Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

Moving from the courtyard into the tabernacle, the priests would immediately be confronted with three pieces of furniture: the golden candlestick, the table of shewbread and the altar of incense.

Of course, the golden candlestick or lampstand was literally the key to ministry in the holy place. The lampstand had 6 branches, 3 extending from each side of the shaft. Each branch held a cup filled with oil and wick to provide light. At the top of the center shaft was a seventh cup, seven points of light in all. This sole source provided the only light for the priests to perform their duties in the holy place.

In the Bible, light is used as a symbol for truth, good, life, and right. Darkness, it’s opposite, is used to symbolize falsehood, evil, death and wrong.

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:19-21)

So, in the tabernacle the priests served in the light that God provided. He was telling them that he would light their way in service, that they should walk in his light.

God, who created the light (Genesis 1:3), is light and in him no darkness dwells (1 John 1:5). In fact, he dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16). Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12; 12:46) and we now belong to the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:12), are children of the light (John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5), have been called into his marvelous light (1Peter 2:9), have received the light (Hebrews 12:5), and walk in the light (1 John 1:7). In consequence, we are to shine this light into the world (Matthew 5:14-16), so that they may see our good works and glorify our father in heaven.

If we are to serve God effectively, we must be concerned about the direction of our lives, both who is directing us and where the direction is leading us. Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105). Just as the priests were directed in their service by the light God provided, so we must serve under God’s direction.