Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
Now, the things of the tabernacle (the furniture, vessels, and instruments) are the same items of the temple. And Paul has said adamantly that (1 Corinthians 3:16) Ye are the temple of God. God has set up a place of worship; a place to do the service of God. And we are (1 Peter 2:9) A royal priesthood. God said then to build an ark and hide the commandments in there. Now God says to us (Romans 10:8) The word is nigh thee… in thy heart… And also (Psalm 119:11) Thy word have I hid in mine heart… God said then to build a mercy seat, place it on the ark and that he’d commune with his people from above that mercy seat. Now God wills that (2 Corinthians 13:14) the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Now it’s Christ in you, the hope of glory.
After all the vessels of the tabernacle were made, Moses consecrated them for the service of God. He took the blood of calves and goats and (Hebrews 9:21,22) He sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry… All things are by the law purged with blood… And now of this temple that God has wrought from us, the bible says (Revelation 1:5,6) Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us… priests unto God and his Father.
God has always desired a place to be with his people. (Exodus 25:8) And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. And yes now, God has set up a place of worship; a place to do the priestly service of God; a place of communion; a holy temple. He has done this in us. So in that light we approach again the word of God to see what we can better understand.
Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about. And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about. And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof. Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table. And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them. And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them. And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway. (Exodus 25:23-30)
I read this verse, and it brings this verse to mind (Psalm 23:5) Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies… And it reminds me of that verse (Song of Solomon 2:4) He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. I remember the words of that verse put to song were He brought me to his banqueting table and his banner over me is love. That’s what you do at a banquet. You eat at the table.
Now on this table was placed what is called the shewbread. And here are the instructions on how this shewbread was made. (Leviticus 24:5-7) And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake. And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD. And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row… Fine flour and frankincense? Meal and oil. What was it that Elijah said to that widow woman? (1 Kings 17:14) For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
Likewise, the shewbread was a continual, perpetual offering. It was to never end. (Exodus 25:30) And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway. Alway is short for all the way! The bible goes on to say about the shewbread (Leviticus 24:8) Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. God will always sustain! He’ll alway freely give us bread from heaven! (John 6:33) For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven. (John 6:35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger…
This speaks to us of God’s all-sufficient providence; his loving and bountiful provisions. Man shall not live by bread alone. God feeds and satisfies the hungry soul. He fills the deepest voids. The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail! David said (Psalm 37:25) I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Surely David was not speaking of an earthly bread. (John 6:27) Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth. I believe that meat which endureth is the perpetual bread that is in the temple. It’s the bread that sits upon the golden table in the holy place.
(Leviticus 24:9) And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place… There we are; the royal priesthood! Know ye not that ye are the temple of God? And we shall eat in the holy place; the holy place of worship; the house of prayer. Jesus said that when we pray we should say (Matthew 6:11) Give us this day our daily bread. In the secret place of prayer does God give his sustaining Son to us. (Psalm 91:1) He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. And we can truly say (Song of Solomon 2:3) I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
The bible says the shewbread belongs to the priests and they shall eat it in the holy place because (Leviticus 24:9) It is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute. It is the most holy. How magnificent the table that God has spread before his people! And in love, he invites us to come and dine. What a picture of prayer! It’s not come and ask. (John 21:12) Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.