Jesus - The Table of Fellowship

Introduction

Introductory message - Driving home the point of synchronicity between the OT & NT.

Brazen Altar - Represents the Cross of Christ

A place of Substitutionary Atonement

A place of bloody Sacrifice

Brazen Laver - Represents the Sanctification of Christ

The continual washing necessary to keep us fit for service in a dirty world

Golden Lampstand - Jesus ‘The Light of the World’

A Unique Light

A Picture of Jesus and the Church - bore from His Side

Made to bring light in darkness

Today we’re going to examine the Table of Shewbread - the article of furniture on the opposite wall from the Candlestick.

I. The Plan

(The Construction & importance of it)

Two-Fold Construction

We see that this is made also of two different items - Shittim wood & gold.

Illustrative of a Two-Fold Meaning

Not only representative of His two-fold nature - God and man - but a two fold meaning, as we see two great truths come forth from the Table of Shewbread.

Two-Fold Construction

It was Regal

Built into the design were not one, but two crowns of Gold (v24-25)

It could have been just that - a border, but God said to make it a crown - as fit for a King.

These crowns would have been to keep the bread in order upon the table and to prevent them from falling to the ground.

It was Regal

It was Portable

God designed the Table of Shewbread to be mobile.

As the COI were always on the move, it was important for the table to be portable as well.

it was Portable

It was Populated (Lev. 24:5-9)

It wasn’t just the table - this goes back to the two-fold meaning I was speaking of. The table’s purpose was to hold the bread.

This bread was to be so big & anointed with Frankincense.

It was populated

We see the Plan. Next the Position

II. The Position

(Where it’s Placed and Why)

In the Holy Place

Not in the courtyard -where the Brazen Altar & Laver are, but within the Holy Place. The place that held the Candlestick & Altar of Incense.

In the Holy Place

The Plan, Position, the Purpose

III. The Purpose

(What is the function of it)

To Sustain God’s Laborers

The Purpose of the Table and the Bread upon it was to sustain the priests of God.

In the midst of their duties, the Priests would pause and fellowship one with another in the sight of God as they ministered in the Tabernacle.

To Sustain God’s Laborers

The Plan, Position, the Purpose, the Performance

IV. The Performance

(The NT Scripture / Story that corresponds with it)

Jesus - the Table of Fellowship

One aspect of the Table of Shewbread that we’re going to examine in the light of Christ is the Table itself.

As I’d stated multiple times, the table is an image of Jesus - from it’s construction to it’s function. It points to the Saviour. In the case of the table, it speaks specifically about the Fellowship that we have WITH Christ and IN THE LIGHT of Christ.

Jesus the Table of Fellowship

The Image of Fellowship

The table itself is the picture of fellowship.

One of the greatest images of fellowship is not sitting around the TV, but sitting around the dinner table. Breaking bread one with another is old as time itself.

What’s referred to as the oldest book in the Bible - Job - we see Job 1:4 “And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.”

I also think of what’s known as the ‘Last Supper’ - which in fact was the Passover meal that Jesus ate with His disciples.

The Table itself is an Image of Fellowship

The Availability of Fellowship

Remember - the aspect of the table, part of the construction was the rings & staves.

The COI were a people on the go - they wandered around the wilderness for 40 years. But thank God, no matter where they went, they were able to have Fellowship with God!

I’m thankful that no matter what happens in this life, where the Leading of the LORD takes me, He will always be there for me!

I’ll never have to worry about God not being available to me!

Psalm 139:7–10 “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.”

The Availability of Fellowship

The Basis of Fellowship

Not only is Christ the Table of Fellowship for you and I, He’s the Basis for Fellowship for you and I.

1 John 1:6–7 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

I’m thankful for my church family. You know, if it wasn’t for Christ, many of us might not have any reason to have anything to do with each other.

(Ill.) My buddy Brian and I in NC for example. The things that occupy much of his personal interests aren’t mine. He’s a big hunter - I couldn’t care less. Our sons wrestled together and we met then, but we didn’t have much commonality outside of Christ. But through Christ, we have something far more important than hobbies or interests - we have a sold basis for our fellowship!

The Basis of Fellowship

The Instruction for Fellowship

This image of the priests gathered around the table enjoying fellowship is instructive for us concerning the church. Revelation 1:6 “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

You and I are priests today - and we don’t need a backward collar to prove it!

You and I should take every opportunity we can to gather together in time of fellowship and service!

Hebrews 10:22–25 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

We see in the Table Instruction for Fellowship

Jesus - the Bread of Life

The other aspect that speaks to Jesus is not only the Table itself, but the bread that sat upon it.

Speaking of another bread Jesus said: John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

The Necessity of Life

Bread is a necessity of life. I’m speaking about bread interchangeably with food.

Without bread, man would die. Our physical bodies require bread to live.

Just as our physical bodies require bread to live, our Spirit beings requires Jesus to live!

John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 20:31 “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

Jesus is the Necessity for Life

The Sustainer of Life

Not only do we need bread to live, but to continue living.

It’s not something that you’re going to get much satisfaction from if you eat of it but once.

This reminded me of the song ‘I need the every hour’

I don’t know about you - but I need Jesus every hour!

He’s the Sustainer of Life

The Strength of Life

It’s through the nourishment that Christ & Christ alone can give whereby we’re made strong.

Paul spoke of this in: 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

It’s times like today whereby I know and experience what Paul was saying. I have felt horrible the past few days, I got very little rest last night - but as I told my wife when she asked how I was feeling: I said that I was going in the strength of the LORD - but it was surely sufficient!

The Strength of Life

The Singularity of Life

We notice that the only thing apart from the bread is the frankincense.

There were no side dishes, there was no dipping sauces. Just the bread.

If there’s ever a lesson that the contemporary church could learn today is that THE BREAD ALONE IS SUFFICIENT!

Somehow, the contemporary church today has gotten sidetracked to where it has majored in the minors. But church, Jesus and the preaching of the Word of God is sufficient!

The Singularity of Life

The Priests Alone Ate the Bread

This bread was not for those outside the camp - it was for God’s people.

Remember, you can’t get into the Holy Place without coming by the Altar. Once you did business at the altar, you could come and enjoy the good things of God, but until then, you were outside the camp.

There are SO MUCH MORE as far as benefits to those in Christ Jesus than just salvation!

I’m glad God offers Salvation, but He also offers:

A Filling

A Satisfaction

That you just can’t get outside the camp!

The Priests Alone Ate the Bread

The Bread was Anointed

As I mentioned earlier, the bread was anointed with frankincense. This is an image of the HOLY GHOST OF GOD and His Anointing of Jesus.

Luke 3:21–22 “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”

The Bread was Anointed

The Bread was Secure and Undefiled

Remember the dual crowns round about the top of the table - they kept the bread from falling off and becoming defiled. Now if the priests were careless, they could have still dropped or knocked off the bread onto the floor and defiled it, but God put safeguards in place to see that it didn’t happen.

You and I - Kings & Priests of God - we should be careful to make sure that the Bread of Life is not cast down under foot to be defiled by our carelessness.

God has given us a Holy safeguard in the Holy Ghost, but if we’re not careful, we’ll cast down Jesus to become defiled by our actions.

Too many Christians are careless, and this is the result. Jesus’ name used as a curse word. Jesus being mocked as a religious crutch. When in fact He is Holy and Pure!

The Bread was Secure and Undefiled

Fellowship is not Synonymous with Laziness

While the priests were in fellowship, it was not a time of rest and ease. There were no chairs there at the table, they were to eat standing up. Why? Because there was work still yet to be done!

Jesus said: John 9:4 “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”

There’ll come a time when we should be looking for ways and days to retire… but not today! You may retire from a secular job, but never from Christian service!

Fellowship is not synonymous with Laziness

Sanctification was Necessary for Fellowship

In order to get into the Tabernacle, you had to pass by the Laver.

Remember, the Laver spoke of Sanctification.

You can’t have Fellowship w/ Christ without being Sanctified by Christ

(Ill.) The prodigal son - no fellowship as he was in a far country

Sanctification was Necessary for Fellowship

Conclusion