THE TABLE FOR BREAD; THE LAMPSTAND

Passage: Exodus 25:23-40

Key verse: 30

NIV

The Table(A)

23 “Make a table(B) of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.[a] 24 Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. 25 Also make around it a rim a handbreadth[b] wide and put a gold molding on the rim. 26 Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. 27 The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. 28 Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold(C) and carry the table with them. 29 And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings.(D) 30 Put the bread of the Presence(E) on this table to be before me at all times.

The Lampstand(F)

31 “Make a lampstand(G) of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 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.(H)

37 “Then make its seven lamps(I) and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. 38 Its wick trimmers and trays(J) are to be of pure gold. 39 A talent[c] of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. 40 See that you make them according to the pattern(K) shown you on the mountain.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Exodus 25:23 That is, about 3 feet long, 1 1/2 feet wide and 2 1/4 feet high or about 90 centimeters long, 45 centimeters wide and 68 centimeters high
  2. Exodus 25:25 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  3. Exodus 25:39 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Table for Bread

23 (A)“You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 24 You shall overlay it with (B)pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. 25 And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth[a] wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. 26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 27 Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as (C)holders for the poles to carry the table. 28 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. 29 And you shall make its plates and (D)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 (E)bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.

The Golden Lampstand

31 (F)“You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers 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 made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 34 And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, 35 and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. 36 Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps (G)shall be set up so as (H)to give light on the space in front of it. 38 Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent[b] of pure gold. 40 And (I)see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Exodus 25:25 A handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters
  2. Exodus 25:39 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Table for the bread of the Presence (23-3

)

A wooden table, covered with gold, was to always hold fresh bread so the people could always remember the presence and providence of God. Later, God would provide manna as bread from heaven-which points to Jesus, the true bread (Jn 6:49,51). The purpose of the bread is to teach us thankfulness for God's continually abiding presence and providence. We remember this presence at the Lord's table (Lk 22:19).

2. The lampstand of pure gold (31-4

)

A beautiful lampstand made of pure gold-adorned with gold almond flowers-would provide light in the covered tabernacle. The lamp showed the way to God's presence. This reminds us of Jesus, the light of the world. In Revelation, lampstands represent the church (Rev 1:2

). We are to let Jesus' light shine through us (Mt 5:16), pointing to Jesus who is the way to God, as the lampstand did. All this is to be done by God's pattern and plan.

Prayer: Father, thank you for Jesus, the bread of life and light of the world. Grant me a daily thankful heart, and help me shine Jesus the way to the world around me.

One Word: Come to Jesus