Faith | Reflect on ‘inmost room’ rituals to strengthen our faith and hope

One of the archetypal stages of the hero recognized in comparative literature is called by Joseph Campbell, “The Belly of the Whale” and similarly by Christopher Vogler ,“The Inmost Cave.”

We recognize this stage instinctively, for example, when we see Indiana Jones enter the inmost cave in “Indiana Jones and The Raiders of the Lost Ark” to take the golden idol head. Again, when Aladdin enters the inmost cave of the Cave of Wonders to fetch the magic lamp, or when king Aragorn enters the inmost cave of the White Mountains to conscript the Army of the Dead in Lord of the Rings.

It may not be a literal cave but a manmade structure such as when Obi-Wan Kenobi enters the heart of the Death Star to deactivate the tractor beam or when Dorothy Gail, kidnapped by the flying monkeys, is taken to the inmost room of the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West. In every case, there is a great treasure to be had with an equal amount of peril associated with it.

As Jordan Peterson would put it, “If you want to get the gold, you have to face the dragon.”

The inmost room need not be dark or forbidding. It can be beautiful and sacred such as the inmost room of the tabernacle of ancient Israel, the Holy of Holies, which also contained a great treasure — the ark of the covenant. Overlaid with gold, the ark contained the national treasures of the stone tablets on which God had written ten commandments, Aaron’s rod that budded — a symbol of priesthood authority, and the manna that never spoiled — the symbol of God’s providence.

The Holy of Holies held the opportunity for the atonement of God with the nation Israel as Aaron on Yom Kippur entered in and sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice on the ark of the covenant. Yet entry into the Holy of Holies also was not without great peril.

In the Old Testament, after the Lord gave specific instructions to the priests regarding the proper performance of the ordinances of the tabernacle, he told them to perform the ordinances exactly as directed “that they die not.” For example, Aaron, the high priest, was only to enter the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, “... that he die not ... .” (Lev. 16:2). Also, the priests were always to wash with the water from the brazen laver before offering the burnt offerings or entering the tabernacle “... that they die not ...”. (Ex. 30:20)

Why such a severe penalty for errors in performing tabernacle ordinances?

Perhaps, it was to emphasize the value of the atoning sacrifices. However, because Aaron, the high priest, dressed in the robes of the priesthood and sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice on Yom Kippur symbolized Christ in his atoning sacrifice, the severity of the penalty for errors was to direct our minds to the necessity of the perfection of the Savior’s life.

It may have been, in addition, to help us realize that he offered himself, the one sinless life, the unblemished Lamb of God, a perfect sacrifice for us, “lest we die” the second death.

For “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:6)

The Lord said, “All things ... bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual ... .” (Moses 6:63). Recognizing the reflections of his life in the ordinances of the tabernacle and temples can strengthen our faith in him and our hope in his atoning sacrifice.

Guest Spiritual Life writer Todd Powell is a member of the Pasco North Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Questions and comments should be directed to editor Lucy Luginbill in care of the Tri-City Herald newsroom, 4253 E. 24th Avenue, Kennewick, WA 99338. Or email lluginbill@tricityherald.com.