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Teaching And Research By: M. E. Arbaugh
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THE TABERNACLE
THE LAMP STAND
Lesson
10
Exodus 25:31-40 NKJV. "You shall also make a lamp stand of pure gold; the lamp stand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece. And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of the other side. Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower; and so for the six branches that come out of the lamp stand. On the lamp stand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold. You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it. And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold. It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain."
Across from the table of showbread on the south side of the Holy Place stood the Menorah (N'nourah). This Hebrew word means light bearer or lamp stand. Many of the English translations of the Bible render this word as candlestick, which is not correct. We just read that it had seven lamps and Leviticus 24:2-4 tells us that these lamps were fed by oil. Thus it seems safe to say that some of the translators blew it and so we will call it the lamp stand.
The Holy Place, where the priest came and ministered was a place of communion. So it isn't surprising to find that the three pieces of furniture in this area deal with fellowship. The table of showbread speaks of the bread of heaven, Jesus, the one upon whom we feed (commune). The lamp stand foreshadowed Jesus the light of believers, without which we can not fellowship.
The lamp stand differed from the other pieces in that it was not made of wood and then covered with gold. It was made from one talent of solid gold, that's approximately One hundred and twenty pounds of gold. Estimated value at today's price is almost four hundred thousand ($400,000.00) USA dollars. This solid block of gold was, by divinely appointed wisdom, shaped into a very intricate lamp stand that would shed light in the holy place. In the light, the believer priests could minister and commune before the Lord.
The gold was not melted and then molded, but was beaten into the proper shape. A process that must have taken many hours. It would have been much faster to mold it. God seems to prefer the shaping of His people by a slow process. Jesus came small and then grew in wisdom and understanding and favor with God and man. He was beaten with many stripes that we might be made whole.
The lamp consisted of a central stem with three branches coming out of each side of it, making a total of seven lamps. Seven is the number of completeness or perfection. Isaiah spoke of the seven fold spirit of the Lord, the Lord being the center stem. The branches listed as the spirit of wisdom and understanding. The spirit of counsel and might. The spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, Isaiah 11:2.
The art work on each of the branches was the same. It was the life stages of the almond, first the bud, then the flower, then the fruit. This was repeated three times on each branch. This represents the nine fruits of the spirit. The center stem had four sets of the bud, flower and fruit. A total of twelve, a number found in association with divine government.
The Hebrew word for almond is shaquad. This same word is also used for the words alert and expecting. In bible lands, the almond tree is one of the earliest trees to awaken after the death of winter, and bear fruit. It is called the awakening tree, and is a symbol of resurrection.
A few years after the lamp stand was formed, the people rose up against the chosen leaders of God and became envious of the high priestly office. Because of the rebellion, a plague came on the people. The leaders of the rebellion with their families and all their possessions were swallowed up. It would have been worse except that Moses pled for them. After the plague was stayed, God instructed Moses to have a leader from each tribe cut a rod from a tree, carve their names on it and leave it in the tabernacle before Him overnight. God said, "the rod of the one I choose shall bud." In the morning, Aaron's rod had not only budded but had blossoms and ripe fruit. That's what I call, God making a point. A rod which had been removed from a tree brought forth life, beauty and fruit, Numbers 16 and 17.
Many years later there was another uprising against the chosen leader of
God. A rod out of the stem of Jesse was cut off, (Isaiah 11:1. Daniel 9:26)
at Calvary and laid before God in a borrowed tomb. On God's morning, He arose
full of life, beauty and ripe fruit. The first fruit of them that slept,
1 Corinthians 15:20. In Him was life and the life is the light of men.
The lamp stand in the holy place (where only the believer priest could enter)
pictured Jesus as the light of His believer priests, not Jesus as the light
of the world.
John 9:5 Jesus said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
But men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. So they tried to extinguish that light. They thought they succeeded at Calvary, but it wasn't out. God had moved it, into the holy place. It was hidden from those who reject it. Jesus, the light illuminates the fellowship and worship of the believer priests, not the world.
He is not in the world any more, He is seated at the right hand of the Father. If Jesus isn't the light of the world, who is? How do people find their way out of darkness, if Jesus isn't the light?
They see us Christians, we are the light of the world.
Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV. "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Jesus is light through His people, Christians are the light of the world. What does it take to dull or put out the light of Christ in the world? We can muffle it, or hide it, by making a diligent effort to hide it. During World War II, in California where I lived, there was a blackout put into effect. Posters were put up, saying, watch that light. Block wardens were named, who instructed the people on how to hide light. Black felt was put over windows and heavy drapes over that. Diligent effort was required on everyone's part, so that California would be hidden from the eyes of the enemy.
Jesus said that lights are not lit in order to be hidden. But a lot of folks are afraid that they will make themselves evident to the enemy, so they try to be secret agents for God. However, the path of the righteous shines brighter day by day (Proverbs 4:18). No bright equals, no righteousness.
Overcoming
the Enemies
of Health
Getting disconnected from the main source, for failure to obey the rules of the power company, will cut off our lights.
1 John 1:5-7 NKJV. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
There are two sides to these scriptures. Walking in the light will give us fellowship with God and with each other. Jesus did not say, by your denominations shall all men know that you are my disciples. He said, "By this, shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you have love one for another." Not walking in love will disconnect you from the source. I think the problem Moses had over striking the rock was because of his irritation. Numbers 20:1-13. He did not act in love. Paul said, "Even if you give your body to be burned and have not love, it will profit you nothing."
Another reason for losing light is because of overload. A transformer blows, trouble on the line stops the power from flowing through to the lamp. Trying to live on some one else's revelation, will blow the transformer. Example: the very famous Brother Doo Dad testifies. "Just last week, I gave $500 and glory to God, today I received $50,000." We think, "That sounds great, think I'll try that." So we take the grocery money and the rent money and the $50 that we've been saving for Christmas and we drop it in the offering. We say, "Glory to God, if this works, we can go on a really nice trip and pay off the mortgage."
We can not make it on some one else's faith. This is a sure way to overload the line and blow the transformer. The word does not say that the just shall try faith, it says that the just shall live by faith. We don't experiment to see if it works. Faith is a committed way of life, not a trial. The life we commit, He keeps and cares for.
The purpose of light is to illuminate the place where we are. Any one who comes near us should be standing in the light that engulfs us. Revelation tells us that the lampstand is before the throne and in the midst of the churches. God has provided the lamp and the oil and the fire of the Holy Spirit to light the place of communion for His people. Having provided all of this, there will still be no light unless there is a wick that is submerged in the Spirit and set ablaze by the fire. The believer priest is that wick. You, the wick, must be in right relationship between the oil and the fire. If you are not, there may be smell and smoke but very little light.
1 Peter 1:14-16 NKJV. As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
We must follow after holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, not you, nor will anyone else see Him through you.
Matthew 5:16. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
We are called to a life of excellence. God's calling is His enabling, we must be obedient and walk in the light as He is in the light.
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Chapter Eleven
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Teaching And Research By: M. E. Arbaugh
January1, 2009
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