"Surely the Lord is in this place; ... this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven," so declared Jacob (Gen. 28:16, 17). He had beheld a ladder set up on the earth reaching to heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending on it. In this spiritual experience, Jacob had heard the voice of God assuring him of His eternal presence and His promise of provision and protection. Jacob had caught a glimpse of the spiritual nature of the house of God and of the blessings which God bestows there.
Moses also heard the voice of God. He talked directly with God in many places— at the burning bush, on the shore of the Red Sea, and on the heights of Horeb. As a result of this simple, spiritual communion, Moses led his people out of bondage into freedom, rousing them from the polytheism of Egypt to the worship of God as Spirit. In order that his people might understand that God is ever present, that He does indeed dwell with men, Moses built a tabernacle, or tent of meeting, "afar off from the camp" (Ex. 33:7).
With the passing of years, places of worship were enlarged and became more formal. The simple stone pillar of Jacob and the tabernacle of Moses were eventually replaced by the temple built by Solomon at Jerusalem. Gradually the worship of God also tended to become formalized, and the original purpose of the sanctuary was obscured by ritualism and materialistic codes of procedure. Lacking a clear understanding of God as infinite Spirit, many became impressed with a material structure and gradually lost sight of the spiritual nature of worship and the practical and essential character of its blessings.
