Let me briefly summarize Old Testament worship and then move into how we are called to worship today. God precisely instructed Moses on how to build the Tabernacle and what was to be placed in it and how worship was to be conducted.
The same pattern was later followed in the Jerusalem Temple.
The Tabernacle consisted of three parts:
- Outer Court
- Holy Place
- Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies)
All Israelites were permitted to enter the Outer Court with their offerings; Gentiles were not allowed. From there, only priests from the tribe of Levi could enter the Holy Place, and only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place, once a year.
As part of our journey of renewing the mind, let us begin today’s meditation with this verse:
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.” — Hebrews 10:19–20
This verse clearly explains that those who acknowledge their sins, confess them, and seek God’s grace and forgiveness are granted access. Having presented ourselves as living sacrifices and entered into a covenant life, we are now led by the Holy Spirit in the ongoing process of renewing our minds, and through Christ, we may enter the Most Holy Place.
Let us now move into the Holy Place. The Holy Place contains:
- the Lampstand
- the Table of Showbread
- the Altar of Incense.
Today, we will meditate on what we are to do at the Lampstand (the Golden Lampstand).
The spiritual principles and standards are the same in both the Old and New Testaments times:
- The burning lampstand represents the Holy Spirit.
- The lampstand is the only source of light in the Holy Place / just as the Holy Spirit is the only true source of light in our lives.
- By the light of the lampstand, the table of showbread and the altar of incense become visible.
- "...to make the lamps burn continually." Leviticus 24:2
The Holy Spirit works in many ways within us, and allow the Holy Spirit to increase within us and fill us with His glory. At the lampstand, let us pray for the Holy Spirit to produce these attributes in our lives:
- Teach us to do what is right.
- Help us remember what we need to remember.
- Guide us into all truth.
- Convict us of sin
- Seal us as believers
- Empower us for godly living
- Lead us
- Reveal God’s wisdom
There are many more. Let me stop here and let ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the attributes that we need walk with Him daily.