(54) The Menorah

To our left in the Tabernacle is the lamp-stand, the menorah. It had seven oil fueled lamps and was made of pure gold. The menorah illuminates the Tabernacle. It is the only light to guide in the acts of worship within the Tabernacle. Without this light, worship could not take place.

We need light. Those of us who have the blessing of sight depend on light to see what we are doing and where we are going. We need the light of truth from God to guide us in discernment and living as God designed. But the menorah suggests another specific kind of light. Light for the purpose of worship. It teaches us that we cannot offer God genuine worship that honors Him unless we worship according to the light of truth. We are reminded that worship must guided by God’s Word. Worship must be rooted in an accurate, biblically correct view of God.

How does this point us to Jesus? John tells us that, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).” Jesus Himself declared, “I am the light of the world (Jn. 9:5).” We cannot worship without the truth we receive from the source of truth, Jesus. Jesus is not just the way, He is also the embodiment of truth. It is only through life in Him that we are given the ability to see the light, to understand truth.

Darkness is the great equalizer. Sight or no sight, when the lights go out we’re all in the same boat. We can no longer see where we’re going and so we resort to feeling our way around. Unfortunately many people are the same in worship. Indifferent to the light of God’s Word many feel their way through worship. It is all about what I feel, rather than an expression of worship that is rooted in biblical truth.

Certainly we should feel something when we worship. God created emotion in us and so He certainly expects us to honor Him and worship Him with emotion. Scripture is full off commands to worship God with emotion. But an emotional experience that is not an intelligible expression of biblical truth about the character and ways of God is not worship. Worship must be guided by the light of truth.

So, where does your concept of truth come from? Where do your beliefs regarding worship come from? Are you relying on the thinking of man and what seems or feels right or are you tuning to the light of the world? Is your worship guided by truth and the Lord of truth?


Next: (55)  The Altar of Incense