“And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings. Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.”
- Exodus 25:29-30 -

Some of the tabernacle’s furniture seems, from one angle, ordinary, but is made extraordinary by its specifications and the God it serves. The first two items are a dining table, with its dishes (vs 23–30), and a lampstand (vs 31–40). The details are significant. Pure gold points to the luminous purity and brilliant worth of God himself. The six-branched, yet one-piece, lampstand witnesses to the fullness and unity of God enlightening his world. The table signaled that the God who fed Israel bread in the wilderness was himself worthy of being served by his people. The lampstand provided light in the darkness for those serving in the tent, since it was unnecessary for God.

Ultimately, the table and the lampstand point to Jesus ‘the bread of life’ and ‘the light of the world’. Jesus alone satisfies our deepest hunger. Similarly, in a world of great and varied darkness, as Israel knew from the wilderness, how much the light is needed to illuminate the path and dispel the darkness of evil. By embracing the darkness in his own life and, supremely, in his death, Christ alone dispels it.

Closing Prayer: Mighty God, You are my refuge. Surround me with Your light, fill me with Your wisdom, seal me with Your Spirit, and strengthen me with Your power. I love You Lord.

(From Encounter with God)