The Golden Candlestick

Intro

Throughout our series on the blueprints of the tabernacle we have seen that just as there was one gate into the tabernacle there is one way into the presence of God and that’s Jesus. We have seen at the bronze altar that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins, and Jesus perfect blood shed for us on the cross justified us so we could be redeemed, then last week we saw and through the sacrifice of Jesus we have been washed clean like the priests were washed clean in the bronze basin. and no matter how dirty we feel we have been declared clean and as white as snow.

This week we take a big step we are going from the courtyard which any Israelite could enter with their sacrifice to the holy place where only the priests could enter. The three elements in this area the Israelites would have spent their entire lives never seeing. The closer we get to the presence of the God i the Holy of Holies more and more people are not allowed to approach. If you think that is a difficult pill to swallow. Why God had to keep people at an arms length. I have good new for you this morning.

It was a hard pill for God to swallow too. It was so difficult that he laid out the plan that was forshadowed by the tabernacle that would allow us all to come into his presence. The blueprint of our redemption in Jesus.

Lets look at what the priests would see as the entered the sanctuary of the tabernacle.

Exodus 25:31–40 CSB

“You are to make a lampstand out of pure, hammered gold. It is to be made of one piece: its base and shaft, its ornamental cups, and its buds and petals. Six branches are to extend from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side. There are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals, on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and petals, on the next branch. It is to be this way for the six branches that extend from the lampstand. There are to be four cups shaped like almond blossoms on the lampstand shaft along with its buds and petals. For the six branches that extend from the lampstand, a bud must be under the first pair of branches from it, a bud under the second pair of branches from it, and a bud under the third pair of branches from it. Their buds and branches are to be of one piece. All of it is to be a single hammered piece of pure gold. “Make its seven lamps, and set them up so that they illuminate the area in front of it. Its snuffers and firepans must be of pure gold. The lampstand with all these utensils is to be made from seventy-five pounds of pure gold. Be careful to make them according to the pattern you have been shown on the mountain.

The tabernacle had no windows. There was no natural light inside it. Obviously there was no light switch to hit to light it so God told Moses to make a lampstand. In order for the priest to do their work and to worship they need a light. But not just any light but one that came from a candlestick made out of solid gold.

What does this have to do with us? Just like every element of this tabernacle the candlestick points us to Jesus.

John 8:12 CSB

Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

The candlestick of the tabernacle points to Jesus as the light of the world.

1. Jesus is the Light.

I don’t know if you guys have ever been in a really dark room or in the woods at night but being in the dark without a light can be really scary. not knowing whats out there whether its an animal, a monster or an end table for you to run your shin into. Not being able to see where you are going is not fun.

Just like the tabernacle was dark without the light, we need to acknowledge that the default state of our world is darkness.

I remember when I was a kid I was afraid of the dark, now I see my own kids afraid of the dark. I feel like kids have a natural tendancy to be afraid of the dark because they dont know whats out there. No matter how many times I tell them the doors are locked, the alarm is on, and the dogs bark if anyone gets within a mile of our house they don’t have anything to worry about they still want a light on. As we get older I think most of us lose that especially in our own homes. sometimes I will not turn a light on when I go downstairs to get water at night because I think I know whats there, I know where the furniture is and most the time I don’t run into anything. but every once in a while a chair is out of place. a toy is left out and I run into and trip. because I didn’t have a light.

Here’s the reality. Our work places, our homes, our schools are full of people stumbling around in the dark. They think they know what’s out there, they think they can get by in the dark. When they were younger they looked for a light to guide them but they believed the lie that the light was inside them the whole time so just keep going so they go used to being in the dark, and they keep running into end table after end table.

God watched us choose the darkness instead of him. But instead of leaving us to stumble our way through life until we die and go into eternal darkness. God sent Jesus to be our light. So we don’t have to stumble through life, we can fully see. by the source of light in Jesus. not just in this life but for all of eternity.

Like the priests couldn’t see to worship without a light we cannot worship and get closer to the presence of God without Jesus who came not just to be our sacrifice but light the way as we walk through this dark world.

My prayer for you this morning is that you came into this room stumbling in darkness you would leave walking with confidence in the light of Jesus.

If you are in the light this morning I have good news

2. We are Built to Shine.

The candlestick had one central stem and then from it broke off 6 branches. In the blueprint we see that God made sure it was beaten out of one large piece of Gold. Meaning the branches could not be seperated from the main stem. The gold wasn’t melted and poured into a mold its beaten by hand over and over again. the gold was precious itself but it was only by being beaten that it was able to fulfill its glorious purpose.

The central stem of the candlestick represents Jesus, and the six branches represent us as his church. Because Jesus was Isaiah 53:5

Isaiah 53:5 CSB

But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.

Like the Gold had to be beaten to fulifill its glorious purpose. Jesus had to be beaten and crushed so that the fathers glorious purpose of bringing us into the light could be accomplished. so now he is the central stem and we are the branches. Individual members of the body, united with him without the possibility of being separated.

He is the vine we are the branches. We are untied to him and sustained by him. He have our individual light but it is only made possible by the light of Jesus at the center. We have been built to shine.

Maybe you grew up in church and your like ok I get it we all have a light. I’ve been singing this little light of mine since I was 5 I got it. I think most of us know that. but I look at the state of the world and the church and want to ask you. Do you really believe it? I know you know it but do you believe it?

You will say what you know, you will live out what you believe.

I think there are lots of things that we say in church because we know them. but we don’t live them because at our core we aren’t sure if we believe them. This is one of them. I’d say most people in here know Jesus is the light of the world and know that we have a responsibility to shine that light. but I want you to look at your actions from last week. do they show that you believe that with every fiber of your being?

Do you believe it or do you just know it? I don’t think that there is a single person in here that what is holding you back in living out God’s purpose for your life to shine his light is a lack of information.

I don’t believe there is one fact that I could share with you up here that is going to be the catalyst. You don’t need new information this morning. You need to believe what you already know to be true.

Information wont save you or change you, belief in who Jesus is and what he has done saves and changes you.

Believe what you already know to be true. This world is a dark place. people need a light to guide their way to salvation. Without it they have no hope. Your friends, your coworkers, your teammates, have no hope. and we have that light. If you believe that it should change everything about how we live.

Walking around knowing you have a light isn’t going to help anyone. You’re just hiding it under a bushel. We have been made one with Christ so we can have one purpose with him to shine the light that he’s given us by being beaten and crushed for our sins, so that those in darkness can be brought into the light.

Leviticus 24:2–4 CSB

“Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil from crushed olives for the light, in order to keep the lamp burning regularly. Aaron is to tend it continually from evening until morning before the Lord outside the curtain of the testimony in the tent of meeting. This is a permanent statute throughout your generations. He must continually tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand in the Lord’s presence.

The fuel for this candlestick was pure oil. Oil throughout the Bible is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. the oil that fuels our light is the Holy Spirit himself. We don’t have to fuel ourselves. Which is a huge relief because I have a hard time just fueling myself to not hit snooze. The light of the candlesticks never went out just like our light will never go out.

But lets look at the reason it never went out. Aaron the high priest was the only one who could tend the candlestick. He had to trim the wicks to make sure they shinned as bright as possible. Aaron the high priest forshadows Jesus who is our high priest.

Jesus trims us to make sure we shine as bright as we possibly can.

John 15:1–2 CSB

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.

3. Trust Him to Trim.

Jesus prunes us, he trims us. so we can shine brighter before God and people.

Pruning is always painful, but it is always for a purpose.

Here’s the reality a light isn’t going to be very bright unless it is surrounded by darkness, a light wont shine unless its trimmed.

Being surrounded by darkness and being trimmed of the things that hinder us from shining are not fun. We wouldn’t choose it. nor would I trust anyone but Jesus to trim my life.

If we believe Jesus is working all things for good. not just know it but really believe it. We will trust him to trim. No matter what or how he chooses to trim us so we can shine brighter.

You need to ask yourself today do you trust him to trim your life so it can better shine his light.

Do you trust him enough to send a trial to draw you closer to him? so your light can shine brighter?

Do you trust him enough to place you in a situation that seems dark so your light can shine brighter?

Do you trust him enough to trim away the sin you’ve held on to for years? so your light can shine brighter?

There is a difference between knowing you can trust somebody and believing you can trust somebody.

I can tell you all day why I believe you should trust Jesus to trim your life so it can shine brighter but what I believe doesn’t matter. You got to ask yourself do you believe it?

Romans 8:18 CSB

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

Paul was someone’s life who Jesus had trimmed significantly till all he had left was Jesus could say these trials are nothing compared to knowing Jesus more fully.

When Aaron would trim the candlestick he would pour in oil at the same time. Even as Jesus trims our lives, no matter how painful it gets he is also giving the Holy Spirit which is sufficient to sustain us through the trimming.

Conclusion

I pray the Holy Spirit is revealing to you guys through this series like he is doing for me that He has thought of everything.

There is no detail of our redemption that he left to chance. He saw us stumbling around in the darkness headed toward eternal darkness, and instead of leaving us that way he stepped in as the light. then he made us one with him so we could shine his light, and he knew that he would need to continually trim us so our lives could shine the light, and he knew that would be hard so he gave us the Holy Spirit to enable us to endure and draw strength from.

Guys he as thought of everything. My hope is that you don’t just know that this morning but you believe it. If you believe that I hope you know that means you can trust him. If you are lost and in darkness today you can trust him to be your light this morning. Through his sacrifice on the cross you can be washed clean and follow his light this morning. Don’t hesitate to run into the light this morning. He is the light of the world and he can be the light of your life.

For those of us who believe Jesus is our light. and you trust him for that. My question to you is do you trust him to trim your life. To do whatever he needs to enable you to live out your purpose to shine your light in the world. Maybe you are here and you feel that happening and it hurts. You can trust the hands that were nailed to the cross to trim your life in love. Don’t waste your trials, let them trim you so your light can shine brighter

If you’ve already trusted him to save your life, why wouldn’t you trust him to trim it?

So today, whether you need to step into the light for the first time, or you need to surrender to His trimming — the invitation is the same: trust Him. He’s the Light, He’s the Vine, He’s the High Priest — and He has thought of everything.