THE LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS #208 | THE LIFE OF MOSES #189
Pastor Christopher Choo
Lesson 3894
THE LIFE OF MOSES #189
MOSES AT MT.SINAI#88
THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES ( Part 41)
THE TABLE OF SHOWBREAD IN THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES #1
Now we will pass through the door of the tabernacle and enter the holy place.
The priest had at his right hand the Table of Showbread or also referred to as the Table of the Presence.
It was made of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold. Its size was 2 cubits (3 feet) in length by one cubit (1 1/2 feet) in breadth and a height of 1 1/2 cubits (2 1/4 feet).
Around the table was a border of gold and then a little further in, on the tabletop, an additional border which would hold the contents in place.
The table had four legs, and two gold-plated poles were inserted through golden rings attached to the legs for transport.
Exod 25:23-30 "You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around. You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around. And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs. The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them. You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold. And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always."
A.Significance of the Table of Showbread
The Table of Showbread was a constant reminder of God's everlasting covenant with his people and his provision for the 12 tribes of Israel, represented by the 12 loaves.
In John 6:35, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (NLT)
Later, in verse 51, he said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
Today, Christians observe communion, partaking of consecrated bread to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
The Table of Showbread in Israel's worship pointed forward to the future Messiah and his fulfillment of the covenant.
The practice of communion in worship today points backward in remembrance of Christ's victory over death on the cross.
Hebrews 8:6 says, "But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises." (NLT)
As believers under this new and better covenant, our sins are forgiven and paid for by Jesus. There is no longer a need to offer sacrifices. Our daily provision is now the living Word of God.
B. Conclusion
The Table of Showbread, also known as the "table of shewbread" (KJV), was an important piece of furniture inside the Holy Place of the tabernacle.
It was situated on the north side of the Holy Place, a private chamber where only priests were allowed to enter and perform daily rituals of worship as representatives for the people.
The primary purpose of the table was to hold “the bread of the presence” (literally, “the bread of the face”), which was set before the presence/face of Yahweh (Ex. 25:30). Each Sabbath, the priests would replace the loaves from the previous week with a fresh batch of bread (Lev. 24:5–9). Exactly twelve loaves were arranged into two rows of six, and these loaves represented the twelve tribes of Israel. These loaves were a food offering to God that was to be perpetually carried out as “a covenant forever” (Lev. 24:8).
While much could be said about this table, there are two main things to note.
First, the table of bread emphasizes God’s provision for Israel. God is the Creator and covenant Lord who has promised to redeem and care for them. As the source of their life, He gives them their daily bread (like the “manna” in the wilderness; Ex. 16:1–36). But even more so, He is the source of their eternal life. And the people acknowledge these things by participating in the food offering ritual of the table. They provide a portion for the table out of the abundance of what God has given them. In this way, the people show their gratitude and worship the covenant Lord.
Second, the table highlights the intimate fellowship that exists between God and His people. In the Bible, a shared meal was a time of close fellowship between people, especially in the context of a covenant (for example, Abraham’s meal with God in Gen. 18:1–9). Significantly, the previous chapter in Exodus furnishes a wonderful example of this. In Exodus 24:9–11, after God gave His law to Israel, Moses and the elders went up the mountain to eat a meal with the Lord, and the text wondrously tells us that at that time they saw God (vv. 10–11). This was the covenant meal that commemorated the relationship between Yahweh and Israel.
Eating in the presence of God revealed that Israel was intimately known and loved by Him. So as the twelve loaves were a food offering to Yahweh and were later eaten by the priestly representatives of the people, the table became a perpetual reminder of the intimate fellowship that God shared with His people.
