Worship Exodus - The Lampstand
(Sorry about the long hiatus. I'll catch up this week with two installments of Worship Exodus and get back on track next week.)
"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. Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 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. And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 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. The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. "Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. A talent of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. Exodus 25:31-40
So, what could a simple lamp have to do with worship? All it does is provide light for us, right? The Israelites could have used light from a simple candle or a torch. Why did they need the lampstand?
Like all of the items related to the tabernacle, the lampstand is full of symbolism. It is the first item listed which is to be made purely of gold. There is no wooden core to this particular piece, it is gold through and through. This is the pure deity of Christ. The lampstand is also a particularly beautiful piece, with four cups elaborately hammered into shape.
Most importantly, the lampstand is the source of light, just as Christ is the Light of the World. John 8:12 states, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" Christ is the only light we need to illuminate our path.
I frequently fight with wanting to see further down the path than Jesus shows me. I want to know what is going to happen next week, next month, next year. I think that God realizes that we can't handle knowing what will happen too far in advance. If it is something phenomenally good, then we will toss everything else by the wayside and cling to that knowledge, pining for the day it comes true. If it appears to be bad news, then we will fold into ourselves and become resentful of what hasn't even happened yet. Either situation makes us less effective and less trusting of God's grace and care. The lampstand provides only enough light for us to see the next few steps. We only have to worry about placing one foot in front of the other and following His light.
Walking in Jesus' light is a wonderful form of worship. When we know that we are in His plan and following what He has sent forth for our lives, we truly do feel like we can conquer the world. This kind of worship draws us closer to Him, and further puts our human, carnal ways to death.
Use the lampstand that Jesus provides and let it illuminate your next few steps. You never know where it might lead you to. Don't get caught up in the things that are going to happen, only concentrate on what you can see from His light.