In Exodus 28 we learn how the priests were instructed to dress when entering and officiating within the tabernacle. We learned yesterday that the tabernacle was to the Israelites what the temple is to us today.
Let me ask you this: if I were to show up for seminary in the morning in my pajamas with my hair a mess and no make up on, what would you think you were going to learn? I didn’t know a lot of you the first day of seminary - what if I had shown up that way that day? Some of you had your parents with you - what do you think they would have thought about me?
I know that there are a few of you that play sports and at least one of you in ROTC. What is required for you to wear during practice? What about games? Drills? Ceremonies? Are those types of “uniforms” appropriate to wear in the temple? OK - maybe the Marine Corp dress uniform would be appropriate, but what about the catchers gear that you have to wear when playing softball or the shin guards for soccer? They’re probably something that you would be more likely to not wear when going to the temple.
Let’s look at Exodus 28:2-4 and find out what the Lord revealed regarding Aaron and his sons. There are a few different items listed that the priests are supposed to wear in the tabernacle: (we’ll discuss the signifcance of these items during class but if you’re reading a little ahead, or need to catch up, here’s the link for the meanings (you might have to scroll down to the section that says Exodus 28; 39))
- Breastplate
- Ephod
- Robe
- Broidered coat
- Mitre
- Girdle
What can we learn from the fact that the Lord revealed, specifically, what a priest should wear in the tabernacle? Has the Lord made similar requests in our day?
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has said:
“May I suggest that wherever possible a white shirt be worn by the deacons, teachers, and priests who handle the sacrament. For sacred ordinances in the Church we often use ceremonial clothing, and a white shirt could be seen as a gentle reminder of the white clothing you wore in the baptismal font and an anticipation of the white shirt you will soon wear into the temple and on your missions.
“That simple suggestion is not intended to be pharisaic or formalistic. We do not want deacons or priests in uniforms or unduly concerned about anything but the purity of their lives. But how our young people dress can teach a holy principle to us all, and it certainly can convey sanctity. As President David O. McKay taught, a white shirt contributes to the sacredness of the holy sacrament (see Conference Report, Oct. 1956, p. 89)”
What do we learn from Elder Holland? How does the Aaronic Priesthood holders dress contribute to the sacredness of the sacrament? Why do we wear white clothing when we’re baptized and when we’re in the temple? Can the way we dress help us keep the commandments?
Think for a moment about the temple. Think about the best experience that you’ve ever had there. What can you do to prepare before going to the temple to make sure that you have the best experience possible? Let’s look at Doctrine and Covenants 97:15-17 and find out what it tells us about being prepared for the temple.
There were six events that took place when a priest was consecrated. Let’s identify them together. They’re all found in chapter 29.
- First event is in verse 4
- Second event is in verses 5-6
- Third event is in verse 7
- Fourth event is in verses 10-14
- Fifth event is in verses 15-18
- Sixth event is in verses 19-21
Next, let’s discuss the sybolism behind each of these events. We talked about the sybolizm of the objects being used yesterday when we talked about the tabernacle, so these should be pretty simple.
In Moses 6:57-60 it talks about what Adam experience was like. How does that compare with the experience of Aaron and his sons?
How are the covenants and ordinances of baptizm and the sacrament similar to those that were part of the consecration of Aaron and his sons?
Bottom line: Obedience to the principles and covenants of the gospel allows us to receive the additional ordinances and covenants of the temple.
Something came up at the last minute and your parents are going out for the night and have asked that you watch your younger brothers and sisters. You had plans to go see a movie with some friends and to hang out afterwards. You decide to throw a fit stating that your plans were made first and that it’s not fair for you to have to stay home. They have to go so they do, leaving you at home with no car and with your younger siblings. You immediately get on the phone to your friend and proceed to tell them some really mean things about your parents. Later on, you decide that you’re going to leave the kitchen a mess and let the younger siblings stay up as long as they want. Your parents come home to find a messy house, you on the phone, and your brothers and sisters still up. What should your punishment be? If you lived during the time of Moses, what would your punishment be? (Ex. 21:15)
Maybe that example is a little extreme. Here’s another one.
You go to your favorite store to make sure that they still have the video game, the pair of shoes, the piece of jewelry, whatever it is that you’ve been saving your money for. When you get there you discover that they only have one left in your size or of your game, etc., and it’s on clearance. You’re only a few dollars short and you’re alone so there’s no borrowing it from your friend. You know that if you don’t get it now it’ll be gone by the time you get back with the money that you’re short. The store manager won’t hold it for you because it’s on clearance. You decide to take it with you justifying it by telling yourself that you were only a couple of dollars short and when you have the money you’ll come back and give it to the store. What should your punishment be? If you lived during the time of Moses, what would your punishment be? (Ex. 22:1-5)
You borrowed a shovel from your neighbor and while you were using it, it broke. What should you do? (Ex. 22:14-15)
Retaliation vs. Restitution
What’s the difference between retaliation and restitution? Let’s read Exodus 21:24-25 and Exodus 22:1.
Many people think that verse 24 characterizes the law of Moses – it’s seen as a law of retaliation. In the examples that we just covered, what was required after a law was broken? Was it in retaliation for the one who was sinned against or to pay restitution by the one who committed the offense?
Now let’s read Exodus 23:1-9.
· How do peer groups sometimes try to influence us to break the commandments?
· What associations can we make to help us overcome those pressures?
· What are the blessings of obedience to God’s laws?
· What impact would it have on our society if people lived these lawas?
Look in your scriptures, Exodus 23:20-33 and let’s list the blessings that the Lord promised Israel as well as the warnings he gave them.
The law of Moses wasn’t a primitive law. It required godly conduct and faithfulness to covenants. Does that sound familiar? When is the first time that we make a covenant with the Lord? When are we now covenanting with the Lord that we will keep his commandments?
In Exodus 24:1-11 we read about the experience that the seventy elders had in the presence of God.
“Without ‘the power of godliness,’ meaning without righteousness, ‘no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.’ The unrighteous would be consumed in his presence. ‘Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God.’ To be sanctified is to be clean, pure, spotless, free from sin. In the ultimate and final day, the sanctified will be those of the celestial kingdom, the kingdom where God and Christ dwell. ‘But they [the children of Israel] hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence’—because they would not become pure in heart—‘therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.’ (D&C 84:21–24.) All Israel might have seen the Lord had they taken the counsel of Moses, but only a few did. On one occasion, for instance, Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu who were Aaron’s sons, and ‘seventy of the elders of Israel . . . saw the God of Israel,’ while the hosts with whom Moses had labored remained in their dark and benighted state (Exodus 24:9–10)” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, 494).
Look in verses 18 and 19 and tell me why you think the Israelites were afraid of the Lord. Is there more than one kind of “fear?”
In Genesis 22:12 it says that Abraham feared God. In Exodus 20:18-19 it says that the Israelites were afraid of God. What’s the difference? Is there a difference?
Turn to your Bible Dictionary and look up fear for help.
What was physically happening during this time? In verse 18 it says that there were thunderings and lightenings and the noise of a trumpet and the mountain was smoking. Moses was asking the Israelites to follow him into the darkness where God was. What was their response? Knowing all that you know about the lives the Israelites had before, the life they have now, the fact that not all of them personally knew Moses but were following him around in the wilderness, imagine that you are an Israelite. Moses is asking you to follow him into thick darkness where there is thunder, lightening, smoke and a loud trumpeting noise. What is your response to him going to be?
Knowing all that you know now, about what your life has been like up to this point, what it’s like now, the fact that you don’t know President Hinckley personally, if it was him asking you to follow him and trust him, would you go? Are you going? What has President Hinckley asked us to do recently? In just the last conference, he asked us to be slow to anger and to share the gospel with others. Are you following him? How can we be better at following him?
In the next few verses, 22 and 23, the Lord affirms one of the commandments he already gave to the people. Which one? Are there people today who still worship idols? What types of idols are still worshiped and how are they worshiped?
It’s not always easy to follow the words of the prophet which are the words of the Lord. Why is that? Do you ever feel like Satan is really working hard on you to get you to mess up? What do you do in those circumstances? What can you do to help get out of those situations? What things have you actually done that have helped get you out of Satan’s path and back on the Lord’s path?
I know that as we follow the words of the prophets, past, present and future, that our lives will be better. We will be able to overcome the awful things that Satan throws at us to make us want to give up or give in. Satan is working hard, but God has a better option available to us. All we have to do is look to Him, follow his servants the prophets, and get to know Him again. He loves us. He doesn’t want us to be afraid of Him, only to fear him. Sounds like a parent doesn’t it? That’s because he is one!! YOURS!
Do you know what an organizational chart is and what it’s used for?
Do you remember the 6th Article of Faith? (”We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.”)
How was the church organized in Moses’ time? Check page 49 in your student manual for help.
Moses was doing all the work. In chapter 18 verse 13 it says that Moses was sitting to judge the people all day long - “from morning until even.” Everything that the people needed, they came to Moses for. Moses’ father in law, Jethro, asks him why he’s doing it all by himself. How does he respond? (check verses 15 and 16)
Remember that we learned that there were about 2 million Israelites out in the wilderness with Moses. How long do you think it would take for Moses to hear the complaints and issues of all of them individually like that?
The 6th Article of Faith states that we believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church? Why isn’t the Church today organized like it was in Moses’ time? What “Primitive Church” is this Article of Faith referring to?
Does anyone know how many members of the Church there is today? What do you think it would be like if the entire church today was run by just President Hinckley?
What is the advise that Jethro gives to Moses in verses 19-23? Be sure to use your footnotes. Pay special attention to what he says to Moses in verse 23.
What changes did Moses make? Does verse 25 in conjuntion with the organizational chart on page 50 of your student manual remind you of anything? What is the 6th Article of Faith teaching us? Is the Church organized?
Why do you think that this type of organization is important? Isn’t it enough just to go to church? Does there always need to be a speaker and a lesson and all the other stuff that comes along with going to church? Why?
Think for a second of your favorite place to go. What does it cost to get to those places? Turn to the back of your Bibles and look at picture number 2. It’s a picture of Mount Sinai. Moses kept trying to prepare the Israelites to go there so they could see the face of the Lord, but they were unwilling to pay what it cost spiritually to get there.
President Benson once said: “How did Adam bring his decendants into the presence of the Lord? The answer: Adam and his descendants entered into the priesthood order of God. Today we would say they went to the House of the Lord and received their blessings.”
What is our “Mount Sinai?”
Look at verse 5-13 in chapter 19 and let’s find the requirements for the people to be able to enter the presence of the Lord. Did they make it? Check in verses 16-19 and in Doctrine and Covenants 84:23-24.
Instead of being worthy themselves, who did the Israelites want to meet with the Lord for them?
What are the requirements for us to be worthy to enter the temple? Can we send someone else there to do it for us? If President Hinckley said that the Lord was going to be at the temple in three days and that all you had to do was have your temple recommend with you in order to enter His presence, would you grab your recommend and go down there? Are we all going to see the face of the Lord in this life? Probably not. BUT, if you were going to see him, where would it most likely take place?
Are there people in the world today who do not belive in prophets or who think that a prophet is the only person who can speak with God?
What blessings do we lose if we refuse to heed the call to come unto Christ?
Coming unto Christ, or doing the things that we know we are supposed to be doing, is not always easy. In fact, most of the time it’s difficult. Satan is working so hard to keep us from getting back to our Heavenly Father’s presence that it’s often difficult to see the straight and narrow path. It’s not easy to make the right choices all the time. When we do make the right choices we are blessed. When we aren’t making the right choices, those blessings are withheld from us. I don’t know about you, but I need all the blessings I can get!
In chapter 28 Isaac blesses Jacob and commands him not to marry a Canaanite woman. Instead, Isaac sends Jacob to find a wife among the family of Laban, Rebekah’s brother in Haran. When Esau sees how obedient Jacob is and that he’s going to go find a wife in Haran, Esau takes another wife - this one is one of the daughters of Ishmael.
Jacob leaves home and on the way to Haran stops and has a dream. In this dream he sees a ladder at the top of which is the Lord. The Lord tells Jacob that he will make him fruitful and will multiply him. He also tells Jacob that he is with him and will bless all families through him. When Jacob wakes up, he knows that this place is of the Lord. He names the place Beth-el which means House of God.
It’s interesting what Jacob says to the Lord in verse 22.
In chapter 29 we start to get into Jacob’s marriages. Jacob gets to Haran and finds Rachel and falls in love with her. He tells Laban that he will serve Laban for 7 years for her. Laban agrees. Jacob serves for seven years and then Laban tricks him and marries him to his older daughter Leah. When Jacob asks why, Laban tells him that it’s because it’s the custom in their land to not marry off the younger daughter without first marrying off the older one. Jacob and Laban make and agreement and Laban gives Rachel to Jacob as well and requires that he work for him for another 7 years.
During this second 7 years, Jacob starts to have children. We’re going to split up and fill out a worksheet with all of their names, the meaning of their names, their mom’s name, and why they were given that name. Then we’ll get back together and talk about all 11 of the sons mentioned in chapters 29 and 30.
Yesterday I asked you to think, during the day, about the things that you need to do now in order to be worthy of the kind of person you want to marry some day. Let’s make two lists on the board - the first list will be the things that you will look for in an eventual eternal companion and the other list will be the list of things that you need to do now in order to be worthy of that kind of a person.
In chapters 24-27, Isaac and Rebekah are now married. Rebekah, like Sarah, can’t have children. Isaac prays to the Lord so that Rebekah will be able to have children (just like Abraham did for Sarah). Isaac also knows that the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham is supposed to be fulfilled by him so he knows that Rebekah is supposed to have children. When Isaac was a little over 60 years old Rebekah conceives.
Rebekah feels some struggling in her womb so she goes to the Lord to find out why. What does the Lord tell her? (25:23) She’s going to have twins. What else does he tell her about them?
Rebekah has the babies and both of them are boys. Esau is born first and is really hairy. Esau means “hairy.” Jacob is born second and is holding onto Esau’s heel on the way out. Jacob means “supplanter or one who supersedes another by deception.” Based on what we just read in 25:23, is Jacob’s name fitting?
Esau, because he was the first born, was entitled to all of the birthright. What does that mean?
Esau was a hunter and Jacob was a farmer. Isaac favored Esau but Rebekah favored Jacob. Remember what the Lord told Rebekah before her babies were born? He told her that the younger would serve the older. If Isaac were to die, right now, who would get the birthright?
Esau comes home one day and is so hungry he could have been close to starvation. Jacob has just made a pot of red pottage. Esau really wants some and Jacob makes him a deal. He tells him that he’ll give him the pottage if Esau will give him the birthright. Esau makes a really good point in verse 32. What point does he make about the birthright verses the pottage?
There’s a famine in the land so the Lord commands them to go down to Gerar. Abraham had dwelt here at one time - do you remember when we talked about King Abimelech? Do you remember what Abraham and Sarah did when they first met him? Let’s look at 26:7. Isaac and Rebekah do the same thing for the same reason.
They live in that land for a while, but the men of Gerar keep taking his wells from him. They are eventually very envious of Isaac and all of the things that he has. Then King Abimelech gets jealous of Isaac too so he tells him that he has to go away. Isaac moves away, but not too far. The men of Gerar just keep stealing his wells. Then in vs. 24 the Lord appears to Isaac and tells him that he is the same God of Abraham and that he will take care of Isaac and his family.
The next day, Abimelech and some of his servants or friends go with him to Isaac’s tent and tell him that they know that the Lord is with him. They now want to make a covenant with Isaac so that Isaac won’t harm them. They had a feast and in the morning they made their covenants and and then they left Isaac in peace.
In vs. 34 it tells us who Esau takes as his wife - two Hittite women. How does vs. 35 tell us his parents felt about it? Why do you think they would feel that way?
Do you remember how Abraham felt about the blessings of the fathers? What did he do to get them? How does it seem Esau feels about those same blessings?
Chapter 27 - When Isaac got old, he went blind. Remember that Esau was hairy and Jacob was not. Jacob already has the birthright. Now, before Isaac dies he wants to bless his son - his favorite son. Which was his favorite?
But Rebekah remembers the words of the Lord to her before her sons were born. Remember - that the older would serve the younger? So Rebekah tells Jacob to go and get two kids of the goats so that she can prepare the meat for Isaac the way that she knows he likes it. Jacob gets kinda worried and reminds her that he’s not as hairy as Esau - Isaac will see right through that. Rebekah tells him not to worry and he goes and gets the goats.
Rebekah prepares the meat just the way that Isaac likes it. She has Jacob put on Esau’s clothes and uses the goat’s hair to help make Jacob feel hairier. Then she sends Jacob in to get the blessing that Isaac had intended for Esau.
Isaac gives Jacob the blessing, after feeling and smelling him, and right after Jacob is done, Esau comes home with the meat prepared for Isaac. Isaac and Esau realize what has just happened and Rebekah panics and talks Isaac into sending Jacob away because Esau is going to try and kill him. She uses the excuse that he needs to find a woman of the covenant to marry instead of one of the daughters of Heth like Esau did.
Esau sold his birthright for a bowl or pot of soup. Is it more important to have the physical things or the spiritual things be in line? Let’s go back to our list of things that you can do now in order to be worthy of the person that you will someday marry. What are the spiritual things that you need to keep now and what are some of the physical things that you need to give up in order to get the spiritual things together?
What are some of the most important decisions that you will have to make?
Which of these decisions do you think will have the greatest impact on your eternal journey?
There’s a quote in your student manual under Genesis 24 that I’d like to have your underline. President Spencer W. Kimball has said, “The greatest single factor affecting what you are going to be tomorrow, your activity, your attitudes, your eventual destiny … is the one decision you make … when you ask that individual to be your companion for life. That’s the most important decision of entire life! It isn’t where you are going to school, or what lessons you are going to study, or what your major is, or how you are going to make your living. These, though important, are incidental and nothing compared with the important decision that you make when you ask someone to be your companion for eternity.”
Next, let’s turn to Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-5. How important does this scripture say that temple marriage is? What can we not have without it?
What about Doctrine and Covenants 132:6? What does that verse tell us about temple marriage?
Now that we know how important it is to be sealed in the temple, let’s read Genesis 24:1-7; 27:46 and 28:1-9 and find out what qualities Abraham and Sarah and then Isaac and Rebekah looked for in a wife for their sons.
Why do you think Abraham and Isaac felt so strongly about preventing their sons from marrying “the daughters of Caanan?”
It’s about 480 miles between Haran and Beer-sheba. How many days would it take to travel that distance if you were to travel on foot at about 20 miles per day? (24 days) Both Abraham and Isaac had someone go that distance in order to find a wife for their sons. How important does that tell us temple marriage is?
What would have been wrong about marrying a Canaanite? (Deuteronomy 7:3-4)
What is the equivalent today of marrying the daughters or sons of Canaan?
Let’s turn to Doctrine and Covenants 132:7, 14-16. What are some of the consequences, in mortality and in eternity, of marrying someone outside of the covenant?
What qualities will you look for in a spouse?
To what lengths do you think you might go to find someone with those qualities?
What would you have to change in your own life now to be someone with those qualitites?
The internet has been down at my house for the past week so I was unable to post last week’s lessons. We studied Genesis 18-23 and talked about Abraham.
Why do you think that parents sometimes spend so much time deciding what to name a child?
Does your name have any special meaning? If so, what is it?
Would you want to change your name? If so, why? What name would you choose?
Let’s look at Genesis 17:1-8 and find out why the Lord changed Abram’s name to Abraham.
The name Abram means “exalted father” and the name Abraham means “father of a multitude.” How was this change in name an additional testimony of the Lord’s promises to him?
Today the Lord doesn’t change our name. instead, when we join the Church through baptism, we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. Let’s look at Mosiah 5:6-12 and Doctrine and Covenants 20:37. Although we are still known by our given names, we are also known as Christians or Saints.
After the Lord changes Abraham’s name, he continues to talk to him about the covenants that they are making.
Now that we know why his name was changed, let’s talk more about the story. We’ll go through the verses and pick them apart. We’ll also find out what the Lord changed Sarai’s name to and what it means.
We’ve talked a lot about the Abrahamic covenant. In conclusion of this series of lessons, let’s turn to “Abraham, covenant of” in the Bible Dictionary. The explanation here is very cool!
We left off at the end of chapter 14 yesterday with Abram saving Lot after he was captured and not taking anything from the King of Sodom so that he couldn’t claim to have made Abram rich. Let’s pick it up again at the beginning of chapter 15.
Remember how in chapter 12 the Lord promise Abram that he would be the father of “a great nation”? A lot has happened since then and Abram still hasn’t had any children.
v.1: Let’s highlight the words in this verse that describe what the Lord said he was for Abram. How is the Lord those same things for us?
v.2-3: Abram is wondering what’s going on. He asks the Lord who will be his heir since he doesn’t have any children. He asks if it’s supposed to be the Eliezer of Damascus.
v4: The Lord reassures him saying that “he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.” That means that Abram’s heir will actually be someone that Abram is the father of.
v.6: Abram believed the Lord. What does that tell us about Abram’s faith?
v.18: The Lord makes a covenant with Abram. He says that he has “given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.”
Chapter 16:
v.1: Sarai didn’t have any children. She had a handmaiden who was an Egyptian, named Hagar.
v.2-3: Sarai tells Abram to “go in unto” her maid so that they might have children through Hagar. Abram obeyed his wife. After they had been in the land of Caanan for 10 years, Sarai gave her handmaiden unto Abram to be his wife. “According to the custom of the time, Sarai’s giving her handmaiden, Hagar, to be a wife to Abram was an expected and logical act.” Let’s also turn to Doctrine and Covenants 132:34-35. What else is important about this act? How hard would that be to do? It shows how faithful Sarai was to make sure that the covenant to Abram were fulfilled.
v.4: Hagar conceives and she now despises her mistress. Who is her mistress? Why do you think she suddenly despises her?
v.5-6: Sarai tells Abram what has happened - that now Hagar despises her. Abram tells her that Hagar is her handmaiden and that she can deal with her however it pleaseth her. Sarai delt hardly with her. What do you think that means? Hagar fled.
v.7-12: Something really neat happens here for Hagar. She has run away from Sarai and Abram and has gone to a fountain. An angel of the Lord appears to her at the fountain and tells her that she needs to return to her mistress. He also says that she will have a son and will call him Ishmael. Let’s look at the footnote for 11a.
Let’s also look at the footnote for 14b. The fountain or well where the angel came to Hagar is named Beer-lahai-roi which means what, according to the footnote? Why do you think the well was named that? What does that tell us about Heavenly Father’s love for all of his children?
v.15: Hagar has a baby, a son, and they call him Ishmael
v.16: How old was Abram when Ishmael was born?
If there’s time at the end of class, we’ll take a few minutes to write in our journals who in this story we can most relate with and why.