Land of our inheritance -- Part 2

In Part 1 we looked at the covenant connection of the Hebrew yeresh, meaning to inherit/possess. The promised land is an inheritance given by covenant. It is a blessing ("flowing with milk and honey") but also a great responsibility. 

9 And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.

10 For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off. (Ether 2)

In Deuteronomy, Israel are repeatedly instructed to purge the evil out of their midst when they possess the promised land. The evil that should be purged comes from breaking God's statutes, judgments and commandments. Sin made unclean and defiled the whole land.

As we have often seen from Old Testament rhetoric, the blessings and cursings associated with the promised land were temporal and physical in nature. It was all about crop yields, weather, success or failure in warfare, children and posterity. There was little concern with the afterlife. But then the Book of Mormon comes along and adds a spiritual dimension to it all, indicating that the Old Testament instructions and events also functioned as "a type and a shadow" (Mosiah 13:10). For instance, in 1 Nephi 15, Nephi teaches his brothers about the Abrahamic covenant and the restoration of the Jews and ties it into his and his father's vision of the tree of life. His brothers seem confused about the temporal and spiritual aspects of this.

31 And they said unto me: Doth this thing mean the torment of the body in the days of probation, or doth it mean the final state of the soul after the death of the temporal body, or doth it speak of the things which are temporal?

32 And it came to pass that I said unto them that it was a representation of things both temporal and spiritual; for the day should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body in their days of probation.

33 Wherefore, if they should die in their wickedness they must be cast off also, as to the things which are spiritual, which are pertaining to righteousness; wherefore, they must be brought to stand before God, to be judged of their works; and if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God; if so, the kingdom of God must be filthy also.

34 But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is filthy. (1 Nephi 15)

The temporal promised land of inheritance for Israel should be kept clean, otherwise God could not dwell there among them. This is a type and a shadow of our eternal inheritance. No unclean thing can enter in there, because then "the kingdom of God must be filthy also". Another example from Alma 40:26

But behold, an awful death cometh upon the wicked; for they die as to things pertaining to things of righteousness; for they are unclean, and no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God;

The bolded phrase is recurrent in the scriptures, especially the idea that the kingdom of God is an inheritance, like the promised land was to Israel. But Laman and Lemuel's confusion about the physical and spiritual dimension of this may be the reason for their statement in 1 Nephi 2:11

11 Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart.

1 Nephi 17:21

Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.

Learning about the covenant context of yeresh (possess/inherit), I realize that Laman and Lemuel's lament here is also an appeal to the Abrahamic covenant. Their land of inheritance was according to their tribe, Manasseh, granted as a covenant promise from God. They had gold, silver and other possessions, indicating covenant blessings in the land. So why should they leave it? This seems like a fair argument but they are missing the bigger point that Nephi explains. He launches into a long speech in 1 Nephi 17 after their comment that I will not quote. But the point is that God establishes different lands of promise for the righteous. "he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth" (1 Nephi 17:38). 

This is a common theme in the Book of Mormon. Lehi leaves the land of his inheritance in 1 Nephi 2 and arrives at the promised land, later described by Book of Mormon prophets as the land of their first inheritance. Then history repeats itself. The Nephites become wicked for the most part and Mosiah-I leads a small group out of that land that the Lamanites take over, as prophesied by Jacob

And the time speedily cometh, that except ye repent they shall possess the land of your inheritance, and the Lord God will lead away the righteous out from among you. (Jacob 3:4)

Later, the sons of Mosiah-II go back to "the place of their father's first inheritance" (Alma 22:28) to preach the gospel. They have great success, but their coverts are under serious threat by the wicked and must once again be led out of the land into a new land of inheritance. The Nephites come to the rescue and grant the Lamanite converts the land of Jershon, meaning "place of inheritance/possession" according to rules of Hebrew name formation. The 'Y' in yeresh becomes 'J' according to typical English transliteration of Hebrew, and the suffix, "on", indicates a place. The wordplay is evident

And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance...And now behold, this will we do unto our brethren, that they may inherit the land Jershon...And it came to pass that it did cause great joy among them. And they went down into the land of Jershon, and took possession of the land of Jershon (Alma 27:22, 24, 26)

According to Matthew Bowen, the land grants to the Lamanite converts therefore stand as a symbol of the restoration of the Abrahamic covenant and reintegration into the House of Israel. His most recent article in the Interpreter Journal touches upon several of the aspects in these two posts as well as some that I have not addressed.

The Book of Mormon is also full of promises about lands of inheritance in the latter days. For example

7 But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance.

8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance.

9 Yea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers; wherefore, the promises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath spoken it, and who can dispute?

10 But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land. (2 Nephi 10)

As covenant children of Abraham, we are part of the restoration of the latter days where, according to the Book of Mormon, the righteous inherit their original promised lands, preparing for a time when we may inherit a place at the right hand of God (see Alma 5:58).

Thoughts on Joseph, part 1

You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people, which is being done. (Genesis 50:20, EXB)

Image by Robert T. Barrett (source)

My personal study of the Old Testament this year has been richly rewarding. The story of Joseph has taken on multiple layers of deeper meaning in light of recent topics we've posted here.  Today's post will be a summary and review of various ideas about one of the deeper meanings of the story of Joseph -- specifically how this story teaches us about the grand arc of the House of Israel.  What began with a small group of people in the land of Canaan culminates in the latter days with the gathering of all of God's children who have ever or will ever live on the earth!

Back to 'the fulness of the Gentiles'

I'm revisiting the phrase "fulness of the Gentiles" in Genesis 48:19.  In studying this important phrase, I came across Romans 11:25, where Paul states something remarkable about the future of the House of Israel:

So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. (NRSV)

The whole chapter is remarkable.  Having just read the five books of Moses, this passage really stands out:

13 I’m speaking to you Gentiles. Considering that I’m an apostle to the Gentiles, I publicize my own ministry 14 in the hope that somehow I might make my own people jealous and save some of them. 15 If their rejection has brought about a close relationship between God and the world, how can their acceptance mean anything less than life from the dead? 16 But if part of a batch of dough is offered to God as holy, the whole batch of dough is holy too. If a root is holy, the branches will be holy too.  (CEB)

 

He's making reference to firstfruits in verse 16. Recall that the holiness of the Levites allows the whole company to be(come) holy.  In a similar manner, Paul is saying here that when the Jews began rejecting the Gospel, God saw fit to have it preached to the Gentiles. In verse 15, he compares this miraculous opening up of the Gospel to the whole world to raising someone from the dead.

Parallels in the story of Joseph

All of this brings me back to Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Genesis 48:19 tells us that Jacob prophesies that Manasseh will be a great nation, but Ephraim will be the 'melo hagoyyim' -- 'a multitude of nations.'  This phrase could also be rendered 'fulness of the Gentiles.' It's no wonder Paul says in Romans 11:25 that a mystery of God is that the Jews were hardened so that and until the 'fulness of the Gentiles' has come in. This seems to me to be a clear reference to the latter-day restoration, which comes to the world through Ephraim.

Can you see the parallel to Joseph? He was stripped of his robe (a symbol of his authority/divine favor) and sold into slavery, but he prospered nonetheless.  The hand of God was over him, and he recognizes this when he tells his brothers years later:

You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people, which is being done. (Genesis 50:20, EXB)

Likewise, the seed of his two sons each play key roles in the latter-day gathering.  Manasseh (through Lehi) gives us the Nephites, whose record has become the instrument of the gathering.  The seed of Ephraim (scattered to the Gentile nations) becomes the nursing father who carries the house of Israel, spoken of by Isaiah.  Nephi expounds on this when he says:

11 Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.
12 Behold, I say unto you, that the house of Israel was compared unto an olive tree, by the Spirit of the Lord which was in our father; and behold are we not broken off from the house of Israel, and are we not a branch of the house of Israel?
13 And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed—
14 And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved. (1 Nephi 15)

Christ speaks of it in 3 Nephi 16:

4 And I command you that ye shall write these sayings after I am gone, that if it so be that my people at Jerusalem, they who have seen me and been with me in my ministry, do not ask the Father in my name, that they may receive a knowledge of you by the Holy Ghost, and also of the other tribes whom they know not of, that these sayings which ye shall write shall be kept and shall be manifested unto the Gentiles, that through the fulness of the Gentiles, the remnant of their seed, who shall be scattered forth upon the face of the earth because of their unbelief, may be brought in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer.
5 And then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth; and then will I fulfil the covenant which the Father hath made unto all the people of the house of Israel.
6 And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father. (3 Nephi 16)

(Stisa's post here is one of the key sources of inspiration for me to make many of these connections. I recommend you go back an re-read that post if this concept interests you.) 

The story of Joseph is a parable of the history of the house of Israel, with Ephraim and Manasseh's roles playing out precisely as defined by Jacob himself in Genesis 48:19. This is re-affirmed repeatedly throughout the scriptures. It brings clarity and importance to the Book of Mormon Title Page:

Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile ... Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations...

The meaning of 'Ephraim' and the connection to Genesis 1:22 and 28

Several Bible commentaries teach that the name 'Ephraim' means 'double fruitfulness' or 'increasing.' We know that Biblical names often contain wordplay.  'Ephraim' is no exception. There is a connection to the Hebrew word for 'fruitful' ('parah'). The '-aim' ending indicates a pairing or doubling. 

52 Joseph named the second son Ephraim [related to the Hebrew word for “fruitful”; 1:22] and said, “God has ·given me children [made me fruitful] in the land of my ·troubles [afflictions].” (Genesis 41, EXB)

Joseph recognized that God had blessed him with fruitfulness even in the land of his afflictions, hence the name of his second son. The connection to Genesis 1 is also fascinating.  It seems that the commandment given to Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply and replenish/fill the earth is fulfilled in the posterity of this 'doubly fruitful' branch of the House of Israel.

Jacob later blesses Ephraim (not his older brother) with the right hand and tells Joseph his seed will become 'a multitude of nations.' 'The fulness of the Gentiles' would be a perfectly acceptable alternative translation of the same words, as indicated above. At a time when the Gospel was nowhere to be found on the earth, God restored His covenant and ushered in the gathering by calling a descendant of that same Joseph to begin the latter-day work. 

5 Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom.

6 For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins.

7 Yea, Joseph truly said: Thus saith the Lord unto me: A choice seer will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins; and he shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him will I give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants which I have made with thy fathers. (2 Nephi 3)

The angel Moroni mentioned this principle to Joseph Smith during his visits in 1823:

41 He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth verse to the last. He also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be. And he further stated that the fulness of the Gentiles was soon to come in. He quoted many other passages of scripture, and offered many explanations which cannot be mentioned here. (Joseph Smith -- History)

Conclusion

So there you have my attempt at a summary of this really big set of ideas.  The story of Joseph is far more than just a tale of one man forgiving his brothers for selling him into slavery in a fit of jealousy.  It contains symbolism with far-reaching ramifications laying out God's plan to remember His covenant.

My next post will stay of the Joseph theme, looking in more detail at Joseph's coat and what it symbolizes.

Karath (כָּרַת): to cut

The following has been mentioned on this blog before but is repeated because it is important for the context of this post. Strange as it sounds, in Hebrew you don't make a covenant, you cut a covenant. (It is still translated into "make" in English to make sense to us). In Old Testament tradition, a covenant agreement was formally made by cutting animals in half and walking between the carcasses. It symbolized "what happened to these animals will happen to me if I break this treaty". In a time when literacy was rare, this act was the dramatic, and through a modern lens a bit grotesque, signature.

As far as I know, nobody was ever cut in half when breaking a covenant, so you would think of this as merely symbolic. But I just realized that this has everything to do with the common scriptural expression, "cut off", that I wrote about here a while back. Frequently, I see a topic that I have studied before in a new light as I learn more. This is one of those. As explained in the linked post, you are usually cut off from the people in the Old Testament and cut off from the Lord's presence in the Book of Mormon. But the consequence is really the same. Being cut off from the people, the covenant people of Israel, implies being cut off from the Lord's presence, because he dwelled in their midst where the tabernacle/temple stood containing the ark of the covenant.

The Hebrew word for cut is karath (כָּרַת). When you make a covenant or are cut off from the people in the English translation of the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is the same, karath in both cases. So we have in fact many examples of people being cut (off) as a consequence of breaking the covenant they cut. For instance, in Genesis 15, the Lord makes/cuts a covenant with Abraham and promises him numerous offspring and a promised land. In Genesis 17, circumcision is introduced as a token of the covenant.

And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off [Hebr. karath] from his people; he hath broken my covenant. (Genesis 17:14)

The Mosaic covenant describes the same consequence. From Exodus to Deuteronomy there are all kinds of laws that come with a warning that those who break them will be cut off from the people, whether it is breaking the sabbath, touching unclean things, eating blood, eating sacrificial meat reserved for the priests, not keeping the passover, etc. In each case, being cut off is the consequence of breaking the covenant they have cut.

In the Book of Mormon, "cut off" is part of the standard phrase that I have called the Book of Mormon proverb.

Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence. (2 Nephi 4:4)

This post explains that this is a metalepsis of the Mosaic covenant as outlined in Deuteronomy in particular. The Nephites have the same covenant terms and consequences as their fathers.

It is interesting to note how this applies both on a personal and collective level. Individuals who broke the covenant were cut off from the people. But when the people of Israel by and large had fallen into apostasy, their kingdom was cut in half and split into a northern and southern kingdom. After that, they were cut off from the promised land and the temple (and thereby cut off from the Lord's presence) as prophesied by King Solomon

6 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:

7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people (1 Kings 9)

Ezekiel also talks about a sword going through the land cutting off Israel

Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it (Ezekiel 14:17)

This all made me think of Nephi's vision. He sees, like his father saw, a gulf separating the righteous from the wicked, or the tree of life from the great and spacious building.

And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever. (1 Nephi 12:18)

Royal Skousen has postulated, quite convincingly in my opinion, that the "word" in this verse should have been "sword". This was simply a typo by Oliver Cowdery when copying from the original manuscript to the printer's manuscript. Nephi explains to his brothers:

28 And I said unto them that it was an awful gulf, which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God.

29 And I said unto them that it was a representation of that awful hell, which the angel said unto me was prepared for the wicked.

30 And I said unto them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end. (1 Nephi 15)

This gulf, representing a division or separation, is caused by the "sword of the justice of the Eternal God" with "brightness of a flaming fire". I believe that this wording would create certain vivid images in the mind of an ancient Israelite. One is the flaming sword with the cherubim guarding the way to the tree of life, that Lord Wilmore discussed here, and Adam and Eve who were "cut off from the tree of life" (Alma 42:6). Another is the sword that cuts the animals in half whenever a covenant is made, symbolizing the consequences of breaking the covenant. The divine sword that cut Israel also ultimately creates the gulf by cutting off the wicked from the tree of life. So there is a covenant setting to Lehi's dream as well. This is not far fetched at all. After Nephi's vision, his brothers quarrel over the words of their father. Nephi, who had just seen what his father saw, explains

18 Wherefore, our father hath not spoken of our seed alone, but also of all the house of Israel, pointing to the covenant which should be fulfilled in the latter days; which covenant the Lord made to our father Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

19 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake much unto them concerning these things; yea, I spake unto them concerning the restoration of the Jews in the latter days. (1 Nephi 15)

This is just before he goes on to tell about the gulf a few verses later. The restoration of the Jews in the latter days results in a modern Israel of which we are part. Only those who keep their covenants will not be cut off from the tree of life. 

The Gentiles and the Holy Ghost

For someone who has grown up in a modern Western culture, it may be difficult to understand God's different dealings with different people throughout history. For instance, when Abraham receives special promises concerning his seed, does that favor one nation above other nations unfairly? Personally, I have no problems with this because I simply observe that life favors us all differently anyway, and that is apparently part of the plan. What is important, is what each of us do, individually, in our unique circumstances and with the possibilities that we have been given. "Unto whom much is given, much is required" etc. 

But I also can't help but think that there is wisdom in God's dealing with his children throughout history, also where different nations have been treated differently.

37 And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked.

38 And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes. (1 Nephi 17)

One can argue that we are saved individually and as families, but I have never heard anyone teach that we are saved as nations. But there must be a reason for this focus on nations, even though we don't always fully understand His purposes. For instance, we find a lot of separation between Israel and the Gentiles in the scriptures. Jesus himself said

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 15:24)

Still, only a short time later, Peter received the revelation that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles. Why was it first wrong and then right to preach to the Gentiles? We don't really know but obviously timing is of essence here.

Because of the Abrahamic covenant, Israel became God's chosen people. As such, they even had God dwelling among them. This was the idea with the tabernacle and later the temple. It was a place where God could dwell in their midst. Even though God's covenant people were not always true and faithful, God eventually became flesh and dwelled among them in plain sight. Meanwhile, the Gentiles were ungodly and disfavored. Still, there had been prophecies like this one in Nephi's vision:

And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. (1 Nephi 13:42)

The time was not there yet but it would come and it would happen according to a certain pattern, the first (Jews) being the last and the last (Gentiles) being the first. There also seems to be a certain pattern as to how God would manifest himself unto the different nations. As mentioned, God would manifest himself directly to the Jews who had the temple. He did the same for other scattered parts of Israel. In 3 Nephi 15, he told them:

21 And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

22 And they understood me not, for they supposed it had been the Gentiles; for they understood not that the Gentiles should be converted through their preaching.

23 And they understood me not that I said they shall hear my voice; and they understood me not that the Gentiles should not at any time hear my voice—that I should not manifest myself unto them save it were by the Holy Ghost.

These words were spoken at the temple in Bountiful to a branch of the house of Israel. Jesus was there in their midst. This was right around the time when the gospel started being preached to the Gentiles in the Old World. But they would not hear his voice like the Jews and the Nephites had. To the Gentiles, Jesus would only manifest himself by the Holy Ghost. This is consistent with the prophecy in 1 Nephi 10:11

And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. And after they had slain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles.

Not only is the Holy Ghost the means to make God manifest among the Gentiles, it is also a source of strength leading to the scattering of the House of Israel

And after that ye were blessed then fulfilleth the Father the covenant which he made with Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed—unto the pouring out of the Holy Ghost through me upon the Gentiles, which blessing upon the Gentiles shall make them mighty above all, unto the scattering of my people, O house of Israel. (3 Nephi 20:27)

What we observe is "the first" (the House of Israel) having the privilege of God dwelling among them, both in the tabernacle/temple and in an earthly tabernacle. But they reject him. Instead, God manifests himself to "the last" (the Gentiles). But he does not show himself to them and they don't build a temple. Instead, God manifests himself to them through the Holy Ghost. After the day of Pentecost, right before Peter received the revelation to also preach the gospel to the Gentiles, the Holy Ghost plays a more dominant role. In the Old Testament, at least, his role is quite obscure.

Why does God not dwell among the Gentiles? Why is he "replaced" by the Holy Ghost? I am not able to answer that, but again I think there might be hidden wisdom and a pattern that is part of a greater plan. In the latter days, the roles are reversed. The Gentiles, who have the Holy Ghost shall be the instrument to bring back the scattered house of Israel to the fold.

And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed (1 Nephi 15:13)

This is the fulfillment of the first becoming last and the last becoming first. But there is another important element to this grand narrative:

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the house of Israel. (2 Nephi 10:16)

When the Gentiles are numbered among the house of Israel in the latter days, both the power of the Holy Ghost and the privilege of having God in their midst is now offered to the new, united Israel. In 1836, after the gospel had been restored again to the Gentiles, they became like Israel of old with a temple among them where God could dwell. At the temple invocation in Kirtland:

For thou knowest that we have done this work through great tribulation; and out of our poverty we have given of our substance to build a house to thy name, that the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself to his people. (D&C 109:5)

We see the same sentiment in the next chapter where Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery have a glorious vision in that temple

7 For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house.
8 Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with mine own voice, if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house.

For those who are willing to enter into covenants today and become part of the fold, there is no real division between Gentile and the House of Israel any longer. We have temples among us where God can dwell, like Israel of old, and the power and gift of the Holy Ghost, like Gentiles of old. At some point in the future, Jesus will also dwell among us in plain sight, just like he did among the Jews. There will be one fold and one shepherd in the New Jerusalem.