EXODUS 25
31 “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 33 three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 34 And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, 35 and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. 36 Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. 38 Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold. 40 And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain. – Exodus 25:31-40
EXODUS 25 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE LAMPSTAND
The Hebrew word for lampstand is “menorah” which means “to flame”. It was to give light to the priests who work in the Holy Place of the tabernacle. The next thing God ordered to be made was a splendid candlestick, made of pure solid gold and Moses was given very detailed instructions as to the materials, design and specific dimensions of it. We witness a God who is very functionally creative and specific about anything he wants done.
According to some sources, the seven lamps allude to the branches of human knowledge, represented by the six lamps inclined inwards towards, and symbolically guided by, the light of God represented by the central lamp. The menorah also symbolizes the creation in seven days, with the center light representing the Sabbath.
According to a commentary, the tabernacle had no windows, so no light from the outside could come into the holy place. It just made perfect sense why God wanted specifically to have something there to light the area. In 2 Peter 1:19 it says that the word of God is the lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
REFLECTION
· What does the lampstand symbolize in the life of a Christian?
