Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “Command the children of Israel that they bring to you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to make the lamps burn continually. Outside the veil of the Testimony, in the tabernacle of meeting, Aaron shall be in charge of it from evening until morning before the LORD continually; it shall be a statute forever in your generations. He shall be in charge of the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually. (vv.1-4)
The lamps in the tabernacle – standing on the solid gold lampstand (Exodus 25:31-40) – were the only source of light for the tabernacle. These lamps had to be constantly cared for, supplied with pure olive oil and their wicks trimmed. This care made the lamps burn continually. The command here given to the children of Israel to bring pure oil, relates to an offering on the part of the congregation, a sacrificial gift, with which Israel was to serve the Lord continually.
It was important that the light from the oil lamps shined continually. God did not want His tabernacle to be left in darkness. And the continual light of the tabernacle pointed to the coming Messiah. Jesus never stopped being the light of the world (John 8:12). In a sense, we also are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). “As the candle in the hand of the housewife, who sweeps her house diligently; as a lamp in the hand of the virgin expecting the bridegroom; or as a lighthouse on a rocky coast.” (F.B. Meyer)
This reminds us that our service to God needs to be a daily thing and not a Sunday thing, or a Christmas thing, or an Easter thing. We need to set aside time every day to fuel up our lamps in His Word and allow the Holy Spirit to speak deep into our hearts, that our light may shine brightly continually.
The Truth: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
