Watch the video presentation on YouTube at: Exodus 35-40, Leviticus Video
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Hello fellow teachers and welcome to Teaching with Power. This is Ben Wilcox and I’m so happy you’ve decided to spend this time with me in the scriptures today. The purpose of this channel is to help you teach or study the scriptures with more relevancy and power and this week the Come Follow Me manual instructs us to study Exodus 35-40, and Leviticus chapters 1, 16, and 19. However, I’m not going to really follow that scripture block assignment. I’ll admit that I’m a little baffled by the decision to focus on Exodus chapters 35-40 as the material to study about the construction of the ancient tabernacle. In my opinion, it’s Exodus chapters 25-30 that contain a superior treatment of this topic. Those chapters contain the Lord’s initial tabernacle construction instructions, whereas 35-40 describe the actual building of the materials. So, forgive me for being a bit of a rebel here, but I’m going to focus my attention on those chapters instead. And also with Leviticus, I still encourage you to read those particular three chapters for your study, but I’m going to take a broader approach to studying that book. So with that in mind, if you’re ready, grab your scriptures and your marking pencils. It’s time to dig deep.
TEMPLE SYMBOLS
ICEBREAKER
For an icebreaker, have your students either share their answer to the following question with a partner or with the class: Which of the following buildings is the temple most like to you and why?
A school, a courthouse, a church, a hospital, a home, a castle.
Now, of course, there are no right or wrong answers here. You can just allow your students to share their thoughts and insights. I can see aspects of each of these types of buildings reflected in the purposes and power of the temple.
TRANSITION
But today, I’d like to focus on one of those particular aspects of temple worship, and that is the temple as a school. The temple is a house of learning. In fact, that’s one of the titles the Lord gives for the temple in the Doctrine and Covenants. God commanded the early Saints to
“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God” (D&C 88:119)
Today we’re going to be studying the instructions the Lord gave to the ancient Israelites to build him a house-a temple. And since the children of Israel were still on their journey towards the promised land at this point, that temple needed to be portable, they would need to carry it with them. That portable temple was called the tabernacle. The tabernacle shares many similarities to our modern-day temples and served many of the same purposes. Today, as we study the construction, the worship, and the history of the tabernacle, we’re going to see what this inspired structure can TEACH us about mortality, the plan of salvation, and the life and mission of Jesus Christ. We’ll study it as a house of learning. Now there are certain things that we can’t talk about in regard to modern day temple worship. We’ve made covenants not to reveal their sacred nature. BUT, we can talk all we want about the symbolism of the tabernacle here and not break any covenants. This can act as great practice for interpreting the symbols of the temple because there are indeed many similarities between temple worship back then and temple worship now.
President Spencer W. Kimball once said this about the temple. He said:
“The house of the Lord is functional. Every element in the design, decoration, atmosphere, and program of the temple contributes to its function, which is to teach. The temple teaches of Christ. It teaches of his ordinances. It is filled with his Spirit. There is an aura of deity. “
Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 534
This has always been true about the House of the Lord. Whether it’s our modern-day temples or the ancient tabernacle, the Lord has always meant for us to learn from his holy house.
THREE TEMPLE TRUTHS
To begin our study of the ancient tabernacle, let’s examine three initial truths that its construction can teach us. Begin by counting off your students as 1’s, 2’s, and 3’s and invite them to study and answer their assigned questions after they have read Exodus 25:1-8.
1. How were the materials used to build the tabernacle to be offered? Why do you think that is?
2. What kinds of materials were used to build the tabernacle? What does that teach us about the sacrifices we make to the Lord?
3. What does 25:8 teach us about the purpose of the tabernacle? What does that teach us about God’s character?
ANSWER: Willingly. Moses did not DEMAND that the people offer the materials for the tabernacle. They were to offer them voluntarily.
Why do you think that is? Because of a little gospel principle we refer to as agency. Agency is fundamental in God’s plan. He doesn’t force or demand sacrifice. He’s all about agency and freedom. Because really, the meaning of a gift is greatly diminished when it’s given grudgingly or out of a sense of obligation. I mean, how much would you appreciate a gift if you knew that that person giving it had been coerced, intimidated, or threatened to give it to you. God wants our will, not just our empty compliance.
2. What kind of materials were used to build the tabernacle?
ANSWER: Well let’s see. Gold, silver, fine linen, gemstones, spices. What do all these things have in common? They’re all valuable, precious, and rare. What does that teach us about the sacrifices we make to the Lord? I believe that suggests that we should always offer the Lord our best. He doesn’t want our leftovers, our damaged goods, or our afterthought offerings. I mean, this is God we’re talking about—and you don’t give the ruler and creator of the universe anything less than your finest, right? When it comes to the way we serve in our callings, the way we live his gospel, or the nature of our material or immaterial offerings, they should all be the best we can give. Now the amount and the quality of the sacrifices that we give will vary from individual to individual, but they can all be our best. The widow at the time of Christ was only able to offer two meager mites as a sacrifice, but it was all that she had and, to God, meant more than all the grander offerings that were made that day. It’s the attitude that matters most. And where did the children of Israel get all these fine materials? I mean, they’d been slaves, right? Go back to Exodus 12:33-36 really quick to see this. Where did they get them? They got them from Egypt. The Egyptians offered them these things to try and convince them to leave even quicker. You’ll recall that Egypt represented the world. Interesting. It’s almost as if God is saying, “Ok, now that I’ve taken you out of the world, let me take the world out of you”. And don’t think for a moment that this is all about God wanting all these precious materials for himself. I mean, what’s God going to do with gold and silver? No, it’s the Israelites that are going to use the tabernacle, and worship in it, and learn from it, and be blessed by it. The same principle goes for us today. We’re the ones that use the temple, and benefit from it, and learn from it. It’s focus and purpose is to bless and help us.
3.What does 25:8 teach us about the purpose of the tabernacle?
ANSWER: It’s purpose is to allow God to dwell among us. And what does that teach us about God’s character? That he wants to dwell among us. That’s one of my favorite truths taught here. If I were to ask you where God lives, how would you answer that question? Would you say, he lives in heaven? Somewhere out there, up in the sky, deep in the farthest reaches of the universe? In some other spiritual dimension apart from mankind? No. Where does God live? In my area, he has an actual address. I would say that he lives at 11022 S and 4000 W in South Jordan. That’s the address of the Oquirrh Mountain temple. And not only does he live THERE, but he has numerous houses all over the world. The temple is the house of the Lord. But those houses are in our neighborhoods. In our communities. In our nations. God dwells among us. For the ancient Israelites, the tabernacle was set right in the center of the camp. God is not removed from his people. He’s not distant. He’s not an absentee deity. He cares very much about the salvation and progress of his children and desires to be close to them. Temples are often built on top of hills, near major freeways, or in locations where they can really stand out. Their architecture is unique, awe-inspiring, radiant. They testify to the fact that God is with us. No wonder our church leaders want to build so many temples throughout the world. They know that the more members of the church that live in a place where they can see the temple frequently will often be reminded of this glorious truth.
THE TEMPLE ITSELF
Now let’s talk about elements of the tabernacle itself. It was made up of specific rooms and objects. And we’re going to begin by doing a quick marking activity. Let’s divide up the different sections that describe the elements of the tabernacle and mark them in our scriptures. At the same time, we’re going to label the following handout that has a layout of the ancient tabernacle. When they’re finished, you can then place this page in your scriptures for future reference. It’s designed so that it will fit within a regularly sized set of scriptures.
Exodus 25:10-22 The Ark
Exodus 25:23-30 The Table of Shewbread
Exodus 25:31-40 The Candlestick (or Menorah)
Exodus 26 The Tabernacle
Exodus 27 The Altar of Sacrifice
Exodus 30:1-16 The Altar of Incense
Exodus 30:17-21 The Laver
Now we are not going to take the time to read the entire description of how each these objects were to be made. There’s a lot of detail that would be somewhat tedious to cover in class. But we want to at least know what the objects are and then ponder the possible symbolism that they teach us. If you’d like to give your students an even better visual understanding of what the ancient tabernacle looked like, you could show them the following video from YouTube that takes you on a virtual tour through a life size replica of the tabernacle. I’ll put a link here above and in the video description below.
Tabernacle Introduction Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mFGsLEpKKk&t=37s)
3 min 49 sec long.
THE PLAN
We’ll begin here by talking about the different areas within the tabernacle complex. There were three major areas or rooms. There was the outer courtyard. The Holy Place. And then the Holy of Holies. There was only one gate through which you could enter the tabernacle and therefore, one direction of travel or progress through the rooms, from East to West. Now the most sacred room of all was the Holy of Holies which represented heaven, the Celestial Kingdom, or the presence of God. Therefore, the purpose of temple worship was to teach the Israelites what was needed to return to God. There was a specific pathway back to Him. A plan of salvation. That’s what the temple layout teaches us. The outer court represented the Telestial Kingdom or the world. The holy place represents a progress toward a more Terrestrial way of life and shows that it is possible to come out of the world and live closer to God—a more holy life. But then, there is a veil that separates us from the actual presence of God, or the Holy of Holies. The implied promise there is that if we continue to live a “holy” lifestyle, eventually, we will be able to pass through the veil and enter the presence of God. It’s not a wall there, not a barrier, but a veil. And that’s our goal or purpose in life—to return to Him.
PONDERING
Now each of the pieces of furniture and sacred objects are placed in the tabernacle to TEACH us what takes for us to accomplish that goal. They teach us the principles and actions that will make it possible for us to be worthy to return to his presence. This is where I like to give my students a chance to ponder the significance and symbolism of each object. I like to give them some details or hints about each and ask them to contemplate what it might represent. As an example, I’ll usually do the first one.
Altar of Sacrifice
Let’s start with the altar of sacrifice. This is where the Israelites would offer animal sacrifices to the Lord to show their devotion and willingness to follow Him. The gospel principle this represents shouldn’t be too hard for us to figure out. It represents sacrifice. In order to get closer to God and return to Him, we must make sacrifices. We’ll have to give some things up in order to make progress. What kinds of things? Our means, our time, our talents, our will, our sins, must all be offered up to God. Also, the altar of sacrifice can represent the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and his atonement. None of us is going to be able to return to the presence of God without that. It’s the blood of the lamb that justifies us and allows us to be forgiven of sin. The altar of sacrifice teaches us this. That principle will bring us closer to Him.
Now you try the rest on your own.
As a teacher, after your students have pondered the symbolism on their own, you could ask them what they came up with and discuss the symbolism of each object. You could also show them the following church-produced video that goes into the symbolism of each object in the tabernacle and acts as a good companion video to the one that we showed earlier. I’ll put a link above and in the video description below.
The Tabernacle (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2011-03-0045-the-tabernacle?lang=eng&alang=eng) 7 min 18 sec long
But let’s go through each of these together now.
The Laver
What was the purpose of the laver? If you read 30:19-21, you’ll see that it was filled with water and used by the priests to wash themselves before entering the tabernacle. Now there’s no indication that this laver was used for the purpose of performing baptisms or anything, but the idea is still the same. It was a place of cleansing. We must be washed clean of the dirt and stains of this world if we wish to enter the holy place. We can’t return to God unclean. No unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God, and therefore we must be purified and washed. Nowadays, repentance and baptism accomplish this same process. The laver teaches us this. That principle will bring us closer to Him.
Now those two principles take us into the holy place. Sacrifice, and repentance and the purification that comes through the cleansing power of blood and water will make us worthy to enter the holy place. But we need to be more than just justified of sin. We then need to be sanctified. The furniture found in the holy place will teach us how we can do that.
The Table of Shewbread
Shewbread was unleavened bread. If you remember our lesson on the Passover, you’ll remember that unleavened bread doesn’t spoil. It lasts and represents the purity and eternal nature of God’s word and doctrine. It nourishes and sustains us through life. Also, although not mentioned here in the scriptures, tradition states that there was also a pitcher of wine included on that table. So what, or even, who do you think the table of shewbread would represent? Bread and wine—what does that remind you of? Sounds like the sacrament doesn’t it. Who does the sacrament represent? The blood and body of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ feeds and refreshes us with his gospel. He is the bread of life and the living water. We must be nourished by his gospel, his love, and his sacrifice if we wish to return to God’s presence. The table of shewbread teaches us this. That principle will bring us closer to Him.
Next
The Candlestick
We’ve all seen pictures or examples of the sacred Jewish candlestick, or the menorah. How many branches did it have? Look in verse 25:37. Seven branches. And each branch was to be lit with a flame. What’s the symbolism here? What does light or fire usually represent in the gospel? The spirit or the Holy Ghost. Now why seven? Well, the world was created in seven different time periods. We have seven days in the week. What’s the candlestick teaching us about the Spirit? How many days of the week do we need to have the Spirit with us? How often should we be guided and illuminated by it? Every day. We need to always have his spirit to be with us. Another thought. Perhaps it could be teaching us that the Spirit has many different ways of teaching us. Visions, dreams, thoughts, feelings, voices, experiences, or promptings. It communicates through various means. The candlestick teaches us this. That principle will bring us closer to Him.
The Ark of the Covenant
Let’s come back to the Alter of Incense in just a moment and talk about the ark of the covenant now. This was the most sacred object in all the temple. Most simply put, the ark was a box. A very special box that contained some holy objects in it. And what was in the ark? Actually, there were three things put into the ark. What were they? You could discover that by reading Exodus 16:33-34, Exodus 25:21, and Numbers 17:8. But if you want to make it a bit easier, you can see all three mentioned in one place by just going to Hebrews 9:4 which says:
4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
So it contained a pot of manna, Aaron’s rod, and the tablets of the covenant, or the ten commandments. Why those three things? Do you remember what the manna symbolized? God’s word or scripture. Then, Aaron’s was a symbol of his priesthood power. And Aaron’s rod did something rather miraculous. When he places his rod into the ground it budded, blossomed, and grew almonds. Now what does that teach us about the priesthood? It’s a living priesthood. The kind of priesthood that produces fruits and nourishment. And then the tablets represented God’s laws. These are the three sacred objects placed inside the ark. And then the lid of the ark was placed over them. That lid had a special name. What was it called according to Exodus 25:22. It was called “the mercy seat” with its cherubim or angels depicted on it. And that was the place where the Lord would commune with the high priest or with Moses. So what does the ark represent? Or who does the ark represent? God. And what quality is most associated with him and his character? I love this. It wasn’t called the judgment seat. Or the wrath seat. Or the intimidation seat. But the mercy seat. God is a God of mercy. But think about this for a moment. There’s a lesson about God’s mercy taught by the ark itself. Think about the three objects inside. How must I interact with each in order to obtain God’s mercy? What am I to do with God’s laws and commandments? I keep them. I obey them. What do I do with God’s living priesthood? I honor it. I use it to accomplish his work. What am I to do with his word—his bread from heaven? I partake of it daily. I nourish my spirit with it. So do you see the lesson? If I obey God’s laws, and honor his priesthood, and partake of his word, THEN, I will be covered by God’s mercy. Cool, huh? The ark teaches us this. That principle will bring us closer to Him.
The Altar of Incense
Now the final piece of furniture we haven’t discussed yet. The altar of incense. What would they use that for according to 30:6-8?
Incense was burned there at all times. What was the incense a symbol for? Well. It was sweet smelling. The smoke of it would drift through the veil into the holy of holies and it ascended slowly from earth towards heaven? Any guesses?
Check your answer by going to Revelation 8:3-4
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
It’s prayer. The prayers of the Saints. Now remember that the Holy Place represents the kind of life God’s saints live. The state before entering the Holy of Holies or the presence of God. But what is something that can connect the two rooms. What was capable of floating or ascending through the veil? Our prayers. Our prayers connect us with heaven. And look at the placement of the altar of incense. Where is it in relation to the other three pieces of furniture within the tabernacle? Right in the middle. And who did we decide each of these pieces of furniture represented? God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. And what is it that unites us with all three? Prayer. We pray to God, the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, through the means or the power of the Holy Ghost. The altar of incense teaches us this. That principle will bring us closer to Him.
In Summary
Now if you take all of these principles together, you can get a pretty good idea of what is required to return to the presence of the Father. We must offer sacrifice and be cleansed by the blood and atonement of Jesus Christ (the altar of sacrifice) and be washed clean of our sins (the laver). That will make us holy, or justified. We will then need to take the Spirit as our daily guide (the menorah), relying on the gospel, and love, and sacrifice of Jesus Christ (the table of shewbread), and pray daily (the altar of incense). If we do these things, we will be sanctified, and eventually be brought through the veil back into the presence of God. And then the lesson of the ark itself. When I am brought before God, if I have lived my life obedient to God’s laws, if I’ve honored his priesthood, and feasted on his bread, then his mercy will cover me, and I will be worthy to live in his presence for eternity. Can you see how the tabernacle was a house of learning? A school, or a place of divine education? It taught them, and teaches us, how to return to God’s presence.
TRUTH
The temple (like the ancient tabernacle) is a sacred place that teaches us, through symbols, a pattern for returning to our Heavenly Father. If I worship there often, then I will learn how I need to act and what I need to do to return to His presence.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
When and in what ways has the temple helped you to feel closer to God?
Which of the pieces of furniture do you need to focus on most in your own personal journey towards God right now? Do you need to sacrifice more of your means, time, talents, service, or will to God? Do you need to purify yourself through sincere repentance? Do you need to pray more sincerely and often? Do you need to gain a greater understanding and ability to recognize and follow the promptings of the Spirit? Do you need to come closer to Christ and partake of his love and gospel? Or do you need God’s mercy more in your life by being obedient, honoring the priesthood, and feasting on the manna of God’s word?
CONCLUSION
Well, just as the tabernacle taught the children of Israel how to return to God, our modern-day temples do the same thing. I’m sure that if you’ve been to the temple that you can see some obvious parallels between the temple worship of the ancient tabernacle and temple worship today. It’s not exactly the same, but still very similar. What is our holy of holies? The Celestial room, and the focus of all the temple ceremonies points us and leads us to that room. Studying the symbolism of the ancient tabernacle can help prepare us to interpret the symbolism of the modern temple. Remember that everything you see, and do, and say within the temple is meant to teach you. It’s not just ceremony, or ritual, or tradition. It’s school. I like something that my father says about temple worship. He refers to it as sacred play. Like children might dress up like doctors, or firemen, or pretend to be parents to their dolls. They’re imagining what it would be like to take on those rolls. It’s practice. Well, in a way, God invites us to his house and says, let’s play “plan of salvation” or “return to my presence”. Everything in his house points to that purpose. So when we worship there, we should be constantly asking ourselves the question, “What does this teach me about returning to my Heavenly Parents and the Celestial Kingdom?” Why am I dressed like this? Why is that scripture story being depicted? Why am I doing this particular thing? Why am I making that covenant? Why does this room look like this? Who does that represent? There are so many questions that we can ask. The temple can teach us every time we go. I pray that our study of the ancient tabernacle will help us to make those connections in our modern-day temple worship.
PRIESTHOOD CLOTHING SYMBOLS
ICEBREAKER
Now, there is another aspect of tabernacle worship in these chapters that I feel merits our time and attention. And as an icebreaker to this section I like to tell the following story. Once there was a certain college professor who seemed to find great satisfaction in mocking anyone who professed to believe in God. As a staunch atheist, it seemed like he took every opportunity to call into question the existence of divine power. So one day, as he stood in front of the class, he decided that he would issue the stubborn believers of God in his class a challenge. He sat on his stool at the front of the classroom and said, “Ok, if there really is a God, may he prove his existence to us all by knocking me off my stool here.” And then he began to taunt and say things like, “Ok God, I’m here, come knock me off my stool if you really exist. I’m waiting”. Well it just so happened that at that moment a football player was walking by the classroom and heard the professor’s comments and taunting. Now this football player just happened to be a believer, and so he ran into the room and tackled the professor off of his stool. When the stunned professor stood up and demanded an explanation, the football player bluntly answered, “Well, God couldn’t be here right now, so he sent me.”
TRANSITION
Well, I love that little, probably fictional, story as an introduction to the idea of priesthood power. That’s a pretty good way of summing up the purpose and rationale behind priesthood. God couldn’t be here personally in all things, so he sends us. He allows his children to represent Him and grants them a measure of his very own power. He allows them to participate in the accomplishment of his works and purposes. In the ancient tabernacle, God called priests to bear that priesthood power and perform the ordinances of the temple. These priests were all from the tribe of Levi. Then there was a High Priest called with Aaron being the first. The High Priest had a unique role in temple worship and wore special clothing that symbolized the purpose and power of the priesthood. That clothing can also teach us a lot about that same priesthood that still exists among us today. Let’s examine that clothing together in Exodus chapter 28 and see what it can teach us about the priesthood.
SEARCH
First, let’s read Exodus 28:1-3 together.
1 And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
So my first question. Why do you think the Lord had the priests wear different or special clothing? Why couldn’t they just be dressed normally like everyone else in the camp? Is there something suggested by that? I think there is. Bearers of the holy priesthood should be different. They should stand out. Priesthood holders should not be like your average individual. They hold themselves to a higher standard. In my ordination interviews with the young men of my ward I’ll often remind them of this. That they should be different than your average 12-year-old, 14-year-old, or 16-year-old boys. They are 12-year-old priesthood holders. Or 16-year-old priesthood holders. They’re not expected to be perfect, but the bar is raised for them. They are to stand out and be different.
And what were the three words used to describe the clothing Aaron would wear?
In verse 2, the words are holy, glory, and beauty. What did the priests clothing just teach us about the priesthood? The priesthood is holy, glorious, and beautiful. The work it accomplishes is holy work, it is glorious work, it is a beautiful work.
THE CLOTHING
Now there are four parts of the priests clothing that we’re going to focus on here. We’ll talk about the robe the priests wore, the ephod (or a kind of apron that was worn over the robe), the breastplate of judgment, and the mitre (or the cap)
I have a handout that depicts what that clothing may have looked like. Number your students off as 1’s, 2’s, 3’s or 4’s and have them study their assigned scripture references that describe their piece of clothing. Then, see if they can match its meaning up with one of the possible interpretations given in the box below. They can write the letter of that interpretation in the box next to their piece of clothing. Be sure to let them know that they aren’t required to choose one of those provided meanings, but that they are invited and even encouraged to come up with some of their own. The symbolic meanings that I have come up with are not the definitive interpretations for each. They’re just my own thoughts and ponderings. Other interpretations are possible. I mean, that’s the beauty of symbolism. The symbols can mean different things to different people at different times.
After they’ve had sufficient time to study, you can come together after and discuss what the clothing taught them about the priesthood.
But let’s examine each of these pieces here together.
1. Exodus 28:6-12 The Ephod
2. Exodus 28:15-30 The Breastplate
3. Exodus 28:31-35 The Robe
4. Exodus 28:36-38 The Mitre
The Ephod
First, the ephod, or special apron. What materials was it made of? Gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine-twined linen. All of these colors and materials were with precious things. The priesthood is precious and of great worth. Of particular note. Purple was a color of royalty. The dye to create the color purple was particularly rare and difficult to obtain, and therefore only the very rich and powerful had it available to them. The priesthood then is a royal priesthood, associated with the King of Kings. Then there were two onyx stones that were placed upon the shoulders of the priests. And get this, the names of six of the tribes of Israel were on one stone, and the names of the other six tribes were on the other. Hmmm. What could the symbolism be there? Onyx stones are precious and rare. Priesthood bearers should view those they serve, as precious, rare, and special. Then look at verse 12. “and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial.” Having something placed on your shoulders suggests responsibility. What is the responsibility of the priesthood? To be responsible for helping the members of the church to come to the presence of God.
The Breastplate
The breastplate is really fascinating. It was also called the breastplate of judgment. Sometimes, the priesthood bears the responsibility of judging the worthiness of the members of the church. As a Bishop, I understand all too well the significance of that title. The breastplate was foursquare. A perfect square in shape. Why? The square suggested exactness. How should a bearer of the holy priesthood act? They should obey with exactness. They should be true and strive to walk the straight and narrow path.
And then each tribe was represented by a gemstone—their names engraved on the bottom of each. Once again, what is being communicated about the children of Israel? They are precious. Individually precious. Each one. Different, unique, having their own special qualities and gifts. But equally of great worth.
Then take a look at verse 29. Where was the ephod worn?
29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.
Their names were worn close to his heart. How should the priesthood leader feel about those they serve? They love them, deeply, and carry them close to their hearts.
Then what was placed inside the breastplate according to verse 30? The Urim and Thummim. Suggesting that the priesthood brings revelation and wisdom with it.
The Robe
Verse 32 tells us that the robe was created by weaving it from the neck hole, top-down so that it would have no seams, or that it could not be rent. This could suggest union, completeness, or no divisions within the priesthood. We should be united as a people under the priesthood. In verse 33 we are told that little pomegranate shapes were attached to the hem of the robe. Why pomegranates? Well, pomegranates are a unique fruit. What’s interesting about pomegranates? They are full of seeds. Hundreds of seeds. This could suggest that the priesthood is a fruitful priesthood, capable of producing much seed and future growth.
The bells? Not so sure about this one. But it tells us in verse 35 that when Aaron goes into the holy place that
“his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not.” I don’t know what to do with that. The Lord doesn’t like to be surprised? But maybe, again, it’s reinforcing the idea of standing out or being easily recognizable as a bearer of the priesthood. Or is it communicating the idea of being unashamed of the gospel of Christ. Bold in sharing the message of the gospel. Ready to be heard. Or perhaps there is a musical quality to it. There is harmony associated with the priesthood.
The Mitre
On the cap there was a gold plate with the following words engraved on it. Holiness to the Lord. Now, where else have you seen that phrase written? On our temples. Priesthood bearers should also consider their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. They should always have respect and reverence to the Lord. Why on the forehead? Because respect and dedication to God is to always be at the forefront of their thoughts.
Gosh, don’t you just love symbolism? It’s really, really fun to just let the Spirit teach you through your own sense of imagination and creativity. I love this kind of stuff.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
In the past, priesthood holders would often have an interview called a PPI with their quorum leader, or a personal priesthood interview. To liken the scriptures with this section, perhaps we can take our own little PPI with the lessons of the high priest’s clothing in mind. Allow your students to ponder the following questions quietly to themselves.
· Are you different from those who don’t bear the priesthood?
· Is the power of the priesthood precious to you? If so, how do you show it?
· Are you "shouldering" the responsibility to help others to be worthy to enter the presence of God?
· Do you view those you serve as precious and keep them close to your heart?
· Do you seek to obey the commandments with exactness?
· Do you seek revelation and know how to recognize the promptings of the Spirit?
· Do you seek unity with other priesthood bearers and believers?
· Have you seen the fruits of the priesthood in your life? Name a few.
· Do you sound the call of the gospel for everyone to hear?
· Do you treat your body as a temple?
· Is Holiness always at the forefront of your thoughts?
CONCLUSION
Well I bear witness that the power of the priesthood is real. I've seen what it can do. I've had the privilege to be blessed by it, and the privilege of blessing others with it. I am grateful that our Heavenly Father is a God of order and has provided us with a framework of authority to work under and in and with. It is an amazing and sobering thing to think that God is willing to trust us enough to take on a portion of his incredible power and authority. God couldn’t be here personally to accomplish all his works and purposes, so he sent us. May we ever be clothed with the principles of the priesthood.
THE HOLY GHOST
Before we conclude our study of the Book of Exodus, there is one more temple symbol that I wanted to share with you. There was a daily miracle at the tabernacle that I feel can teach us something important. What was that miracle in Exodus 40:34-38?
34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
38 For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
There was always a column of smoke by day, and a pillar of fire by night hovering over the tabernacle. And what do you think that suggests? Well, let me ask you something. If you drove by somebody’s home at night and saw all the lights on or you walked by during the day and you saw smoke was coming out of the chimney, what would you assume about that household? You would assume that somebody was there—that somebody was home. What does that teach us about the temple? Who is always there? Who is home? The Lord. His presence is always there, ready to welcome us. Just imagine how that would make you feel during the day as an Israelite. As you were doing your work, or conducting your affairs, you might glance over at the center of the camp and see that beautiful column of smoke ever rising up to heaven. How comforting that must have been to see at all times and know that God was with you. Or at night. Let’s say you couldn’t get to sleep, or you had to wake up early to do some work, as you came to the door of your tent, you would see the warm glow and light of that pillar of fire burning above the tabernacle. How comforting would that be? Perhaps you could feel its warmth and see by its gentle glow where you were going or what you were doing. That’s the same kind of feelings that I get when I drive past the temple, or see it lit up across the valley from my window. God is there. He’s home. He’s with us.
Another principle taught here. What would that cloud of smoke or pillar of fire sometimes do? It would move. And what were the children of Israel supposed to do at that point? Follow it. Follow it whenever and wherever it went. Perhaps it would move in the middle of the night, or right at dinnertime, or when you were comfortable or right in the middle of a task. And what were they supposed to do? Drop everything and pick up camp and follow. Sometimes the pillar would remain in a certain location for long periods of time-weeks, or months, or even years and other times it could be just hours, or days. You never knew exactly when the pillar might move. Well, what do you think the pillar of smoke and fire symbolizes for us? What fire are we to follow at all times and under any circumstances? It’s the Spirit. The Holy Ghost. Whenever we’re moved upon by the Holy Ghost, we are to follow it. Those promptings may not always come at the most convenient times or when we want them to. But when they do, we need to follow.
A great illustration of the importance of following the promptings of the Spirit comes from the life of President Thomas S. Monson. You could show your class the following film clip and discuss how this story relates to the moving of the pillar of fire for the Israelites.
Following the Promptings of the Spirit (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2012-05-1607-teachings-of-thomas-s-monson-following-the-promptings-of-the-spirit?lang=eng)
1 min 50 seconds long
Well, we too must learn to follow the pillar wherever and whenever it moves.
LEVITICUS
ICEBREAKER
Now I’m not going to spend as much time with the Leviticus chapters I’m afraid. It can be quite difficult for the modern reader to plow through the seemingly endless and strange religious, economic, dietary, and health practices of the early Israelites. Remember that the law of Moses was a law of carnal commandments, outward ordinances, and very strict and specific laws and regulations. Still, the fundamental principles that the Law of Moses was based on are just as relevant to us as to them. And it’s those fundamental principles that I wish to focus on here. The way I’d like to approach this with you is with an activity. You may remember Gordon B. Hinckley and his 6 Be’s for righteous living. Do you remember what they were? Be grateful, be smart, be clean, be true, be humble, be prayerful. Well I would like to introduce you to the 4 Be’s of Leviticus and a blessing that they provide. And this is a letter tiles activity. What you are going to do is try and figure out which letter tiles fit into the blank squares to form the word that represents the BE statement from Leviticus. All of the tiles will be used just once in the activity. To help you discover what those words are, I’ve provided you with a set of verses to study that should help you to determine what the word is.
So here we go:
5:2-3, 7:21, 11 (Chapter Heading)
ANSWER: Be CLEAN
Cleanliness and purity were of the utmost importance in the law and probably the most common message in the Book of Leviticus. There were certain things, foods, practices, or events that could make you unclean. This didn’t automatically make you a social pariah but there were specific instructions and purification rituals you had to undertake in order to become clean once again. Whether it was dietary restrictions, their health code, or laws of sexual purity, the Lord was sending a straightforward message about how they were to live their lives. Cleanly. Does this principle still apply to us today? YES! We too have been given specific commandments and standards to help US to be clean. Like the Word of Wisdom. Some things we can eat, or drink are considered clean, and some are not. The media we consume. We should ask ourselves if it is clean. The language we use. Our thoughts. Our motives. Are we striving to keep ourselves clean from the stains and filth of the world.
11:47, 20:24-26, 22:2
ANSWER: Be DIFFERENT
I could have also chosen the word SEPARATE to complete that statement. By giving them laws that set apart certain things or foods or practices as clean or unclean, God was reminding them that they were to be a different kind of people. A separate nation. They were not to be like everybody else. Does that principle still apply to us today? YES! We too are meant to be different. The laws and standards God has given us also help us to stand out and be in the world but not of the world.
19:18, 19:34, 25:35
ANSWER: Be LOVING
The Mosaic law had a lot to say about how the people were to treat each other and even strangers. Or those who were not of their faith. This is where we first see the command to “Love thy neighbor as thyself”. I think sometimes we make the mistake in thinking that the Law of Moses was all about retaliation. And we quote: An eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth. But right there in 19:18 we see the command to not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people. Unfortunately the manual skipped those chapters back in Exodus that covered the fundamentals of the Mosaic law. It was a law of restitution, not retaliation. That’s the spirit of the phrase, “an eye for an eye”. Not, you hit my eye, so now I get to hit yours back. It was, “You did something that damaged something of mine or hurt me. Now you are obliged to restore that which was lost or make some sort of restitution to make up for it”. The Lord wants the Israelites to be a loving and kind people. Does that principle still apply to us today? YES! We too should be good neighbors. We are to treat all with kindness, courtesy, and love, regardless of race, gender, political party, culture, religion, or way of life. We are to love all as ourselves.
One more. This is a major focus of the entire book. I could have chosen so many different verses to point you to here. But I narrowed it down to just three. Did you see the word.
1:3, 9:4, 17:5
ANSWER Be Willing to SACRIFICE
Many of the chapters you read in Leviticus revolve around the practice of offering animal sacrifices to God. Is it because God loves dead animals? No. There were actually a number of different purposes for animal sacrifice. He was teaching them the power of giving things to God. When we give up something for God, he is able to bless us even more in the end. It was a way for them to offer thanks to God for all he had given them. Offering a sacrifice was an act of worship, thanks, or a recognition of God’s goodness and provision. It also taught them the idea of justice and mercy. Sometimes, animals were sacrificed for the sins of the people. The animal would, in a way, take upon itself their sins. In this way, the Lord was able to be just, in that the sin was being paid for in some way, while still being merciful to the person and allowing the animal to take their place. These sacrifices pointed them to Christ. Jesus Christ would one day become the lamb of God sacrificed for the sins of all. It was done in similitude of God’s Only Begotten Son. Does that principle still apply to us today? YES! We too are asked to sacrifice things for God. Our time, talents, effort, means, and our very will.
THEN
One more key word to focus on from Leviticus. It’s not a Be, but a promise for living the Be’s. This word comes up over and over and over again in Leviticus. You don’t need to look up each one, but with a little time in the future you may want to go through and mark every time you see this word. What is it? What is the great promise of living these Be’s?
1:4, 4:20, 4:26, 5:6, 5:10, 5:13, 5:16, 5:18, 6:7, 7:7, 8:34, 9:7, 10:17, 12:7, 12:8, 14:18, 14:19, 14:20, 14:21, 14:29, 14:31, 14:54, 15:15, 15:30, 16:6, 16:8, 16:10, 16:11, 16:16, 16:17, 16:21, 16:24, 16:27, 16:30, 16:32, 16:33, 16:34, 17:11, 19:22, 23:28, 25:9
ANSWER: ATONEMENT
The Book of Leviticus teaches us the merciful principle of atonement. If the children of Israel committed themselves to living those principles, those “Be’s”, then an atonement would be made for them.
Does this principle apply to us today? YES! The promise still applies.
TRUTH
If we commit ourselves to living these same four Be’s (Be Clean, Be Separate, Be Loving, Be Willing to Sacrifice) then the Atonement of Jesus Christ will save us as well.
CONCLUSION
See! I told you that the Book of Leviticus wasn’t irrelevant to us! God’s fundamental principles don’t change. The specific ways those principles have been applied have shifted over the years, but the spirit of them is the same. I pray that we can live God’s instructions as specifically and diligently as the ancient Israelites endeavored to do.
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