Exodus 25:31-40
~15 min read
💭 Consider this: Many lost souls today need a shining light to lead them out of this dark and sinful world. How can your life be an illuminating beacon of light? Who did God use to shine his light into your life? How did they accomplish this?
TRANSCRIPT
I greet all of you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our text for tonight’s message is taken from Exodus 25:31–40. In our previous messages, we have learned about the Tabernacle of God, the Ark of the Covenant, and the table of the showbread.
If you consider the Tabernacle of God, it was a huge tent made up of four thick layers. The inner layers were made of fine linens, covered with cloth woven from goat’s hair. The outer layers were made out of ram skins. On the top was a waterproof layer made from the skins of sea cows. With all these layers, you can imagine how dark it was underneath. There were no windows, and it was completely dark. If no light could penetrate through, then the priest entering the holy place would have to move around in darkness. But God would not leave His people in the dark, so there was this golden lampstand.
This is what we want to consider in this passage, Exodus 25:31–40, which was essentially about the golden lampstand. Some of you may be wondering, ‘What lessons can we learn from the golden lampstand? It is just another piece of furniture in the Tabernacle.’ Well, we want to consider the significance, the description, as well as the application—how we may learn valuable lessons about the golden lampstand. The title of our message is ‘Let Your Light So Shine Before Men.’
I. The Description
Firstly, we want to consider the description of the golden lampstand, beginning with verse 31 of Exodus chapter 25: "And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:”
Today, many people have tried to make a replica of the lampstand. Some years ago, when I visited the Holy Land, I went to a shop, and I also managed to purchase a replica of the golden lampstand. Through the description, we can have a good idea of how it looked, but it is impossible to make the exact replica because the Bible does not give any measurement as to the size of the lampstand. So, no one knows the exact size of the lampstand. The golden lampstand stood in the Holy Place, opposite the table of showbread. The main shaft, which was connected to the base, had six branches—three on each side. The lampstand was made out of pure gold.
Verse 33: "Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick." The bowl is the fruit cup shaped like an almond. The knop is the bud, and the flower is the blossom. In other words, they were crafted and decorated with flowers, buds, and fruits.
Verse 34-35: "And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.”
Verse 36: "Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold," which means it was made out of one piece of pure gold. The main shaft had four of these decorations, with one fruit cup at the top and three fruit cups, buds, and flowers at the places where the six branches were connected to it. The fruit cup at the top of each branch was designed to hold a lamp to give out light. That was why it was called seven lamps, as verse 37 says: "And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it."
Each little cup was filled with oil to provide fuel for the light. Then a wick was set on the rim of the lamp to light the fire. Once it was lit, the lamp would provide light, not only for the table of showbread but also for the rest of the room. In Numbers 8:2, Aaron was commanded: "When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick."
Verse 38: "And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of gold." These were the tongs and trays used to trim the wicks of the lamp, and they were also made of pure gold. We know that the lampstand was made of pure gold, but how heavy was it? Verse 39 says: "Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels." One talent of pure gold is about 30 to 40 kilograms. If you weigh 60 kilograms, it would be half your body weight. That is pretty heavy for the golden lampstand!
Verse 40: "And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount." Since the things in the Tabernacle were used in the holy worship of God, they had to be done right according to God’s design—God was the architect. So, that was the description of the golden lampstand.
II. The Significance
Now we move on to the significance. In considering the significance of the golden lampstand, we have to look at both the Old and New Testaments to understand what it represents. Obviously, the primary purpose of the golden lampstand was to provide light in the Holy Place, to enable the priests to see what they were doing as they carried out their services to God. Every home needs light, and God's Holy Place was no exception. But there was another meaning, though not that obvious.
Notice the lampstand was crafted in the shape of a tree. The main shaft formed the trunk of a tree, with the branches spread out, with beautiful fruits, buds, and blossomed with flowers. It was not merely decorative but symbolic. As the lampstand branched out, it was budding, blooming, and ripening with fruits. In other words, the three stages in the life cycle of a tree—budding, blooming, and ripening—were occurring simultaneously.
Therefore, the purpose of the lampstand was to show that in God's presence, there was light and life. If you remember when God first created the heavens and the earth, He said, "Let there be light: and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) God was the one who put the light in the sky to serve as signs to mark the different seasons, days, months, and years. (Genesis 1:5, 14) God is the source of light—He is the light giver. When He created Adam and Eve, He was the one who gave them life; He breathed into them the breath of life. (Genesis 2:7) When He placed Adam and Eve in the garden, He gave the Tree of Life for them to eat and be nourished in that perfect garden. (Genesis 2:9)
But once they fell into sin, they were cut off from the Tree of Life. If nothing was done, they would be eternally lost—they would have no life. (Genesis 3:22-24) But God had a salvation plan for His people by providing them new life through the blood of the sacrificial animal, which pointed to the ultimate Lamb, Jesus Christ. (Leviticus 17:11, John 1:29, Hebrews 9:11-12) So, God as the source of light and life was not only true in creation but also true in redemption.
This was clearly seen in the deliverance of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. God delivered them out of slavery and into freedom by the presence of His glorious light. Throughout their days in the wilderness, He was the one who provided manna from heaven for them to eat (Exodus 16:4) and water from the rock for them to drink (Exodus 17:6, Numbers 20:8). He was the one who provided the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Wherever the cloud and fire moved, they followed. (Exodus 13:21-22) The lampstand in the Tabernacle was a constant reminder. As the people approached the Almighty God, they knew that they were coming to the source of light and life.
That was why the psalmist David said in Psalm 27:1, "The Lord is my light and my salvation." And in Psalm 36:9, he said, "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." So, the significance of the golden lampstand was to point the people to God as the source of both light and life.
III. The Application
Our final point is the application. How can we apply this into our lives? When we fast forward to the New Testament, we can see that God's promise to give light and life was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. At the beginning of the gospel, the Apostle John described what it meant for the Son of God to come into the world and tabernacle among us. John said, "In him [Jesus Christ] was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4).
There are many verses in the Bible that speak of Jesus being the light and the life of the world. Allow me to quote some examples:
- John 10:10: Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
- John 10:28: "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."
- Perhaps the most familiar verse is John 11:25, Jesus said unto Martha, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."
- John 1:9: "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."
- John 9:5: "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
So, Jesus is the light and life of the world. Anyone who does not have a personal relationship with Him is still living in death and darkness. Every person born into this world has a natural life, but what about spiritual life? The Bible says, we are all dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), and because of our sins, "the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
Dear friend, before our conversions, we do not hear the voice of God speaking in the Scriptures. We may read the Bible, and at a certain level, we understand it, but we do not have the truth of God ministering to our hearts, and it does not shine for us with the truth of God because we do not have the living work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. (1 Corinthians 2:14) Unless the Spirit of God illumines and convicts our hearts and minds, the Bible remains a dead book to us, and we come under the everlasting judgment of God. (John 16:8) Outside of Jesus Christ, we are all dead. The only way we can have the light and life of God is to come to faith in Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).
By the grace of God, once we are saved, we are called out of darkness and into His marvellous light. (1 Peter 2:9) The Holy Spirit indwells our hearts and transforms our lives so that we may live for Jesus Christ and shine for Him in this dark and sinful world. (Romans 8:9, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Matthew 5:16) That is why Jesus says to us, "Ye are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14), which means you Christians, you who are saved by my precious blood, are the direct instrument of my light. By nature and by definition, light must be visible to illuminate, so "a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid" (Matthew 5:14).
You do not put the light under a bushel, but instead, you put it on a candlestick so that it gives light to all that are in the house. (Matthew 5:15) A hidden light under the bushel is still light, but it is a useless light. It cannot help anyone. It helps neither the person who hides it nor anyone else. Whether you and I hide this light because of the fear of men, or because we fear to offend others, or because of shame, or the lack of love, or indifference, or anything else, it demonstrates our unfaithfulness to the One who came for us, died on the cross, and shed His precious blood to save us. In other words, there is no such thing as a secret Christian. The secret Christian is described as the hidden light. Lights are meant to illuminate, not to be hidden. It is to be displayed, not to be covered.
But how can you and I shine forth the light of Christ? Psalm 119:105 says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." God's light is the written Word, the Bible. With this powerful Word in our hands, we must proclaim God's light in a world that is darkened with sin and immorality. We must live our lives according to what the Bible commands us to live. So, by the way we live our lives and by the message we proclaim, we are shining forth the light of Jesus Christ.
By faith, you and I are joined to Jesus Christ, who is the source of our spiritual life. As His life flows into us, we blossom and become fruitful, and we in turn point others to Him who is able to give them light and life. We cannot do this based on our own strength. Just as the branches in the golden lampstand had to be connected to the main trunk, Jesus said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). To abide is to remain. When we remain and stay connected to Christ, we are infused with His strength, not our strength, and therefore, we are able to shine for Him, to be the light of the world for Him.
Therefore, Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). Just as the golden lampstand continued to shine in the Tabernacle, the light and life that Jesus gives will continue to shine in our lives, even unto eternity. Do you know that even in the heavens to come, there is still mention of life and light? At the end of the Book of Revelation, the Bible promises that there is the tree of life (Revelation 22:2), and every believer has the right to eat from it and live forever.
But one thing heaven does not have and does not need to have, and that is a lampstand to give out light. Do you know why? Because Revelation 21:23 says, "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." In other words, Jesus Christ our Lord, the Lamb of God, is the light of heaven. One day, as believers, we will live in the very presence of God's light and life forever and ever.
But in the meantime, as we are still alive on this earth, we are called to live for Jesus Christ and to shine for Him. The golden lampstand not only speaks to the individual believer but also collectively to the church. That is the reason why the seven golden candlesticks mentioned in Revelation 1:20 represented the seven churches. These were historical churches that existed at some point in history—the churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Sardis, Thyatira, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Notice some of those churches received only condemnation because they did not shine for Jesus. They were not the light of the world. Others received both commendations and condemnations. Only two churches received only commendations, and they were Smyrna and Philadelphia.
What do you think God will say to you as a believer or as a church? Will you receive only condemnation, or both commendations and condemnations, or only commendations? The only way we can receive only commendation is if we obey Jesus' command: "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).
We live for Jesus by the way we worship. We shine for Him by the way we serve. We do not work by murmuring and complaining. We work humbly and with all faithfulness, focusing on the glory of God. We give cheerfully and sacrificially to do the Lord's work. We share the gospel and tell people what God has done through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
As an individual branch, the ray of light has its limited influence. But collectively, as the golden lampstand, it gives light to the entire room—the whole Holy Place was lighted up. Likewise, as individuals, the ray of light that we shine forth, how we live our lives, and the message we proclaim may have limited influence for Jesus Christ. But as a church, collectively, and together with other Bible-believing churches, when the light shines together, the influence is great, and the change will come.
Allow me to end with this tragic story of a little boy who was lost in a field. The father and mother searched and searched everywhere, but the little child was too small to be seen over the tall grass. It took a while before the friends and neighbours heard of the boy's plight, and they came together, joined their hands to make a human chain, as they walked through the field searching and searching. But it was too late. The boy was dead when they found him—he had died of exposure. At the end of the story, there was this caption underneath that said, "Oh God, if only we had joined hands sooner."
Dear friend, this world is full of lost souls, which include our unbelieving grandparents, parents, children, relatives, and friends. In a million upon a million years, they would be eternally lost. They will be sent to the eternal lake of fire, where it never stops burning. They cannot see their way above the distractions and barriers of this world. They cannot find their way back to the Father's home. Christians, not only must we shine individually, but we must shine collectively as the light of the world so that all of us may sweep through this world, so to speak, in search of lost souls, pointing them to Jesus Christ, who is the source of life and light. He alone is able to save them.
Dear friend, individually, we must let our light so shine before men. Collectively, as a church, we must also let our light so shine before men. And we keep shining and shining until the day the Lord calls us home. Then we will be in the very presence of God, who is both our light and life, forever and ever. We will be in His light and life. May we live such a life to shine for Jesus Christ and obey His command: "Let your light so shine before men."
Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, as we consider the book of Exodus, there are many wonderful lessons that we can learn. Even as we read the description of the golden lampstand, we marvel at how Thou alone art the architect, the designer of everything inside and outside the Tabernacle, including the Tabernacle itself.
And we also learn from Thy precious Word, the Old and New Testaments, of the significance of the golden lampstand, and ultimately how it was fulfilled through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is both the light and the life of the world. He who has called us out of darkness and into His marvellous light says to us, "Ye are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14).
But how have we lived this life? Have we lived this life shining for Jesus Christ, pointing others to His light and life, which is able to save them? We pray that we will live such a life, whether individually or collectively as a church. We want to obey His command, "Let your light so shine before men" (Matthew 5:16), and we long to hear Him say to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matthew 25:21).
We want to receive only commendation from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. So remind us always, because as humans, we always forget, and we are so easily distracted by the things of this world, to live and to pursue after the things of this world. Help us to set our affections on things above, on the calling that our Lord Jesus has given to us: "Ye are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). May each and every one of us live such a life to the glory of Thy precious name. We pray all this in Jesus' name, Amen.
THE BOOK OF EXODUSGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassExodus 1:1-7
From Prosperity to PersecutionFrom Prosperity to PersecutionExodus 1:8-14
God’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesGod’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesExodus 1:15-21
The Faith of JochebedThe Faith of JochebedExodus 1:22-2:10
Moses in EgyptMoses in EgyptExodus 2:11-15
Moses in the Desert of MidianMoses in the Desert of MidianExodus 2:16-25
Moses and the Burning BushMoses and the Burning BushExodus 3:1-9
Who Are You?Who Are You?Exodus 3:10-15
Who Am I?Who Am I?Exodus 3:10-15
God’s Message to Israel and EgyptGod’s Message to Israel and EgyptExodus 3:16-22
What If They Still Don’t Believe?What If They Still Don’t Believe?Exodus 4:1-9
Send Someone ElseSend Someone ElseExodus 4:10-17
Moses’ Return to EgyptMoses’ Return to EgyptExodus 4:18-20
When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseWhen Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseExodus 5:10-21
When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesWhen We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesExodus 5:22-6:5
Having to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceHaving to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceExodus 6:6-12
Faithful or UnfaithfulFaithful or UnfaithfulExodus 6:13-27
What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceWhat God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceExodus 6:28-7:7
The First Plague - The River of BloodThe First Plague - The River of BloodExodus 7:14-25
The Second Plague - The FrogsThe Second Plague - The FrogsExodus 8:1-15
The Third PlagueThe Third PlagueExodus 8:16-19
The Fourth PlagueThe Fourth PlagueExodus 8:20-32
The Fifth PlagueThe Fifth PlagueExodus 9:1-7
The Sixth PlagueThe Sixth PlagueExodus 9:8-12
The Seventh PlagueThe Seventh PlagueExodus 9:13-35
The Eighth PlagueThe Eighth PlagueExodus 10:1-20
The Tenth PlagueThe Tenth PlagueExodus 11:1-10
The First PassoverThe First PassoverExodus 12:1-13
The Feast of the Unleavened BreadThe Feast of the Unleavened BreadExodus 12:14-28
Departure From EgyptDeparture From EgyptExodus 12:29-42
This Do In Remembrance of MeThis Do In Remembrance of MeExodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12
Redemption and ConsecrationRedemption and ConsecrationExodus 13:1-2, 11-16
Precious Lord, Take My HandPrecious Lord, Take My HandExodus 13:17-22
Between the Desert and the Red SeaBetween the Desert and the Red SeaExodus 14:1-14
Crossing the Red SeaCrossing the Red SeaExodus 14:15-31
The Song of PraiseThe Song of PraiseExodus 15:1-21
Will You Obey Or Not?Will You Obey Or Not?Exodus 15:22-27
The Danger of a Complaining SpiritThe Danger of a Complaining SpiritExodus 16:1-3
God’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsGod’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsExodus 16:1-10
The Test of FaithThe Test of FaithExodus 16:11-20
Lessons About the SabbathLessons About the SabbathExodus 16:21-36
Do Not Test GodDo Not Test GodExodus 17:1-17
Lift Up Your HandsLift Up Your HandsExodus 17:8-16
The Blessedness of ReunionThe Blessedness of ReunionExodus 18:1-12
Why Do We Have Leaders?Why Do We Have Leaders?Exodus 18:13-27
I Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsI Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsExodus 19:1-6
Approach God Fearlessly or FearfullyApproach God Fearlessly or FearfullyExodus 19:7-15
God Reached Out And SpokeGod Reached Out And SpokeExodus 19:16-25
Thou Shalt Have No Other GodsThou Shalt Have No Other GodsExodus 20:1-3
Thou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesThou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesExodus 20:4-6
Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameThou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameExodus 20:7
Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayThou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayExodus 20:8-11
Honour Thy Father And Thy MotherHonour Thy Father And Thy MotherExodus 20:12
Thou Shalt Not KillThou Shalt Not KillExodus 20:13
Thou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryThou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryExodus 20:14
Thou Shalt Not StealThou Shalt Not StealExodus 20:15
Thou Shalt Not LieThou Shalt Not LieExodus 20:16
Thou Shalt Not CovetThou Shalt Not CovetExodus 20:17
The Response To The Ten CommandmentsThe Response To The Ten CommandmentsExodus 20:18-21
How God Wants Us To Worship HimHow God Wants Us To Worship HimExodus 20:22-26
Why Would God Allow Slavery?Why Would God Allow Slavery?Exodus 21:1-11
The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeExodus 21:12-17
The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeExodus 21:18-36
The Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsThe Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsExodus 22:1-15
The Character Of GodThe Character Of GodExodus 22:16-20
Reaching Out To The Down-And-OutReaching Out To The Down-And-OutExodus 22:21-24
The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodThe Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodExodus 22:25-31
Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthTruth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthExodus 23:1-9
Remember Who God IsRemember Who God IsExodus 23:10-19
What Must We Do To Have VictoryWhat Must We Do To Have VictoryExodus 23:20-33
How We Ought To Worship GodHow We Ought To Worship GodExodus 24:1-4, 7
On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?Exodus 24:4-8
Responding To God’s InvitationResponding To God’s InvitationExodus 24:9-18
The Right Attitude Of GivingThe Right Attitude Of GivingExodus 25:1-8
There I Will Meet YouThere I Will Meet YouExodus 25:9-22
Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Exodus 25:23-30
Let Your Light So Shine Before MenLet Your Light So Shine Before MenExodus 25:31-40
The Veil That SeparatesThe Veil That SeparatesExodus 26:1-37
A Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A ThousandA Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A ThousandExodus 27:1-19
Who Can Represent Us Before God?Who Can Represent Us Before God?Exodus 27:20-28:14
How Can We Know God’s Will?How Can We Know God’s Will?Exodus 28:15-30
If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceIf Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceExodus 33:12-23
