Bread And Light Series

One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt, and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn-out old hat and an equally worn-out Bible.

The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed in expensive clothes and accessories. As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him.

They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it. The preacher gave a long sermon filled with fire and brimstone and a stern lecture on how much money the church needed to do God’s work.

As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. “Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what He thinks would be appropriate attire for worship.”

The old cowboy assured the preacher he would.

The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again, the people completely shunned and ignored him.

The preacher approached the man and said, “I thought I asked you to speak to God about what you should wear before you came back to our church.”

“I did,” replied the old cowboy.

“If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?” asked the preacher.

“Well, sir, God told me that He didn’t have a clue what I should wear. He says He’s never been here before” (Jeff Strite, Nearer My God to Thee, www.SermonCentral.com).

God disregards fancy clothes and ornate sanctuaries. On the contrary, He appreciates simple things like a chair, a table, and a lamp. That’s what you see in Exodus 25, where God describes the furnishings He wants in the place he chose to dwell with His people. So, if you want to enjoy the presence of God, then I invite you to turn with me to Exodus 25, Exodus 25, where God shows us how to make Him feel at home with His people.

Exodus 25:23 You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height (ESV).

Earlier, in the chapter, God asked His people to build a chair, the mercy seat (vs.17). Here, He asks them to build a simple, little table, 3-feet long, 1½ feet wide, and 2¼ feet high. Although, it (and everything associated with it) is overlaid with gold, which is fitting for the tabernacle’s Occupant, God Himself.

Exodus 25:24-25 You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim (ESV).

This rim kept the contents on the table from falling on the ground.

Exodus 25:26-28 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these (ESV).

Like everything else in the Tabernacle, the table was portable, with poles for the priests to carry it.

Exodus 25:29 And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold (ESV).

The table held gold containers of all kinds for incense and wine. It also held 12 loaves of bread (Leviticus 24:6), one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Exodus 25:30 And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.

In pagan temples, the priests left bread for their gods to eat. Here, the bread is for the priests to eat in God’s presence, according to Leviticus 24:5-9.

You see, God desires fellowship with His people. He wants to eat with His people, whom the priests represent in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament, every believer is a priest (1 Peter 2:9), so God wants to eat with all of you who have trusted Christ. He wants fellowship with every one of you believers. He desires an intimate relationship with you! Can you believe it?!

Jesus says to every believer, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).