The Holy Place

Exodus 25:23-40 NASB

23 “You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long and one cubit wide and one and a half cubits high. 24 You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a gold border around it. 25 You shall make for it a rim of a handbreadth around it; and you shall make a gold border for the rim around it. 26 You shall make four gold rings for it and put rings on the four corners which are on its four feet. 27 The rings shall be close to the rim as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so that with them the table may be carried. 29 You shall make its dishes and its pans and its jars and its bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. 30 You shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.

31 “Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand and its base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its other side. 33 Three cups shall be shaped like almond blossoms in the one branch, a bulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bulb and a flower—so for six branches going out from the lampstand; 34 and in the lampstand four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers. 35 A bulb shall be under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 36 Their bulbs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 Then you shall make its lamps seven in number; and they shall mount its lamps so as to shed light on the space in front of it. 38 Its snuffers and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made from a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. 40 See that you make them after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain.

Exodus 30:1-10 NASB

1 “Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit, it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it. 4 You shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two side walls—on opposite sides—and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. 8 When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it. 10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”

Notes

God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle according to the pattern He showed. Moses and the volunteers followed every detail. The people contributed their wealth. Moses had to stop them because they gave more than enough. Many men and women voluntarily worked to make the furniture and clothing needed.

In the outer court, there stood the altar of sacrifice and the bronze laver. In the holy place, there stood the golden lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense. In the holy of holies, there stood the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat. We shall discuss the furniture in the holy place.

1. Golden Lampstand. The holy place had no windows. Thus, it was dark. The lampstand was the only source of light. Without the lampstand, the priests would not be able to serve (25:31-40).

2. Table of Showbread. God instructed Moses to put plates and bowls, signifying that it is the house of God (25:9). There were 12 loaves offered to the Lord, which the Lord gave back to Aaron and his sons to eat in the holy place (Lev. 24:5-9).

   Leviticus 24:5-9 — “Then you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it; two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake. You shall set them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. You shall put pure frankincense on each row that it may be a memorial portion for the bread, even an offering by fire to the Lord. Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before the Lord continually; it is an everlasting covenant for the sons of Israel. It shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the Lord’s offerings by fire, his portion forever.”

3. Altar of Incense. Aaron burned fragrant incense every morning and twilight (30:7-8). But not everything can be offered. The priests cannot offer grain, drink, and other unauthorized offerings (30:9). Aaron offered atonement once a year at the altar (30:10).

Application

1. Christ is the light of the world. He is also the light of our lives (1 John 1:5). Christ also said that we are the light of the world. Therefore, we must share His light to others and not hide it (Matt. 5:14-16).

   1 John 1:5 — “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

   Matthew 5:14-16 — “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

2. Thank the Lord for His provisions, for He is the one who allows us to receive blessings (John 3:27). We should walk in close covenant relationship with the Lord and with one another.

   John 3:27 — “John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.’ “

3. We must offer prayer and worship before the Lord continuously (Rev. 5:8, 1 Thess. 5:17, Rom. 12:1-2). Yet we must be careful not to offer unauthorized offerings. We must pray according to God’s will and worship in spirit and truth.

   Revelation 5:8 — “When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

   1 Thessalonians 5:17 — “pray without ceasing;”

   Romans 12:1-2 — “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”