The Tabernacle – Part 3
The Table and the Lampstand
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON TIMELINE
· The Book of Genesis
· The Exodus
· The Tabernacle
· Introduction
· The Ark of the Covenant
· The Table and the Lampstand
INTRODUCTION
Over the last few chapters of Exodus, we have read that the Lord gives Moses, first God’s Law, the Ten Commands, showing He alone is perfect, righteous, and Holy. Then the civil or moral laws so the people would live with each other ethically. Why does God get to command what is moral? Because only He is perfect, righteous, and Holy. The Lord then gave Moses the Ceremonial Laws, which would guide the proper worship of God.
Last week the Lord Began giving Moses the instructions for the Tabernacle, which I had said is the image of Christ and the plan of Salvation. Each item is symbolic, and each item is meaningful. He began with instructions on building the Ark of the Covenant.
The Ark, its construction, placement, and design of the angels on top, and the items inside tell the story of Christ and man's redemption.
For instance, the Cherubim face each other, one at each end of the mercy seat, looking down at it in anticipation. Fast forward to Christ’s resurrection, and Mary enters the empty tomb looking at the mercy seat where Jesus’ lifeless body was laid but is now gone. An angel at each end was signifying completion, a finished work, and no longer looking at the mercy seat with anticipation but toward the door where He went to continue His work.
God said He would speak to the Israelites from the mercy seat, and God said all that needed to be said when Jesus rose from the mercy seat that day. It was a message to all, but especially to the Israelites whom God had said this day would come and was finally here.
Today we read the Lord giving Moses the instructions for building the Table for the bread of presence and the lampstand.
Today we examine the Instructions for the Ark of the Covenant
SCRIPTURE READING
Exodus 25:23-40
“The Table for the Bread of the Presence
23 You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high. 24 You shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a moulding of gold round it. 25 You shall make round it a rim a handbreadth wide, and a moulding of gold round the rim. 26 You shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 27 The rings that hold the poles used for carrying the Table shall be close to the rim. 28 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the Table shall be carried with these. 29 You shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink-offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. 30 And you shall set the bread of the presence on the Table before me always.
The Lampstand
31 You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The base and the shaft of the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its cups, its calyxes, and its petals shall be of one piece with it; 32 and there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 33 three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with calyx and petals, on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with calyx and petals, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 34 On the lampstand itself there shall be four cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its calyxes and petals. 35 There shall be a calyx of one piece with it under the first pair of branches, a calyx of one piece with it under the next pair of branches, and a calyx of one piece with it under the last pair of branches—so for the six branches that go out of the lampstand. 36 Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it one hammered piece of pure gold. 37 You shall make the seven lamps for it; and the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. 38 Its snuffers and trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It, and all these utensils, shall be made from a talent of pure gold. 40 And see that you make them according to the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.”
TODAY'S MESSAGE
I. TABLE FOR THE BREAD OF PRESENCE
a. Design
i. Two cubits by one cubit by 1.5 cubits tall
1. One cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow, approx. 18”
2. So the Table is 3 feet long, 1.5 feet wide, and 2 feet 3 inches tall
ii. Overlay of pure gold
1. Only 1 out of a billion atoms of rock is gold
2. Gold is so malleable that a single ounce of it (about the size of a quarter) can be beaten into a thin continuous sheet measuring roughly 100 square feet.
a. That means it would take 576 ounces (or just 36 pounds) of gold to cover a football field completely.
3. One ounce of gold can be stretched into a thin wire measuring only five microns, or five-millionths of a meter, thick, that would reach in a straight line 50 miles long.
4. Gold leaf may be only 0.18 microns (seven-millionths of an inch) thick; a stack of 7,055 sheets would be no thicker than a dime.
iii. A rim or tall edge surrounded the Table one hand-breadth wide.
1. A handbreadth is approximately four inches
iv. Four rings attached to the corner of its legs
v. The poles used to carry the Table shall be close to the rim
b. Construction
i. The poles were acacia, just like the Ark
ii. The plates and dishes for incense, the flagon (container-like pitcher for serving), and the bowls used for pouring the drink offerings were all made with pure gold.
iii. You shall always set the bread of the presence on the Table before me.
c. Use
i. The primary purpose of the Table was to hold “the bread of the presence” (literally, “the bread of the face”), which was set before the presence/face of God Exodus 25:30.
ii. Each Sabbath, the priests, would replace the loaves from the previous week with a fresh batch of bread Leviticus 24:5–9.
iii. Exactly twelve loaves were arranged into two rows of six, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. These loaves were a food offering to God that was to be perpetually carried out as “a covenant forever” Leviticus 24:8.
iv. Along with the other elements of the Tabernacle, the Table highlights the covenant relationship between God and His people as God dwells with Israel in a special manner.
1. First, the Table of bread emphasizes God’s provision for Israel. God is the Creator and covenant Lord who has promised to redeem and care for them. As the source of their life, He gives them their daily bread (like the “manna” in the wilderness; Ex. 16:1–36).
a. But even more so, He is the source of their eternal life.
b. And the people acknowledge these things by participating in the food offering ritual of the Table.
c. They provide a portion for the Table out of the abundance of what God has given them. In this way, the people show gratitude and worship the covenant with the Lord.
2. Second, the Table highlights the intimate fellowship between God and His people.
a. In the Bible, a shared meal was a time of close fellowship between people, especially in the context of a covenant (for example, Abraham’s meal with God in Gen. 18:1–9).
b. Significantly, the previous chapter in Exodus furnishes a beautiful example of this. In Exodus 24:9–11, after God gave His law to Israel, Moses and the elders went up the mountain to eat a meal with the Lord, and the text wondrously tells us that at that time, they saw God (vs. 10–11).
3. This was the covenant meal that commemorated the relationship between God and Israel. Eating in the presence of God revealed that Israel was intimately known and loved by Him.
a. So as the twelve loaves were a food offering to God and were later eaten by the priestly representatives of the people, the Table became a perpetual reminder of the intimate fellowship that God shared with His people.
II. THE LAMPSTAND
a. Design
i. Made of pure gold with a hammered work base
ii. Cups calyxes (outer layer of flower) and petals one piece
iii. Six branches, three from each side
iv. A cup on each branch shaped like an almond blossom
v. The central stem has four cups shaped like almond blossoms
vi. Each branch has three
vii. Seven lamps all together
b. Construction
i. “And see that you make them according to the pattern for them which is being shown to you on the mountain."
ii. The construction of the Ark of the covenant, the Table of the bread of the presence, the Tabernacle and lampstand, etc., must be built to the specific instructions the Lord gave to Moses for two reasons.
1. Obedience unlocks the kingdom of God. Disobedience blocks you from it.
a. We have seen this in the Garden of Eden
b. Exemplified by Passover and the crossing of the Red Sea
c. And throughout the rest of the scripture, God gives a command or instruction, we obey it, and the kingdom is unlocked for us. We disobey it, and we are barred from it.
2. These things are ALL to be literally done. However, they are all symbolic and an allegory for what is coming.
3. Therefore, they must be exactly as described.
iii. This is what is now known as the Menorah
1. The Menorah incorporates several important Jewish themes:
2. Light: According to the Talmud, the Menorah symbolizes enlightenment. The central branch represents the light of God (I AM THE BRANCH), emanating light to the other six vines (YOU ARE THE VINE) – a symbol of human knowledge. Light is often used in Judaism as a metaphor for wisdom.
3. 7 Branches: The seven branches are a symbol of completion. The number 7 is a recurring theme in Judaism: the seven days of creation, the holy Sabbath – the seventh day of the week (represented by the Menorah’s central branch), the seven days of mourning
4. Gold: The Menorah was made of pure gold. Gold is a metaphor for perfection – it highlights the importance of aspiring to achieve perfection of character and emanating our “light” onto others.
5. The seven-branch Menorah cannot be used in modern times for Hanukkah
iv. There is another lampstand that has nine branches called the chanukiah
1. The Talmud states that it is prohibited to use a seven-lamp menorah outside of the Temple.
a. The Talmud is the record of generations of rabbinic debate about law, philosophy, and biblical interpretation, compiled between the 3rd and 8th centuries and structured as commentary.
2. So they decided in their human wisdom to take the instruction of God, and instead of creating it as He said, they added a couple of candles.
v. If you reason that the Menorah is forbidden to exist outside the Temple, then forbid it.
1. Do not make a generic knockoff with more branches than God said to have. It now MEANS NOTHING!
c. Use
i. The Lord states this is to provide light for the Holy Places inside the Tabernacle.
ii. God told Moses to make the lampstand from one piece, hammering its details. No dimensions are given for this object, but its total weight was one talent or about 75 pounds of solid gold. (worth about $2 million dollars today)
iii. In the courtyard outside the tabernacle tent, all items were made of common bronze, but inside the tent, close to God, they were precious gold, symbolizing deity and holiness.
iv. God chose the resemblance of the lampstand to almond branches for a reason. The almond tree blooms very early in the Middle East, in late January or February. Its Hebrew root word, shaked, means "to hasten," telling the Israelites that God is quick to fulfill his promises.
v. Aaron's staff, which was a piece of almond wood, miraculously budded, bloomed, and produced almonds, indicating that God chose him as high priest. (Numbers 17:8) That rod was later put inside the Ark of the covenant, which was kept in the Tabernacle holy of holies, as a reminder of God's faithfulness to his people.
III. THE MEANING
a. Table
i. The Table of showbread was a constant reminder of God's everlasting covenant with his people and his provision for the 12 tribes of Israel, represented by the 12 loaves.
ii. In John 6:35, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." Later, in verse 51, he said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
iii. Today, Christians observe communion, partaking of consecrated bread to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
1. The Table of showbread in Israel's worship pointed forward to the future Messiah and his fulfillment of the covenant.
2. Likewise, the practice of communion in worship today points backward in remembrance of Christ's victory over death on the cross.
iv. Hebrews 8:6 says, "But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises."
v. As believers under this new covenant, our sins are forgiven and paid for by Jesus. There is no longer a need to offer sacrifices. Our daily provision is now the living Word of God.
vi. In John’s vision, Jesus Christ stands among His people in the center of the seven candlesticks. Christ is always present in His church.
1. A candlestick is not the light itself but the bearer of the light.
2. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12), and, as candlesticks, the church’s mission is to hold that light up for the world to see: “So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life” (Philippians 2:15–16).
b. Bread
i. As we move to the New Testament, we see that the showbread in the Tabernacle was a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ.
1. Jesus is often pictured as the Bread of Life in the Word of God. In John 6, for example, Jesus referred to Himself as the Bread of Life that came down from heaven to give life to all who receive Him.
ii. When we take communion, we take bread from the Table of the presence bread and eat with Jesus. We are taking the manna from heaven, the bread of life given by God, eating and drinking into the New Covenant.
c. Lampstand
i. The golden lampstand was a permanent reminder that God is the giver of all life. Like all the other tabernacle furniture, the golden lampstand foreshadowed Jesus Christ, the future Messiah. It gave forth light. Jesus told the people:
1. “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)
ii. Jesus compared his followers to light as well:
1. “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." (Matthew 5:14-16)
iii. In Revelation 1:12–13, the apostle John experiences a vision of Jesus Christ standing amid seven candlesticks: “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle”. Most modern translations refer to the “seven candlesticks” as “seven golden lampstands.”
iv. Jesus spoke to John in the vision and explained what the seven candlesticks were:
1. “The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20).
CONCLUSION
God’s covenant with us through the presentation of the Table of the Bread of Presence and the lampstand reminds us that we belong to Him.
The Table and Lampstand Symbolizes Christ Jesus and His Church
NEXT WEEK
The instruction for the building of the Tabernacle itself
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