol of the Spirit of the Lord (see D&C 45:56–57), and its use signified the sanctification of the person or object anointed (see Exodus 30:29). The use of the oil can also be an indication of the existing purity of the person, since the Spirit of the Lord will not dwell in an unclean tabernacle. President Joseph Fielding Smith said:
“The olive tree from the earliest times has been the emblem of peace and purity. It has, perhaps, been considered more nearly sacred than any other tree or form of vegetation by the inspired writers of all ages through whom we have received the word of the Lord. In parables in the scriptures the House of Israel, or the people who have made covenant with the Lord, have been compared to the olive tree.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:180.)
Thus, to anoint even these inanimate objects with oil suggests that the tabernacle and all connected with it were sanctified by the Spirit in preparing them for service to God.
Becoming Perfect: In his opening address in general conference in October 1978, President Spencer W. Kimball charged the Church with the responsibility to become perfect. He said that such a goal is possible, inasmuch as each of us has the power to become like our Heavenly Father. However, some would grow faint at the thought because the Lord has declared, “Behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it!” (D&C 19:10). Consequently, we may feel that the “mystery of godliness” is too great for mortals to consider, let alone achieve.
The truth is that unless we turn our vision toward the temple, the mystery of godliness will forever be a stranger.
“It was of this subject that the Prophet Joseph Smith spoke when he said: ‘The principle of salvation is given us through the knowledge of Jesus Christ’ (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 297), and that ‘knowledge through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the grand key that unlocks the glories and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.’ (… p. 298.) …
“These revelations, which are reserved for and taught only to the faithful Church members in sacred temples, constitute what are called the ‘mysteries of Godliness.’ The Lord said He had given to Joseph ‘the keys of the mysteries, and the revelations which are sealed. …’ (D&C 28:7.) As a reward to the faithful, the Lord promised: ‘And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old. …’ (D&C 76:7.)” (Lee, Ye Are the Light of the World, pp. 210–11.)
A description of the Law of Moses: To accurately describe the law of Moses, we would have to say that it contained the basic part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was never intended to be something apart, separated, or even lower than the gospel of Christ. It was simply to help the people in their focus and understanding.
An instructive perspective about this law is found in Mosiah 13 in the Book of Mormon. This is the great discourse given by the prophet Abinadi as he labored with the wicked priests of King Noah. They had questioned the prophet, asking the meaning of a verse in Isaiah 52: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings” (Mosiah 12:21; see also Isaiah 52:8). The prophet answered and in the process revealed something of the nature of the law of Moses that the people of Noah were practicing:
“And now I say unto you that it was expedient that there should be a law given to the children of Israel, yea, even a very strict law; for they were a stiffnecked people, quick to do iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord their God; Therefore, there was a law given them, yea, a law of performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards him” (Mosiah 13:29–30).
Verse 30 states that this law, which included the law of carnal commandments, consisted of a law of ordinances and performances. The ordinances and performances were teaching instruments of the law of carnal commandments. A synonym for the word carnal is flesh. The law of carnal commandments was, therefore, commandments intended to help the children of Israel to control the flesh—to develop self control and self-discipline in their lives. It was to help them to get a handle on their lives so they could begin to focus on the basic fundamentals that would lead them to Christ. That was its primary purpose and the spirit and the intent of the law of carnal commandments.
In 2 Nephi is recorded: And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled.
For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments.
And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our children may know the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what end the law was given [that they may look for what end the law was given, all to focus on Christ]. And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against him when the law ought to be done away. (2 Nephi 25:24–27)
The Spirit of the Lord was essential to the full significance of this system of performances and ordinances.
Brandt, Edward J., “The Law of Moses and the Law of Christ” in Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson (Provo and Salt Lake City: Religious Studies Center, BYU, and Deseret Book 2005), 133–153. The Law of Moses and the Law of Christ | Religious Studies Center
The Tabernacle as a School: Set forth in symbolic representation and beautifully portrayed in progressive splendor, the tabernacle and its court became a school in which the things of heaven were to be revealed to the Lord’s people. It was originally intended that an Israelite could move from the outer court of the tabernacle to its inner and more holy precincts and observe, in so doing, that the handiwork and ornamentation became progressively more intricate, ornate, and secluded until at last the ritual placed them before the holy presence, even the Holy of Holies. Sacred beyond description, protected from the eyes of the unworthy, these ordinances were designed to be the cement or bonding agent between Israel and her God. This symbolic journey, however, was denied Israel because of her pride and rebellion (see Exodus 20:18–20; 32:1). Israel lost these higher blessings and became dependent on the officiating priests who acted as proxy through a lesser order of priesthood.
But that loss of privilege in no way implies that the tabernacle lost its significance for Israel. Scott C. Esplin, The Tabernacle: “An Old and Wonderful Friend” (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, BYU, 2007), 91–106.
Latter-day Tabernacles: Tabernacles were on a very different long-term trajectory, as the Joseph F. Smith years were almost the last gasp for tabernacle building. A great number were constructed (92-34 under Smith), but the basic design for most tabernacles remained very similar. Their main function was to provide an assembly space large enough for stake conferences four times a year. The buildings were often also the site for civic
(Continued in next column)
functions because many of these Church buildings were the town’s largest halls. Many tabernacles are impressive. Architecturally they range from the delicate first Granite Tabernacle, designed by Richard K. A. Kletting, who designed the Utah State Capitol and Saltair, to the Alpine Stake Tabernacle in American Fork with its understated exterior and unexpected, wonderful interior. Some were very utilitarian, like the Teton Stake Tabernacle in Driggs, Idaho, while others were on the cutting edge of American architecture. The Montpelier Idaho Tabernacle, designed by Pope and Burton, for example, is extraordinary, inspired by Louis Sullivan’s landmark St. Paul’s Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that was constructed only four years earlier. During Smith’s presidency an unusual phenomenon occurred as a single stake had multiple tabernacles. The Alpine Stake had tabernacles in Lehi and Pleasant Grove as well as the “official” stake tabernacle in American Fork. Similarly, the Bear Lake Stake had tabernacles in Montpelier and Paris, Idaho. The cost of construction and maintenance limited the construction of new tabernacles. In California and other outlying areas, most tabernacles constructed after Smith’s presidency housed one or two wards as well as a stake. After World War II, when public address systems allowed greater flexibility, stake houses and large meeting houses took over tabernacle functions. Those functions were further reduced when stake conferences were cut from four times a year to two and from two Sunday sessions to one. W. Ray Luce, “Joseph F. Smith and the Great Mormon Building Boom,”(Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2013), 320–41.
Joseph F. Smith and the Great Mormon Building Boom | Religious Studies Center