Quite a few items in and around the tabernacle are not hard to understand; they make sense. There are a few, however, that are challenging. What is the so-called showbread or bread of the presence for? And what is the meaning of the lampstand with its elaborate artwork of almond blossoms and petals? This month, therefore, I wrestle with this question of meaning.
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Outside Elements
First thing an Israelite coming to the tabernacle would have seen is a fence surrounding the courtyard. It is the first indication of several that God cannot be approached casually or carelessly, that access is limited, and that caution and proper preparation are called for.
On entering the courtyard, one would see three objects:
1. The altar of burnt offering, which indicates the need for atonement (a challenging concept; see CALS 79-81).
2. A basin of bronze, filled with water. Before the priests could do anything, they had to go there to wash their hands and feet (Ex. 30:17-21). This symbolises the need for purity when approaching God.
3. And of course, the tent of meeting or the actual sanctuary, which would be visible beyond altar and basin.
The Tent of Meeting
We are not talking about a big structure, by the way. The courtyard measured approximately 50 by 100 metres; the tent itself was 5 by 15 metres.
The tent’s foremost significance is that it demonstrates God’s presence in the midst of Israel. It is perhaps not so much God’s home or dwelling place as it is the place where he meets with his people; 135 times the Torah speaks of “the tent of meeting”.
The actual tent consisted of two compartments separated by a curtain or veil: the holy place and the holy of holies or the most holy place. Again, we get the point that God is not easily accessible (yet). Ordinary Israelites were not allowed to enter the tent; only priests could go in. Even they were not allowed to enter the holy of holies; only the high priest could do this and only on the day of atonement.
The increasing holiness is also symbolized by the materials used. Whereas outside, all metal used is either silver or bronze, inside the tent everything other than the tent itself is made of or covered with gold.
Inside Elements
So what is inside the tent? Upon entering, the priest would see the lampstand on the left and the table with the bread of the presence on the right. I will return to these elements below.
Straight ahead he would see the altar of incense and the veil that separated the two compartments. Clearly, the way into God’s presence was not open or free, and not even the priests qualified for entrance without offering incense as a fragrance pleasing to the Lord. After all, it is one thing to remove sin and its offence, and yet another thing to make something or someone pleasing to God.
Because of the veil, the ark of the covenant remained invisible. It contained the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. The ark was covered with a lid made of solid gold which was “of one piece” with two cherubim (Ex. 25:17-19).
The lid is often referred to as the mercy seat. The Hebrew word, kapporet, derives from the verb kipper, which means to atone. It is the place where, on the day of atonement, blood was sprinkled to make atonement (Lev. 16:14-17). It was from between the two cherubim that God would speak with Moses (Ex. 25:22).
The ark of the covenant and its lid, therefore, represent the very presence of God in this place – which makes it the most important object in the entire sanctuary. Perhaps for this reason, although it was reached last by anyone entering, the text of Exodus 25-31, where the instructions for making the tabernacle are given, puts the ark of the covenant in first place.
Noticeably and highly unusual in the ancient world, there was no image of the deity in the sanctuary. No image could do him justice, and he could not be manipulated, as implied by a visible and physical image of deity. God’s presence was real, but it was invisible.
It may well be that we are to think of the ark as part of his throne:
It is therefore likely that the Ark represented the footstool of God’s throne, which was imagined to be situated above it. In fact, it is metaphorically so described in 1 Chronicles 28:2. (Sarna 1991: 160f)
After all, the OT speaks of God as enthroned on or above the cherubim (e.g., 1 Ki. 19:15). The cherubim were guardians upholding and supporting the throne.
The ark as footstool also explains the presence of “the testimony” in the ark (Ex. 25:16). In the ancient world, it was common to preserve the text of important treaties underneath the feet of a god.
The tabernacle, then, was not God’s dwelling place; it was the place where, uniquely, heaven and earth met – back then, the only such place on earth.
The Lampstand (Ex 25:31-40)
The remaining two items are not explained; we need to proceed with caution. I offer a reflection or meditation on their possible meaning more than a straightforward exegesis.
One function of the lampstand is, of course, eminently practical. The inside of the tent was a dark place. For a priest to do anything there, light might be a necessity. But likely, more is intended. I see four probable allusions.
1. Symbol of Israel. In Zechariah 4, the lampstand represents Israel; in Revelation 1, the seven lampstands represent seven churches. Both references are much later than Exodus, but nevertheless suggest the lampstand in the tabernacle may be a symbol of Israel. Much like the church in the NT, it has its place in the presence of God. And it is called to be:
2. Light of the world. Important: This light does not originate with Israel; it is the bearer of light but does not itself create the light: “The light of the menorah is testimony that the Divine Presence resides in the midst of Israel” (Sarna 1991: 165). Notice that the lamps need oil to give light. In Zechariah 4, the oil for the lampstand is explicitly linked with the Spirit of God (Zech. 4:6). The oil flows from two olive trees representing Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the high priest, the two anointed of the Lord. Whether church or Israel, without this Spirit or this presence there is no light.
3. The light of life. In Scripture, light and life are at times connected; the “light of life” is a known expression (Job 33:30; Ps. 36:9 and 56:13; John 1:4 and 8:12). After all, a flame is a fitting image of human life, just as extinguishing a flame is an image for death (2 Sam. 14:17 and 21:17). All the hardware is still there, whether lamp or body, but the life is gone.
4. The tree of life. Last but not least, the lampstand with its seven arms and the almond flowers looks like a stylised tree. It may well represent the tree of life. As such, it would fittingly combine the ideas of light and life. It would also make clear that true life can only be obtained from the God of Israel.
The Bread of the Presence (Ex. 25:23-30)
The golden table with its 12 loaves of bread is likewise not explained. Literally, the text reads “bread of the face”, where “face” often signifies presence. But whose presence is meant? The 12 loaves (Lev. 24:5f) obviously represent the 12 tribes of Israel. But according to Exodus 25:30, “they are to set” this bread “on the table before me”, literally “to my face”. Therefore, the presence of God is meant.
Is this food presented to God? Or is it a reminder that Israel depends on God’s provision? Are we to think of that line in the Lord’s prayer, “give us this day our daily bread”?
The first option is unlikely. God does not need food and drink. He gives these things (and the bread is eaten by the priests, not by God). The second option is more likely: the loaves express Israel’s dependence, much like we express it in that line from the Lord’s prayer.
Something else may be intended as well, especially when we include the plates, dishes, bowls, and flagons on the table in our deliberations (Ex. 25:9; Nu. 4:7). It is sometimes speculated that these vessels had a function in the preparation of the bread, although this is not made clear in the text. It does state that some of them are “for incense”. In addition, some are “to pour drink offerings”, even though there are no instructions for any drink offerings in the holy place (regarding the altar of incense, this is even explicitly prohibited; Ex. 30:9).
The image that emerges is that of a table set. Someone is home. There is food and drink on the table. Perhaps it expresses God’s hospitality and his openness for fellowship with his people, represented by the priests who will eat the bread and their portions of the sacrifices in God’s presence: Come and eat; everything is prepared.
Let me finish with a general statement on the ‘applicability’ of the tabernacle from the NIV Application Commentary on the book of Exodus:
Applying the tabernacle must be approached from a different angle. Rather than tell us what we ought to do [obviously, we don’t do any of these instructions today], it tells us why we ought to do it. It is the tabernacle as a whole that we should seek to apply. (Enns 2000: 557)
The encounter with God is the true purpose of the tabernacle and the only way to life.
Attribution
TiBine. 2014 <https://pixabay.com/de/photos/brot-lebensmittel-gebacken-399286/> CC0
Jingming Pan. 2021 <https://unsplash.com/photos/iYsrkq5qq0Q> CC0
Congerdesign. 2017 <https://pixabay.com/de/photos/abendmahl-gottesdienst-2606046/> CC0
References
All Bible quotations from: The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles)
Enns, Peter. 2000. Exodus, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan)
Sarna, Nahum M. 1991. Exodus, The JPS Torah Commentary (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society)