The Lampstand

The Lampstand
Words of Faith 2-2-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 25
[31] "Make a lampstand of pure gold and hammer it out, base and shaft; its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms shall be of one piece with it. [32] Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand--three on one side and three on the other. [33] Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. [34] And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. [35] One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair--six branches in all. [36] The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. [37] "Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. [38] Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. [39] A talent of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. [40] See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.

The word that is translated as lampstand is menorah. The menorah and the Star of David are probably the most recognizable symbols of Judaism. The lampstand was actually made of one piece of gold. It was beaten work, highly ornamented.
This was to be the most ornate piece of furniture in the Tabernacle. It was designed with decorative flower-like cups, buds, and blossoms that were all formed from one solid piece of gold. It was a fabulously beautiful treasure within the Tabernacle and later the Temple.
On each side of the center shaft were three branches that extended upward. Each branch had three almond flower-shaped cups, and the center shaft had four. Seven lamps in the lampstand provided light within the tent.
The lampstand was serviced continually by the priests from morning until sunset. The amount of gold required for the menorah was about 75 pounds. An image of the lampstand is part of the arch of Titus celebrating the conquest of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. This is one of the treasures that was carried away to Rome.
The lampstand was much more than a light to work by. It is a picture of Christ within the Tabernacle. The pure gold speaks of His deity. He is the light of the world. Set in the place of worship, Christ illuminates the place where we learn to walk in the light.
The lampstand gave light in the Holy Place. It was the place of worship. The lampstand held up the lighted lamps, but the lamps also revealed the beauty of the lampstand. The oil in the lamps represents the Holy Spirit, which always glorifies Christ.
Just as the table of showbread reminds us that when we worship God, we must feed on the Lord Jesus Christ, so also we must come into the light of Christ. Christ is the light, as symbolized by the lampstand in the Holy Place. John 1:9 declares, "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world."
There's a difference between the true light that gives light, Jesus-- and the so-called illumination of the world. Many offer some sort of "light." We hear people who counsel others by "words." But we can be deceived through philosophy and vain deceit.
The Apostle Paul warned the Colossians: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ" (2:8).
We live in a world that desperately needs the true light of Christ. This is the image of the menorah.
It is interesting to note that no measurements are given for the lampstand. Why? It is because you can't measure deity with a yardstick or tape. You cannot measure Him as the Son of God. The more you grow to know Him, the more you realize that you cannot understand Him within a finite mind. He is beyond the computation of man. Yet He also was perfectly human.

Thank You, heavenly Father, for these images that long ago pointed to the coming of Your Son Jesus, the light of the world. Thank You for these powerful places of worship that provide illumination on the journey toward redemption through Christ, Jesus. I rejoice in the light, and I seek to walk in the light. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.