transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:00] Hi there, welcome to Don't Miss This, a scripture study podcast with Dave Butler and Grace Freeman.

Speaker 2:
[00:04] Each week, we point out things in the scriptures that we love and think you don't want to miss.

Speaker 1:
[00:08] Thanks for listening. Hi there, I'm Dave Butler.

Speaker 2:
[00:11] I'm Grace Freeman.

Speaker 1:
[00:12] Welcome to Don't Miss This. Y'all, buckle up. Who has a seatbelt? Because it's time. Put one in your couch, put one in your...

Speaker 2:
[00:20] Skate in serious.

Speaker 1:
[00:22] If you're on a walk, you might need to even this. It's time to really, we're going into symbolism mode today in our lesson. So, which is good, which is great. I think symbolism might be God's favorite language to speak of all of them. Second's probably Chinese, because most of his kids speak Chinese statistically. But number one, I think, is true, right? I just want to say how I arrived at that conclusion. Because I remember a day, while I was teaching somebody to pray for their first Tang, and it was in Korea, and he said, I don't speak English. So, and I was like, oh, I was like, don't, I was like, God speaks Korean too. But in my mind, I realized that subconsciously I thought, well, English is his first language, you know, and he also knows how to speak all of the other ones. I was like, oh, that's actually really me-centered, you know? But, you know, statistically, more of his kids speak Chinese, so they speak his second language, we don't know. But wow, welcome. And number one language is symbolism. And it's all through scripture. And I think we can train our minds to speak that language. It can be so rich. It can be so fulfilling. Scripture can just come alive, particularly the chapters that we are in today. Because we are talking about the tabernacle and the sacrifices and the things that happened at the tabernacle. And so there's, it can become so rich if, but it's just requires a different state of mind to really enjoy it. So we're going to help.

Speaker 2:
[02:06] Yeah. And I think that's the biggest thing. If right now, all of a sudden you're like listening to this and you're thinking, I'm overwhelmed and I'm not smart enough to do that. Don't worry, me either. And no natural human brain is. I think that's the beauty of living in this day and age, is you have access to so much information and so much help. And that is honestly one of the, I feel like, hopes of today. Yeah. Is that you feel qualified and not just to understand things, but to make it applicable to you in your life and why you care about it. Yeah.

Speaker 1:
[02:33] For them to become really meaningful. Yeah. If you sat and listened to a movie in a language that you didn't understand, you really wouldn't enjoy that movie that much. But if somebody taught you the language, they taught you what was being said, you say, I really, I'm like, this is such a crazy example, maybe. It won't even be that good. But in Moana, do you remember the movie Moana?

Speaker 2:
[03:00] I remember.

Speaker 1:
[03:00] There's this song that is Sun when she finds the heart of the ocean or whatever that blue stone is.

Speaker 2:
[03:09] It's green. Green.

Speaker 1:
[03:11] It's greenish blue.

Speaker 2:
[03:13] Really green.

Speaker 1:
[03:16] Anyways, when she finds it, there's a song in the background that you're like, oh, that's really pretty. And I actually went and I looked up what that song was and what they were singing. And the words to it are really, really beautiful. And the story behind it is so beautiful. And so, I'm so endeared to that scene, obviously not very much. I can't remember the details of it, but so endeared to that because now I understand what they are saying. And that's our hope today, is to help us understand, okay, let's speak this language so it becomes beautiful. So at first glance, it might seem like something that you're just like, I don't even understand what's happening, but then it can become beautiful. And as Latter-day Saints, we have rituals both outside and inside the temple that are spoken in this same language. And so the hope is for people who are participating in rituals inside and outside the temple will find even deeper beauty and just richness in those after this. So are we ready?

Speaker 2:
[04:16] Can't wait.

Speaker 1:
[04:17] Okay, Exodus 35 is where we're going. Y'all today, so get your book out, your journal out for this because there's a page that will list and show a lot of the symbolism that's in here. A little cheat sheet. Believe it or not, today we have four tip-ins that we are adding. Remember these tip-ins?

Speaker 2:
[04:35] It's really serious.

Speaker 1:
[04:35] That's our scripture paper that you can glue in and they turn your scripture into a study Bible. So these four are really going to help with this lesson as you come back to it year after year and you study these. So Exodus 35 is where we're starting and we're going to just start with just our favorite lessons from 35 and 36 in the actual building of the tabernacle. So we got the instructions of it a couple of lessons ago. Was that last lesson?

Speaker 2:
[05:07] Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1:
[05:07] Last lesson. They're the instructions in building the tabernacle. And now we are actually going to see the building of it, the physical building of this temple. And there's just so many, I think, sweet lessons in here about contributing to the work of God. I just feel like the building of the temple becomes this symbol of creating heaven on earth.

Speaker 2:
[05:35] Right?

Speaker 1:
[05:35] That's what the temple is. And so the lessons in here are about what we can do and how we can contribute in building heaven on earth, just in our own ways here. So do you want to start?

Speaker 2:
[05:50] Sure.

Speaker 1:
[05:51] Okay.

Speaker 2:
[05:53] Yeah, there's going to be so many.

Speaker 1:
[05:55] I know. I have a list and I'm so sorry to make you go first.

Speaker 2:
[05:58] I know.

Speaker 1:
[05:58] I actually don't know where.

Speaker 2:
[06:00] So anyways, okay, I'll start really quick in verse 5. 35. So this is Exodus 35 verse 5 and it says, Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord. Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it an offering of the Lord, gold and silver and brass. And this is a theme that you will see throughout all of chapter 35, is the temple was built because of individual people's sacrifices. They built it with the things that they loved and they cared about. It was their own individual sacrifice. And I am just obsessed right now with that little, like those two words, willing heart. And it like paints this picture of this group of people building this tabernacle in a way that like I just don't even think anything else does. And you can almost close your eyes and imagine it. All of those people hearing, okay, we need to build this. What are you willing to do? And all of those people going home and going inside their houses and thinking, what am I willing to give up to create something better? And I have just been thinking about that all day nonstop. And there's one verse I'm going to do too. Sorry, I just have to do too. So it's permitted by that I have been loving so much. And it's in 36 verse three. And it adds on to this, I think really well. It's talking about them giving all of the offerings. And they're trying to figure it out. And it says this very last line in that verse, verse number three. And they brought unto him free offerings every morning. And I love that those willing hearts weren't willing to just go around their house once. They're like, oh yeah, this is good. It'll work, it'll work. It'll be nice enough. It'll be exactly what they wanted.

Speaker 1:
[07:41] Check. Yeah. We did our job.

Speaker 2:
[07:43] Done. Yeah. But they would go home every single day and think, what else do I have to give? What else do I have to offer? And I think that line every morning, it just instantly reminded me of the Psalm that talks about your mercies. The mercies of God will be new every single morning. And I just can't help but think about if God is willing to give to us every single morning, why are we not willing to give to him? And yeah, we are not building the same way they're building, and we're not gonna give our necklaces and our earrings or whatever. Like it's gonna stay in here. But I love to think about waking up every single morning and living with a willing heart and how that might look like waking up and saying, what else can I give you today, God? What do you need from me and what can I give? And sometimes that will look like time. Sometimes that will look like effort. Sometimes that will look like it's like, sometimes it will look like money. Sometimes it will look like kindness. Sometimes it will look like love. But I, you see something beautiful is created because people were willing to give. And we might not be building physically anymore, but we are building God's kingdom. And how powerful would it be if every single person who's trying to build God's kingdom woke up and said, God, what can I give you today? And we walk around our houses and our living rooms and our lives, and we say, what do I have to offer to build the kingdom into something better?

Speaker 1:
[09:01] And I just thought that that verse is saying, if you want to create, help create heaven on earth, all you need is a willing heart. Whosoever is of a willing heart. And I like in verse 5, so one of my favorites is what it says first, gold and silver and brass. And I love this line that I've loved for lots of years, that is, it says, bring your finest. And I love that idea of these people are being asked to bring their very, very best to the Lord. God gave his very best to us when he sent his son. And so in that same heart of gratitude, we offer him our very best also, which I think is so great. And something else I love about that verse, that verse five that you were in, is it just helps remind all of us that if you want to help create heaven on earth, if you want to build the kingdom, those are synonymous to me, then all you need is a willing heart. You're just like, I want to help and that's it. That's all somebody needs. At the end of verse five, another one of my favorites is, it just happens to mention gold, silver and brass and those are like fine items, right? And there is a phrase that I try to kind of use, a mantra or whatever for myself in my offerings. And it's this line to bring your finest. And I just think about how God gave us His finest. He gave us His very, very best in sending His Son to the world. And I feel like that inspires me to want to do the same, to just, I want to give Him my very best. It's a way I can show my love to Him. But I like that as you keep on reading, it starts to list so many different things. And blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen and goat hair and ram skin and badger skin. And in my mind, I want to say, you know, God might like gold better than badger skin. But I do, what I love here is some people only have badger skin and goat hair to offer. And that is their finest. That is their very best. And I love that this chapter is saying, you bring whatever it is that you have, and God is going to be able to use it. And I think that is a lesson in this chapter. And people are so different, right? What they have to offer is so very different, but there is a need for every single one of those. And I just think that is so awesome.

Speaker 2:
[11:42] Well, and it's so easy to be like, okay, well, if everything can be different, if one person gets to give their gold and one person gets to give their linen and one person gets to do the ram skins dyed red, and that is really specific also. And then you want to pause and be like, well, how do you know? And that is one of my other favorite parts is in verse 21 when it says, And they came, everyone whose hearts stirred him up. And what I love the most about that is, you can have a willing heart. But I love that I think action comes when your heart is stirred up. Then you start saying, yes, I'm willing to give whatever you want. And right when you say that, I think it opens the door for the Spirit to stir you up and say, oh, let me help you know what to do next. This is step one. And then it looks and it's like, okay, and everyone whose spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the Tabernacle of the congregation and for all his service and for all the holy garments. And I love when it says this, And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, all the peoples whose hearts were stirred up when they heard the cause of building the kingdom. And they brought their bracelets and earrings and rings and tablets and all the jewels of gold and every man that offered an offering of gold unto the Lord.

Speaker 1:
[13:02] Whoa.

Speaker 2:
[13:03] I was like, I'm going to have a tongue twister. Dr. Seuss. Yeah, okay. And I just love to think about how the Lord stirs our hearts. And how I wonder if when those girls were getting ready in the morning and they put their earrings on, they stopped and their hearts stirred. And they said, wait, I could do something more. And when they got their necklace, or maybe when the men were going through their budget and they were trying to be like, okay, what do I have to offer? I wonder if their hearts stirred a little and said, you could give this. And I want to stop and I just want to think in every single thing that I do because when I do my budget, I'll tell you what I'm not thinking of. I'm not thinking of giving more. And I will just be 100 percent honest about that because I am selfish. And when I'm getting ready in the morning, I'm not thinking about giving more. I'm thinking about what I need to do to look better. And I love that this changes my mindset. Because even in things as simple as getting ready and doing the budget, their mindset was building the kingdom and their heart was stirred. And I want the Lord to stir my heart in every single moment of my day. Yeah.

Speaker 1:
[14:08] You know what, that was another one of my favorite verses too. And it reminds me of a lesson that my friend, Kristen Andrus, taught me one time. Kristen is an example of somebody who's willing hearted and stirred up. And we were talking one time in a conversation about how many different needs there are in this world. Like there is a need for water and there's a need for education and there's a need for hospitals to be built and there's a need for a listening ear and there's needs for, there's just so, so many different needs out in the world. And 35 actually shows that too, which I think is awesome. I'll come back to that in a second. But I remember her giving me this advice one time and she says, what is your heart drawn to? Pick the cause that your heart is drawn to. Because sometimes it can feel overwhelming to look at every need that there is in everything, every good thing that you could be doing and every good thing that you could be contributing to and you just get paralyzed and don't want to do any of it because you're like, I just don't know what to pick. And she gave that advice to me one time. Like what is your heart drawn to or what's it being stirred up to? And then she said this, I believe in a God who's going to stir up people's hearts to all of his causes. He is going to have one of his children who are going to be drawn to every need that the father that our father in heaven wants to fulfill. And so I love that advice of thinking, okay, in this particular circumstance, like verses 11 through 20 are all these different things that need to be built. We actually need an ark and a mercy seat and a table, and we need a candlestick built and an incense altar built, and we need hangings, and we need sockets, and we need pins and cloths, and there's all of these different needs that were there. And what am I going to contribute it to? Whatever my heart is stirred up for. There is a work for David Butler to do, and my heart is going to be stirred up to it, and I'm going to be able to offer that offering.

Speaker 2:
[16:07] So good. Should I just do one more?

Speaker 1:
[16:10] Yeah, do you have one more?

Speaker 2:
[16:11] Yeah.

Speaker 1:
[16:11] OK, you do one more, and I'll do one more.

Speaker 2:
[16:13] My next one is just verse 25. And it just says, And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, and they brought which they had spun both a blue and a purple and a scarlet and a fine linen. And it's going to go through, and it's going to kind of give you different people and their different jobs and their different offerings and all those things. And it just is reminding me so much of Sarah Granger Kimball. And I think of her story all the time. My mom actually taught it to me when I was growing up. And what happened is her little house in Nauvoo was the cutest house ever. Every time I go to Nauvoo, I make every single person that I'm with go there, even though no one else really wants to go there at all because it's really far away from everything else. You have to go on a long journey. It's worth it, everyone, okay? You need to go to Nauvoo and you need to go to her house. And her little front window looks right out perfectly to the Nauvoo temple. And what happened is every single day she would sit there and she would watch and she would see all the men building the Nauvoo temple. And she just kept asking herself, well, what can I do? And what can I do? And finally, she was like, oh, I know what I can do. I can sew things for their arms. I can sew them long sleeves so they don't get sunburned while they're working at the temple. And then she told all her friends and all the ladies gathered. And that was the beginning of the Relief Society. And what I love is that one of the biggest women's organizations for good in the entire world started because one girl asked what could I do. And I love reading that in verse number 25, because that is a woman, Sarah Granger Kimball is a woman after these same women's hearts, who looked and said, well, what can we do? And they said, well, we are really good at sewing, so we might as well start sewing. And I love to live in a world that I ask the same question. And I might not be making that big of a difference, and it might not be that serious, and I might just feel like I'm sewing shirts so people don't get to remember, or maybe it just looks like I'm dropping off dinner or getting someone a swig drink on the way to when I'm going to do 18 other million hundred different things or just sending someone a quick text. But I think that one of the most beautiful things anyone can do is say, well, what can I do? And this seems like a chapter, Chapter 35 of Exodus, that says the same thing. Something big was going to happen, but it all started because of individual people that said, well, what can I do to help?

Speaker 1:
[18:30] That's so awesome. That makes me want to just tell you this line in verse 29. The children of Israel, it says, brought a willing offering unto the Lord. The New Living Translation, my favorite translation right now, calls that an eager offering unto the Lord. And it just that made me think of that when they're, okay, I'll do one and a half more. I think I just have two more. I'm calling it one and a half to make me feel better.

Speaker 2:
[18:54] That's fine.

Speaker 1:
[18:54] In the beginning of 36, it says, they brought this guy named Bezalil in a holy ab. And every wise-hearted, which in other translations, wise-hearted is a skilled person. So that's kind of maybe another definition of what that is, which I love because like Sarah Granger Kimball's like, well, what skill set do I particularly have? Mine happens to be sewing. And there'll be other women who are like, I don't know how to sew, but I know how to do, I know how to run a business or I know how to do this. And everybody has that different skill set that God is going to use. But these two particular individuals were known for, they knew how to work all manner of work. They were like the general contractors for this temple. I just love that they were perfectly suited for that particular job. They had a skill set that was particularly needed at that time and God used it to help build his kingdom, to help bring heaven on earth. It just makes me think about all of the people who are just particularly suited for a season of life. And I just love how everyone has stories. I was reading a story the other day about a bicyclist during World War II and he was like a competitive cyclist and really well known. And because he was so good and because he was so well known, he was actually able to cross borders and go into places that nobody else could because there were a lot of strict boundaries. And he actually was really instrumental in getting a lot of families out of Nazi Germany because he would hide things inside his bike. And I just think it was a really cool story about this guy who just is particularly suited to help because of the skill set that he had. And I thought that story when I read about those two. And then everybody just brought everything. And I love verse five. Let's end maybe this whole section or whatever with verse five of chapter 36 where it says, And they speak unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the Lord, which the Lord commanded to make. That verse just, first of all, it reminds me of when the Nauvoo temple was built, rebuilt again, tithing funds of the church were not used. They opened up a special fund for the Nauvoo temple for anybody who wanted to contribute to that. And a friend of mine I knew who was a part of that project said they had to close that after two weeks or so of opening it because they'd collected four times the amount that they needed in order to build the Nauvoo temple. And it just makes me think about that there's enough. Collectively, we have enough to do so much good, more than enough to do the work that God wants us to do. It just takes a willing heart. I remember once in my last ward that I was in being approached and saying, hey, there's this organization that needs help at Christmas time. And someone saying, well, should we get like other wards around us to help contribute? And my friend being there saying like, no, go back and tell them that there is enough in this neighborhood to take care of every single one of your needs. And at that Christmas, there was, there's more than enough people just gave more than enough. And I love that. I love that idea that, you know, God's, you know, people talk about how much, you know, the church has so much money or whatever. I just think there's so much skill. There's so much resources that collectively, as a people, we can do so much good. And so much so that in verse 6, it says, you got to tell the people to stop bringing stuff. We have enough to do this.

Speaker 2:
[22:51] And I love when it says too much in verse 7. Yeah. Oh, you're just so proud of them.

Speaker 1:
[22:56] Yeah, I love it. I love it. It inspires me to want to just, you know, have that willing heart and do whatever it is I can. So they bring all the things and they build the temple. That's actually the tabernacle. That's what happens. And the next couple of chapters are going to kind of catalog the building of this tabernacle in the wilderness, a place that will be, oh, I love this line that you're going to see brought up over and over again. Go back to chapter 35 verse 21. It's called the tabernacle of the congregation. Another translation of that is the meeting place, because this is going to be the place where heaven and earth meet, where God meets his children, this tabernacle. That's why they are building it. And that's why they're going to bring their finest to build it. And it goes through and it catalogs the actual building of it. And you might get bored reading chapters 36 and 37 about the building of it, because there are so many details in it. It really outlines every single thing that is built. And you almost want to say, I get it. Like, just say...

Speaker 2:
[24:05] And you want to say, I'm not building it. That's like, give them a blueprint. I don't need the blueprint. I'm not building my own tabernacle. I'm like...

Speaker 1:
[24:13] I'm like, okay, got it.

Speaker 2:
[24:15] Thank you.

Speaker 1:
[24:16] One verse would have sufficed. Thank you. We built everything is all it really needed to say. And I do love two things about that. One, I like just that careful attention to details that is in that, because they're all gonna matter. If you were building a custom home, you would be really particular about all of the things that you want in that house. And I love to see the Lord and his people being so particular about this gift and about this offering. Like there's something really inspiring there. And another thing might be, because every single part of that was going to teach a lesson. There's a line by a past apostle whose name is J. Golden Kimball. This line doesn't have a cuss word in it. But he said when looking at the Salt Lake Temple once, he ran his hand along the outside and he says, every stone preaches a sermon to me. A sermon of holiness to the Lord. And what he was kind of teaching at that point was, like each stone in here shows dedication and it shows willingness and it teaches me a lesson. And I think that's true about the temple and about this tabernacle and the temple today is that every part of it carries symbolic meaning. Every part of it has a sermon to preach. And we're going to talk about some of those, but you could go on and on and on about so many of these and really dig deep for those who are interested in that. So if you look at your, inside your journal, first, actually, let's do this. First, let's do a tip in. It's this one called the tabernacle. And it says to put it into Exodus 40, but you could put it into any of those chapters. It just outlines what that tabernacle looked like. Because the layout of it taught a sermon, the layout of it has three different areas. It has like the courtyard that's there. It has the inner sanctuary, and then where three, four and five and six are. And then it has the Holy of Holies in there. And this was a symbolic re-entering back into the Garden of Eden. That's the Holy of Holies. And so there is this progression that it talks about. It's talking about this journey and this process. So even the layout of the ancient tabernacle was teaching a sermon. So we have that that you can put inside Exodus chapter 40 or any of those that are there. We'll just show you that layout. This layout, by the way, will be the layout of the tabernacle, of Solomon's temple, of Herod's temple that he will rebuild in that same spot, the temple that Jesus is visiting. It looks way fancier than it did as a tent in the wilderness. But it will be this same layout and kind of have that same sermon that is taught. And here's just a preview just to understand some of these things. Seven is a veil. There's a veil that enters before someone enters into the Holy of Holies. Actually, I'm going to say that. Let's save that for the high priest when we get to that part. That'll be a fun lesson in just a second. So, okay, put that one in your scriptures. Then in your journal, you'll see also a similar layout to it. And then next to it, this is the way ancient people understood each of these different colors and material types that are going to help you kind of think through like, okay, what is the lesson that's being taught? For example, the outside curtains were made of blue, purple, and scarlet. And you would think to yourself, okay, why? Why would the outside curtains be made of blue, purple, and scarlet? Well, if you look on here, blue is a symbol of heaven and divinity, like the skies. And purple is a symbol of a king, of royalty and majesty. And scarlet is a symbol of sacrifice, atonement. And you might want to write this in your journal, also the earth. So blue and scarlet together are heaven and earth. And when you put blue and purple, I mean, blue and red together, it makes purple. So this gate is, oh, this is a symbol of, this is a place where heaven and earth meet. There's so much more that you could probably think about with those. Purple, that color in the ancient world, it was expensive to create and really hard to find. So it made it feel like this was a place that's unique. It's set apart, it's different, it's special, it isn't ordinary. So, so much that's in there that you'll see what they cover everything with and just what everything was. I wanna sit down and nerd out around a kitchen table with everyone and just talk about each of these things that are in here. Grace, are there any that you love?

Speaker 2:
[29:43] I think, well, to be honest, this is maybe a little bit embarrassing, but this is honestly the first time that I ever realized it, is because of the journal. And I will admit, and I was joking with David, is that I didn't get a tip-in set because I gave mine away and I needed it. And so don't mind the fact that I did cut, in fact, with my own hands, not even with scissors, the jankiest homemade tip-ins ever, okay, from the study journal. I just ripped it out, no worries, and I just placed it right in here. But the thing that...

Speaker 1:
[30:08] Other people really might wanna cut out that part too.

Speaker 2:
[30:11] No, it actually is like really good.

Speaker 1:
[30:12] Purple, scarlet, white, all those symbols.

Speaker 2:
[30:15] And if not, you should just write it on the back of your tip-in. Oh, yeah, true, true. Or cut it out and glue it. Mine looks jank, but you can make yours look actually really sweet. But the reason why is because as I was reading it, of course I was getting so bored of the blueprint because I was like, I don't even know what any of this means. And then as I went back and I studied it with this, it was so powerful to me thinking about that, the plan of salvation laid out in one experience. It's like in the short span of time, you can walk through that. And as you go through with the symbols and you start out with your very first at the altar, we're like the very first connection with God. And then going to wash and going to the basin to cleanse and to repent and saying, okay, this is who I am, this is where I'm at. We're just starting God and this is where I'm at right now. But I need you to show up and I need you to cleanse me. I need to be cleaner. And then going in and I love to think about the process of life is like, okay, I'm going to go in because I want to get one step closer to entering into your presence. And the fact that inside that moment, the second after you're like, okay, now, like, let me get started on this journey, that the Lord's going to show up and say, okay, yeah, let me give you a menorah so you remember that I will guide your way, that I will light the path wherever you end up going. And let me give you a table of shoe bread so that you understand that I will be kind to you in this journey. That in the days where you're scared and you're worried and you feel like you messed up too bad, I will show up with kindness. And by the time you get to the altar of incense, it's this moment where you get to say, like, this is where I'm at, this is who I am, and I need you to step in and bring me closer. And that after that moment is when you pass through the veil and then you get to the presence, God's presence. And I have just been thinking so much about that experience and our temples and about a million things. And what I really think is interesting is that the reason maybe this time that I found it so important to me to realize that he wanted us to experience all of it is because I think without him walking us through every single step of that, even if it's just symbolic, even if it's just representing something, is because if I was doing it on my own, I would get stuck at the at the wash portion of the event that I would be so worried. I would get to the basin and I'd sit out there and I'd say, okay, I know where I was at and I know that I messed up and I know that I have sinned and I'm a mess and I'm a disaster and I'm so far away from God's presence that I would want to sit at that wash bin and I would want to wash myself over and over and over and over again because I never felt clean enough. And what I love about this is I think the Lord really wanted us to understand that we do not have to get stuck at one place. He wanted us to experience all of it because the goal of life is to experience every single part. You don't need to get stuck. He's going to walk you through every single area of that. And I love that he wants you to do that even if it's just symbolically. So you know wherever you're at in your journey, you don't need to stay there. You're not stuck there. You get to experience every part of it.

Speaker 1:
[33:17] And I think you were kind of teaching this. So sorry if this feels like a repeat to what you're saying, but you know, as you look through each of those things, you can see that each one of them is a symbol of the Savior. It's a symbol of Jesus, right? The altar of sacrifice, and we'll get into that in just a second, is clearly a symbol of the Savior. The cleansing laver is clearly a symbol of Him. The light, He calls Himself that, that table of God's kindness. There was bread on that. He calls Himself the bread of life. He calls Himself the mediator, that altar of prayer. You know, He is in every single part of it. And I love how it's a journey together with Him, that He is the guide for us in our journey back into the presence of God.

Speaker 2:
[34:05] And He will be who you need Him to be.

Speaker 1:
[34:07] Right.

Speaker 2:
[34:07] On the moments you need light, He is capable of being light. In the moment that you need bread, He is capable of being that. In the moment that you need cleansing, He is capable of doing that. Whatever you need in your journey, He is capable of being that for you. Yeah.

Speaker 1:
[34:20] And I love that people got to experience symbolically a walk back into the presence of God. In our temples today, they are designed in a similar way. If you're not a temple attending member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then you should know that our temples have a symbolic reenactment of going back into the presence of God. A process and a journey. And the thing that's interesting is the way that you're enabled to move from place to place is because of certain gifts that God bestows upon you. And each of those gifts are symbolic of the Savior. It's like it's with His grace and help that you were able to progress and move back into His presence, back into the Garden of Eden, back into that paradise place. So there is so much that is taught in this temple. That's the basic lesson of it is God wants you to return to His presence and He is going to walk that journey with you. But there's so much symbolism along the way. Can I say two more that I just love? One is that badger skin. I can't get over the badger skin. And I just started to really look into it because I was like, badger skin. And I was just looking at that it's actually really tough and weather resistant. And I just thought to myself, some of the elements of this are ornamental. They seem to be really pretty. But also there is some that feels to be like it's practical. And I do love that it's on the outside. That badger skin was on the outside. As this like, almost like the arc. It was this place of protection. It's weather resistant. It's storm resistant. It's tough. It's going to protect you when you're inside these walls. It's going to protect you from the outside elements. And I also loved that it will say, now, if you read it in the King James version, it's going to call it like 37-1 She-Teen wood. My pronunciation, I don't know if that's right, but I said it like that just to make sure I don't get X out on YouTube. But it's made of this wood. If you look up what that wood is in our translation, it's called acacia wood. And some of you tree people out there are gonna just love this. But for those who don't, that is a desert wood. And it's found out in the wilderness. And all throughout the temple, they cover that acacia wood with gold. And I love the teaching of that. I love the teaching of this normal, inexpensive desert wood that is then covered with gold to be used in the holiest places of the temple. And I love thinking about me as that piece of acacia wood and just being normal and driftwood, essentially is what I think in my mind. And then God covering me with his gold and refining me and covering me with his grace and just to be used in the holiest places of his work. And it just feels like being gifted and endowed with his attributes, with his favor, to enable you to experience things that you couldn't on your own. So there's so much that's here. Y'all, that's so good. But there's even more. So let's move on to other chapters and just leave you with some of those thoughts to just keep digging in. Hopefully, this symbolism sheet and the tip-in will kind of help you think through more of the symbolism that might be taught there. Let's stop for one second in Chapter 39 to talk about the priests and the symbolism of the priest, both the high priest who is going to represent the Lord essentially in the work in the temple. And the clothing that he is given, the holy garments, it says in verse 1, he is going to wear garments of blue and purple and scarlet, fine twin linen and a breastplate of gold. I love that that priest is just an ordinary regular guy, but he's going to be clothed with symbols of divinity and clothed with symbols of God. He's going to be clothed in heaven. And just the beauty of that symbolism, kind of like that wood that's elevated there, that just actually made me think about, do you know the prayer shawls in the Jewish faith that they wear when they pray? Some sects of Judaism will wear a prayer shawl. The original ones were blue and white because those are the colors of heaven. And they would put it on because they're like, I'm being clothed in heaven when I pray. And so, you know, there's just so much about that. That is so awesome. In that, in those clothing, the high priest, it says in verse six, will wear stones that represent all the different tribes of Israel. This is in verses six through 16. Each, and you start listing the stones in 10, 11, 12, 30, it's kind of like a birch stone a little bit, where every single tribe has a different stone and they're all different colors. And there's so much richness in that, that everybody is a little bit different and reflects the light differently. But this is such a cool thought that it says in verse six, one of the times that their names are graven on those stones. They're not written in marker. They are permanent and the stones are put next to the high priest's heart, who represents the Lord as just this symbol of, I am keeping every single one of you just right here, close to my heart. I'm gonna carry you around with me everywhere that I go. So, so much that is so awesome. Oh, let's say this, let's say this.

Speaker 2:
[40:21] Oh yeah.

Speaker 1:
[40:22] Because this, our poster for the week comes from this chapter, 39–30, because the high priest was given this plate that goes over his forehead that says, written upon it, holiness to the Lord. That word, holy, which is the word of the week, is a word that means a sacred place or thing, consecrated, dedicated, or hallowed for a particular purpose. And I love that it was after he put on these symbols of grace and symbols of God on him that he was then called holy. And this is, it's so awesome to think about being dedicated or consecrated to a particular cause and what a lesson that is. Holy means the opposite of this word holy in scripture is ordinary. And I just love that, like, there's nothing about that temple that was ordinary, and there's nothing about the work God is calling us to do that is ordinary. He's calling us to something higher, to something holier, to a work that is beautiful, and He's going to enable us to be able to do that. So that is a word that you'll put out for the week as a reminder of being a part of all of this.

Speaker 2:
[41:38] And just that phrase holiness to the Lord, we are so familiar with it because of temples. And I was talking with friends a couple of years ago, and we were like, kind of working on like a little temple prep guide. And as we were like, kind of working through it, we started talking about that phrase holiness to the Lord. And I remember just like sitting there, we were at a kitchen table and all of us were like, why do you think it says that? And we are not very smart, okay, we're not scholars. So we were just making up whatever reason we wanted. And then one of my friends that was there sat and he just sat out loud, oh, I think it's because he's given us a holy place, not so we can experience holiness, but so we can become it. And when we go there, his goal is that we walk out a little bit more holy. And how beautiful that so often when we talk about temples, we say, oh, it's so different in a temple than it is outside. And it's so quiet and it's so peaceful and it's so calm. And it is holy. We call it holy. We feel like it's holy because it's different than the world we live in. And I think one of the most beautiful things is thinking about every single time I walk out of the temple that I want engraving on my heart the same way that's engraving on the temple to say holiness to the Lord. This is the house of the Lord. My body is a temple and what that means is it's a holy place for him to dwell. And I just think so often about like walking out and leaving the temple. And I just like that word that it just says it's different and being different than the world that we live in because I don't know. I'm just having so many thoughts about that right now in my life. But I think that that journey of becoming looks so different for every single individual. But I think that's the goal of being here anyways, is learning how to become a little bit more holy.

Speaker 1:
[43:21] And I actually think it's really awesome that the priest, it was put on his forehead. Like he wore it almost like he was a walking, talking temple now. Right? Somebody goes to the temple because they're like, I need a sanctuary. I need to feel closer to the Lord. Right? And that building is specifically dedicated for that purpose. And I love that in essence, all of us are marked with those same words. So that we also are walking, talking, symbols of the Lord in the world. That someone could come to us and say, like, because I need more of the Lord's presence in my life. And just an ordinary building that's been dedicated to a holy cause. And that's what all people can be. Ordinary people dedicated to a holy cause.

Speaker 2:
[44:10] Absolutely. And I love Chapter 40, because it's almost as if you get a glimpse of what building this tabernacle had done to Moses' heart. And how it had helped him become holy. Because I, in my page, all of these start in verse 16. Well, in this chapter, at least you see them a lot more in the earlier chapters as well. But I did this specifically in Chapter 40, is that it's going to use this phrase over and over and over again. And it's going to say, And thus did Moses, according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so did he. The first one that you see in this chapter is in Verse 16. But you'll go, and in just three verses later, it's going to say, As the Lord commanded Moses. And then 21, As the Lord commanded Moses. 23, As the Lord commanded Moses. 25, As the Lord commanded Moses. Happens again in 27, in 29, in 32. What is going to happen is over and over and over again. The Lord is going to guide Moses in what to do. And Moses is simply just going to listen to the Lord. The Lord will give Moses a commandment and Moses says, yes. And it ends, verse 33, with just the cutest line. And it just says, okay. And he goes around the Tabernacle and he sets up the hanging of the court gate. And then this little, this little line. So Moses finished the work. God said, here's what to do, here's what to do, here's what to do. And Moses said, yes, yes, yes, until he didn't get anything else. And then, and I would circle the word then in verse 34, Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. He's going to give us a blueprint. He's going to tell us what to do. Our only goal needs to be to say yes. And then watch what the Lord will do. You build it and watch what he will do. And I just, as I read that, I just thought about all the different things that he asks us to build. And maybe you're building a marriage or maybe you're building a family or maybe you're building a career or maybe you're building up your self-esteem. And whatever it is that you are building, you can trust that he will walk you through it. He will guide you in what you need to do to build that. But then once you are done building, you can pause and stop and rest assured that God will fill it. He will show up there and he will be the difference. He will show up and everything will change because he fills it up. And I think that sometimes we get in our head about like, why do I even want to listen to the Lord? And he's being a little bossy to me and it feels like he's giving me a lot to do. And I don't have enough time to do that in my marriage. And I don't have enough time to do that in my family. And I don't have enough time or money or resources to dedicate my career to that or whatever he's asking me to do. We give all these excuses of why it's too much. And in reality, I just think, oh, he's not just asking us to do those things because he's bossy. He's asking us to do those things because he knows that when we do, he can show up and he can make it something so much better than we ever could on our own. And I love to think about that is that I want to say yes, and I want to do exactly what the Lord commands because I need him to show up in whatever I'm building.

Speaker 1:
[47:23] Yeah. And that last verse is so awesome in 38. And it says, In that cloud, which represent the presence of the Lord, was upon the tabernacle by day and fire was on it by night, both day and night. So all the time in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys, that this will now become the symbol of God being with the people in everything that they do and everywhere they go. And they've got 40 years ahead of them of journeys. And then the rest of their life, whatever that looks like. And it's this place will be a promise that God will be with them through every single day of that and every single night of it, too. OK, today we also have the Book of Leviticus that we are looking at.

Speaker 2:
[48:08] We have a lot to do, everyone.

Speaker 1:
[48:11] We're not sure who divided all these chapters. God bless you for giving so many things. But it's great because it still sits in that place of intense symbolism and rich symbolism. And so there's just a couple of highlights from the Book of Leviticus that we want to talk about. There are three tip-ins that we are using for the Book of Leviticus that are going to be helpful. I think you might want to put this one called The Process of Offering Sacrifices into Leviticus 1. If you don't want all of them in Leviticus 1, you could put that one there. It fits really well because Chapter 1 starts off. The Book of Leviticus is a Book of Holiness. This is a Book that says, How do I live differently from the world in the year whatever BC., that they are living in? This is the way the Lord has outlined this Book and how to live differently. And it starts off with one of the kind of offerings that are made. So remember in the Tabernacle, the very first thing you saw when you came in through the gates was an altar of sacrifice. And all of these offerings that the beginning of Leviticus talk about happened at that altar of sacrifice. And Chapter 1 outlines what one of those offerings, and all of them are pretty similar to each other, looks like. And if you look on your tip-in, it says the offerings and sacrifice, these are the five different offerings that were made most often. And they were made for different reasons. One was an offering of dedication. One was an offering of thanksgiving. One was an offering of reconciliation. One was an offering to ask God for forgiveness for your mistakes. One was when we have hurt someone else. So different offerings for the different seasons of life that we all experience. And the interesting thing about this, you've got this one that's the process of offering and sacrifice. This outlines what Chapter 1 looks like. And I just want you to imagine what this is like for a person, because a person, it says, will choose an offering that they'll bring out of their flocks. They'll bring their finest. And they will come to verse 3, this bring voluntarily, it says, to the door of the tabernacle, the congregation. Then what happens is the offerer will then lay their hands on that animal's head and symbolically transfer their sin, if it's a kind of sin offering, to that animal. And now symbolically that animal is a sinner. And the penalty of sin is death, eternally speaking, right? And so the offerer themselves would then take the life of that animal so that it could be an atonement for that particular person. And I just want you to think about how intense that would be emotionally for a person to look at this innocent creature, and then it's life to be taken for and behalf of them. And then it is all offered up on the altar. And I think part of that you might say, well, yeah, that's how they like ate all their food back then. You know, nobody went to Costco. You had to kind of do this for all of your food. But the part about it is the Lord has taken something ordinary in their time and turned it into a sacred experience, kind of like the sacrament is, to be honest. Like that's just bread and water that's up there. But if we really think about it and let our hearts sink into it, we are watching a reenactment of Leviticus chapter 1 happening up there. That innocent offering, that lamb without blemish, his life is being taken by the priests and laid on the altar. And then we are receiving the gift of that. And so this just outlines and shows that the Lord set up this system that would help a person's heart feel and wrap their mind around in a symbolic way, the offering that was one day going to be offered for each of them. So Leviticus begins just really outlining and showing us this symbol of the atonement of Christ again and again and again that happened every day at that temple.

Speaker 2:
[52:44] Well, I was so interested in this pastime as I was reading Leviticus is just two things, is how many different offerings and sacrifices there were and why. And as I went through, I just was like, and it repeats a lot over the sections, over the chapters. But it's like, okay, and for this and for this and for this. But the one thing that stayed consistent every single time was the blood of the animal. And you saw that in every single sacrifice and in every single, like whatever you needed, that was going to be a part of it. And I just kept thinking so much of this song. And it's by passion, I think.

Speaker 1:
[53:29] And while you're looking for that, I think one of the things that you'll notice, every time I read Leviticus 1, that sounded like I read it all the time. But when I come to this section of scripture, I think about a line from a past apostle named Neal A. Maxwell who said, it never was about laying the animal on the altar. It was about laying the animal within us on the altar. And it was meant to be a symbol of that. It was meant to be a ritual that someone participated in that was supposed to draw on their heart and their emotions and their thoughts. And like all symbols can do, they become vehicles for us is what they are. The sacrifice system wasn't saving the children of Israel. It was a vehicle and a system that like led their heart to who actually was saving them. And there's so much symbolism in there that helped a person do that, laying all the parts on the altar and burning them all up was that way of saying, here's my heart and my mind and my might and my strength that I'm giving. So there's just so much that's in there.

Speaker 2:
[54:38] Well, and when I read it this time, I really like had this, my heart didn't yearn for this because I would faint, okay? Like I don't have that capability, but there was something about it. Like my heart yearned for that to experience what was being offered. And the sacrifice, but also in the purpose of it and what was being received. And it reminded me of this song, and it's by Passion. It's called The Blood. And this is like the bridge of it. And it says, does anybody want to be holy or righteous, purified and spotless? Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. Does anybody want to be worthy, forgiven, justified, really living? Let me tell you, it's only by the blood. And as I sat there, I thought, that is the one thing that threaded every single offering together was the blood. Whatever they needed, it was going to be given to them by the blood. And I realized with the most humble and thankful heart that we get to experience this every single week. And it is only by the body and the blood. And we experienced that in sacrament. It made me just think, what do I need? And I just think that usually when I walk into the sacrament, I'm not thinking about the sacrifice that took place and my opportunity to receive in that moment. And it just made me want to sit down in the pews and really think, like, what do I need right now? Do I need to be forgiven? Do I need to be holy? Do I need to really live? And that is only possible because of the blood. And when I sit down, I want to take a part of that every single Sunday.

Speaker 1:
[56:14] Yeah, and I think as you read, you'll see that. That there's just like the blood is going on people's thumbs and it's going on their ears and it's going on the altar and it's going on all the different places to just really say, it's only by the blood. And that blood can cover every single part of you and everything that you see, like it can redeem and make holy every single thing that's around you. Like that is God's intention. And one thing I want to say to that, but let me lead up to it with, if you go to chapter four, chapter four is specifically about a sin offering. Oh, by the way, y'all, you could put this offering and sacrifices anywhere near chapter four or two or three, that's where that one would go. But I just want you to notice something in chapter four, because it lays out, let me give you the verses, verse two, verse three, verse 13, verse 22 and verse 27. Should I say this again? Two, three, 13, 22 and 27. And let me just tell you who it's speaking to. It says in verse two, if a soul sinned through ignorance, in verse two, in verse three, if a priest who was anointed to be a leader sins, let me give you something about him. Verse 13, if the whole congregation of Israel sins, the whole nation, verse 22, if it's a leader of the people, if he sinned, verse 27, if one of the common people sinned through ignorance, and I love that this chapter goes through every single one of those to say, anyone who reads this, can I return? Am I allowed in to this holy place? The answer is yes. It goes through every single one of those to make sure anybody reading it feels included, that you too can be covered by the blood of the lamb. And one of the chapters that we're reading this week is chapter 16, which is called the Day of Atonement. And it outlines this one day that they would celebrate every single year that really was this day that said, everyone is covered. That was the message. And the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies. And the high priest only went in one day a year. On that day, it's called Yom Kippur in Hebrew, or the Day of Atonement. And the priest would offer a sacrifice and then take that blood into that inner sanctuary. The only time someone could go, he was representing everybody else going in. And it's interesting that he had to have that blood. It was a symbol again and again and again. It's like the only way anyone is entering into the presence of God again is by the blood. It's through the blood of the offered lamb that any and all of us are entering in. By the way, that high priest could only go in one day a year. Only one person from one tribe one day a year on Yom Kippur. When the Savior was crucified and after he said, The New Testament will say the veil that separated the holy place and the holy of holies was torn and it was open. It was a way of saying the blood of the lamb has now opened that gate for all people to be able to enter into this place. And that seems to be the message, what you're saying from that song of of just this entire book of scripture, Leviticus.

Speaker 2:
[59:32] It's so good. Oh, hold on.

Speaker 1:
[59:34] Will you hand me that? I forgot. This is not a chapter that we're reading, like in our assigned reading or whatever. But you have one more tip in for Leviticus chapter 23. And this outlines all of the feasts. So the Lord gave sacrifices. He gave holidays. He gave just everything, a kosher law. I think that's Leviticus chapter 11. And it's interesting. But can I just read this verse real quick from the Book of Mormon? It's Mosiah chapter 13, verse 30. And it says this. That tip in, by the way, you will put into chapter 23. And it's the different feasts. He's like, I want you to do these feasts once every single year. And you could really nerd out on all of those and be like, I wonder why. Why does he want them to do each of these every single year? What is he wanting them to remember once every year? But in Mosiah 13–30, this is what some commentary about what we call the Law of Moses, all these additional sacrifices and holidays and laws and everything. And he says this. He says, the children of Israel, yea, he gave them a strict law, for they were a stiff-necked people, quick to do iniquity and slow to remember. Therefore, a law was given them, a law of performances and of ordinances that they were to observe strictly from day to day. And this is the reason why, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards Him. That because of the particular state of mind and heart that they were in, God gave them this collection of performances and ordinances that would consistently and always remind them of who He was and what He was trying to help them to become.

Speaker 2:
[61:25] Well, and it seems like that's the thing that the Lord cares the very most about, is that we know who He is. And that is even true when you go to chapter 19, that is even true when He gives commandments. And you'll see that in Leviticus, that He's giving people guidance of how to be holy, and part of that is commandments. But what I love about chapter 19 is that over and over and over throughout this entire chapter, He will give a commandment, and then He will say this, I am the Lord, your God. I am the Lord, your God. I am the Lord, your God. And from the very beginning, verse number two, He says, listen, you are going to be holy. You will become holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy. And instantly, immediately from the very beginning of this chapter, when He's about to give all these commandments, He wants you to realize, I'm asking you to do these things, not to micromanage your life, not because I am bossy, not because I'm a dictator. I'm asking you to do these things because they are why I am who I am. And I want you to become who I am. And if you want to be holy, live a holy life just like Him. And over and over, you'll get all the commandments and then you'll see it. I'll give you all the times I found it. There might be more. I'm a flawed human. Verse three, I am the Lord, your God, okay? Verse four, I am the Lord, your God. Verse 12, I am the Lord. 14, 16, 18, 30, 31, 32, 34, 36. And then at the very end, after He gives all of these lessons, all of these ways to be holy, and some of them are really good, like you should all go through and read 33 and 34. It's so beautiful about strangers coming and visiting you and treating strangers kindly. And if you want a glimpse into who the Lord is, chapter 19 just gave it to you because He said, I'm giving you these so you become holy as I am holy, which means this is how He lives. He lives all of these things. So if you wonder who He is and what He's like and what He does, study chapter 19 and it will teach you and it will guide you and you will learn about His heart. And I love at the very end of that, He says, listen, I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt. It is difficult to follow a commandment when a stranger is giving you the commandment. You have no reason to, but He is not giving you these commandments as a stranger. He's going to look and at the end, He's going to say, don't you remember what I have done for you? And now try and listen because you know that I am in the business of saving you. I'm not going to ask you to do anything that I do not think is going to save you. And He says, so therefore, shall you observe all my statutes and all my judgments and do them? I am the Lord. Don't blindly follow the commandments. Follow the commandments, not because of what the commandments are telling you to do, but because who is asking you to do them. Yeah.

Speaker 1:
[64:29] And I just keep coming back to that word that's like the theme of this week of holiness, that the opposite of it is just ordinary and how God is calling us to live a different kind of life. Jenny spoke in church yesterday. And one of the lines that she said, she went to church, was, do you ever look at a part of your life and just think, oh, it's just ordinary, maybe not particularly broken, although sometimes it is, and not terrible, but just fine, or whatever. God is calling us to experience life in a different way. Inviting us, I should say. And just saying, listen, you can live with the thrill of heaven. You can live my kind of life. Eternal life is not a future event. It's present tense. You can live the kind of rich life that God lives. You don't, things don't have to be ordinary. What is water right now can become wine. That's what holiness means. It means this chance to live different. And, and, and he, like you said, Grace is in the business of doing that. If we just hand it over to him. And all these different ways are all the ways today. So many reminders of who he is and what he can do in the past and in the present. Okay, y'all, we did it. Unbuckle, right? What awesome, awesome things. Hopefully that was enriching and it helps further experiences become enriching for you too. So, okay, next week, the journey in the wilderness. We'll see you then. If you want to follow along in everything we're doing, you can find us on Instagram at Don't Miss This Study, at This Week's Grace and at Mr. Dave Butler.

Speaker 2:
[66:13] And if you want to subscribe to the app or get our weekly newsletter, all of the information can be found at dontmissthisstudy.com.

Speaker 1:
[66:19] See you next week.