Old Testament Week 12: The Law and the Tabernacle (Exodus 1640; Leviticus; Numbers; Deuteronomy)

1) Introduction. a) This lesson covers a huge amount of material. We cant hope to cover everything, but well try to get an overview, and give a closer examination of some of the most important portions of the text. b) Those of you who actually read the entire assignment get an automatic A for this semester! 2) [SLIDE 2] Tabernacle design and function. a) The Lord gave instructions to Moses on building a Tabernacle1a portable templeand the objects that would be used in it for offerings and other ordinances: i) [SLIDE 3] The Ark of the Covenant, which was placed in the Holy of Holies. ii) [SLIDE 4] The altar of incense, [SLIDE 5] the lampstand (menorah), [SLIDE 6] and the table for the showbread, the three of which were in the Holy Place. iii) [SLIDE 7] The laver (or basin) [SLIDE 8] and the brass altar, which were in the courtyard of the Tabernacle.2 iv) (The handout for this lesson has descriptions of these items.) b) This is the first mention of a sacred structure in ancient scripture.3 i) [SLIDE 9] The temple was the earthly dwelling-place of God (Exodus 25:8). ii) Up to this point, mountains had served the same functions as temples, where humans could personally experience God. (1) Moses on Mt. Horeb (burning bush) and Sinai (the Ten Commandments). (2) Brother of Jared on Mt. Shelem. c) [SLIDE 10] The priestly clothing (Exodus 28). i) Special clothing was to be worn when in service of the Lord (something we still do today in latter-day temples). ii) The clothing was to be simultaneously ornate, symbolic, and functional.4 (1) The clothing of a priest was called holy garments, and each priest was to wash himself before putting them on (Leviticus 16:4).

1 The source of the English word tabernacle is the Latin tabernaculum, tent (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=tabernacle). The Hebrew noun ( mish-kawn) indicates a dwellingplace or sanctuary. 2 See Exodus 2527, 2930, 37 38, 40. 3 This includes the Old Testament-era material in the books of Moses and Abraham, neither of which mentions temples. 4 The beauty of the high priests clothing and richness of the materials in the tabernacle demonstrated that Israel gave their very finest to the Lords house. The clothing was also functional: The priests were required to wear breeches (trousers ) under their coats (Exodus 28:42), so that they would not accidentally expose themselves when squatting down during the performance of ordinances.

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(2) The clothing of the high priest, worn by Aaron and others who followed him in this office, was to consecrate him (or set him apart) and to serve as a perpetual reminder that the priest ministers on behalf of the twelve tribes of Israel (Exodus 28:3, 12). (a) [SLIDE 11] The high priests mitre (turban) had affixed to it a gold plaque that read HOLINESS TO THE LORD. (Exodus 28:3638). (i) The phrase means consecrated to Jehovah. (ii) The engraving was a perpetual reminder of the holiness that was due to the Lord in all the clothing, the furnishings, and the activities with which the high priest was involved. (iii) In modern times, we inscribe the same statement on the outside our temples. iii) [SLIDE 12] The Urim and Thummim. (1) These items are mentioned seven times in the Old Testament.5 (2) The traditional meaning of the two words is lights and perfections. It could also be translated revelation and truth. (3) Their appearance is not described in the Old Testament. (Some later traditions describe them as black and white stones.) (4) Two of the seven passages indicate that they were used for determining the Lords will (Numbers 27:21; 1 Samuel 28:6). (a) Most scholars believe that together they were lot oracles that could be thrown or tossed to determine the divine will. (Sort of like Gods dice.)6 (b) From Joseph Smiths firsthand experience we learn that the Urim and Thummim are examples of seer stones, into which a seer could look and view things the Lord wanted to reveal to him.7 d) [SLIDE 13] Aaron and his sons were consecrated (ordained, set apart) as priests for service in the tabernacle (Exodus 29:9). i) The Hebrew word translated consecrate in the KJV ( / vmlath) literally means fill the hand. (1) The symbolism here is that the priest would stand with his hand in the shape of a cup, ready to receive what was offered to him.8 (2) An outstretched hand, turned over like a cup or bowl, looks a lot like an incense spoon. These spoons were used to tend the altar of incense in the holy place twice a day (as directed in Exodus 30:110).9
Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8; Numbers 27:21; Deuteronomy 33:8; 1 Samuel 28:6; Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65. See Cornelis Van Dam, The Urim and Thummim: A Means of Revelation in Ancient Israel (Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 1997). Van Dams work is one of the most comprehensive scholarly treatments of the Urim and Thummim, examining Biblical, ancient, medieval, and modern sources. However, in 274 pages he doesnt mention Joseph Smith or Mormonism even once, even though Mormon sources have more to say about the Urim and Thummim (and seer stones in general) than almost all other sources combined. 7 See notes for Doctrine and Covenants lesson 3, pages 711 (http://sites.google.com/site/hwsarc/home/dc/week03). 8 See Lynn M. Hilton, The Hand as a Cup in Ancient Temple Worship, paper presented at the Thirtieth Annual Symposium on the Archaeology of the Scriptures, held at Brigham Young University, 26 September 1981 (http://mormonmonastery.org/PDF/hand.pdf).
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(a) The incense would be burned, and rising smoke symbolized the prayers of Israel ascending to God.10 (3) [13.1] Archaeologists in the Near East have discovered shallow stone bowls and spoons, with a hand carved on the bottom so that the vessel appears to be a cupped palm. ii) In ancient Israel the process of becoming a priest didnt involve the laying on of hands, as it does today. Rather, Aaron and his sons were taken into the Tabernacle, washed, clothed, anointed, and had their hands filled.11 3) [SLIDE 14] Offerings made at the Tabernacle (see handout). a) There were six major types of offerings, most of which involved animal sacrifice (except the meal offering). b) The burnt offering was the most common, and was performed daily on behalf of Israel as a whole, and also by private individuals. The process is described in the opening chapter of Leviticus:
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And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
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Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Meeting Tent:
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Speak to the Israelites and tell them, When someone among you presents an offering to the LORD, you must present your offering from the domesticated animals, either from the herd or from the flock.
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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. 5 And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aarons sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd he must present it as a flawless male; he must present it at the entrance of the Meeting Tent for its acceptance before the LORD. 4 He must lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. 5 Then the one presenting the offering must slaughter the bull before the LORD, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, must present the blood and splash the blood against the sides of the altar which is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. 6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut 6Next, the one presenting the offering must it into his pieces. skin the burnt offering and cut it into parts, 7 7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put and the sons of Aaron, the priest, must put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order fire on the altar and arrange wood on the upon the fire: fire. 8 8 And the priests, Aarons sons, shall lay the Then the sons of Aaron, the priests, must parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon arrange the parts with the head and the suet the wood that is on the fire which is upon on the wood that is in the fire on the altar. the altar:
See Exodus 25:29; 37:16; Numbers 4:7; 7:86. See Revelation 8:34. 11 See Exodus 29; Leviticus 8.
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But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. (KJV Leviticus 1:19.)

Finally, the one presenting the offering must wash its entrails and its legs in water and the priest must offer all of it up in smoke on the altarit is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the LORD. (NET Leviticus 1:19.)

i) The burnt offering has a connection to our modern ordinance of the sacrament: (1) Anciently, Aaronic priests would offer the flesh of an animal to be burned, and its blood to be splashed, upon the altar as an atonement for the sins of the people. (2) Today, Aaronic priestswho hold the very same priesthood held ancientlyoffer bread and water as emblems of the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sins of mankind by submitting to suffering and death. c) Sin offerings were presented for sins committed in ignorance (Leviticus 4:2, 22, 27) and sins not generally known about by the people:
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Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering. (KJV Numbers 15:24.)

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Then if anything is done unintentionally without the knowledge of the community, the whole community must prepare one young bull for a burnt offeringfor a pleasing aroma to the LORDalong with its grain offering and its customary drink offering, and one male goat for a purification offering. (NET Numbers 15:24.)

i) This seems odd to us: Doesnt sinning require that we have knowledge that what we are doing is wrong? (1) But see Mosiah 3:11. The sin offering performed in the Tabernaclewhich culminated in the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christatoned for the sins of those who commit offenses against God without knowing what theyre doing. (2) There are acts that offend God, even if we do them without being aware that we are offending him. In his infinite mercy, he has provided a way to atone for those unintentional sins so we are not held accountable for them. (3) Elder Dallin H. Oaks: These teachingsexpand our vision and enlarge our understanding of the all-encompassing love of God and the universal effect of His Atonement for all men everywhere.12 4) [SLIDE 15] The Law. a) The performances and ordinances of the Tabernacle are one part of a larger code given by God to Moses. i) The code includes annual feasts or festivals commemorating important events in Israels religious history; prohibitions on food, clothing, and other daily activities; and a moral and judicial code that governs behavior and disputes between individuals.

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conference/2006/04/all-men-everywhere).

Dallin H. Oaks, All Men Everywhere, General Conference, April 2006 (http://www.lds.org/generalhttp://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

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ii) This code is known simply as the Law. (1) It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Law of Moses, although it is not Moses law, but the law given to Moses. b) [SLIDE 16] Ten Commandments form the basis for the Law. i) The first four commandments set forth the proper relationship between man and God. The last six describe the proper relationship among men. (Exodus 20:217.)13 ii) These commandments were engraven by the finger of God on two tablets of stone at the top of Mt. Sinai (Exodus 24:1218; 31:18). (1) When Moses descended from the mountain and saw the wickedness of Israel, he threw these tablets to the ground, shattering them (Exodus 32:19). (2) The Lord later made two new tablets as a replacement. (a) Joseph Smith indicated that the second set contained the words that were on the first set, save the words of the everlasting covenant of the holy priesthood (JST Deuteronomy 10:2; cf. D&C 84:2326). c) [SLIDE 17] The Law as a step up. i) Today we see parts of the Law like eye for eye, tooth for tooth (Exodus 21:24) as barbaric, but the purpose of the Law was to prevent punishing people beyond the nature of the offense. In other words, you cant take two eyes for the loss of only one; the punishment must fit the crime. (1) This is one of the aspects of the Law that has survived down to our modern legal system. ii) Likewise, we today see slavery as morally wrong. The Law didnt require the Israelites to give up keeping slavesslavery has been common in nearly every society throughout historybut it did require them to treat their slaves according to rules of just conduct. iii) Another example: If a man seduced an unmarried woman, the Law required the man to marry the woman or pay a dowry to her father. As we discussed in a previous lesson,14 an unmarried woman had no protection or income; the Law protected her from being disenfranchised in society. (1) Rape, on the other hand, was punishable by death (Deuteronomy 22:2527). Again, the Law protected the innocent. (2) This was a step up from surrounding cultures, where offenses like these were typically overlooked, and where the strong survived by preying on the weak. iv) A caution, though: It would be a mistake to try to apply the code today, partly because the Savior brought a higher law (for example, its not enough not to not commit murder; you shouldnt even be angry against your brother), but also because our system of justice has become more tolerant of moral offenses that dont cause direct harm to others.
13 There are three separate lists of the Ten Commandments in the Torah. The two lists found in Exodus 20:2 17 and Deuteronomy 5:621 are very similar, and contain the traditional prohibitions against stealing and killing. The third list in Exodus 34:1226 is different from the first two, and includes commandments about keeping various feasts and prohibitions against specific types of idolatrous sacrifices. 14 See notes to lesson 10, pages 34 (https://sites.google.com/site/hwsarc/home/ot/week10).

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(1) For example, the Law punished adultery with the death penalty (Deuteronomy 22:22), and a bride who is discovered to not be a virgin was to be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:1321).15 Likewise, Leviticus 18 required that those who practiced homosexuality should be put to death. These are things we do not do in our modern society (and rightly so, in my opinion). (2) Jesus higher law still forbids immoral conduct, but enjoins us to love those who have sinned. d) The Law was the Lords covenant with Israel. i) He promised that if they kept the Law, they would be a peculiar treasure him (Exodus 19:5). (1) The phrase peculiar treasure here doesnt mean strange, as it does today. It comes from the single Hebrew word segullah (), which means a special possession. ii) Israel accepted the Law by covenant (Exodus 24:38; cf. Mosiah 5:17). e) Ritual uncleanness. i) The part of the Law that deals with ritual uncleanness is found in Leviticus. A man or woman could be pronounced unclean by a priest for any of several reasons, most of which had to do with having open sores or issues of blood, or touching unclean people or objects. (1) [SLIDE 18] Here are a few examples: (a) Touching a dead animal (Leviticus 5:2). (b) Touching a person who is unclean (Leviticus 5:3). (c) A woman following childbirth (Leviticus 12:15). (d) Leprosy, as verified by a priest (Leviticus 13:18; see also the entire chapter). (e) Any blood-related discharge from the sexual organs, male (Leviticus 15:112) or female (15:1927; this includes menstruation). (f) Eating the flesh of an animal that died of natural causes or was killed by other animals (Leviticus 17:15). (2) The reason why blood was such an important part of Law was twofold: (a) First, blood holds great symbolism for both life and sin. The blood of animals was used in sacrifice to remove individual and communal sins. (i) The Lord told Moses, For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11). 1. This belief is carried forward in the atonement of Jesus Christ, who shed his blood in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, his blood paying the price for our sins and removing our punishment and guilt.

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(b) Secondlyand this is my personal beliefthe Law given to Moses had the practical benefit of physically separating people who had communicable diseases or who were in danger of infection. By creating specific instructions for people with blood issues, the Law prevented sickness in the individual and the community. (This also can be applied to animals which were listed as unclean in Leviticus 11; swine and other animals can transmit diseases to those who eat them.) ii) Uncleanness could be resolved by taking the prescribed steps of purification. (1) These included practical measures, like burning soiled clothing or waiting for a blood issue to stanch. They also included ritual requirements, like offering a sacrifice at the Tabernacle. f) [SLIDE 19] The Shema. i) If the Ten Commandments are the foundation of the Law, the Shema is the heart of it. ii) The Shema is comprised of three passages of scripture: Deuteronomy 6:49, Deuteronomy 11:1321, and Numbers 15:3741. (1) The word Shema is Hebrew for hear, the first word in the passage. (2) It is widely regarded as the very heart of Jewish confession and faith. Twice each day, observant Jews to this day recite the Shema in prayer, beginning with these words: Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohaynu Adonai Echad (Hear, o Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord or the Lord our God, the Lord is One.). (a) This is an affirmation that Jehovah was the sole object of their devotion (Deuteronomy 6:5, 14), as well as his superiority to all other gods and therefore the only one worthy of their worship (Deuteronomy 7:9; 10:17). (3) Deuteronomy 6:49. (a) [SLIDE 20] Deuteronomy 6:5 emphasizes the level to which one is to love the Lord (not just fear, as in verse 2): (i) with all thine heartto Old Testament peoples, the heart was the seat of intellectual faculty and reasoning (similar to how the mind is seen today). (ii) with all thy soulthe soul was the seat of emotional and spiritual faculties (similar to how the heart is seen today). (iii) with all thy mightmight (or strength) probably refers to the total of ones material possessions. (iv) So the commandment here is to love God in totalityintellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and in every purchase or use of the physical things he has given us. (v) When Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment in the Law, he quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 (Matthew 22:3738). (b) In Deuteronomy 6:67 the Lord tells Israel that his commandments are not just something that they are to ponder from time to time; they are to be part of their everyday lives.

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(c) [SLIDE 21] Observant Jews take Deuteronomy 6:89 literally, strapping tefillin (or phylacteries) to the forehead and left arm during morning prayers, and placing a mezuzah on the right side of the door entering the home.16 (i) The mezuzah and the boxes of the tefillin contain small scrolls of parchment with passages of scripture written on them.17 iii) The opening verses of the Shema are followed by a warning (Deuteronomy 6:10 12). (1) This warning, unfortunately, came to fulfillment many times in Israels history. (2) Do we have the same problem? If so, how does it manifest itself? (a) [SLIDE 22] Brigham Young:
The worst fear that I have about this people is that they will get rich in this country, forget God and His people, wax fat, and kick themselves out of the Church and go to hell. This people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty, and all manner of persecution, and be true. But my greater fear for them is that they cannot stand wealth; and yet they have to be tried with riches, for they will become the richest people on this earth.18

5) Israels failure to live up to the Law and covenants they made. a) Almost immediately after receiving the law and covenanting to live it, Israel was disobedient to it. The Torah records many events where the people murmured in the wilderness, or even engaged in outright rebellion. b) [SLIDE 23] One example of this is found in Numbers 21:
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And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5 The people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food. 6 Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people.

16 A third personal item is identified in Numbers 15:3741: The tallit, a rectangular prayer shawl with four fringes (called tzitzit), one at each corner. The tzitzit remind the wearer to observe all the commandments of the Lord. 17 Tefillin scrolls have Exodus 13:116, Deuteronomy 6:49 and 11:13-21. Mezuzah scrolls have Deuteronomy 6:49 and 11:13-21. Both are written with black ink in Hebrew in Assyrian font on parchment specially prepared for the purpose, from the skin of a kosher animal. 18 Brigham Young, address in the Salt Lake Valley, 25 February 1849. Brigham Young Addresses, Elden Jay Watson, ed., 1:128.

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And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (KJV Numbers 21:49.)

And the LORD said to Moses, Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live. 9 So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. (NRSV Numbers 21:49.)

i) The people murmured because they were sick of eating manna, what they called a detestable food (KJV light bread, 21:5). (1) Of course, the Lord gave them manna six days a week, but who says you cant complain just because youre eating for free? ii) As a result, the Lord sent poisonous (Hebrew seraph = fiery) serpents among them. Moses erected a brass serpent on a pole, and any Israelite who looked on the brass serpent in faith was healed. (1) [SLIDE 24] The image of the serpent has not always been considered evil. Anciently, serpents were symbols of healing; this has been passed down to our modern image of the rod of Asclepiusa snake wrapped around a winged pole, representing medicine.19 iii) The image of the snake was to be a symbol of the curse that the Israelites were experiencing: By lifting the snake up on a pole Moses was indicating that the curse would be drawn away from the peopleif they looked to it, which was a sign of faith. (1) This symbol was later stored in Solomons temple, until it became an object of worship and had to be removed (2 Kings 18:4). iv) Nephi1 called them fiery flying serpents (1 Nephi 17:41). This is interesting because the Hebrew word for fiery (seraph) was also used to describe the sixwinged flying creatures in Isaiahs vision of Lord sitting on his throne (Isaiah 6:2; 30:6). c) Because of Israels repeated disobedience, the Lord made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed (Numbers 32:13).20 6) Moses final instruction. a) At the end of his life, Moses was allowed to see the promised land from afar. He was then translated, taken up to heaven without tasting death.21 b) Before he died, he gave his final instructions to Israel, part of which include a song. One verse of that song is particularly striking: [SLIDE 25]

19 Asclepius was the Greek god of medicine and healing. His rod, entwined with a single snake, is often confused with the caduceus, a winged staff with two snakes carried Hermes (or Mercury), messenger of the gods. The caduceus represents trade and commerce, not medicine. For a history of this, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caduceus_as_a_symbol_of_medicine 20 Even Moses himself was forbidden to enter the promised land. See Numbers 20:913. 21 Deuteronomy 34:6 is vague about the fate of Moses. It says that Moses died and that God himself buried him in an unknown grave. We learn of Moses translation from the Book of Mormon prophet Helaman2 (Alma 45:19).

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And He [the Lord] found him [Israel] in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. (KJV Deuteronomy 32:10.)

The Lord found him [Israel] in a desolate land, in an empty wasteland where animals howl. He continually guarded him and taught him; he continually protected him like the pupil of his eye. (NET Deuteronomy 32:10.)

i) The phrase which is rendered in the KJV as apple of his eye is literally the little man of his eye. It is thought that this refers to the fact that when one gazes upon a person, we see ourselves mirrored back, in miniature, in their eyes. (1) This is, amazingly, why the Lord did what he did with Israel, and why he does what he does with us. He sees in us a reflection, or echo, of himself. (2) We, like ancient Israel, are his children. We have an astonishing potential, if we will follow the commandments and keep the covenants. They will lead us out of bondage, out of scavenger-filled wildernesses where vultures tear at our souls, and into lands of milk and honey, to go no more out. Why? Because the God of Israel, the great Jehovah, bought us with a terrible price. (3) We are his, if we choose to remain so. Nothing can tear us from his grasp, except our own hand. (4) Shema YisraelHear, O Israel! 7) Next week: a) Joshua, Judges, Ruth.

2014, Mike Parker

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