Week 6 | Golden Lampstand

Exodus 25:31-40; 27:20-21;  37:17-24

The golden lampstand in Jerusalem waiting for the 3rd temple.

Description

This week we will look at the golden lampstand.  As you enter the tabernacle, the lampstand would stand to the left on the south side of the Holy Place.  We don’t know anything about the size of the lampstand, but what we do know is actually pretty amazing.  In Exodus 25: 31-40, we learn that it is made of one solid piece of gold weighing about 75 pounds.  The main shaft has six branches extending from it and each branch holds a number of cups shaped like buds and almond flowers.  Seven lamps are placed upon it and burn a very clear, virtually smokeless olive oil to light the Holy Place.  The lamps are kept burning from evening until morning. 

Notice all the different elements that make up the lampstand: a central shaft, branches, buds, flowers, all made from one solid piece of gold.  What might this resemble?  It sure sounds a lot like a tree to me!  But, you might ask, "so it resembles a tree, what difference does this make?"  This is where this study gets really fascinating to me!  The tabernacle, as we know, was God’s special dwelling place in the wilderness where His manifest presence was made known.  God laid out the pattern for its construction.  He designed the purposes of each element, but there was an earlier dwelling place where God made Himself manifest to man – the Garden of Eden.  In fact, the Garden of Eden is thought of as the first “garden temple” – the last “garden temple” is found at the end of the Bible in Revelation 21 and 22 as the New Jerusalem. If you read through Genesis 2-3 and Revelation 21-22 you will see that there are elements there that God designed right into the Tabernacle and later the Temple that was built in Jerusalem!  The description of the lampstand as a tree is just one of those elements that you find in both of the “garden temples.” 

Digging Deeper:  Read through Genesis 2-3 and Revelation 21-22 and see what other similarities and functions you find as common elements in all three dwelling place of God.  Consider also the role of Adam as a high priest or caretaker in the Garden of Eden as well.  As a teaser, did you know there was gold in the Garden of Eden?!  What else can you find?

Christ and the Lampstand

I think that as we have been looking at Christ in comparison with all the various elements, the lampstand most easily represents to me both the life of Christ and our own lives.  Jesus spoke of Himself saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" John 8:12. 
In Matthew 5, He calls us the light of the world:  “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”  Matt 5:14-16.

It is in the lampstand that we see that there is something uniquely special about the life of a believer and Christ.  Paul says in Galations 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  It is Christ in us that makes us the light of the world.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that I am a child of the light.  I’ve often struggled with depression, and the darkness can be so consuming at times.  I love Paul’s encouragement in Eph 5:8-9, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.”  
There are some key things here to focus on. 

The first is the phrase “But now you are light in the Lord.”  You are already light!  You live in a dark world, but because Christ lives in you, you are already light.  Satan may try to have you believe that darkness lives in you, but that simply isn’t true.  No matter how dark a place you feel that you are in, rest in this promise that you ARE light in the Lord, even if you don’t feel that way.  That place may be very dark, but Christ still dwells in you and His light is also within you.  Persevere!

Second, we are told to live as children of the light.  We are to choose to live with our focus on Christ so that our light will burn brightly.  We all make bad decisions from time to time and if you feel your light is shining dimly, turn your focus on Christ and stand firm in that promise that you are already light.  Seek then to make good decisions that will lead to goodness, righteousness and truth.  Step by step you will get there again!

Digging Deeper:  Take a moment to read John 1:1-18 asking the Holy Spirit to
help you see this passage with fresh eyes.  What does it mean to you to be a child of the Light? 
Other scriptures to consider:  Psalm 27:1; Matt 4:16; 5:14; John 1:4-5, 3:19-21, 8:12, 9:5

God’s grace and peace to you until next time!
Tracy

  

Light of the World

By Chris Tomlin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_83rQRX_DIA&feature=related
O Jesus son of God , so full of grace and truth

The Father's saving Word, so wonderful are you

The Angels longed to see and prophets searched to find

The glory we have seen revealed

You shone upon the earth but who will understand?

You came unto Your own but who will recognize?

Your birth was prophesied, for You were the Messiah

Who came and walked upon the Earth

Your glory we have seen, the one and only King

And now You’re living in our hearts

Light of the world, light of the world

Light of the world, You shine upon us

In You all things were made and nothing without You

In heaven and on earth all things are held in You

And yet You became flesh, living as one of us

Under the shadow of the cross

Where, through the blood you shed, You have made peace again

Peace for a world that God so loves

And yet You became flesh, living as one of us

Under the shadow of the cross

Where, through the blood you shed, You have made peace again

Peace for a world that God so loves

Endless Light
Hillsong Live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1zU-fQv6Uc

From the highest throne to the earth below

You laid down Your life for the likes of us

Great is the love of the Savior

From the wounded heart to a life made whole

Every human heart will declare as one

Great is the love of the Savior

Lord of endless light let Your glory shine forever

All the earth,  All the earth sing Your Praise

Hope of every heart let Your name be lifted higher

All our hearts, all our hearts sing Your Praise

From the mountain heights to the valleys low

All created things given life to show

Jesus we live for Your glory

From the rising sun to the still of night

Every waking moment for Your delight

Jesus we live for Your glory

God be exalted, God be exalted in everything

We live for Your glory, Live for Your glory

Week 5 | Holy Place & Table of Showbread

Exodus 25:23-30; 26; 36:8-38; 37:10-16

Description

This week we enter the Holy Place.  As you pull back the curtain and peer inside, the first thing you may notice is the gold used inside the tabernacle.  Bronze and silver are the metals that are used for the outer courtyard, but gold is mainly used for the objects inside the tabernacle itself.  In fact, one ton of gold was necessary to create the items inside the tabernacle!  In addition to the gold, 3 ¾ tons of silver and 2 ½ tons of bronze was needed to create the entire tabernacle complex including the outer-courtyard and its pieces!  


Now the Israelites were in the wilderness at the time the tabernacle complex was made, so where did all of these metals come from?  Jehovah Jireh, God our provider, made sure that they actually carried everything into the wilderness with them!  Exodus 12:31-36 tells us that before the Israelites left Egypt, He made the Egyptians “favorably disposed” towards the Israelites and so all God’s people had to do was ask them for their all their items made of gold, silver or bronze, their fine linen, precious stones, etc., and the Egyptians willingly gave. 

The Holy Place was the larger of the two chambers that made up the Tabernacle.  It was 30ft long by 15ft wide and 15ft high.  At 450 sq. ft., that might be compared to a very small studio apartment.  While the Israelites would be permitted to be in the outer-courtyard, only the Levitical priests (Aaron’s family) were permitted in the Holy Place. As we begin to map out what this space looks like, keep this in mind - the average Israelite never had the opportunity to view the very holy things inside the tabernacle.  They had the opportunity to hear all about them from their description in the Old Testament scriptures, but all the beautiful gold pieces that will be described in the weeks to come were only viewed by the priests.

The first item that we will study in the Holy Place is the Table of Showbread.  As you enter through the east side of the tabernacle, the table would be found on the right hand side of the tent.  It was approximately 36” x 18” x 27”h.  Pull out a ruler or measuring tape and picture how big this is.  Not so large is it? 

Like the bronze altar, its main structure was made of acacia wood and the entire piece was covered in gold.  This table held 12 loaves of unleavened bread and this bread has many different names that all refer to the same thing: showbread, bread of the Presence, shewbread, and bread of the face.   The 12 loaves represented the 12 tribes of Israel and at the end of each week, the bread was eaten by the priests and the table was replenished with new loaves.  Exodus 25:29 explains that there were dishes, as well as pitchers and bowls of pure gold that were also on the table.  The pitchers and bowls were there “for the pouring out of offerings.”  So what offerings might be poured out?  Exodus 30:9 seems to imply that drink offerings were poured out inside the Holy Place.  They would not have been poured out on the altar of incense and most likely not on the lampstand, so it makes the most sense that the wine would have been poured out into the pitchers and bowls on this table.

The Table and Christ

So pitchers filled with wine, bowls and a table full of bread, what does that have to do with anything?  I’m very much a visual learner and perhaps one of the things that jumped off the page at me about this table can be seen easily in the picture above.  Stop and think about this picture.  You have the bread and the wine placed upon the table in the Holy Place.  Perhaps it’s a foreshadowing of what we have come to know as communion!  On behalf of the 12 tribes, the priests broke bread and poured out wine at this table and would commune with God! 

Consider the bread and the wine that were used on that table.  How are these things made?  The bread begins as a seed and grows into stalks of grain.  That grain is harvested and then crushed to make into flour and then into the bread.  What about the wine?  It too begins as a seed, grows into a mature plant that produces the fruit.  These grapes are then taken and crushed to make the wine.  Isa 53:5 tells us that Jesus “was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”  Just as the grain and the grapes were crushed, Jesus body was crushed and His blood flowed for us. 

Jesus says “I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” John 6:35.  He was the drink offering poured out on our behalf.  He is the bread and the way of fellowship with God the Father.  Sometimes it is easy to let the busyness of life take over and we lose the satisfaction that comes from fellowshipping around a table with our family.  If we stop and take the time to enjoy that fellowship with our loved ones though, we come away with a deeper connection with one another.  So it also is with God.  I know that when I don’t take the time to fellowship with God, life begins to consume me and I become spiritually hungry and thirsty.  Oh the joy that comes when we take the time to be filled by Christ!  It is SO satisfying!

Digging Deeper:  Take some time to take this week to simply get away from the busyness of life and be silent in communion with God.  I have given you a lot of links for some instrumental background music this week.  Enjoy some quiet fellowship with Him and then perhaps read through some of the following scriptures: John 6:35; 6:51-58; Luke 24:30-32; 22:19-20.  

God’s grace and peace to you until next time!

Tracy

Carol Ann
By: Michael W. Smith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdxy2vqrXwY&feature=fvsr

Prayer for Taylor
By: Michael W. Smith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E0GvR49U3U&feature=related

Letter to Sarah
By: Michael W. Smith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSEsDk1d8Co&feature=relmfu

The Offering
By: Michael W. Smith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvHqmacWAZc&feature=relmfu

The Giving
By: Michael W. Smith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfUxjz6NtS8&feature=related

Remembrance (Communion Song)
By: Matt Maher and Matt Redman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oCNwIA6xLc&feature=related

Oh, how could it be
That my god would welcome me
into this mystery?
Say ‘eat this bread, take this wine’
Now the simple made divine
for any to receive

See his body, his blood-
Know that he has overcome
Every tril we will face
None to lost to be saved
None too broken or ashamed
All are welcome in this place.

By your mercy, we come to your table,
By Your grace you are making us faithful

Lord, we remember You,
And remembrance leads us to worship
And as we worship You,
Our worship leads to communion
We respond to your invitation;
We remember you